This is one of our most popular itinerary's because it is incredibly diverse and incorporates the very best of Kenya's wildlife areas and at a great price! This Safari has been extremely popular amongst our families as well as couples or groups traveling together it is also perfect for singles as we can utilize plenty of scheduled flights thus keeping the cost of charter flights down.
DAY ONE
Arrive at Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in the evening where you will be met by Moriah African Tour guide. He will transfer you to your homestead or lodge where you may have a light snack before settling in for the night. During your first night in Africa you will probably awaken to the sound of crickets and cycads.
DAY TWO
Wake up in the morning to a hearty breakfast after which you will be transferred by your driver/guide, to Wilson Airport where you will board a scheduled flight to Amboseli airstrip. Upon arrival you will be met and driven through this fantastic "Elephant Park" to your Tented Camp. The Camp is located under the shade of the Acacaia Tortillas Trees and sits in the shadow of the majestic Mount Kilimanjaro. Kilimanjaro belonged in the 18th century to British Colonial Rule but by 1889 the mountain was in German Colonial rule. The widely spread story that Queen Victoria giving Kilimanjaro to Kaiser Wilhelm Spitze for a birthday present - is colorfully untrue!
DAY THREE.
Once in camp, take your time to unpack and wander around camp familiarizing yourself with the sights and smells of Africa perhaps stopping by the kitchen to see how a true Bush Kitchen actually works! Enjoy a delicious lunch with your hosts who will chat to you about the different activities and options that you may do whilst you are here. After lunch you may choose to take a short siesta, start on your diary or settle into a good book. After a scrumptious tea set out on a game drive stopping to take countless photographs of the huge and magnificent elephants that engulf you in their shadows. The sheer enormity of these gentle giants is most apparent when they are standing right next to you jeep and your realize just how huge they really are! Late afternoon your guide will stop under the shade of a rather large acacia tree, spread out a tartan blanket and proceed to pull all sorts of delicious looking hors d'oeuvres from a basket, he will also whip out a cork screw and pour glasses of chilled South African Chardonnay, or pop off the top of a bottle of Tusker. This is a very important part of the day in Africa and even though each of yours days will be so incredibly different from the next you will find yourself in a wonderful spot at around the same time every day - just enjoying Africa as you watch the African sunset . The first of many unforgettable experiences.
DAY FOUR
Every night is like a dinner party in Africa, one table and plenty to talk about whether it is international politics or African gossip. This is the time when you can really get to know your hosts and the other guests over a delicious three course meal, served in a fantastic Safari Tent with the snow tipped peak of Kili peaking out amidst the stars. We encourage all our guests to spend a minimum of three nights at each property as it take time to settle in and get to know the people and the places that you are visiting....why rush it?
DAY FIVE
Amboseli meaning a "place of water" in Masai, is sometimes very dry and dusty in appearance, but it has an endless water supply filtered through thousands of feet of volcanic rock from Kilimanjaro's snow melt. The main attraction here of course are the vast herds of elephants within the park. The bull elephants here have some of the largest tusks in Kenya. Two especially interesting antelopes may be found in this area as well, the Long-necked Gerenuk - often called the Giraffe-necked Antelope and the Fringe-eared Oryx. Bird life is abundant especially in the vicinity of the lakes and swamps where a great variety of water birds may be seen. We enjoy using the private ranches and conservation areas surrounding the national parks - for the obvious reason of less traffic but also because these areas offer a wealth of game viewing and walking safaris because our partners work very closely with the local people to develop Eco-tourism, which benefits the indigenous communities and protect this fragile Ecosystem.
DAY SIX
Your three days will fly by and on your fifth day you will have an early departure after breakfast and prepare to leave after writing glowing reports in the guest book and warmly hugging your hosts good bye. You will depart from a nearby airstrip and board the scheduled flight to Nairobi where you will connect onto Laikipia. Upon arrival at the ranch you will be met by a wonderful guide who will take you on a scenic route back to the property telling you about the history of the property. Once you arrive you may enjoy another fantastic lunch before your afternoon rest or enjoy a nice swim in the pool and relax under the shade of a natural "umbrella" trees. Accommodation at this second property will probably be in thatched cottages, stylishly decorated from locally made fabrics, the furniture made and carved on the land. We guarantee you that each destination that you visit will be so unique and different from the last, and that each new day will bring new surprises and the warmth and enthusiasm of your hosts and guides will captivate you. Each property is very different to the next in terms of what activities they have to offer and your guides will advise you what to d each day, but the most wonderful thing is, you can do whatever you want to whenever you want to!
The Laikipia Escarpment is a remote paradise which has been devoted to the conservation of wildlife and its natural habitat. This area consists of several large and private wildlife ranches that are deeply committed to preserving and protecting the wildlife of these parts. The Laikipia Escarpment appears to be cut off from the outside world, hidden in the shadows of Mt. Kenya, and boasts a wildlife population that includes all the big game animals, and more than 400 species of birds.
DAY SEVEN to DAY TEN.
On your last morning wave a teary good-bye to your new friends and once again you'll board a scheduled flight to the Masai Mara. You will fly over numerous herds of wildlife, Mt. Kenya, the Laikipia Escarpment and the Great Rift Valley until you finally reach the Masai Mara. As you land on a dirt airstrip you will fly low over herds of wildebeest and zebra and marvel at the sheer numbers of wildlife that litter the grassy plains. The Masai Mara is Africa's most prolific wildlife destination.
Upon arrival you will be met with a smiling face and enjoy a game drive with your professional guide through the Mara. The Masai Mara holds the greatest and most diverse concentration of wildlife remaining in Africa today. It is home to the Masai people and to small clans of Ndorobo, the traditional hunter-gatherers of East Africa. This place is guaranteed to take your breath away. The Maasai Mara is home to several of Bush Homes properties, which are hidden in intimate parts of the Mara. Each of these properties are located in very different, remote regions of the Mara. Each of these properties is as unique as the different regions where they are located. Each day in the Mara will be dramatically different to the next, you may spend hours doing game drives, or sitting quietly for hours observing a typical day in the life of a pride of Mara lions, or let the circus antics of infant cheetah cubs bring tears of laughter to your eyes. The drama of the Mara is never ending, the cycle of life and death is seemingly endless, it is this sheer magnetism that has captivated all of us and will captivate you!
DAY ELEVEN
After breakfast you will be transferred to the airstrip where you will board the scheduled flight to Nairobi's Wilson Airport. Upon arrival you'll once again be met by Moriah African Tours representative. Now you feel like a true Kenyan as you share your experiences with representative. We shall provide a vehicle and a driver at no extra cost to take you around so that you can do some last minute shopping. Later that evening he will drop you off at a Nairobi Carnival Restaurant for supper. After dinner you'll finally be transferred to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in time to check in for you overnight flight back home. A tear comes to your eye as you give Africa a final gaze; you embrace your guide as if you were embracing the entire nation - its people, its wildlife, its diverse topography...
As you board the plane the culmination of events over the past eleven days begins to settle in. You begin to reflect on the whirlwind of experiences as you settle into your seat. And suddenly you realize how overwhelming and magical your whole experience has been, but you also realize that you didn't have near enough time to discover the secrets of the Dark Continent. As so many of our clients in the past have done, you begin to go over the plans in your head for your next trip to Africa and what you will do differently next time. And then you're eager to get back home to share your stories with your family and friends. You come home not quite the same person as you have experienced eleven days that have changed your life forever. |
