9 nights 10 days -Camping Safari

Departing Nairobi and heading north towards Samburu, we travel on 300 kms of good tarmac road that takes us through some spectacular scenery. We pass pineapple plantations, tea and coffee plantations, and of course the mountain forest of Mt. Kenya, before reaching 3000 metres altitude at Timau. The immense deserts of the north spread out far below us, a spectacular landscape punctuated by the mountains of Shaba and Matthews Ranges. We soon arrive back on the plains at Samburu. Samburu Game Reserve has a remarkably rich variety of fauna. It’s a very picturesque reserve of semi desert savanna surrounded by the foothills of Mt. Kenya to the south and the Matthews Ranges to the north, and separated in two by the river `Uaso Nyiro’. The animal life is both varied and prolific, and includes a number of species that are not found in other areas, gerenuks, Grevy’s zebra and the reticulated giraffe. The river bank is an excellent observation point. We camp this evening on Champagne Ridge.

Game driving in Samburu Game Reserve. Camping

Leaving the game reserve we drive through a sandy semi desert region with outcrops of giant granite boulders and sandy riverbeds lined with huge acacia trees and doum palms. We meet the Samburu herdsmen leading goats and camels to a watering hole and the women carrying water containers to their village. The Samburu populate a region of about 28500 square kilometres. Like other pastoralists of northern Kenya their lifestyle has changed very little over the past 100 years. They live in low huts carefully woven with branches and then covered with manure and mud. Their lifestyle evolves entirely around the herding of their goats,camels and cows that represent a symbol of wealth. Climbing up onto the Laikipia plateau with far reaching views over the spectacular landscapes we have just crossed, we find herds of zebra and cattle grazing together under the watchful eye of the Samburu warriors. We visit the colourful town of Maralal where the Samburu people come to purchase their essentials. Maralal Game Sanctuary is a dense forest and is home to herds of elephant, buffalo, eland and many other animals.

Descending into the Rift Valley we arrive at the very beautiful Lake Bogoria, a small game reserve of only 100 square kms. The Laikipia escarpment drops sharply into the lake on the eastern side, and along the shore we find geysers spurting steam high in the air and pools of hot water bubbling from the ground. Millions of flamingos line the lakeshore and are  particularly concentrated around the hot springs. The lake is highly concentrated in soda and is ideal for the growth of algae upon which feed the flamingos. The reserve is birdwatchers paradise with flamingos, pelicans, avocets, ducks, cranes and hornbills just to mention a few. Camping.

Heading south we stop at the busy town of Nakuru to do our shopping in the market. Nakuru is the 4th largest town in Kenya and is a rich agricultural region. The large variety of fresh fruit and vegetables is ideal for us, as we won’t have the opportunity to re-supply for the rest of our journey. After shopping and a quick lunch we continue on to Lake Naivasha where we spend the night in camping under huge acacia trees on a private farm where giraffe & gazelle roam amongst the horses. As well clients can take a walk on Crescent Island amongst the wildlife & birds with fantastic views across the Lake. Lake Naivasha is one of the few freshwater lakes of the Rift Valley and as well as being home to huge herds of buffalo and hippos – not to mention the birdlife – there are large exploitations of flowers and vegetables grown for exportation and of great economic importance to the economy. Night in lodge or Camping.

We leave the Rift Valley lakes and head for Masai land and the Loita Hills. Even outside national park boundaries the wildlife is abundant. The Masai are not hunters, as they don’t appreciate the taste of game meat. So it’s not unusual to pass a herd of Thompson’s gazelle or wildebeest close to the Masai dwellings. The next day after breakfast we go walking with some local Masai guides. The  surrounding landscape is magnificent and walking through the forest with green grassy clearings reminds us somehow of the English countryside – but not for long as we are brought back to reality and Africa by the sight of a Masai armed with his spear. We pass villages and stop to speak with the friendly inhabitants. Camping.

We drive from the rolling hills onto the open plains of Masai Mara Game Reserve. Although these people of Nilotic origin were feared by the first explorers to the region, the proud warriors of today spend most of their time herding cattle in search of fresh pasturage. Masai Mara Game Reserve was established in 1961 and covers a surface of 1812 square km that is divided into 2 zones. The Masai are permitted to graze their cattle in the exterior section which is land controlled by the Masai group ranches, but the interior park of 518 square km is reserved strictly for the fauna. Masai Mara is a succession of undulating plains and rivers lined with acacia trees, where we can observe an exceptionally rich variety of wildlife. Here we find the largest lion population in Kenya, but even more spectacular is the enormous concentration of antelopes, zebras, and wildebeest. During the migration period the number of animals can reach the millions. In 1982 when the last survey was taken, there were recorded to be 1,200,000 wildebeest, 700,000 zebra, 400,000 gazelle, and of course all the hyenas, lions, cheetah and other predators that follow these herds and hunt the more feeble.

After a last morning game drive we head back to Nairobi passing through Narok the capital of Masai territory and crossing once more the Rift Valley from west to east.
Finally climbing the steep eastern escarpment back into Nairobi we are immediately confronted with the hustle and bustle of city life. After saying farewell to the rest of the group you will be dropped at your hotel.