6 Days Explore the Heart of Africa Safari in Maasai Mara, Lake Nakuru and Amboseli, Kenya

Day 1: Nairobi to Maasai Mara

You will be picked up from your hotel in the morning and will first drive through the viewpoint of the Great Rift Valley to take some pictures of the beautiful landscape. There will be another stop-over for lunch in Narok town before you continue the drive to the Masai Mara National Reserve. Arrive at your camp for check-in and later in the afternoon depart for your first game drive in the Masai Mara.

Discover Masai Mara National Reserve, immerse yourself in this prime wildlife area and connect with nature on every level. Variety is what distinguishes the exceptional from the mundane and this reserve offers copious amounts of variation. This is the best time of day to view nocturnal hunters who prepare for their nightly expeditions. Watering holes are also usually busy just before sunset as animals such as hippos return to their resting spots while others congregate to drink before retiring for the night. Later in the evening, return to your budget camp for dinner and overnight.

Day 2: Full day in Maasai Mara National Reserve

Full day morning and afternoon game drives. You will enjoy a picnic lunch with the hippos and crocodiles at the hippo pool in Mara River. Masai Maasai Mara National Reserve is the most famous and most visited reserve in Kenya. Covering an area of 1510 km2, the Masai Mara reserve is in fact the extension in Kenyan territory of the vast Serengeti Park in Tanzania. Together, they constitute a huge ecosystem in which animals move freely.

All large African animals are present. Thomson’s and Grant’s gazelles, impala, Kirk’s dik-dik, bushbuck, topi, buffalo, ellipsen waterbuck, eland, and giraffe, all are there. Famous for its rich wildlife, the Masai Mara is home to not only the “Big Five” (elephant, lion, buffalo, rhino and leopard) but also many birds (over 500 species of birds have been recorded). Along the rivers, crocodiles, and hippos lay in wait.

Day 3: Maasai Mara to Nakuru

Start your day with an early morning game drive between 06:30 and 09:000 a.m., composed of vast rolling plains and hills, the Masai Mara is dotted with umbrella thorn acacias and thorny thickets. In the Maa language, Mara means “spotted” and may refer to the colorful landscapes. After your morning game drive, return to the camp for breakfast after which you will depart for Nakuru with en-route lunch.

A highlight of the journey is the first glimpse of the Mt. Suswa and Lake Naivasha. Mount Longonot and Hell’s Gate National Park may be glimpsed to the north. Arrive in Nakuru then check-in at your budget hotel for dinner and overnight.

Day 4: Lake Nakuru to Amboseli National Park

You will have a morning game drive in Lake Nakuru National Park after your breakfast. Lake Nakuru is a soda lake whose waters are often covered by a living carpet of thousands of flamingos and plains that are home to the lion, rhino’s leopards, and large herds of waterbucks. The park also hosts over 400 species of birds: herons, ospreys, cormorant, many are migratory birds from the northern hemisphere. After your game drive, you’ll depart for Amboseli with en-route lunch. Later in the evening you’ll check-in at your budget camp for dinner and overnight.

Day 5: Full day in Amboseli National Park

Full day morning and afternoon game drives with picnic lunches. Located about 250 kilometers from Nairobi and along the Tanzanian border, the park derives its name from the Masai word “Empusel”, meaning salty, dusty place.

Declared a national park in 1974 to protect its unique and fragile ecosystem, the Amboseli National Park offers landscapes of remarkable contrasts: arid zones alongside the lush oases of the swamps. The ecosystem of this low rainfall region depends on water from Mount Kilimanjaro (5895 meters). A particular feature of Amboseli is the possibility to take picture postcard photos of elephants against the backdrop of Kilimanjaro. Later in the evening return to your budget camp for dinner and overnight.

Day 6: Amboseli to Nairobi

On this morning, enjoy a pre-breakfast game drive between 06:30 and 09:00 a.m. After this, return to the camp for a hot breakfast after which, you begin your journey back to Nairobi. You'll be dropped to your hotel or transferred to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO) for your outbound international flight.

Maasai Mara National Reserve

Masai Mara National Reserve is the most famous and most visited reserve in Kenya. Covering an area of 1510 km2, the Masai Mara reserve is in fact the extension in Kenyan territory of the vast Serengeti Park in Tanzania. Together, they constitute a huge ecosystem in which animals move freely. All large African animals are present.

Thomson’s and Grant’s gazelles, impala, Kirk’s dik-dik, bushbuck, topi, buffalo, ellipsen waterbuck, eland and giraffe, all are there. Famous for its rich wildlife, the Masai Mara is home to not only the “Big 5” (elephant, lion, buffalo, rhino and leopard) but also many birds (over 500 species of birds have been recorded).

Along the rivers, crocodiles and hippos lie in wait. Composed of vast rolling plains and hills, the Masai Mara is dotted with umbrella thorn acacias and thorny thickets. In the Maa language, Mara means “spotted” and may refer to the colorful landscapes

Lake Nakuru National Park

Lake Nakuru is a soda lake whose waters are often covered by a living carpet of thousands of flamingos and plains that are home to the lion, rhino’s leopards and large herds of waterbuck. Created in 1961 to protect the alkaline lake of the same name, the park offers typical plains vegetation. Located 156 kilometers northwest of Nairobi, Lake Nakuru derives its name from the Masai word “enakuro” which means cloud of dust.

It is home to many herbivores including Rothschild’s giraffe, buffalo, hippo, gazelle and nearly 55 mammals including lions, leopards, spotted hyenas, rock hyraxes and reedbuck. Lake Nakuru National Park is famous for hosting both white and black rhinoceros, reintroduced after many years of absence. Further renowned for the dwarf flamingos that congregate by the thousands on the shores of the lake, the park also hosts over 400 species of birds: herons, ospreys, cormorant, and many are migratory birds from the northern hemisphere.

Amboseli National Park

Located about 250 kilometers from Nairobi and along the Tanzanian border, the park derives its name from the Masai word "empusel", meaning salty, dusty place. Declared a national park in 1974 to protect its unique and fragile ecosystem, the Amboseli National Park offers landscapes of remarkable contrasts: arid zones alongside the lush oases of the swamps. This compact park is abundant with wildlife and allows for excellent game viewing. Its vegetation consists of a combination of sprawling grasslands, swampy springs, and dry dusty earth.

Amboseli is most famous for its large elephant populations, with the bulls having some of the biggest tusks in the world. From Observation Hill you will have a view of the entire park and especially the swamp areas where buffalo, elephants, hippos and a diversity of water birds come to cool off and refresh themselves. Look out for the shy porcupine who only dares to emerge at sunset.

The ecosystem of this low rainfall region depends on water from Mount Kilimanjaro (5895 meters). A particular feature of Amboseli is the possibility to take picture postcard photos of elephants against the backdrop of Kilimanjaro. Covering an area of 392 km2 the park is, in addition to elephants, home to numerous animals (giraffe, wildebeest, antelope, buffalo, lion, cheetah, leopard and hyena) as well as 400 species of birds (pelicans, kingfishers, crakes, hamerkop and 47 types of raptor) who live alongside the Masai villages.

+−

During this safari vacation, you will enjoy daily delicious breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You will also be provided with one bottle of water every day.

Day 2, Optional activity: Hot air balloon ride or Maasai Village visit

You can take to the skies with a hot air balloon safari that will see you soar above all of the action. Ask your safari expert about adding a hot air balloon adventure to your safari. You can also experience how the Maasai people live in the middle of the bush with zebras grazing and lions roaring just outside their homes and get to know their culture and customs on a visit to the traditional Maasai village.

• Daily game drives
• Daily transportation in a private seven-seater minivan with an open roof
• 5 nights’ budget accommodation
• Airport transfers
• 1 bottle of water provided every day
• Daily delicious breakfast, lunch, and dinner
• Luggage porterage
• Professional driver or guide
• VAT or bed levy taxes at the rate of the booking (can change without notice)
• Vehicle and driver's park fees

• Airfare
• Alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks
• Balloon safari trip in Maasai Mara
• Visit to Maasai Mara village
• Boat ride in Lake Naivasha
• Personal expenses
• Tips
• Travel insurance
• Visa fees

Recommended Airports

• A reservation requires a deposit of 20% of the total price.
• The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
• The rest of the payment should be paid on arrival.