Vanishing Africa
DAY
1: NAIROBI
Pick
up at the airport with our courtesy bus then transfer to your hotel, the
Jacaranda Hotel (this is a twenty minutes drive from the airport) check
in and spend the afternoon either relaxing or touring the Cosmo polis
of Nairobi. The tour includes visits to the parliament, the national museum,
the Snake Park, the railway museum etc. After dinner an overnight at the
Jacaranda Hotel ends our first day in Africa.
DAY
2: NAIROBI - THE ABERDARES
After
an early start, we drive through the rich farmlands of the central highlands
seeing coffee and pineapple plantations and colorful villages. Our drive
to the Aberdares Country Club enjoys fine views of Mount Kenya. Lunch
is served at the Club; then transfer to the Ark, which is situated right
in the very heart of the Aberdares National Park close to a waterhole.
Here you can view closely Elephant, Rhino, Giant forest Hog, Antelope,
Leopard, Buffalo and on occasions the rare and elusive Bongo. Lush green
trees provide the ideal setting for baboons and colorful birds. At night
enjoy illuminated game viewing from the gallery as the animals come to
drink. Dinner and overnight stay at the Ark.
DAY
3: THE ABERARES - SAMBURU
After
breakfast, depart for the northern frontiers, cross the equator and continue
to the plateau that leads eventually into the hot and dusty bush scrubland
of the Samburu. Note the brightly arrayed tribal dress of the Samburu
people. On arrival at Samburu Lodge we partake of lunch then have a siesta
or relax in the swimming pool. Afternoon game drives, returning to your
lodge for dinner and overnight. Many distinct species of wildlife exist
here including Reticulated Giraffe, the shy long necked antelope Gerenuk,
Grevy's Zebra and the blue legged Somali Ostrich.
DAY
4: SAMBURU
A
full day is spent game viewing in this panoramic national park - a scenario
of semi-arid land, treeless plains and rugged landscape. We focus on trying
to trace the species peculiar to this region north of the equator including
the Uaso Nyiro crocodile and Beisa's Oryx. All our meals and overnight
at Samburu Lodge.
DAY
5: SAMBURU - LAKE NAKURU
After
breakfast our drive takes us westwards through spectacular countryside
towards the Nyahururu Falls (formerly the Thompson Falls) then south to
Lake Naukuru National Park renowned home of millions of Flamingoes among
other birdlife and several wildlife species including rhino, leopard,
giraffe, zebra, a large variety of antelopes etc. Lunch at Lion Hill Lodge
is followed by afternoon game drives to locate the game that are to be
found at this Rift Valley Lake. Dinner and overnight at Lion Hill Lodge.
DAY
6: LAKE NAKURU - MAASAI MARA
After
an early breakfast we leave this lakeside resort and proceed through Maasai
country spotted with a number of extinct volcanoes. Our drive takes us
over the Western escarpment of the Great Rift Valley (formed when tectonic
forces thrust part of the earths' crust upwards leaving one of the longest
and most spectacular canyons in the world, running from the Middle East
to Mozambique) into the Maasai Mara triangle. We arrive at the Sarova
Mara Luxury Tented Camp for a late lunch. After lunch we proceed to flash
out the numerous wildlife that are to be found in this famous game sanctuary
among which are: - elephant, buffalo, wildebeest, topi, leopard, cheetah,
lion, rhino, ostrich, impala, gazelle and many more. Dinner and overnight
at the permanent tented camps of Sarova Mara Luxury Tented Camp.
DAY
7: MAASAI MARA
A
full day is spent driving through the Savannah lands of the Mara, which
forms the northern corridor of the Serengeti plains of Tanzania. In July
or August every year, the great migration of the wildebeest is witnessed
here; one of the most fascinating sights in the animal kingdom as millions
of these antelopes move into the Mara from Tanzania in search of water
and greener pastures. Behind them follow the predators- lions, jackals,
and hyenas - picking out the weak, aged and sick and leaving the strong
to continue for another season. After the viewing of a golden sunset by
the campgrounds we take our dinner and proceed to retire for the day at
the Sarova Mara Luxury Tented Camp.
DAY
8: MAASAI MARA - NAIROBI
Pre-breakfast
game drives to see the few animals that might not have been sighted as
yet. Return to the Sarova mara joy breakfast then leaving the sanctuary
of the Mara we travel towards Nairobi, which is reached in the early afternoon.
The evening is spent at leisure and dinner and overnight is at the Jacaranda
Hotel.
DAY
9: NAIROBI
A
full day is spent in Nairobi and after a complimentary lunch we leave
in the evening for the flight back home.
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