Rift Valley Lakes and Masai Mara Safari
5 Days Wildlife and cultural Safari to the Masai Mara and the Rift Valley Lakes
Along with the population of antelope, elephant, giraffe, zebra, and wildebeest, Masai Mara is home to the highest concentration of big cats. It is possibly the most well-known game park in the world. In addition, from July to October, visitors to Kenya should not miss the annual spectacle of the big wildebeest migration. On this trip, we also visit famous Lakes of the great Rift Valley, that is Lake Naivasha and Nakuru, an ornithologist’s paradise. At Lake Nakuru you get to see the endangered Rhino.
Day 1: Nairobi to Naivasha
Depart from Nairobi at 0900hrs and drive to Lake Naivasha. Brief stop at the View Point to see the spectacular scenery of the Great Rift Valley, which includes steep escarpments, volcanic mountains and lakes. After lunch at the shores of Lake Naivasha, you can either do an exciting boat ride (optional) to one of the islands in the lake or simply survey the area on foot for its immense diversity of birds. Dinner and overnight in a camp
Day 2: Lake Nakuru
Morning birdwatching or boat ride drive to round the lake or to Crescent Island. Alternatively, hire bicycles for cycling in HellÌs Gate National Park. After lunch drive for 2 hours to Lake Nakuru National Park for afternoon game drive. Lake Nakuru is a world famous bird sanctuary and home to millions of flamingoes. There are also lots of other interesting wildlife species such as the white rhino, leopard, lion, waterbuck etc. Afternoon game drive round the park. Dinner and overnight bush camp
Day 3: Masai Mara Game Reserve
Morning game drive in Lake Nakuru. Later drive to Masai Mara Game Reserve. On arrival, have lunch at Mara Springs Safari Camp then do a late afternoon game drive. Optional hike to the summit of the nearby Naunare hills from where you can enjoy good views of the expansive Mara ecosystem. Dinner and overnight Mara Springs Safari Camp
Day 4: Full day in Masai Mara
Take an extensive tour of the Masai Mara. Leaving shortly after dawn, you spend the whole day driving through different locations of the Reserve, watching animals as they feed or groom each other. Take a short break from the mid day heat to have picnic lunch at the Hippo Pool where you can watch hippos gracefully swim or bask lazily. By the time you return to the camp in the evening, you’ve hopefully seen the elephant, the rhino, the lion, the giraffe, the hippo, the buffalo, the zebra, the leopard and a lot of other species including birds. An evening Maasai dance and cultural lecture around the campfire can be arranged at an extra cost. Dinner and overnight Mara Springs Safari Camp
Day 5: Masai Mara to Nairobi
Early morning game drive, which is followed by a visit (optional) to a Maasai village (“Manyatta”) to learn more about the local people’s unique culture and lifestyle. Return to Nairobi arriving late afternoon.