Arrival at Jomo Kenyatta International airport in Nairobi and transfer to your hotel; dinner is on your own as this is a travel day. We will either meet as a group for our briefing after check-in (if it isn’t too late), or in the morning at breakfast.
Overnight at The Palacina
After breakfast, we will begin our adventure with one of the highlights of the day, a visit to the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UeTmE71uEaw), the most successful orphan elephant rescue and rehabilitation program in the world. David Sheldrick was husband to the recently late Dame Daphne Sheldrick who pioneered this conservation organization for wildlife and habitat protection in East Africa. We will have the great fortune to have an exclusive one hour private visit with orphaned baby elephants as the Center will close down to the public for our group only. After our morning with the elephants, we will spend the rest of our morning shopping in the Karen District for interesting African jewelry, beadwork and other artifacts before having lunch at the Talisman Restaurant.
After our relaxing lunch, we will visit the home of Karen Blixen, now a museum. This is the same home used in the filming of ‘Out of Africa’. We then return to the Sheldrick Center as Foster parents to our small elephants and watch the elephants being put to bed by their Keepers. We will return to the Palacina for dinner, and prepare for our early departure in the morning.
Overnight at the The Palacina (B,L,D)
We will meet for breakfast between 06:45 and 07:00 (Please do prepare check-out during this time period). At 07:30, we will depart for Amboseli National Park. The 4 hour drive will give us the opportunity to experience the lush landscape of Kenya. We will have stops where we can do some shopping along the way. We will arrive at our lodge in time for lunch. After lunch and some leisure time, we will have our first game drive where we hope to see beautiful Mount Kilimanjaro in the near distance if it is not under cloud cover, and the large elephant herds that make this location so special in all of Africa.
Overnight at Amboseli Serena Safari Lodge (B,L,D)
Today and tomorrow will be our first full days on safari and our bush routine begins early in the morning. After a pre-dawn cup of coffee, we set out in search of excitement. We leave early in the morning in hopes of seeing lions hunting in morning light. We will be looking for the famous large herds of Amboseli elephants with their massive tusks. And we will hope for clear skies so that we can see Mt. Kilimanjaro in all of her glory. After the morning game drives, we will return to our lodge for breakfast and a few hours of rest before lunch. We set off again for the bush after our afternoon tea/coffee, and return to the lodge after sunset for dinner.
Overnight at Amboseli Serena Safari Lodge (B,L,D)
We will have breakfast at our lodge, and depending on our flight we may have time for one last morning game drive. We will then transfer to the airstrip and board our flight to Wilson Airport in Nairobi and then connect to our flight to Samburu. Upon arrival, will have a short game drive en-route to our lodge. We will arrive at our lodge in time for lunch and then have a few hours of leisure time enjoying this lovely tented camp. After our afternoon tea/coffee, we will leave for our first game drive in this beautiful game park in northern Kenya. Here we will have a chance to find leopard, cheetah and the scruffy Samburu lions (we call them the “bad-boys” of Kenya). We will return to our lodge after sunset for a lovely dinner outside overlooking the river. Here in Samburu we will find several species of animals that are endemic to this area only.
Overnight Larsens Tented Camp (B,L,D)
We will have two full days in Samburu where we will discover five rare species of animals that are endemic in the northern part of Kenya: the Somali Ostrich, Reticulated giraffe, Gerenuk, the endangered Grevy’s zebra, and the Beisa oryx. Samburu is very different to other Kenyan reserves in that it has very different vegetation than the larger open plains reserves like Amboseli and the Mara. It is a wildly beautiful, dry and arid mountainous area that depends on the Ewaso Ng’iro River. The combination of this near-permanent water and the forest shade along the banks draws lots of wildlife. We will leave daily for our game drives after our pre-dawn morning coffee. For the rest of our safari, we will take our breakfast al fresco in the bush in order to increase our chances of wildlife action and behavior during the cool mornings.
We will spend one afternoon at a traditional Samburu village. Not only will we learn about their culture and traditions, but we have a very unusual surprise planned that will give you a unique experience with the Samburu. You have complete freedom to photograph the Samburu during our visit. You will also have a chance to buy some of the beautiful beadwork handmade by the Samburu women. After our time with the Samburu, we will have a short game drive back to our lodge where dinner awaits.
Overnight Larsens Tented Camp (B,L,D)
After our last game drive and breakfast in Samburu, we will make our way to the airstrip where we will fly to the world famous Maasai Mara Game Reserve. The camp drivers will be waiting for us at the airstrip and will transfer us to camp. As soon as we land, we will be surrounded by wildlife and the vast open plains that encompass the Mara. We will arrive in time for lunch and will have some time to become acquainted with our home for the next three days.
The Maasai Mara is Kenya’s finest wildlife sanctuary with abundant wildlife and gentle rolling grasslands, which ensure that animals are never out of sight. Birdlife is prolific with over 450 different species. We hope to witness and photograph the greatest spectacle in Africa – the Great Migration where roughly two million wildebeest and zebras cross the plains of the Serengeti to the Maasai Mara.
After our afternoon tea/coffee, we will leave camp on our first game drive. Exploring the Mara is seeing nature at its best.
Overnight Mara Bush Camp Private Wing (B,L,D) – Inclusive of selected beverages and laundry
For the next three days, after our pre-dawn coffee, we will depart on our early morning game drives. Like Samburu, we will have our breakfast al fresco each day out on the Mara. Here we will have good chances of seeing lions, cheetahs and maybe even leopards amongst thousands of wildebeest, zebras and other antelopes. On one afternoon, we will visit a Maasai village where we will learn about the traditions of the Maasai people. We will have complete freedom to photograph the village and the Maasai . You will have a chance to buy some wonderful handmade beaded necklaces, bracelets and other traditional crafts in the village. After our game drive and return from the Maasai village, we will enjoy a cocktail around the fire and dinner in camp.
Overnight Mara Bush Camp Private Wing (B,L,D) – Inclusive of selected beverages and laundry
Sadly this will be our last game drive where we must bid farewell to the Mara and to Kenya. We will return back to camp for a warm breakfast before making our way to the airstrip. We fly from the Mara airstrip (Ol Kiombo) to Wilson airport in Nairobi. Upon arrival, we will be picked up and transferred to Four Points Sheraton for use of day rooms. We can freshen up in our room, relax and prepare for our international flight home. Dinner is on your own.
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We look forward to seeing you on your next Wild Focus Expedition!
Our Classic African safaris require little physical conditioning and are not considered strenuous. Travel will sometimes be by small charter aircraft and game-drive vehicles. Safari-goers should be aware that the game drives are often over bumpy surfaces and can sometimes be long depending on our sightings. Our mornings start early before daybreak and evening meals are served after sundown. All travelers must be able to climb into and out of raised 4×4 safari vehicles.
Wild Focus Expeditions provides specialized, small group photography tours. Our photography expeditions are designed to get participants into distinctive, engaging locations around the world at the optimum times for photography. Our photo tours are created by our team of photographers who want to experience and photograph the world's top wildlife, nature and traditional cultures locations.