Let’s get up early to make the most of this beautiful day and enjoy the birdsong as we venture out on our first morning game drive. Besides the big game, the park hosts some unusual species like Grevy’s zebra, beisa oryx, and the reticulated giraffe – animals you won’t commonly find. We’ll travel along the banks of the Ewaso Ngiro River, the life spring of this dry park and the best spot to view the thirsty wildlife. And surprisingly in this arid reserve, you’ll find a busy assortment of birdlife amongst the forest and riverine vegetation. Look for kingfisher, guinea fowl, egret, falcon, and eagle. We may also get a glimpse of the local Samburu tribes and their villages.

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner We’ll take a final early morning game viewing drive through Samburu and head for the cooler regions of Mt. Kenya and Laikipia. Ol Pejeta amazes with its diversity – lots of predators here, Africa’s famous Big Five… but also a special rhino sanctuary, protecting over one hundred of the endangered species. Here too you’ll find the Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary, the only place in Kenya where you can enjoy the antics of these intelligent and playful animals.

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner This rich sanctuary provides views of other species such as impala, giraffe, baboon, jackal, and hyena. Let’s take an early morning drive in the 4 x 4 to see if you can spot some of them. Now it’s a quick drive to Aberdare National Park and the upcountry terrain here is quite different – mountains, rainforest, and cool evening mists. We’ll arrive in time for lunch and then head to your tree hotel. Enjoy relaxation time from your balcony as you take in the wildlife below at an adjacent watering hole. Look for antelope, elephant, buffalo, hyena, bush pigs, and waterbuck.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner It’s time to head out to the Rift Valley lake country. On our way to Lake Nakuru, we’ll stop at Nyahururu to see the awesome power of the cascading Thompson’s Falls. We’ll pass farming country as we traverse the dramatic rises and falls of the Great Rift Valley escarpment. Arriving at Lake Nakuru Park, we’ll have time for a bird and game viewing drive. This lovely reserve is pleasing to the eye with its forests and acacia trees. Some flamingoes dot the lakeshore as well as kingfishers, ostriches, and raptors like herons and eagles. We will also spot rhinos in the protected sanctuary here and be on the lookout for the rare Rothschild’s giraffe nibbling at the branches above.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner. The lake provides a stunning setting for an early game drive, and we’ll enjoy the moment in this beautiful park. Continuing our scenic route through the Great Rift Valley, our next destination will be Lake Bogoria National Reserve. The park is a geothermal spectacle of hot springs and bubbling geysers around an alkaline lake that hosts flamingoes and wildlife in the area like kudu and antelope. We’ll hop back in the 4 x 4 heading for our next park, Lake Naivasha. This freshwater lake and its surrounding parks will give us plenty of sightings of small game and an abundance of birdlife. Here’s your opportunity to go bicycling in a national park. We’ll take a short bicycle safari to nearby Hell’s Gate National Park and then hike through imposing gorges looking for grazing antelope, zebra, impala, and buffalo.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner It’s a perfect morning for a sail across the lake. Let’s glide by dozing hippos as they awake to see us passing by and we’ll take in the active birdlife hovering about. Now that everyone is awake, we’ll enjoy a short, guided walking safari to Crescent Island Game Sanctuary. This little park is filled with yet more grazing game so check out the wildebeest, waterbuck, and gazelle strolling about. We’ve seen and experienced a lot this past week, but now it’s time to set our sights for the jewel in the crown of Kenya’s wildlife parks – Masai Mara National Reserve. We will arrive at the park in time for an afternoon game drive, the first of many here. The reserve reflects an outstanding ecosystem, known for supporting the highest concentration of wildlife in this region. You’ll soon see examples of this as we go tracking the Big Five and the more than 90 mammal species in the park.

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Today we will traverse the savannahs, hills, and rivers, searching for all the big game. The Masai Mara is famous for its many sightings of lion, cheetah, hyena and other predators. We’ll also see if we can spot topi, eland, and birds like stork, kingfisher, and hornbills in this fertile ecosystem. If you’re seeing great processions of wildebeests and zebra marching through the reserve, you’re most likely here during the migrating season – July through October. That’s when vast herds invade the park, crossing the Mara River in a never-ending search for sustenance. We’ll picnic by the Mara River, site of the crossing and look for hippos and crocodiles plying the muddy waters. For an up-close cultural encounter, we offer an optional visit to the local Maasai tribespeople in their nearby village. You’ll be able to learn about their lifestyle and perhaps purchase some colorful beaded souvenirs. For a truly unforgettable experience take advantage of our optional pre-dawn balloon safari over the park. You’ll get an eagle’s eye view of the park coming to life as the animals below awake to a fresh, new day. Just ask your driver/guide to make the arrangements.

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch. After a leisurely breakfast at your lodge/camp, your dedicated driver guide will assist you with the checkout process and proceed to Nairobi – Kenya’s colorful capital city. On the way, your guide will point out the Longonot extinct volcano which is a strato volcano located southeast of Lake Naivasha in the Great Rift Valley of Kenya. It is thought to have last erupted in the 1860s and its name is derived from the Maasai word Oloonong’ot, meaning “mountains of many spurs” or “steep ridges “. You can opt to drive via Naivasha for lunch/excursions at an extra cost or drive straight to Nairobi and pass by Kiambethu farm for the tea farm tour inclusive of a three-course buffet lunch (at an extra cost) OR drive straight back to the capital and later transfer to Jomo Kenyatta International airport for your back home.