Fly from Europe to Nairobi, arriving in the evening.

First of 3 nights in Nairobi.  Tamarind Tree Hotel or similar. (no meals)

Today we head out for a short afternoon tour of Nairobi. Situated in the Central Highlands at an altitude of 6,130 feet (1,870 metres), Nairobi enjoys a mild climate. On our driving tour of the city and its surroundings, we see Uhuru Park, Kenya’s Parliament House, the Kenyatta Conference Centre, City Square and some of Nairobi’s nicest suburbs. We visit the Kenya National Museum to learn about Kenya’s wildlife, geology and human history.
Second of 3 nights in Nairobi.  Tamarind Hotel or similar. Breakfast & Dinner.

Today we travel into the foothills of the Ngong Hills outside the city. We visit the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, a sanctuary for orphaned elephants and the Karen Blixen Museum, the farmhouse where the author of Out of Africa lived.   Later we visit the Langata Giraffe Centre to learn about these extraordinary animals. We have an opportunity to hand-feed giraffes from a tall wooden platform.
Third of 3 nights in Nairobi.  Tamarind Tree Hotel or similar. Breakfast & Dinner.

We drive north from Nairobi, to the the Sweetwaters Game Reserve. This very special 23,000-acre wildlife sanctuary was originally established to protect and breed highly-endangered Black Rhinos. In 1994 the Jane Goodall Institute established the Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary within the game reserve and moved a large group of chimps here from the unstable situation in their native West Africa. This afternoon we have a game drive in the reserve and tour the Chimpanzee Sanctuary. Overnight at Sweetwaters Camp. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.

We drive north past Mount Kenya, Africa’s second-highest mountain at 17,000 feet (5,199 metres). This is also the traditional homeland of the Kikuyu people, the largest of Kenya’s 70 recognized tribes. The Kikuyu believe that their god, Ngai, lives on Mount Kenya and so they build their homes with the doors facing towards the mountain, to welcome their god in. We cross the Equator again into the northern hemisphere on our way to Samburu Game Reserve in a semi-desert area of Kenya. Samburu is located on the Ewaso Nyiro River. This afternoon we take a game drive in the park.
First of 2 nights in Samburu.  Ashnil Samburu Camp or similar. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.

Early morning and afternoon game drives in Samburu Game Reserve. Samburu is also home to the third of Kenya’s giraffe species – the Reticulated Giraffe. This is also our best chance to see the blue-legged Somali Ostrich, the long-necked Gerenuk gazelle and the straight-horned Beisa Oryx antelope.
Second of 2 nights in Samburu.  Ashnil Samburu Camp or similar. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.

The lush hills of Aberdare National Park are covered by Kenya’s densest forest and form the eastern flank of the Great Rift Valley. We leave our main luggage at the base hotel and continue with just our overnight bags deep in the Aberdares Forest to “the Ark”. A special feature of the lodge where we stay is the floodlit watering hole where we can watch from the lodge itself throughout the night as the animals come down to drink. In the morning we hope to have spectacular views towards the jagged outline of Mount Kenya.
Overnight at the Ark or similar. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.
Please pack an overnight backpack.

Lake Nakuru is an alkaline lake. As well as seeing many large game animals such as zebras, elephants and gazelles, this is one of our best chances of seeing rhinos. Lake Nakuru National Park was the first place in Kenya selected as a rhino reserve. Here is one of the few places where we can see Rothschild’s giraffes. Overnight at the Lake Nakuru Lodge or similar. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.

Driving south along the Great Rift Valley we come to the freshwater Lake Naivasha. This afternoon we take a boat trip on Lake Naivasha out to Crescent Island, where we take a short walking safari.
Overnight at Lake Naivasha Lodge or similar. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.

This morning we drive down into the Great Rift Valley. Crossing the valley we make our way to Kenya’s premier wildlife park – the Masai Mara. This is the northern section of the Serengeti Plain, which is home to the greatest concentration of game animals in the world.
First of 3 nights in the Masai Mara. Sarova Mara Game Camp or similar. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.

We continue to explore this miraculous area on our morning and afternoon game drives. This is one of the most spectacular sights in the world. Today we also encounter and learn about the Masai, a proud tribal people struggling to preserve their traditions in the face of modernisation.
Second  of 3 nights in the Masai Mara. Sarova Mara Game Camp or similar. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.

The vast, open grasslands of the Serengeti-Mara are home to over 3 million large mammals. These include over 1.4 million wildebeest which migrate in an enormous, straggling herd each year between the southern part of the Serengeti to the northern part and back again. On our morning and afternoon game drives in the Masai Mara, we have a very good chance of seeing all the major Plains animals including lion, leopard, buffalo, elephant, rhino, hyena, cheetah, jackal, warthog and many species of antelope.

Third of 3 nights in the Masai Mara. Sarova Mara Game Camp or similar. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.

This morning we drive back to Nairobi. Overnight in Nairobi.
Airport Hilton Garden Hotel or similar. Breakfast & Dinner.

This morning we drive from Nairobi south to Amboseli National Park, right on the border with Tanzania. Mount Kilimanjaro is Africa’s highest mountain at 19,340 feet (5,895 metres), although it is situated inside Tanzania, the best views of the mountain are from Amboseli on the Kenyan side of the border. This afternoon we enjoy a game drive in majestic Amboseli.

Overnight in Amboseli. Ol Tukai Lodge or similar. Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

Early this morning we enjoy a game drive in Amboseli National Park. The park is particularly famous for its huge herds of elephants which take on a red colour from the dust they coat themselves in. After breakfast, we travel east from the flat plains and swamps of Amboseli to Tsavo West National Park. Outside the park gates are the Shetani Lava Flow; frozen rivers of molten black rock twisted in bizarre shapes. The Mzima Springs are the source of the freshwater pools much favored by hippos and crocodiles. There is even a glass wall for viewing the pools from under the waterline. Our lodge overlooks a watering hole where we can observe many animals coming down to drink at dusk and in the early morning.
Overnight in Tsavo West. Kilaguni Serena Lodge or similar. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.

From Tsavo we drive south to the Taita Hills Game Sanctuary, a private game reserve of 42,000 acres. This afternoon we enjoy a game drive in the Taita Hills Reserve.
Overnight in the Taita Hills area. Salt Lick Lodge or similar. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.

This morning we drive further east from the interior of Africa to the Indian Ocean Coast. We pass through a spectacular panorama on our way to Mombasa. After settling into our beachfront hotel, the rest of the day is free for you to relax and enjoy the soft sands and warm waters of the turquoise Indian Ocean.
First of 2 nights in Mombasa. Whitesands Beach Hotel or similar. Breakfast & Dinner.

The town of Mombasa is situated on an island on the southern coast of Kenya. It is the oldest town in Kenya and is the largest port on the coast of East Africa with a history going back 2,000 years. With such a long and rich history it is not surprising that there is much to see in the old section of town. Most of the buildings here were constructed during the late 19th and early 20th Centuries when Mombasa was a major trading centre at the height of its power. Many of the streets in the Old Town are too narrow for cars and the buildings here are known for their elaborately carved wooden doors decorated with brass studs. The highlight of a visit to old Mombasa is the enormous Fort Jesus. Built in 1593 by the Portuguese, it dominates the entrance to the Old Harbour and is positioned so that, even under siege, it was still possible to bring supplies in from the sea. Inside, we see the so-called Omani House and visit the Museum. We also visit the Akamba Carving non-profit co-operative which employs 10,000 people from the local area and produces beautiful carvings. A portion of all the sales goes to support the local carvers.
Second of 2 nights in Mombasa. Whitesands Beach Hotel or similar. Breakfast & Dinner.

Our Land Only tour finishes after breakfast in Mombasa this morning.