Be ready for amazing game viewing as this road safari takes you north to the semi-arid Samburu/Shaba National Reserve, through the Great Rift Valley and on to the plains of the expansive Masai Mara. Enjoy highlights like a bush breakfast along the Ewaso Nyiro River in Shaba and a farewell dinner under the stars in the Masai Mara. You will not want to leave Africa!
Arrive in Nairobii today. After clearing customs and immigration formalities, you will be met and transferred to your hotel. The remainder of the evening is at leisure.
Travel north this morning through Samburu National Reserve to the adjacent Shaba National Reserve. Arrive at your lodge located along the Ewaso Nyiro River in time for lunch. Then, enjoy an afternoon game drive in the reserve.
A special treat is in store this morning as you enjoy a “bubbly” riverside breakfast, dining against the backdrop of the Ewaso Nyiro River and Shaba Game Reserve. Then, enjoy both both morning and afternoon game drives. The name Shaba came from the volcanic rock cone in the reserve, but it is perhaps most famous as the area where Joy and George Adamson (Born Free) spent much of their time.
Your journey takes you to the Great Rift Valley today. The Rift Valley is one of nature’s most dramatic creations. The rift stretches over 3700 miles from the Dead Sea in Jordan to Mozambique in Southern Africa. Your drive takes you along the valley to Lake Nakuru, famous for its seasonal concentration of flamingoes. After lunch, enjoy a game drive in the nearby National Park. Lake Nakuru is one of the few places you may see black and white rhinos, as well as the Rothschild Giraffe.
Travel out of the Rift Valley today and into the Masai Mara National Reserve, probably Kenya’s most famous Reserve. The Masai Mara is the northern extension of Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park and boasts some of the richest concentration of wildlife in Africa. Arrive at your tented camp in time for lunch and an afternoon game drive.
Enjoy morning and afternoon game drives daily during your stay in the Masai Mara. The Masai Mara is teeming with herbivores including zebra, wildebeest, gazelle, buffalo, giraffe, eland, elephant, hippo, rhino and more. The cats are also here and include lion, leopard, cheetah, hyena and jackal. Keep the binoculars ready, as the birdlife is also rich and varied. Tonight, a highlight awaits as you enjoy dinner under the majesty of a star-lit African sky. The fire is lit for the barbecue dinner as you sip your favorite drink. If you are lucky, some visitors may come to drink in the water nearby.
Following breakfast, begin the drive back to Nairobi. You will pass through Narok and head up the rift escarpment as you arrive back in Kenya’s bustling capital around midday. Stop for lunch at the Utamaduni Craft Center – and some time for shopping. Then, pop into the Giraffe Center for a fun opportunity to feed the giraffes from an elevated platform. There is time to freshen up at our Partner Lounge before your transfer to the airport later this evening.
A deluxe hotel, The Stanley recalls the graceful era of fine furnishings, grand living and cool Victorian elegance. It features the famous Thorn Tree Coffee Shop, the Zen gourmet restaurant with unique fusion cuisine, the Pooldeck restaurant and the Exchange Bar. The hotel also boasts an elegant shopping arcade, a fully equipped health club with heated swimming pool and a modern business centre. Its conference facilities can accommodate up to 400 people.
Located in the Semi-desert Shaba Game Reserve in the Central Kenya the Sarova Shaba Lodge offers the guests a chance to see the bounty of unique wildlife made famous by the film “Born Free”. In March 1998, the Lodge played host to the cast and crew of the “ Born Free”, true-life story of George and Joy Adamson and starred both Kenyan actors and International film stars. The majority of the filming took place in the Game Reserve but some of the scenes were actually shot in the lodge.
Built in a natural dais, overlooking one of the world’s ornithological spectacles, the Sarova Lion Hill Lodge impresses every guest with its panoramic view of the pink shoreline created by millions of flamingos on Lake Nakuru.
The Lodge is situated within the Lake Nakuru National Park Rift Valley Province and is surrounded by natural flora and fauna in its beautiful grounds. Although smaller compared to the other hotels in Sarova Hotels Group, this 14-year-old Lodge offers a peaceful retreat amidst one of the most stunning National Parks in Kenya.
To capture the true spirit of East Africa, there is nothing quite like the experience of adventure in Kenya’s Masai Mara; the richest game sanctuary in Kenya.
Situated on a natural elevation between two streams, Sarova Mara is the ideal base for safaris to the “Lion and Elephant” country which is also populated by cheetahs, leopards, rhinos, giraffes and buffalo.
The area is world renowned for its annual wildebeest migration from the Serengeti in Tanzania. Early morning hot air balloon safaris with champagne breakfast on landing offer unrivaled views of the game from the skies.