5 days (not including air travel)
Explore Kenya through this classic African safari escape. Get close to the “Big Five” through a rich wildlife viewing experience in Kenya’s Amboseli and Tsavo national parks. Spend days on exciting game drives, and keep your eyes open and cameras ready for shots of large herds of elephants and plains game, giraffes, gazelles, lions and leopards, among others roaming the plains. See rhinos in their protected habitat at the Rhino Sanctuary, a safe haven for the area’s black rhino. In this largely dry bush country, Amboseli’s swampy grounds and Mzima Springs in Tsavo are the two oases that give life to the wildlife and provide a natural attraction to large and varied animal populations. Enjoy stunning views of Mount Kilimanjaro and the Chyulu Hills, feel the thrill of pure wilderness and the African jungle experience of Tsavo, the home of the “man-eaters of Tsavo” lions, soak in the natural beauty of the Mzima Springs and marvel at the underwater hippo and fish watching. There’s also prolific birdlife, with over 600 species recorded in the area.
Day 1: Amboseli
We take the 4-5 hour drive from Nairobi to Amboseli National Park, arriving in time for lunch. After a leisurely early afternoon, we proceed for a game drive. Viewing wildlife against the backdrop of the snow-capped Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest free standing mountain on our planet and Africa’s highest peak, makes Amboseli a real spectacle. Keep your eyes open and cameras ready for shots of large herds of elephants and plains game, giraffes, gazelles, lions and leopards, among others roaming the plains.
Accommodation: Sentrim Amboseli Lodge
Meals: Lunch and dinner
Day 2: Amboseli
Enjoy an entire day of game drives in the park. Known the world over as one of the best places to get up close to free-ranging elephants, expect to see these magnificent animals, as well as buffalo, cheetah, zebra, wildebeest, impala, and the rare gerenuk among numerous others.
Accommodation: Sentrim Amboseli Lodge .
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 3: Tsavo West
After breakfast, our adventure continues through dry shrub land, and we will cross the great lava flow of Mt Kilimanjaro (now a dormant volcano) and the Chyulu Hills to Tsavo West National Park. We will arrive in time for lunch then proceed for an afternoon game viewing drive and visit to the Rhino Sanctuary, a safe haven for the area’s black rhino. The sanctuary provides a rare glimpse into the protected habitat of these animals.
Accommodation: Ngulia Safari lodge
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 4: Tsavo West
Full day of game drives in Tsavo West, Kenya’s largest park famous for its herds of elephants. Other species include giraffes, lesser kudus, zebras, dik diks, lions, leopards, and cheetahs. Tsavo West is also well known for its one-of-a-kind volcanic features, including ‘Five Sisters,’ the five cone-shaped hills nestled in one area and resembling one another. The Chaumu and Shetani lava flows are also major highlights, and we’ll see Whistling Rock, the rocky hill that produces whistling sound when there are strong winds.
We will also visit the Mzima springs, a phenomenal fresh water body that gushes suddenly from underground rocks in the midst of dry patchy woodlands. From the safety of an underwater observation tank you will have the fantastic opportunity to see submerged hippo, crocodiles and fish on the floor of the springs. The word ‘mzima’ is Swahili for ‘life’ and this water feature draws its name from its role literally giving much-needed life in one of the most arid parks in Kenya.
We have the chance to take a break to return to the lodge for lunch and spend an early afternoon at leisure before proceeding for further game viewing drives in the late afternoon.
Accommodation: Ngulia Safari Lodge.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 5: Nairobi
We depart after breakfast for the 4 hour return journey to Nairobi.
Meals: Breakfast
Please Note: Accommodation is in comfortable 3-star standard facilities. The hotels and lodges mentioned in this itinerary are only indicative and can be substituted with your preferred accommodations.