Tsavo East National Park

Tsavo East is a very popular Park with plenty of attractive scenic features as is indicated by the high number of tourists. The Park covers 13,747 sq. km and is larger than Tsavo West National Park; it lies to the east of the Nairobi –Mombasa Highway and is equidistant between Nairobi and Mombasa. Activities include Game viewing, Camping, Trekking and Bird watching.

Tsavo East is a vast arid bush land, washed by the meandering Galana River, one of the most evocative images of Africa. The beautiful Aruba dam located on the north bank of the seasonal Voi River, is visited by thousands of animals and a great game viewing destination. Mudanda Rock is a whale –backed Rock that towers above a natural dam acting as a draw to thousands of Elephants. The prolific bird life features 500 recorded species.

3 Day Tsavo Safari

The Park is home to most of the larger mammals, including large herds of dust – red elephant, Rhino, buffalo, lion, leopard, fat pods of hippo, giant crocodile, waterbucks, Kudu, Gerenuk and Hunter’s hartebeest . The park gates are at  Mtito Andei, Voi, Buchuma, Manyani, Ithumba and Sala. The Park can be accessed from Nairobi via Voi through the Voi gate or Manyani gate; similarly, from Mombasa via Bachuma gate and from Malindi, via Sala gate.

There are six airstrips in the southern part of the park and thirteen in the Northern part. There are airstrips for light aircraft at Voi, Aruba, Satao, Sala, Ithumba, Sangayaya, Mopeo, Bachuma, and Cottars.Entry is by Safari Card only and they may be loaded, but not purchased at Voi Gate.

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Nairobi City

Nairobi City

The beauty of Nairobi greets the visitor already from the air sighting the colorful Bougainvillea lining avenues, highways, and the beautiful Jacaranda Trees blossoming everywhere. An oasis of modern conveniences, Nairobi offers the visitor an array of high caliber hotels and excellent restaurants and an abundance of African culture and art. It is a virtual Spice for shopping which often start with a visit to a local Safari Outfitter for a custom-fit Safari Suit. 

In addition to many smart boutiques and art galleries, the shopping experience will include traditional colorful outdoor African markets, and while on Safari, the warm and friendly tribal roadside vendors welcome negotiating their prices with you. Among the many Kenyan artifacts offered are Masai tribal ornaments and spears, Merchaum pipes, hand woven sisal baskets and bags, as well as a dazzling array of batiks, multi-colored fabrics, and pottery and ebony carvings. Elegant jewellery, gems and corals are plentiful and inexpensive and Kenya offers unexpected items such as colonial furniture and antique Arabian doors. 

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Mount Kenya

High altitude Kenya offers something for everyone. There are refreshing hill walks through bird rich areas or more active hikes into montane forests. Above all there is mighty Mount Kenya, formerly known as Mount Kirinyaga; the name Kenya has been known to have been derived from Mt. Kenya whose slopes are the perfect trekking destination.

Mount Kenya Trekking

The mountain is located 180 kilometers north of Nairobi and can often be seen from high-rise buildings in Nairobi and from Thika. It is an extinct volcano, which formed a couple of million years ago. The mountain is located in the Mount Kenya National Park, which is a designated protected area around the mountain above 3200m altitude. The Kenya Wildlife Service manages the park. The national park covers an area of 700 square kilometers and was established in 1949.

The mountain has two main peaks - Batian (5200m) and Nelion (5188m); while the 5199 metre summit is a difficult technical climb, the lesser peak of Point Lenana (4985m) can be easily reached by any fit trekker. This trek takes between 3 and 5 days, through a fascinating world of forests, wildlife, and unique montane vegetation including podocarpus and groundsel, and finally one of the world’s rarest sights, equatorial snow.

Hiking Mount Kenya

The mountain’s alpine peak is a challenging technical summit for the experienced mountaineer compared to Africa’s Highest Mountain, Kilimanjaro which is relatively easier to climb and the main summit – Peak Uhuru can be reached by most climbers. Northern Kenya is a fairly arid region with little rainfall and abundant sunshine year round. This is camel country. Average temperatures vary between 104 and 68 Fahrenheit (40 and 20 Celsius). The best time to visit this area is June, July, August and December

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Maasai Mara Safari

Wildebeest migration,Maasai Mara Kenya

Maasai Mara National Reserve,Kenya. Nothing quite captures the true spirit of East Africa, like a safari in Kenya’s richest game reserve, the Maasai Mara. The Masai Mara is considered by many to be one of Kenya's finest National Reserves. The rolling grasslands offer ideal game viewing and photographic opportunities and the grassy plains are broken by rocky outcrops which are favorite midday resting places for lion, for which the Mara is famous.

The endless plains of East Africa are the setting for the world’s greatest wildlife spectacle where, from the vast Serengeti plains to the champagne colored hills of Kenya’s Maasai Mara, over 1.4 million wildebeest and 200,000 zebra and gazelle, relentlessly tracked by Africa’s great predators, migrate in a clockwise fashion over 1,800 miles each year in search of rain ripened grass. The reserve with an area of 1510 km2 forms the northern part of the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem and is famous for vast assemblages and migration of plains game and their associated predators. The parks southern boundary is contiguous with Tanzania's Serengeti National park.

With the hot and dry climate, the landscape is characterized by scenic rolling grassland plains, rounded hills and grooves of woodlands. Green riverine forests and bush thickets are found along the Mara River.

Elephant, black rhino, buffalo, plains zebra, hartebeest, wildebeest and other herbivores and all the big cats are also found in Mara. The rivers are home of crocodiles and hippos.

The best time to visit Masai Mara Reserve is during the dry months - July through October.  The grasses are long after the rainy season, and it’s a great time to see the migratory herds.  The Great Migration takes place in July and August. 

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Nairobi Mayfair Hotel

Nairobi Mayfair Hotel

The Nairobi  Mayfair Hotel former (Holiday Inn) hotel building was originally made in 1945, and used for other purposes, but went through extensive refurbishments to provide guests with modern facilities, and it still retains the understated charm and elegance.The Holiday Inn Nairobi is a 4 star hotel set in over 10 acres of landscaped gardens in the Westlands area of Nairobi, about 20 kms from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.

Guests can look forward to experiencing the traditional warmth and hospitality for which Holiday Inn is renowned. All 171 rooms have sat TV, radio, telephone, tea/coffee making facilities and private bathroom. There are bedrooms for non-smokers and rooms designed to suit the needs of paraplegics, with facilities throughout the hotel for disabled people. The friendly and informal Oasis Restaurant is next to the pool, serving delicious breakfasts and buffet dinner to suit all appetites. The hotel is host to Kenya's only Spur steak ranch, offering delicious specialty steaks, burgers, pizzas and a wide range of exciting Salas dishes for lunch, dinner and in-between.

Spur also provides room service snacks and mouth watering pool-side lunches.Holiday Inn hotel in Nairobi  is suited to the business traveler and offers excellent conference and meeting facilities with fully equipped with audio-visual aids and sound proofed to ensure privacy. Holiday Inn  hotel in Nairobi is perfectly located for the business traveler in Kenya and offers excellent conference and meeting facilities with fully equipped with audio-visual aids and soundproofed to ensure privacy. It can accommodate groups from 20 to 350 in the airy conference rooms. The International Business center provides internet, copying and other services for guests.

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The Nairobi Norfolk Hotel

The Nairobi Norfolk Hotel Fairmont is one of the most characterful hotels in East Africa. Older than the London Ritz, the Norfolk started life on Christmas day, 1904. Apart from being one of the oldest hotels in Kenya and indeed Africa,　the Norfolk has gone through various transitions over the decades,from restyling and renovations, to change of ownership.　

The Nairobi Norfolk Hotel

However, the hotel has always impressed generation after generation of visitors with its high standards of service, luxurious style, hospitality and comfort.Many of the bedrooms overlook the hotel's famous courtyards where colourful trees and gardens create a warm and natural ambiance. The Norfolk Hotel has 167 bedrooms and suites, all have their own private bathroom.The executive and deluxe suites in the Acacia Wing are furnished to a luxurious standard. These rooms also lend themselves to private dining or small meetings. The banqueting and conference facilities of the Norfolk comprise numerous air-conditioned function rooms at the hotel.　

The ballroom, which can be partitioned to form two smaller rooms, has a seating capacity of 175 people. There's a heated swimming pool adjacent to the Kijabe Gardens has a restaurant and a bar. For the keep-fit enthusiasts and leisure lovers, there's a fully equipped gym, saunas, steam and changing rooms.The unique and striking use of natural materials of wood and stone, are emphasized by light and water from every direction.

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Wildebeest Migration Maasai Mara

Trailing the noisy gnus from the expansive plains of Serengeti as they cross Talek, Mara and Sand River has never been this exciting. Sightings of the first plunge have been witnessed at the Sand River by those in the ongoing safari in kenya. Although these is just the start of the most dramatic wildlife pilgrim on earth, the early start means there is a lot to be anticipated with more dramatic episodes expected to unfold as the migration continues. 

Wildebeest  Migration Maasai Mara, Kenya

In the recent years, we have witnessed the most historical, dramatic, exciting and sometimes interestingly frustrating episodes due to the effects of adversely changed weather patterns both in Maasai Mara, Kenya and Serengeti in Tanzania. For instance; apart from the early stop of the rains in Serengeti, the un-seasonal weather of the last month has caused the wildebeest to continue moving in a rather abnormal patterns. Zebras as usual mark the genesis of this gyratory exodus, in fact, the moment their hooves touch the waters of the Mara river, it marks the official instigate of undoubted endless annual pilgrim.

Tradition documents that the migratory herds usually separate into two divergent groups - one in north-east Serengeti and northern Loliondo region and the other one in the Western Corridor/Grumeti area. The western heard has always had their first plunge into the Mara – but it’s not a guarantee. Whilst some wildebeest are, as we would normally expect at this time of year, in the Western Corridor area, other herds can be found as far north as Bologonja up near the Mara River. In just a few days after crossing the Sand River, the wildebeest together with Zebras and other ungulates are expected to move on to spread over the Keekorok region towards the Mara Bridge – surprisingly covering an estimated 25 kilometers. 

Due to the rains in Maasai Mara, the herds are unlikely to speed up their march towards Mara River and Ol Keju Ronkai River in search of waterholes as it has been the case in the last few years when most of the waterholes in the Maasai Mara are dry. This also means the real thrilling river crossings might not start sooner than earlier anticipated. Lions are still being sighted in good numbers and even the prides are beginning to split into smaller groups. The arrival of the migration means food will be easy to find and therefore, staying as a large pride may make it difficult to hunt as it is easy to be spotted by the prey. More leopards and cheetahs have been sighted along the Talek and Olare Orok River and around Ol Kiombo.

During your 4 days maasai mara or 11 days kenya safari holiday you won't miss this amazing spectacle.

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14 Days Kenya and Tanzania Safari

Day 1:Nairobi
Upon arrival at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, you will be met by our representative and transferred to the Jacaranda Hotel. Situated in the affluent Westland's District of the city, the Jacaranda is located immediately adjacent to one of Nairobi's best shopping malls, and has its own swimming pool and peaceful grounds. Dinner and Overnight at the Jacaranda Hotel.

Day 2:Nairobi-Mount Kenya
After breakfast, drive north of Nairobi to Mount Kenya National Park, home to Africa's second highest mountain. After lunch, either watch the game at the waterhole from the lodge's viewing deck or take a forest walk. In the evening, the lodge offers a roaring fire in its comfortable bar and dinner in the panoramic restaurant, which looks out over the treetops.

Day 3:Mount Kenya-Samburu-Buffalo Springs Game Reserves
After an early breakfast, drive north to the Samburu National Reserve arriving in time for a late lunch at the Samburu Game Lodge , a traditional Kenyan safari lodge set in extensive grounds on the banks of the Uaso Nyiro River. After lunch, take a game drive in the twin Samburu and Buffalo Springs Reserves, which provide one of the few sanctuaries in Kenya for the endangered Grevy's zebra, the rare beisa oryx and the blue-shanked Somali ostrich whilst large herds of elephant roam the gaunt hills during the day before returning to bathe on the banks of the river in the evening.

Day 4:On safari in Samburu
Enjoy a full day on safari in Samburu. A place of endless skies, dust-red plains and palm-fringed rivers, Samburu National Reserve lies on the fringes of the vast and arid desert once known as the Northern Frontier District, In the evening optional activities such as a displays of Samburu cultural dance or a traditional sundowners can be arranged at an additional cost. Dinner and Overnight at Samburu Game Lodge/Similar.

Day 5:Samburu-Lake Nakuru
After breakfast, drive to Lake Nakuru National Park in time for a late lunch at Lake Nakuru Lodge/Similar. After lunch, enjoy a game drive in the park. Dinner and overnight at the lodge.

Day 6:Lake Nakuru-Masai Mara
After breakfast depart very early and drive to the Masai Mara National Reserve to arrive in time for a late lunch at . After lunch, enjoy your first game drive in the Mara. In the evening, perhaps take an early swim followed by dinner and overnight at Keekerok Lodge

Day 7 & 8:On safari in the Masai Mara
With a full day to enjoy all that the Mara has to offer, your options are wide. The camp offers guided nature/bird-spotting walks, three game drives daily and cultural visits to local Maasai villages. Offering an abundance of herbivores, the Mara makes the ideal hunting ground for Kenya's famous ‘big cats' and hosts her largest population of lions. Breakfast, lunch and dinner at the Keekerok Lodge/Similar.

Day 9:Masai Mara- Serengeti
After breakfast cross the border between Kenya and Tanzania and drive to on Serengeti National park. Backed by the rolling savanna of the Serengeti but bordered by the glittering waters of the largest inland lake in the world, the white-painted Lodge, with its traditional round or ‘rondavel' thatched buildings resembles a small village of the local Sukuma people, strung out along the shores of the lake.Set in 100 hectares of rolling savanna, Dinner & Overnight at Serengeti Serena Lodge/similar.

Day 10:On Safari in the Serengeti
With a full day's game-driving in the Park, your options are wide. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served at the campsite, where guided nature walks can also be taken. Game drives can be taken morning and afternoon. Whilst the annual migration is the Serengeti's most famous attraction, the Park is also renowned for its lion, many of which have been fitted with radio-transmitter collars so that their movements may be tracked, and additionally for its wealth of cheetah, zebra, giraffe, Thomson's and Grant's gazelle, eland, impala, klipspringer, hippo and warthog.Dinner & Overnight at Serengeti Serena Lodge/Similar.

Day 11:Serengeti/Ngorongoro Crater
After breakfast and a morning game drive, drive through the Serengeti to the Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area. Scale the side of the crater, circle the rim and arrive at the Ngorongoro Serena Lodge, which enjoys magnificent views down into the crater. Dinner at the campiste.

Day 12:On safari in the Ngorongoro Crater-Lake Manyara
After breakfast descend into the crater for a half-day tour with picnic lunch. In the afternoon leave the crater and drive to Lake Manyara, where you will check into the Lake Manyara Serena Lodge , which stands on the top of an escarpment overlooking the lake. After lunch take a game drive into Lake Manyara National Park, which is famous for its tree-climbing lions. Dinner at the lodge Manyara Serena Lodge/Similar.

Day 13 Lake Manyara/Arusha/Amboseli National Park
After breakfast drive to Arusha and the Namanga Kenya/TZ border. Complete immigration formalities and change vehicles. After a picnic lunch, drive to Amboseli National Park and check into the Amboseli Serena Lodge/Similar. In the afternoon, take a game drive around the lush swamps of this world-famous national park. Dinner and overnight.

Day 14 Amboseli to Nairobi
After breakfast at the lodge, drive to Nairobi and take lunch at the famous Carnivore Restaurant . Depart for your flight home.

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Tsavo west Safari

Red Elephants of Tsavo

Tsavo West National Park covers 7065 km2, approximately 30% of Kenya's area under parks, and contains a diversity of habitats, wildlife and a mountainous scenic landscape. Tsavo West has a more varied topography and a more diverse array of habitats than its neighbor Tsavo East, the park is a vast expanse of savanna stretching from Mtito Andei, along the Mombasa-Nairobi road and south to the Tanzanian border. The park is located on south eastern Kenya, 240km from Nairobi along the western side of Mombasa-Nairobi highway. The savannah ecosystem comprises of open grasslands, scrublands, and Acacia woodlands, belts of riverine vegetation and rocky ridges.

Major wildlife attractions include elephant, rhino, Hippos, lions, cheetah, leopards, Buffalos, diverse plant and bird species including the threatened corncrake and near threatened Basra Reed Warbler. Other attractions include the Chyulu Hills which are porous peaks of volcanic ash, whose youngest cones formed about 500 years ago. Rising 7,000 feet (2,000 meters) above an arid plain, the vast black Shetani lava flows and ash cones spreads out at the foot of the Chyulu Hills. There is a walking trail amongst the lava flow and it is possible to climb up to the crater rim as well as into the caves.

The Hills trap up to three feet (one meter) of rain each year from moisture-laden winds, All that rain soaks into the sponge-like ash and percolates down until it hits impervious bedrock and begins its underground journey to Mzima Springs some 25 miles (40 kilometers) away in the Northern side of the park. Water that has filtered underground from the Chyulu Hills gushes from below a lava ridge into a series of clear pools. The cool and shallow spring offers buoyant relief to a herd of ponderous hippos, one of four groups that loll all day in the protected waters of Mzima’s three main pools. By night the hippos graze on nearby grasslands. 

The Park’s main access routes are through Chyulu Gate from Amboseli and Mtito Andei Gate from Nairobi (240 km) and Mombasa. Visitors from Mombasa also use Tsavo Gate near Manyani. The park can also be reached via Taveta - Voi road through Maktau, Ziwani and Jipe gates. The Parks Airstrips are Kamboyo, Kilaguni, Tsavo Gate, Jipe, Kasigau, Finch Hutton’s, Ziwani and Maktau
The best months to visit the Tsavo West National Park are in January and February as well as June to September. Game viewing is all year round. Visiting during the heavy rainy season of March to May should be avoided as the roads become very muddy. There may be some rain from October to December. Best time to visit Tsavo East National Park: September, October, January, February, March. It’s important to take with you some drinking water, binoculars, camera, hat, sunscreen, sunglasses and guidebooks.

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The beauty of samburu

SAMBURU NATIONAL RESERVE

 Elephants drink water, Samburu

Samburu National Reserve is situated in the hot and arid fringes of Kenya's vast Northern Frontier District. The area is home to the Samburu tribe, pastoral relatives of the Masai. The landscape is rugged and dramatic - against a backdrop of volcanic mountains, gaunt hills and withered scrub tree that punctuate the sparse and dry terrain. The Ewaso Nyiro River is the lifeline of the area; it runs along the southern boundary dividing Samburu from Buffalo Springs Reserve. Crocodile and hippo share the river with the many small herds of elephant which bathe and frolic in the muddy brown waters during the heat of the day before returning later to browse on the lush vegetation of the riverine forest.  Buffalo, Lion, Leopard, Cheetah and the plains game may also be seen , however,  a remarkably special feature of this Reserve are the various species of game unique to these northern parks namely; Beisa Oryx, the long necked Gerenuk, Grevy's Zebra, reticulated Giraffe and the blue shanked Somali Ostrich. 

BUFFALO SPRINGS NATIONAL RESERVE

Buffalo Springs Reserve covers 194 km2 on the southern bank of the Uaso Nyiro River. The reserve has unique landscapes of rounded and rugged hills and undulating plains. The vegetation is mainly wooded and bushy grassland with riverine forest and swamps due to the Hot and dry weather experienced in the Reserve. With over 50 species of large mammals, the parks’ bird life is diverse with Buffalo Springs having a record 365 bird species.

SHABA NATIONAL RESERVE

Reticulated Giraffe, Samburu National Park

Shaba National Reserve is 130 sq kms and lies to the east of Buffalo Springs Reserve. The Reserve takes its name from a cone of volcanic rock; evidence of the intensity of its volcanic upheaval is demonstrated by the formidable lava flow which the traveler has to cross to reach this remote wilderness. Shaba's northern border is marked by the flow of the Ewaso Nyiro River on its way to the Lorian Swamp, its banks fringed by riverine forest and clusters of doum palms. The reserve has unique landscapes of rounded and rugged hills and undulating plains. Mainly wooded and bushy grassland, riverine forest and swamps, with over 50 species of large mammals including reticulated Giraffe, grevys Zebra, elephant Oryx, Somali ostrich, Hippo, Crocodiles, Gerenuk, Buffalo, Lion, Leopard, Cheetah and Hyena - Large flocks of helmeted and vulturine guinea fowls are a common attraction.

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