Arrive in Nairobi
Arrival at Jomo Kenyatta International airport in Nairobi and transfer to your hotel; dinner is on your own as this is a travel day.
Overnight at the Macushla House (Travel Day/ Meals on your own)
Day 1: August 07
Day 2: August 08
Nairobi
After breakfast, we will leisurely depart our hotel to spend a day in Nairobi’s Karen District, made famous by Karen Blixen (Author ‘Out of Africa’). We will spend our morning shopping before having lunch at the Talisman Restaurant. After lunch, the highlight of our day will be 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 a one hour private visit with orphaned baby elephants as the Center will close down to the public for our group only. After this visit, we will try to squeeze in a visit to 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. We will return to the MacUshla House for dinner, and prepare to depart on our exciting journey in the morning.Overnight at the Macushla House (B,L,D)Day 2: August 08
Day 3: August 09
Amboseli National Park
After breakfast, 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 to look for wildlife. This will be just the beginning of our wildlife adventure!
Overnight at Amboseli Serena Safari Lodge (B,L,D)Days 4-5: August 10-11
Amboseli National Park
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 wildlife. 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)Days 4-5: August 10-11
Day 6: August 12
Fly to Samburu
We will have breakfast at our lodge, and depending on our flight we may have time for one last morning game drive in hopes bidding farewell to the mighty Mt. Kilimanjaro. 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 lovely camp sitting on the river in Samburu. We will arrive at our lodge in time for a delicious 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.
Overnight Elephant Bedroom Camp (B,L,D)Days 7 - 8: August 13 -14
Samburu National Reserve
The next two full days will be spent exploring Samburu where we hope to 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. The landscape is unique 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 into early evening at a traditional Samburu village. Not only will we learn about their culture and traditions, but we will have a unique experience with the Morani warriors of this colorful people. The Samburu are known amongst other tribes as the “butterfly people” because of their colorful beadwork and tribal dress. There is no doubt that they love color and you will have complete freedom to photograph them during our visit – unlike most other tourist tribal visits. You will also have a chance to buy some of the beautiful beadwork handmade by the Samburu women. After our time with them in the village, we will have a short game drive back to our lodge where dinner awaits.
Overnight Elephant Bedroom Camp (B,L,D)Days 7 - 8: August 13 -14
Day 9: August 15
Fly to the Maasai Mara
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 new home for the next four nights.
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 laundryDays 10-12: August 16 -18
Maasai Mara
For the next three days, after our early morning coffee and tea, we will depart on our morning game drives. Like Samburu, we will have our breakfast al fresco each day out on the vast 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 laundryDays 10-12: August 16 -18
Day 13: August 19
Fly back to Nairobi/ international flights home
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.
(B,L)
End of services
We look forward to seeing you on your next Wild Focus Expedition!
Included
- Accommodations for 12 nights on double-share/single room basis with private facilities.
- All land and air transfers in Kenya
- Full day disposal on day two with mentioned activities
- All game drives
- Transportation and exclusive use of 2 custom built safari 4 x 4 Landcruisers with pop-up roof hatches and custom windows ideal for photographers
- National park and cultural village fees
- Guaranteed window seat in Landcruiser
- National park and conservation fees
- Samburu village visit / freedom to photograph
- Maasai village visit / freedom to photograph
- All meals excluding dinner on first evening in Macushla House and last evening at Sheraton Four Points
- Selected beverages where mentioned above
- Mineral water during game drives
- Experienced English-speaking drivers/guides
- Evacuation Insurance
- Domestic flights where mentioned above with extra freight seats to allow for excess weight for camera gear
Not Included
- International airfare to and from Nairobi
- Change of itinerary
- Visa fees
- All beverages (unless where mentioned as included)
- Change of itinerary
- Optional hot air balloon rides over the Maasai Mara with champagne breakfast ($450 per person)
- Any items of personal nature such as beverages, laundry, telephone calls
- Tips / gratuities for your driver / guide and camp / lodge staff
- Travel/medical insurance
- Any extras not mentioned in the included list such as extra meals and activities
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.
Our Kenya and Tanzania safaris will be in permanent to semi-permanent tented camps. All of our tents are en suite, are designed to the highest standards, and are comfortable with hot showers and an adjoining toilet. All of our camps will have separate lounge and dining areas which add to the excitement and ambiance of being on safari. It should be noted, however, that there are no fences around our camps, and animals of all sizes are sometimes encountered within the camp boundaries. Please be assured that you will be safe at all times. Our Expeditions Leaders and camp staff will be there to assure your safety.
From May through August, temperatures are very comfortable. Mornings can be quite cool to cold while warming up as the day continues. Nights can be cold and midday temperatures range from 70ºF (20ºC) to 80ºF (26ºC0. Our Handbooks provide more detailed information about clothing and trip preparation.
We recommend that our travelers bring an adventurous spirit, as you will often enjoy the closest animal encounters.
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.