Big 5 Safaris

Kilimanjaro | Tsavo

Day 2: Tsavo West National Park The whole day is spent exploring the game park on a morning and afternoon game drive. In Tsavo West National Park birds are very common - look out for the white-bellied go-away bird, red-beaked hornbills and bateleur Eagles. There are also large populations of elephants, zebras and buffaloes, as well as lions, leopards and cheetahs. Look out for dung beetles rolling huge balls of elephant dung along the tracks. Tsavo Park is famous for its large elephant herds, often seen covered in fine, red dust. Tsavo Park (East and West) is the largest national park in Kenya (at 22,000 km²). The scenic Tsavo West Park covers a wide variety of landscapes, from swamps and natural springs to rocky peaks, extinct volcanic cones and rolling plains. The dramatic Chyulu Hills form a collection of ancient volcanic cinder cones with splendid views of Kilimanjaro and populations of elands, giraffes, zebras and wildebeest.

Amboseli | Kilimanjaro

Day 4: Amboseli National Park We spend a full day exploring Amboseli Park on game drives. Amboseli covers lush grasslands fed by the melting snow of Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest peak. Standing at 5896m above sea level the snow-topped mountain forms the backdrop to game viewing in Amboseli. Amboseli National Park hosts some of the largest elephant herds in Kenya and is famous for its big elephant bulls with their impressive tusks. Amboseli is considered one of the top game parks in Africa to get up close to elephants in the wild, as well as offering some of the finest photographic opportunities of wildlife flanked by the scenic Mt Kilimanjaro. The Game Park also contains huge populations of buffalos, zebras, wildebeests, giraffes, hippos and various antelope species, such as impala. Amboseli Park is also home to lions, leopards, cheetahs, rhinos, jackals, warthogs and various other wildlife. The park also boasts an abundance of birds, including bee-eaters, kingfishers, pelicans, African fish eagles and falcons. Breakfast, lunch and dinner at the camp are included in the tour price. We camp overnight in Amboseli at the same peaceful camp as the night before.

Mount Kenya

day 5 we set off early in the morning making our way north to Mount Kenya. Mt Kenya is Africa's second highest mountain, standing at 5199m above sea level. In the afternoon we take a game drive in the Sweetwater's game ranch near Mount Kenya. The game ranch is home to various wild animals and is set aside as a breeding ground for black rhinos. The ranch also hosts a chimpanzee rehabilitation program. Sweetwaters is the only chimpanzee rehabilitation sanctuary in Kenya, providing a home for chimpanzees that have been mistreated. The chimpanzees are kept at Sweetwaters in a secure environment; which resembles their natural habitat as closely as possible. We spend the night at a comfortable lodge near Mount Kenya.

Samburu

Day 7: Samburu Game Reserve Day seven is set aside for game viewing in Samburu Reserve, exploring its open grasslands and diverse landscapes in search of the variety of wildlife found here. Elephant and crocodile are guaranteed sightings, and we may be lucky enough to spot leopards. The park is also home to reticulated giraffe, hippo and lion, and the bird watching is excellent with numerous varieties of weaverbirds and the martial eagle. Samburu hosts beautiful forests, springs and rivers, offering stunning scenery. The game park is part of a lava plain that includes varied habitats, from thorn scrub, red dirt and dried river beds, to broken volcanic rock, steep hills and rocky outcrops. The Samburu area is also home to interesting people with a rich heritage, making for a colourful cultural experience.

Lake Nakuru | Masai Mara

Day 9: Lake Nakuru to Masai Mara Today we leave the lodge after breakfast and travel south towards the famous Masai Mara Game Reserve, in southwest Kenya. We drive through beautiful savannah grasslands and plains in the Great Rift Valley making our way to the next overnight camp located in a private conservancy. Along the way to our tented camp just outside of Masai Mara, we keep a lookout for wildlife. The camp is set beside the Oloirigynyisho River, frequently visited by elephants, wildebeest, zebra and other animals. End the day with sundowners at the camp, overlooking the Oloolotikoshi Hills. After dinner in the African-style restaurant, you are free to unwind in the bar and lounge areas and retire to your spacious luxury tent.

Masai Mara | Serengeti

Day 11: Masai Mara Reserve We spend another full day exploring the spectacular Masai Mara Park. Wherever you go in the Mara Reserve you will see an abundance of wildlife, such as Masai giraffe, baboons, warthogs, bat-eared foxes, grey jackals, spotted hyena, topis, impala, hartebeests, wildebeest. elephants, buffaloes, zebras and hippos. It is common to see lions either basking after a heavy meal or surveying the open plains for their next meal. Cheetahs and leopards are harder to spot but are still reasonably common. The ultimate wildlife action here is, without doubt, the annual wildebeest exodus in July and August when millions of these grazers move north from the Serengeti in search of lusher grass before turning south again in October. The Great Migration is one of the most awe-inspiring wildlife spectacles on earth!