Kenya in Absolute Style 2019

Day 3 - Nairobi/Samburu

After an early breakfast you will be transferred to Wilson Airport for your scheduled flight to Samburu departing 8:00 AM arriving at 9:20 AM. On arrival you are met by a Samburu Intrepids camp driver-guide and vehicle and transferred to the lodge. After lunch and some time to settle in, head out on your afternoon game drive followed by dinner.

Samburu Intrepids is a lush oasis in the midst of the rugged semi-arid desert of northern Kenya. The 5-star tented luxury camp sits on raised decks overlooking the river, where the elephants sometimes make an appearance or the crocodiles come out to lounge by the river's banks. In this scorched zone where water is scarce and the land baked by the perpetual sun, herds of elephants and the big cats roam the plains.

Samburu Intrepids Luxury Tent

The spacious luxury tents are set under a palm-thatched roof with netted screens on either side to allow for the river breeze and stunning views of the Samburu. The tents have an en-suite bathroom with a steaming hot shower; twin washbasins; a flush toilet; and sockets for shavers and battery charging.

Samburu Tribe

Enjoy twice-daily game drives with resident guides. Also offered are: walking safaris outside the reserve, seasonal rafting trips, nature bird walks, bush breakfasts and dinners under the stars, visits to neighboring Samburu communities and traditional dances by the locals.

Samburu National Reserve is one of the lesser-known national parks, but is nevertheless teeming with life. Situated alongside the Ewaso Nyiro River, there is plenty to attract wildlife from the surrounding savannah plains.

Accommodation: Samburu Intrepids Camp - Luxury Tent (B, L, D)

Day 4 - Samburu National Park

Enjoy morning and afternoon game drives in Samburu National Park.

During the dry season from late May to early October a large concentration of wildlife is found in the reserve due to availability of lush vegetation along the Ewaso Nyiro River, the main source of water to the Reserve and the nearby communities. The reserve is rich in wildlife with an abundance of rare northern specialist species such as the Grevy’s zebra, Somali ostrich, reticulated giraffe, gerenuk and the Beisa Oryx (also referred to as Samburu Special Five). The reserve hosts a huge population of elephants and predators such as the lion, leopard and cheetah are an important attraction as are wild dog sightings. Birdlife is abundant with over 450 species recorded.

Accommodation: Samburu Intrepids Camp - Luxury Tent (B, L, D)

Day 5 - Samburu/Maasai Mara

Enjoy an early morning game drive or activity followed by breakfast at the camp. Later you are transferred to Samburu Airstrip for the scheduled flight to Maasai Mara Wilson departing 9:30 AM arriving 11:00 AM.

On arrival at the Angama airfield you are met by a lodge driver-guide and vehicle and transferred to the lodge with a game drive en route. Enjoy a sundowner followed by dinner at the camp.

Angama Mara’s elegant and classical tented suites have floor-to-ceiling glass front. Each tent has the same breathtaking view and the sunrise provides you with early morning theatre as the hot air balloons float gently by. Highly polished parquet floors, distinctive splashes of Maasai red, vanity with double basins, separate toilet, ample charging points, tablet with guest information and Wi-Fi. There is a butler’s lobby allowing for the discreet delivery of early morning tea and coffee. All of this adds to the comfort and service that you can expect from this stunning location. Also on offer is private dining, private picnics for two on the Out of Africa kopje and walking along the escarpment with trained traditional Maasai naturalists.

Angama Mara Accommodation

Accommodation: Angama Mara - Tented Suite (B, L, D)

Day 6 - Maasai Mara

Enjoy morning and afternoon game drives/activities in the Mara.

The Maasai Mara National Reserve offers wonderful scenery of breathtaking vistas, panoramas of vast rolling plains, hills and woodland groves, well-watered by the Mara River. The Mara is home to the largest population of lions in Kenya; these magnificent beasts spend most of the day sleeping in the shade of Acacia Trees. The waters of the Mara River are home to crocodiles and pools of hippo, while the woodlands and forests are favored by leopard and elephant.

Wildlife on the Maasai Mara

The open savannah areas play host to the plains’ game. All of the “Big Five” - Lion, Rhino, Buffalo, Elephant and Leopard - are here, as well as cheetah, hippo, hartebeest, gazelle, topi, antelope, zebra and many other animals. The Mara is also noted for its abundance of lions - particularly the superb black manned males.

Accommodation: Angama Mara - Tented Suite (B, L, D)

Day 7 - Maasai Mara

Enjoy an early morning game drive followed by a picnic breakfast. Later you visit a local Maasai Manyatta returning to the lodge for lunch. After lunch and some time at leisure enjoy an afternoon game drive or walk along the escarpment. Leaving Angama Mara and heading South along on the edge of the Oloololo Escarpment, Maasai Naturalists offer guided walks through lovely forests and open areas in-between. The birding up here, high above the Maasai Mara, is especially rewarding.

Maasai Women

Return to the camp with time to freshen up and enjoy dinner. Angama Mara’s chefs prepare classic safari fare, focusing on perfectly cooked and freshly made food, beautifully and simply presented. The chefs use only the best and freshest ingredients, celebrating the finest local produce for which Kenya is renowned.

Accommodation: Angama Mara - Tented Suite (B, L, D)

Day 8 - Maasai Mara

Enjoy a full day game drive in the Mara Triangle with a picnic lunch and you return to the lodge in the afternoon/early evening for dinner and relaxation.

Sunset View

Everything about the Maasai Mara reserve is outstanding. The wildlife is abundant and the gentle rolling grasslands ensure that animals are never out of sight. Birds, too, are prolific. In the Mara River hippos snort and grumble, while seemingly drowsy crocodiles sunbathe on the river banks, mouth agape, waiting with subtle cunning for prey at which to strike with lightning swiftness. The great herds of shuffling elephants browse among the rich tree-studded grasslands with an occasional sighting of a solitary and ill-tempered rhino. Thomson's and Grant's gazelle, topi and eland and many more species of plains' game offer a rich choice of food for the dominant predators; lion, leopard and cheetah which hunt in this pristine wilderness.

Accommodation: Angama Mara - Tented Suite (B, L, D)

Day 9 - Maasai Mara/Depart

Enjoy an early morning game drive followed by breakfast. Later you are transferred to Angama Mara Airfield for the scheduled flight to Nairobi Wilson. You are met on arrival and transferred to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport for your departure flight. Bid farewell to the place that has given you unforgettable wildlife encounters in the African bush. (B)