Picture Africa in your mind. Grassland stretching to the horizon, dotted with lions resting in the shade of acacia trees while giant herds of wildebeest churn up a cloud of dust on the horizon. That image is quintessential Kenya. Kenya has some of the highest-density wildlife reserves left on the planet, as well as some of the last truly nomadic peoples, like the Samburu and Masai. On this exemplary tour, you will have daily opportunities to experience both. Learn about life on the savanna from the Masai, and take part in their traditions. Head into the bush with expert guides to see large game such as the “special five” of Samburu: Reticulated Giraffe, Grevy’s Zebra, Somali Ostrich, Gerenuk, and Beisa Oryx. And if that’s not incredible enough, opt to float over the legendary Serengeti at sunrise, where the only sounds are the calls of the elephants and the roars of the lions. This eight-day package takes you into the heart of Africa, where you can experience the soul of this incredible continent.
Africa is considered the last great wilderness, and much of that hinges on Kenya’s incredible protection programs that have helped elephants, rhinos, and other species rebound from being hunted to near extinction. Because of those efforts, some parts of the Serengeti have the same wildlife density as they did a century ago. If you’ve ever yearned to feel the hoof-beats of a million migrating wildebeest, Kenya is the place to go. Kenya’s landscape is made up of more than just wildlife, however. The Masai, Samburu, and other peoples call this harsh landscape home as well, and they are happy to sit down and share their stories and traditions with you. After a long day exploring the Kenyan bush, get a good night’s sleep in one of the luxurious game camps. These camps offer five-star amenities, but don’t be surprised if you see hippos grazing the lawn or zebras kneeling down for a drink at the nearby river. In fact, if there’s one thing that this highlight-packed tour promises, it’s that you will be immersed in quintessential Africa from the second you see your first sunrise over the savanna to the moment your plane lifts off the runway to go home.
Be greeted at the airport in African style—with wet towels and champagne served in traditional African gourds.
Expert guides track the annual wildebeest migrations, as well as the locations of lion prides, elephant herds, and rhinos.
Explore Lake Naivasha by boat along-side hippos, as well as hundreds of species of birds including flamingo.
Learn Masai traditions passed down from generation to generation as they introduce you to their daily lives on the savannah.
Explore the Masai Mara Game Preserve, the crown jewel of the continent, where wildlife density has recovered to levels not seen in over one hundred years.
See elephants, rhinos, and big cats from above the tree-tops in a hot-air balloon.
A few more reasons why you've gotta go:
01
Here’s your chance to see snow-capped mountains shimmering in the heat rising off the savannah.
02
Enjoy lavish game camps with amenities that give luxury hotels a run for their money.
03
Local guides have more than three decades of experience in and around the Kenyan game reserves. They have outstanding knowledge of the cultures and wildlife that populate the region.
Jambo – Karibu!! Arrive at Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. You’ll be met by your hosts eagerly waiting to greet you in African style – with wet towels and champagne sipped out of traditional African gourds. Transfer to your hotel in Mount Kenya National Park and rest up for the days to come.
About Serena Mountain Lodge
Serena Mountain Lodge is the only ‘tree hotel’ ever to be built on the slopes of Kenya’s legendary Mount Kenya. It offers a matchless game viewing opportunity whilst combining a glorious panorama of mountain vistas with the primordial splendors of an ancient rainforest. Floating high on the flanks of Kenya’s highest mountain and secreted deep within her largest forest reserve, awake to the trumpeting of elephants, fall asleep to the symphony of the African night, or sit in stillness and observe the fascinating interplay of the animals as they arrive to drink, bathe, spar and forage around the water hole. Down the secret viewing hide by the water’s edge, you will experience the awesome thrill of being only meters away from some of the most massive beasts on earth – the Savanna elephants.
After breakfast transfer to Samburu Game Reserve in the northern region of Kenya. You’ll enjoy lunch, then venture into the rugged semi-arid landscape on a game drive with your expert guide. Keep your camera ready for Kenya’s diverse wildlife as herds of elephants and gazelle as well as many bird species like Palm Nut Vulture and Vinaceous Dove head to the Ewaso Nyiro River for water. In the dry season, watch elephants use their tusks to dig deep into the riverbank for water and make watering “holes” that other wildlife use to find scarce water. Seek reclusive leopards as they head out on the hunt at dusk.
About Samburu Sopa Lodge
Located inside the Samburu National Reserve in Northern Kenya, Samburu Sopa lodge stands atop high ground allowing panoramic views of the vastness of Samburu shrub land and the hills beyond. The lodge was built to reflect the architectural heritage of the local communities, whose sons and daughters make up the majority of the work force at the lodge. Fifteen cottages, each with two bedrooms are situated in an arch formation on either side of the public areas, to surround the waterhole but leave a wide gap so the animals have free movement to the water.
Enjoy a full day of game viewing. Search with your expert guide for the “Special five of Samburu”. Stop for a picnic lunch with a great view of the tree-studded savannah punctuated by distant blue mountains. Head into neighboring Buffalo Springs Game Reserve. Option to visit a Samburu Manyatta to get to know one of the local tribes and see how they live in this harsh landscape.
After breakfast, drive south toward Mt. Kenya and Sweetwaters Game Reserve. Explore the forested grasslands of the Sweetwaters in search of the “Big Five” and other plains game. This reserve is also home to the endangered Chimpanzee and Rhino Sanctuaries.
About Sweetwaters Serena Camp
Its location in a private conservancy with a higher wildlife-to-area ratio than any of Kenya’s national parks makes Sweetwaters Serena Camp one of the most exclusive tented safari camps in Kenya. Clustered around an oasis, Sweetwaters Serena Camp offers a charming blend of under-canvas ambiance and Kenyan safari luxury.
Wake up early for a game viewing drive followed by breakfast at your camp. Travel south across the Equator and into the Great Rift Valley, with a brief stop at the Equator crossing point for photos. Arrive at Lake Naivasha Sopa Resort in time for lunch, and relax for the rest of the afternoon exploring Lake Naivasha by boat or on a guided walking safari on Crescent Island.
About Lake Naivasha Sopa Resort
Set in one hundred and fifty acres of grassland studded with Acacia bushes and trees, the resort is not only home to their resident giraffe, waterbuck and both Vervet and Colobus monkeys, but it is also a night stop for the hippos when they leave the lake every night to come and trim the grass on the expansive lawns. When not out chasing wildlife (or observing it on the grounds), take a dip in the pools, or refuel in the bar, pizzeria, or spa.
After breakfast depart for Kenya’s famous game reserve. You start the day venturing through the Great Rift Valley traveling to the northernmost extension of the Serengeti Plains and one of the richest wildlife Game Reserves, the Masai Mara. This northern end of the Serengeti Plains is the only place where a visitor can experience the same abundance of wildlife as they could have a century ago. Be on the lookout for the “Big Five”: lion, Cape buffalo, savannah elephant, black rhino and leopard. The vast savannah grasslands are home to impalas, Maasai giraffes, cheetah, waterbucks, warthogs, Thompson & grand gazelles, the migrating wildebeests, thundering herds of zebra, among many others.
About Mara Sopa Lodge
Located high on the slopes of the Oloolaimutia Hills, Masai Mara Sopa Lodge was one of the first safari lodges to be built in the Maasai Mara Game Reserve, a reason why its gardens and trees are so lush and mature. All the buildings follow the design of traditional African round houses with conical roofs, and these stretch along the line of the hills with the impressively large public area buildings and the swimming pool at their center.
After an early breakfast, spend a full morning on a game viewing drive before returning for lunch. As an optional activity, fly over herds of elephant and prides of lions in a hot air balloon and enjoy a visit to a traditional Masai Manyatta. Experience the culture of this world-famous community – the Maasai still live as they did for centuries. Interact with these nomadic people and experience their way of life as you learn about their customs and traditions. Continue with your afternoon game viewing drive before returning to your camp for a farewell dinner.
Wake up early to enjoy a sumptuous breakfast before heading off on your last trail of the African Savannah – hopefully, you will spot some of the animals that may have eluded you. Say ‘Kwaheri’ to your wonderful lodge manager and his team as you drive back to Kenya’s colorful capital city, Nairobi. Drop-off at your city hotel/airport.
Meals Included
No meals
Overnight
No overnight
Departure Dates
Departs weekly.
Depart on Your Own Schedule / Custom Trip
Contact us for custom itineraries and departure dates
Your trip begins with your arrival into Jomo Kenyatta International Airport on Day 1. Upon arrival, you will be met by an Austin Adventures representative who will transfer you to Serena Mountain Lodge for check-in. On Day 8, you will be transferred to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport for your flight home, approximately three hours prior to your flight departure time.
Activities
Game Drives: Track elephant, rhino, lion, and other large game with an expert guide.
Hiking: Two-three hour guided sightseeing walks.
Boating: Take a boat around Lake Naivasha.
Hot air ballooning: Drift quietly over the acacia trees as herds of wildebeest and elephant make their way across the valley. Extra cost.
Learn traditional culture and tradition: Visit with the Samburu and Masai to learn their traditions and culture. Extra cost.
Cultural Discoveries
There is a place where you can see snow-capped mountains shimmering in the equatorial heat of the savanna. Where you can experience the dust being beaten off the plains by a million hooves in migration, and where you can meet some of the last truly nomadic people living off the land, and learn their culture. That place is Kenya. Explore game reserves with a wildlife density that rivals the savannas of a century ago. Seek out the great cats as they stalk prey through the tall grass of the Serengeti. Learn Samburu and Masai traditions that they’ve used to live in harmony with nature for centuries. Watch the sun set from the comfort of a plush game lodge on the edge of a wide river. Kenya is more than a place, it’s the experience of Africa. Come explore Kenya with the experts in adventure travel!
Meals
The hallmark of an Austin Adventures vacation is our exceptional dining. All meals: breakfasts, lunches, snacks, dinners, refreshments and receptions are included as indicated by itinerary. (B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner). Alcoholic beverages and related gratuities are not included in the trip price.
What's Included
Included in the Trip Price
Double occupancy accommodations as stipulated in the itinerary.
Meals as indicated in the itinerary (B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner).
Transportation on safari in a 4×4 land cruiser.
All activities and game drives as mentioned in itinerary.
Services of a professional driver-guide.
All Government taxes and levies.
Park fees.
Austin Adventures T-shirt & luggage tags.
Pre-departure and packing information.
Not Included in the Trip Price
Gratuities to hotel staff and driver(s)/guide(s).
Alcoholic beverages and related gratuities.
Visa fees.
Optional extra activities: boat ride, Crescent Island visit, balloon safari and Masai Village visits.
Laundry services.
Pre-and post-trip accommodations and associated expenses.
Air and land transportation to/from host cities.
All types of personal insurance.
Personal expenses.
View the "Wow Factor" Included in Each Austin Adventure
Activity levels are subjective depending on your general level of fitness and your experience; however, all of our trips are self-paced.
1Easy (1)
Activity levels are subjective depending on your general level of fitness and your experience; however, all of our trips are self-paced.
2Moderately Easy (2)
Activity levels are subjective depending on your general level of fitness and your experience; however, all of our trips are self-paced.
3Moderate (3)
Activity levels are subjective depending on your general level of fitness and your experience; however, all of our trips are self-paced.
4Moderate to Challenging (4)
Activity levels are subjective depending on your general level of fitness and your experience; however, all of our trips are self-paced.
5Challenging (5)
Africa Expert
Carol Austin
Want to know how to fully experience the depth of beauty and culture in a place? Ask Carol Austin. A Montana native who treasures the land and people in her own backyard—be it Yellowstone, the Beartooths, or the family around her dinner table—Carol knows how to embrace any destination she explores, a feat at 40+ countries and counting. And with more than 20 years in the travel industry, she’s really good at helping guests plan—and fully enjoy—their adventure vacation, too. She co-founded Austin Adventures with her husband, Dan Austin.
