10 Days Best of Kenya Big Five Private Wildlife Safari

Day 1: Nairobi Arrival (L, D)

Upon arrival in Nairobi, Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and after clearing with customs and immigration, you will be met by your Genesis of adventure Safari Director/Driver guide at the arrival area. Depart by road to Amboseli National Park. There you will experience your first ‘Spice’ game drive en-route to your lodge. The Park shelters more than 420 species of birds and has an enormous Elephant population and other big game attracted to the area by underground springs fed from the melting snows of Mount Kilimanjaro. Lunch is served at the lodge, before departing for an afternoon ‘Spice’ game drive. Return to the lodge and enjoy a scrumptious dinner.
🏚️ Accommodation: Overnight at Amboseli Serena Lodge.

Day 2: Discover Amboseli (B, L, D)

This morning we rise early for good views of Mount Kilimanjaro before clouds build up over the summit, we set off for a ‘Spice’ game drive. Amboseli is an excellent place to view a multitude of wildlife, including everything from Wildebeest to Giraffes to Baboons. A visit to a Masai village is planned after breakfast. Midday finds us at our lodge for lunch and afternoon rest, followed by another ‘Spice’ game drive. Amboseli is home to the legendary Masai tribesmen.
Masai warriors are famous and are proud of nomadic tribes whose legendary prowess in battle and single-handed acts of bravery in fights with wild animals are known across the world.
🏚️ Accommodation: Overnight at Amboseli Serena Lodge.

Day 3: Amboseli – Nairobi – Aberdare National Park (B, L, D)

Depart Amboseli in the morning with a game drive en-route, and drive back to Nairobi arriving approx 13:00hrs. Our destination today is the Aberdare National Park. We stop for lunch at an upscale restaurant in Nairobi and travel overland through plantations of coffee and tea to The Aberdare Country Club, nestled on the slopes of Mweiga Hill. After high tea, set off for the Ark tree lodge, located in the forest on mountain slopes of the Aberdare Mountains at 7,000 feet.
This outstanding lodge offers high-altitude game viewing, including animals that are rarely encountered elsewhere: giant forest hog, bush pig, tree hyrax, large spotted genet, and the elusive bongo. Wildlife can be observed from different levels – and from outside where you can see, hear and smell everything and inside where you can sit with a cup of tea and stay warm and cozy. You can put in a request to be awakened during the night if your favorite animals show up. A herd of Elephants might be just feet away and if you are lucky, a Leopard or large male Lion might put in an appearance.
🏚️ Accommodation: Overnight at Treetops Forest Lodge /The Ark lodge.

Day 4: Aberdare – Samburu Game Reserve (B, L, D)

Early breakfast then drives to Samburu NR, see the countryside of Kenya and Great Rift Valley lunch midway and arrival in the park for afternoon game drive. Samburu NR has several large game species common to Kenya’s northern plains that can be found in abundance here, including the following dry-country fauna, gerenuk, Grevy’s zebra, oryx, and reticulated giraffe. All three big cats known as the Masai lion, Tanzanian cheetah, and leopard can also be found here as well as the elephant, Cape buffalo and Hippopotamus, Other mammals frequently seen in the park include olive baboon, warthogs, Grant’s gazelle, Kirk’s dik-dik, impala and waterbuck. There are over 350 species of birds. These include grey-headed kingfishers, sunbirds, bee-eaters, Marabou stork, etc. The Ewaso Ng’iro river contains large numbers of crocodile basks. Game drive till late in the afternoon then drive to your lodge dinner and overnight at Samburu Sopa Lodge/Samburu Simba lodge.
🏚️ Accommodation: Overnight at Samburu Sopa Lodge/Samburu Simba lodge.

Day 5: Samburu Game Reserve (B, L, D)

(Samburu to Nairobi 340 Kilometers, Approximately 6 Hours’ drive). Dawn breaks in golden bands as we start our day in the bush by scanning the river from our tent’s veranda with a cup of steaming coffee in hand. Before the dew is off the grass, we’re off in pursuit of the Elephants, Lions, Leopards, and Cheetahs that thrive in the reserve’s grasslands and acacia woodlands. And so the day is spent in alternating pursuits of exploration in the bush and relaxation in our cozy camp or lodge.
🏚️ Accommodation: Overnight at Samburu Sopa Lodge or Similar.

 Day 6: Samburu Game Reserve – Drive Nakuru National Park (B, L, D)

Lake Nakuru National Park is the destination today. The Park’s lake is well known for hundreds of thousands of Flamingos. After breakfast, we drive through the Great Rift Valley stopping at one of the highest towns in Kenya, Nyahururu at an elevation of7700 feet. The main attraction here is the 236 foot, Thomson Falls. Part of the Ewaso Nyiro River, these cascading falls tumble to the thick forest below. After lunch at our lodge, an afternoon ‘Spice game drive is planned where one could see both the White and Black Rhino, Rothschild Giraffe and it is almost a guarantee to see the elusive leopard here.
🏚️ Accommodation: Overnight at the Sarova Lion Hill Lodge/Lake Nakuru Lodge.

Day 7: Lake Nakuru – Drive to Lake Naivasha (B, L, D)

Next, we overland to papyrus-fringed Lake Naivasha. With over 400 species of bird, this freshwater lake is a birding Paradise. Along the lake’s fabled waters, we are bound to see some of the area’s more intriguing species—hippos, giraffes, buffalo, and even the arboreal colobus monkey. Lake Naivasha lies in the Great Rift Valley and the name derives from the local Masai name Nai’posha, meaning “rough water” because of the sudden storms which can arise. After lunch, we visit Crescent island — a private sanctuary, where you can walk beneath yellow-barked acacias (yellow fever trees) in search of giraffes, wildebeest, impala, dik-diks, Thompson’s and grant’s gazelles, elands, waterbucks, and countless bird species.
Oh, and there are some rather gigantic pythons too! We are allowed to walk with the animals since all were introduced during the filming of Out of Africa. An optional boat ride on the lake reveals many waterbird species and schools of Hippos.
🏚️ Accommodation: Overnight at Lake Naivasha Sopa Lodge or similar.

Day 8: Lake Naivasha – Drive to Masai Mara Game Reserve (B, L, D)

After a leisure breakfast at Naivasha Sopa Lodge, depart overland to the Masai Mara Game Reserve-jewel of Kenya’s Game Park. The Masai Mara is Kenya’s finest and most outstanding wildlife sanctuary where gentle rolling grassland ensures animals are never out of sight.
The climate is gentle, rarely too hot, and well-spread rainfall year-round. The sensation of the great wildebeest migration between July and October is unparalleled. The wildlife is far from being confined within the Reserve boundaries and an even larger area extends beyond the game Reserve. Centuries of close association with the wildlife have resulted in an almost symbiotic relationship where wildlife and Masai people live in peace with one another. After lunch, explore the Reserve on a late evening ‘Spice’ game drive. No matter how much you have thought about Africa, this is more than you expected—the big five-Lion, Elephant, Leopard, Rhino, and Cape buffalo are in abundance.
🏚️ Accommodation: Overnight at Mara Zebra plains camp or Mara Sopa Lodge.

Day 9: Explore Masai Mara Game Reserve (B, L, D)

Today we will be spending in the vast eco-system of the Mara searching for the big five and much more. You also have an optional balloon safari — Many call it a once-in-a-lifetime experience, once you are up, you won’t want to come down, and once you land, champagne breakfast awaits you. Game viewing is great from the air with the opportunity for beautiful pictures. The annual wildebeest migration is expected in the Masai Mara between July and early November. Millions of animals migrate to the Mara from Serengeti in search of fresh green pastures and water. It’s worth noting that every game drive is different from the other, and missing one is missing out on the fun.
🏚️ Accommodation: Overnight at Mara Zebra plains camp or Mara Sopa Lodge.

Day 10: Masai Mara – Drive to Nairobi (B)

Breakfast and one last look at the Mara before we head back to Nairobi by road. We check into our hotel and enjoy a few hours of relaxation by the pool or perhaps revisit a favorite shop or two. Proceed to the airport knowing that this has been a journey to remember for the rest of our lives.