4 Day Masai Mara and Naboisho Safari Tour in Kenya
Safari Tour in Kenya
Welcome to Masai Mara, where every day is pure adventure. This is the ultimate safari to the most remarkable wilderness in Africa, where you will encounter the rare, the timeless and the spectacular. Experience secret corners of Africa’s most thrilling, awe-inspiring conservation area, the iconic Masai Mara ecosystem, in total exclusivity and luxury. Delight in the teeming open plains and endless horizons alive with activity – the savannah and the river systems that support the highest density of predators and plains wildlife on earth. For those seeking adventure, this 4-day Masai Mara Safari promises the thrilling experience you’ve been yearning for.
Key information
- Group safari
- Maximum group size of 20 participants
- Children from the age of 5 years old are allowed to participate in this safari.
- Starting point and ending point: Nairobi
- Languages spoken: English
- Masai Mara park entry fees and Naboisho Conservation fees are not included in the price.
Highlights
- 4 days of private game viewing drives
- Guided walking safari in Naboisho Conservancy
- See lions, elephants, giraffes, buffaloes, and more
- Shared day and night game drive safaris in open-sided safari vehicle
- Explore the Maasai Mara Game Reserve and Naboisho Conservancy
- Bush meals, picnic excursions and sunset sundowners at a scenic point
- 3 nights accommodation with shared meals on full board
- Airport transfers
Skill level
- Beginner
- Intermediate
- Advanced
Styles
Accommodation
Basecamp Masai Mara (2 nights)
Basecamp Masai Mara has 17 spacious river-view tents, including 2 family tents. Bordering the Masai Mara National Reserve and hidden away under thatched roofs on a lush peninsula along the Talek River, the tents offer great views of the savannah, always populated by wildlife. Following recent refurbishments, each tent has been meticulously designed to provide an unparalleled blend of comfort and style, featuring a plush bed, chic furnishing, and modern ensuite bathroom. This is in addition to a private terrace with views towards the Talek river bed and the Masai Mara National Reserve. From here, guests enjoy views of the Mara landscape and its animals from the comfort of their tents. The family tents have each two separate wings, each featuring a double bed with a shared bathroom area. The atmosphere of the tents is perfect for living the classic safari adventure.
Monkeys and birds provide a constant backing track, while the views across the river from the secluded camp are unimpeded by the magnificent trees that provide shade and privacy.
The closeness of the local Maasai village lets you gain unique insights into savannah lifestyles and enjoy a more authentic Maasai cultural experience.
No other camp can offer this degree of access to the Maasai – the most important stakeholders in the conservation efforts in the Masai Mara, and without whose cooperation this luxury safari camp simply could not exist.
Because the camp is run by their neighbors, you’ll enjoy a more holistic experience of what is one of the world’s most astonishing wilderness areas. This is a unique opportunity to not only enjoy a superb Masai Mara safari, but also to learn from the people who call this amazing landscape home.
Saruni Eagle View (1 night)
Saruni Eagle View has nine viewpoint tents built on elevated platforms: six are double tents and three are family tents that have two bedrooms each. Each tent offers raised canvas ceilings for a spacious feeling, soothing earth coloring, and king-size, double or twin beds comfortably fitted with fresh white linen and indulgent duvets. Each tent has a private bathroom area featuring toilets and two showers, one inside and one open-air “safari shower”. All rooms have a private elevated viewing deck offering exceptional views of Mara Naboisho Conservancy.
Reworked to make the very most of its commanding position atop an escarpment above the Mara plains, Saruni Eagle View has always offered expansive vistas stretching to the point where the plains meet the canvas of the sky. The elevated position of this eco camp also offers guests front-row seats for the wildlife dramas that unfold around the natural salt lick and watering hole below the main area. The innovative architecture of Saruni Eagle View has been further refined to ensure that nothing comes between the guests and the incredible views, and yet comfort and seclusion are assured.
Guest tent
Reimagined to enhance the way the minimalist design merges with the natural surroundings, each guest tent at Saruni Eagle View provides a restful haven in which to recharge, relax, and relive the highlights of the day. Creature comforts consist of either king size or twin beds, a shower and an indulgent sunken bathtub, while the bio-flush toilets are in keeping with the light-touch approach to sustainability. The private deck offers exceptional views out over the Naboisho Conservancy and provides a sense of oneness and connection with the wilderness beyond.
Family tent
The refurbished family tent shares the innovative architecture of the luxury tents, whilst enabling the ideal balance of privacy and proximity through having two sleeping areas under a shared canvas roof. Each can be outfitted with a king size or twin beds, and has its own bathroom with shower, sunken bathtub and bio-flush toilets. In-room Wi-Fi permits the instant sharing of safari highlights, while the expansive shared deck gives out onto almost infinite views of the rolling plains and isolated koppies of the Naboisho Conservancy.
Program
Embark on a 4-day adventure to Masai Mara for an unforgettable Kenyan safari. Enjoy guided game drives aboard open-sided safari land cruisers, immersing yourself in the morning and evening safaris to get up close with wildlife. Naboisho offers a unique experience with a guided walking safari, where you explore the finer details of the environment alongside the Masai people. From tiny insects to fascinating trees and animal tracks, every detail comes to life. As night falls, embark on an exhilarating night game drive to unravel the mysteries of Masai Mara after dark
Itinerary
Day 1: Nairobi - Masai Mara
Your safari starts with a pick up from the hotel/airport in the morning and drive to the Wilson airport to catch your short flight to Masai Mara National Reserve. As you disembark your plane at Olkiombo Airstrip, you will find the camp's friendly and knowledgeable Maasai guide – the true experts – standing ready to take you on your very first game drive in one of their tailormade 4x4 safari land cruisers. During your drive you will be introduced to the exceptional wildlife of the Maasai Mara, including thriving populations of lions, elephants, cheetah and leopards.
You will arrive at the camp in time for lunch. After lunch wander around the camp compound and reconnect with your well-travelled self, while you take in the tranquility of the Masai Mara wilderness. At 4pm meet your Maasai guide to explore new dimensions of the savannah during your afternoon game drive. Return to the camp in time for a mouth-watering three-course dinner, followed by dinner and overnight at the camp
day 2: Full day in Masai Mara
Awake to the magnificent ‘wake up call’ symphony of Masai Mara’s astonishing bird life. Enjoy a sumptuous breakfast before embarking on a full day safari in the Masai Mara National Reserve. Don’t forget your camera since it is a beautiful time of the year for photography: the air is clear and bright, and the bush alive with vibrant color and new life creating great photo opportunities. Abundant wildlife on the savannah gives fantastic photo opportunities. The incredible backdrop of clear blues and the rolling savannah will captivate you, providing you with memories to last a lifetime. Catch the action as the predators hunt their prey and stalk the herds just like the lions and the cheetahs, capturing them with your lens and in your heart. Enjoy an exceptional wilderness for there is never a dull moment on the savannah.
Return to camp at sundown for lunch followed by relaxation.
After lunch take some time to relax and later depart with your driver/guide for an afternoon game drive in search for the big five. The low afternoon light is perfect for photographing the beautiful rolling plains of the Masai Mara. In the early evening as you make your way back to camp, you may get lucky and spot a leopard on the prowl. As the sun starts to set you will return to your camp. Join other travelers in the evening at the campfire as you tell of your experiences on the African wilderness. Later listen to your Masai guide tell stories about their culture as you sit around the campfire.
Day 3: Masai Mara - Naboisho
Wake at dawn in time for breakfast and witness how the savannah comes alive as the sun rises. After breakfast, collect your things and say your goodbyes. Just like the wildebeest, the time has come to wander on. Leaving the Masai Mara you will gather your things and prepare to continue your journey to Mara Naboisho Conservancy.
Your next destination is Eagleview in Mara Naboisho Conservancy. The camp is situated in a private conservancy. The number of camps and vehicles here is strictly limited, offering an exclusive safari experience.
Check in for a well-deserved lunch. Relax in your tent, enjoying the wilderness right from your tent’s terrace. Enjoy an authentic signature lunch. Relax in the afternoon before your next game safari. Late in the afternoon join your Maasai guide for an evening game drive. At sunset, you will stop over at a scenic viewpoint to enjoy basecamp sundowner drinks and snacks. Stretch your legs as you get ready for the thrill of a lifetime: basecamp night safari! As darkness sets in, it is your opportunity to see what happens in the African bush at night. Your Maasai guide will equip the vehicle with infrared lights to allow you to spot the nocturnal animals of Naboisho. The lions are particularly good hunters during night-time, be on their look out. Night safari is a truly exhilarating experience and is only permitted inside private conservancies.
Return to the camp for dinner, and story-telling around the fireplace.
Day 4: Departure
Join your guide for an early morning game drive or a walking safari. A walking safari with the true safari specialists, the Maasai, brings out the intricate details of nature’s beautiful landscape. Experience how the Maasai people live in the middle of the bush with plains game grazing and lions roaring just outside their homes and learn about their culture and customs.
Later, check out and bid your Maasai host goodbye. Your transfer to the airstrip will include a game drive en-route so keep your camera ready as you never know when the lion cubs may turn up! Reach the Naboisho Air Strip in time for your scheduled flight to arrive at Nairobi in the early afternoon and transfer to your Nairobi hotel or Jomo Kenyatta International Airport for your flight back home.
Even if you leave Africa – Africa is never going to leave you!
Location
Masaai Mara
Masaai Mara is a wilderness where endless khaki-colored savannah washes up to the foot of the blue-grey Oloolola escarpment, where low-lying shrub dapples the plains, and where tree-lined rivers meander. A place unchanged by the passage of time, the Mara is essential Africa. Sometimes raw, always dramatic, this is a wilderness of evocative splendor and inspiring grandeur. Often raw, sometimes violent, the drama of this wildlife theater is unrivalled. Nowhere on earth can you find a wilderness so breathtakingly beautiful and yet so serenely pristine. Arena for ‘the greatest wildlife show on earth’: The annual migration of the wildebeest represents the single largest movement of creatures on the planet. A constantly revolving cycle of movement between the Mara and the Serengeti – it arrives in the Mara approximately around the end of July. And it moves on into the Serengeti around November. Numbers vary depending on rainfall, but typically over one-and-a-half million wildebeest, accompanied by half again as many zebras and gazelles, will migrate from the short-grass plains of the Serengeti in search of the fresh, young green grass pasture of the Mara. One of nature’s most magnificent spectacles, the wildebeest move in groups of up to 20,000 at a time. Creating vast braids of blue-black, they thunder across the Mara plateau before hurling themselves down the banks of the Mara River where gigantic crocodiles await. Then, towards the end of October the call of the fresh grass of the Serengeti calls – and they begin the long trek back into Tanzania. Because it is dominated by the weather, the timing of the migration cannot be predicted. However, because it is essentially a constantly revolving cycle of birth, life and death – there will always be some aspect of its majesty to be observed.
Naboisho Conservancy
Naboisho Conservancy is a private conservancy limiting the number of tourists who can explore its 53,000 acres so you may find yourself coming upon lions and other wildlife with no one else around. This makes for a very personal safari experience with the flexibility to engage in an array of activities for a perfect getaway safari! Your safari adventure is closer than you think
What sets the Mara Naboisho Conservancy apart is not only the quantity of wildlife, but also the quality of game viewing. Because of its size and the limited number of guests, you will never find 20 vehicles huddled around a kill at the conservancy. In fact, it is unlikely that you would even find four. While high game-viewing standards are enforced – not only to improve the viewing experience, but also to protect the wildlife – the conservancy is free of the restrictions that make so many national park safaris pedestrian. Put simply, the experience is exceptional not only because of what you get to see, but also because of how you get to see it.
Food
Safari dining
One of life’s greatest pleasures is food. Most camps and lodges offer an unforgettable dining experience in African inspired restaurants with exceptional views at every turn.
So, what kind of food can you expect on your plate?
The guests are likely to encounter delicious homemade snacks and tea-time treats, 3-course lunches and dinners. Relish on sumptuous meals made from the very finest locally produced ingredients. The camp’s organic garden also ensures freshly picked vegetables are part of every meal. Enjoy your meals while listening to the sounds of Africa under the stars and safari lanterns.
Special dietary and private dining
Guests with special dietary requirements can send their meal preferences prior to the booking in order for the arrangements to be made accordingly. Private dining can also be arranged in unique dining venues upon request.
The following meals are included:
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
- Snacks
- Drinks
The following drinks are included:
- Water
- Coffee
- Tea
- Soda
- Alcoholic beverages
The following dietary requirement(s) are served and/or catered for:
- Vegetarian
- Organic
- Regular (typically includes meat and fish)
- Other dietary requirements on request
Things to do (optional)
Other activities
- Visit to the Maasai village
- Horse riding in the safari
- Spa treatment
- Ornithologist walk
- Private dinner under the stars
Balloon safari over the Mara plains
On the day of your balloon flight, one of their custom safari vehicles will collect you from your lodge between 0400-0530 AM and drive you to the launch site. You will arrive at the launch site by 6AM, and depending on weather conditions, you can enjoy a cup of coffee or tea while you watch the balloons being prepared for take-off. You will then meet your pilot, who will give you a safety briefing as well as explain what you can expect during your flight. There are basic toilet facilities available at the launch site. NB: One launch site has toilet facilities.
You will then be loaded into your balloon basket for take-off just before sunrise, at about 6:30AM. The flight will last approximately one hour, depending on wind conditions, and the balloon will land between 7:30 and 7:45 AM. You can learn more about what you will see here.
Upon landing, you can observe the complete deflation of the balloon envelope. Their vehicles will then transport you a short distance to breakfast.
The breakfast is set up on the picturesque savannah plains of the Mara, typically under the shade of a single balanite tree. You will sit down to a full bush breakfast in the Kenyan style, complete with eggs-to-order, fresh juices, fruits, cereals and of course sparkling wine.
During breakfast, you can also peruse the photos your pilot has taken during the flight, and decide whether you would like to purchase the photos, or any of the other hot air safaris merchandise on display.
After breakfast, at about 9 AM, you will have a brief game drive back to your camp/lodge or meet up with your driver-guide for onward itinerary. Depending on what you find along the way, the game drive usually takes about one and a half hours. The drivers are all experienced safari guides who have attained their “bronze” level guiding certificate from the Kenya Professional Safari Guides Association. The drivers have also undertaken strict in-house training to ensure the safety and enjoyment of your game drive.
By 10:30/11:30AM you should be back at your camp or lodge, already reliving the memories of the morning’s flight.
What's included
- Private day game drive safaris in open sided safari vehicle in Masai Mara
- Shared day and night game drive safaris in open sided safari vehicle in Naboisho
- Guided bush walking safaris in Naboisho Conservancy
- 2 nights on full board accommodation in Masai Mara
- 1 night on full board basis in Naboisho Conservancy
- Bush meals, picnic excursions and sunset sundowners at a scenic point
- Drinks - soft drinks, house wine, selected beers and house spirits in Naboisho
- Selected laundry at Eagle View
- Free Wi-Fi at the camps
- Round trip transfers from Nairobi and back
- Round trip domestic flights from Nairobi to Masai Mara
What's not included
- Masai Mara park entry fees
- Naboisho Conservation fees
- Exclusive use of safari vehicle
- Late departure fees and extra lunch on departure day
- Premium spirits, wines, beers and champagne
- Temporary Flying Doctors cover during the stay
- Any additional payable activities or extras
- Staff tips
- International airfare
- Visa fees
- Balloon safari
How to get there
Recommended Airports
Jomo Kenyatta International Airport
190 km
Transfer included
Arrival by airplane
Please book your flight to arrive at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO). Their driver will pick you up from your hotel in Nairobi or at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and transfer you to Wilson Airport for your flight to Masai Mara.
Cancellation Policy
- A reservation requires a deposit of 30% of the total price.
- The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
- The rest of the payment should be paid 30 days before arrival.
For this organizer you can guarantee your booking through BookAllSafaris.com. All major credit cards supported.