Experience the very best of Kenya on this Acacia Dream Safari adventure. Covering six diverse parks, this itinerary offers a perfect blend of thrilling adventure and serene beauty. Submerse yourself in the captivating charms of wild Africa and get indelibly close to the Big Five and much more. With places like the Maasai Mara and Samburu on the itinerary, this 11-day trip offers a daily procession of unforgettable highlights.
Upon arrival at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, we will meet you in style- for assistance and transfer to your hotel of stay where you are booked on bed and breakfast basis. Overnight at Emara Ole Sereni.
Luxury and comfort that’s what describes Emara Ole- Sereni. Located just off Mombasa road, near Nairobi National Park, the hotel enjoys proximity to JKIA (12km), Wilson Airport (6km) and City Centre (10km). The hotel is a perfect blend of service excellence, quality accommodation and quintessential conference facility. The guest rooms and suites exude an air of eminence with lavish comforts, generous amenities and designer furnishings.
After early morning breakfast, your safari guide will pick you up and transfer you by road to Amboseli National Park. Africa's highest mountain provides the backdrop to Amboseli, the snow-capped Uhuru Peak clearly visible above the flat savannah. Great elephant herds roam across this land, their distinct shapes providing a wonderful contrast on any photo of Mount Kilimanjaro. On one hand Amboseli offers a small and compact safari experience, the bountiful wildlife easily found congregating around swamps and dried out lake beds. Yet it's also a spacious place of serene beauty. Little compares to relaxing on a verandah and watching the elephants roam beneath Mount Kilimanjaro. Check in at the Ol Tukai Lodge for dinner and overnight.
With spectacular views of Mount Kilimanjaro and the golden plains, Ol Tukai Lodge is a charming, contemporary retreat situated within the pristine Amboseli National Park. Imbued with a quintessential African atmosphere and set amidst beautifully manicured lawns, the lodge’s luxury chalets offer uninterrupted views of the tranquil wilderness of the park or the snow-capped mountain in the distance. Beautifully appointed and inviting, the chalets boast private terraces where guests can make the most of their spectacular surroundings. Delicious meals are served al fresco on the main veranda, where guests have the opportunity to spot game just metres away, while the stylish Elephant Bar offers a variety of refreshing cocktails. In between game drives, guests can relax in a comfortable sitting room and play board games or browse through the wildlife library or art gallery. A range of rejuvenating treatments is available in the beauty spa.
After early morning breakfast, your safari guide will pick you up and transfer you by road to Mount Kenya. The diversity of Kenya's parks ensures that every day brings a new safari experience. Travel through the rural green hills of southern Kenya as you head towards Mount Kenya. From your elegant lodge, the jagged peaks of Africa's second highest mountain can be glimpsed through the trees. At 7,200 feet above sea level, on the thickly forested foothills, a new world of wildlife provides an atmospheric feast for the senses. Spotting game is not so easy in such a dense forest. So rather than battle through the trees, you just need to sit back and wait for the wildlife to come to you. You will check in at the famous Ark Lodge.
The Ark is one of Kenya’s more unusual hotels, built literally in the style of Noah’s Ark, and is beautifully situated overlooking a waterhole in the heart of Aberdare National Park. This triple-storey hotel has 60 comfortable cabins, so it’s fairly large and best suited for those who enjoy mixing with fellow travellers. The drawcard here is its position – this game-rich reserve has a staggering diversity of wildlife that is drawn to the waterhole. At night, floodlights are switched on so viewing can continue after dark from the comfort of the lounges, dining room and multi-level decks.
After breakfast, you will transfer to Samburu national Reserve. On arrival you will be assisted and check into Ashnil Samburu. Ashnil Samburu Camp is a luxury tented set in the spectacular backdrop drop of the Mighty Ol Olokwe mountain fronting Ewaso Nyiro River. The 19 exclusive luxury Tents are spread out along the shady banks of the river under a thick stand of doum Palms. Each tent features a decked Terrance with views of the Ewaso Nyiro River. An outdoor swimming pool surrounded by sun lounges, a garden and a Lounge bar offering views of the African savannah. The restaurant offers views of the river and serves a variety of menus comprising of Oriental, traditional and international cuisines. A range of activities are available on request and comprise of game drives, nature Walks and a cultural visit to the Samburu Village, bush meals like bush lunch/dinner and sundowners.
Palm groves and riverine forests, in the midst of arid and semi arid ecosystems, create the magnificent landscape of the Samburu National Reserve. This vast expanse of remote pristine wilderness is inhabited by iconic wildlife and a tranquil ambiance blankets this wildlife haven. Located in the North of Laikipia, one of the less-visited regions in Kenya, this reserve promises an authentic wilderness experience. The traditional homeland of the Samburu people, this arid terrain features northern Kenya’s biggest river, Ewaso Nyiro. Quenching the thirst of the abundant wildlife that roam this reserve, the Samburu people were lured to this area due to the reliability of the Ewaso Nyiro that provides water for their herds. The river courses through Samburu National Park, Shaba National Reserve and the Buffalo Springs National Reserve to the south.
Home to the rare northern special five species (Grevy zebra, Somali ostrich, reticulated giraffe, gerenuk and the beisa oryx) this craggy, rugged region unfolds a romantic, awe-inspiring safari experience. Captivating Samburu elephant herds saunter over this game rich reserve and big cats prowl through thick acacia forest. Dedicated efforts to conservation have been a long-standing commitment in this semi-arid part of the country. There has been invaluable collaboration with communities to prohibit human-wildlife conflict. There are fascinating opportunities to interact, engage and learn from researchers, trackers and organisations here that protect endangered species.
After breakfast, you will transfer via road to Sweetwaters Game Reserve. You will check in at Sweetwaters Serena, you will likely encounter buffalo herds, scattered impala, and an array of different antelope. The conservancy's great attraction hides nearby, usually amongst the thicker clumps of low-growing bush.
Ol Pejeta's rhinos are famous across East Africa and rightly so, for it is here that the conservation battle has had great recent successes. Later on during the drive, you will see another rhino that is even larger and stockier than those encountered before. Bashfully, it will appear from the bush before it walks on, one of only three Northern white rhinos that exist in the wild. All three of them are located here in a last-chance attempt for mating and the preservation of the species. You will continue your drive and admire a lion pride as it lazes away the afternoon while a nearby elephant herd redefines your notions of size.
The Sweetwaters Serena Camp lies within the Ol Pejeta Conservancy, on the Laikipia plains, with stunning views of Mount Kenya. The camp is a sheltered oasis, designed to offer a charming blend of under-canvas ambiance and uncompromising luxury. This tented camp is in a class of its own - located within the sprawling Ol Pejeta Conservancy, one of Kenya's most successful conservancies and home to the 'Big Five' (elephant, rhino, lion, buffalo and leopard). This private reserve is set in the extensive savannah grasslands and riverine forests that border the Ewaso Nyiro River (location of Kenya's only Chimpanzee Sanctuary). Due to its private status, it also allows unforgettable pleasures such as night game drives, guided bush & bird walks and camel riding across the plains teeming with game.
Vivid colors welcome you to Lake Nakuru, the deep blue lake encircled by a bright pink blanket of flamingos. Millions of these birds wade in the shallows, a stunning spectacle when admired from a distance. Another 400 resident bird species surround the lake, ranging from cormorants and pelicans to tiny avocets and grebes. Lake Nakuru is one of Africa's most beautiful parks, the vibrant colors merging to form a picturesque landscape of water, savannah, and misty mountains. Clifftops provide idyllic viewpoints, as does your lunchtime stop at Sarova Lion Hill Lodge.
Down beside the lake there is much to explore on your game drive. Rothschild giraffes stand proud and handsome, hyenas and jackals scurry through the grass, while white rhinos will need no introduction after yesterday. Herds of zebra and impala flourish in this abundant land, and the big cats are never too far away. After breakfast you'll drive through the Great Rift Valley in time for a game drive and a leisurely lunch. The game drive continues in the afternoon before you leave the park and stay overnight in the Rift Valley town of Naivasha.
After breakfast, you will begin your road transfer to Maasai Mara Game Reserve. Situated in the southwest of Kenya, covering an area of 1,510 square km (583 square miles), the Masai Mara National Reserve is a land of breathtaking vistas, abundant wildlife and endless plains. The quintessential Masai Mara safari delivers many attractions, as the reserve is home to an excellent year-round concentration of game, including the more than two million wildebeest, zebras and other antelopes that make up the famous Great Migration. The reserve is a photographer’s and naturalist’s paradise, with abundant elephant, buffalo, giraffe, lion and cheetah alongside the migratory wildebeest and zebra. Leopards are frequently encountered, endangered black rhino hide in the dense thickets and large rafts of hippo and enormous crocodiles are found in the Mara River. The park is also home to over 450 bird species. You will check in at the Sarova Mara Game Camp.
Ideally located to witness the Great Migration, Sarova Mara Game Camp overlooks the vast Masai Mara plains from its elevated location on a hill. The camp is great for families, and offers baby-sitting services and a special menu for children, as well as a large pond with a variety of fish and a mini bird sanctuary. The surrounding plains are teeming with wildebeest, gazelle and zebra, and at certain times of year, play host to the magnificent wildebeest migration. Wildlife viewing here is great all year round, offering sightings of the Big 5, herds of plains game and hungry predators. Other activities include sport fishing and cultural visits to a traditional Maasia village.
Your safari adventure isn't over and after waking up in the Maasai Mara you'll enjoy a final morning game drive. Later this morning you'll be transferred to the local airstrip for a scheduled flight to Nairobi. Please note that a strict luggage limit of 15kg is enforced on these flights. Upon landing in Nairobi you'll have a full afternoon touring some of the city's unique attractions. Savor a meat filled lunch at the famous Carnivore Restaurant, where crocodile and ostrich are among the rare things on the menu. Later on transfer to JKIA for your homebound flight.
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