DAY 1: MOMBASA – TSAVO WEST (240 KM – Approx. 3 hours)
Meal Plan: Lunch, Dinner
The safari begins with a pick-up at your beach hotel or resort. We’ll take the scenic Mombasa – Nairobi Highway, viewing farmlands and Kenya countryside along the way. The journey includes several stops to stretch and get refreshments. Arrive in time for lunch then set off for an afternoon gamedrive. The foliage can be dense here at Tsavo West but look for a lion or buffalo emerging from the bush or giraffe nibbling above at the treetops.
The park is home to a wonderful assortment of wildlife including the endangered black rhino. Fortunately, a protected rhino sanctuary has been established here and we’ll visit after lunch. If we’re lucky, we’ll get to view one or more of the 80 fierce but shy creatures.
DAY 2: TSAVO WEST – AMBOSELI (100 km – Approx. 2.5 hrs)
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
We’ll have an early breakfast and enjoy the African sunrise before jumping into our safari vehicle for our first game drive of the day.
We’ll travel from the hills and plains of Tsavo to the unexpected shaded waters of Mzima Springs, a lush oasis that attracts wildlife to its crystal waters. Going on a nature walk here, we’ll also find crocs, hippos, exotic fish and birds. Soon it’s time to head out to our second park, Amboseli, on a short 2-hour drive.
Amboseli features two wonderful aspects – the towering presence of Mt. Kilimanjaro overlooking the park and the profusion of giant herds of elephants. It’s impossible to miss either of them in this small but very active park. The park’s size and lack of vegetation make game watching easier. Safari-goers have had great luck spotting a delightful variety of wildlife at Amboseli. Fixing our gaze on Kilimanjaro, it will be hard not to snap lots of photos of Africa’s tallest peak. And often in the evening the blanket of clouds obscuring its snowy peak will part, revealing its famous summit.
DAY 3: AMBOSELI NATIONAL PARK
Meal plan: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
We’ll be up for a pre-breakfast game drive to catch the first stirrings and enjoy the filtered light of early morning. After a big safari breakfast at your accommodation, we’ll set out for a relaxed mid-morning drive. This entire day will be spent on game drives, enjoying Amboseli’s diversity of wildlife. But there will also be time to relax as well. Just let us know how active… or relaxing you’d like your day to be. Lunch follows, as does an afternoon safari. We’ll pass by or through the park’s 5 wildlife environments: wetlands, savannah, woodlands, thorn-bush and dry lakebed, ensuring us a variety of sights and animals.
Between drives, you can relax and enjoy other activities such as an optional visit to the local Maasai village to meet the people and learn about their distinctive herding culture.
Your time is yours to do as you want.
DAY 4: AMBOSELI – TSAVO EAST NATIONAL PARK (260 km – Approx. 4 hrs.)
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
We’ll be up early and if we’re lucky, a clear view of Kilimanjaro’s dazzling summit will greet us with the dawn. After a pre-breakfast game drive, we’ll eat and then exit the park. Back on the Mombasa-Nairobi Highway, we’ll travel to Kenya’s largest park, Tsavo East. The terrain here is vast, rugged and distinguished by its red-oxide soil. The elephants like to roll in it and you’ll be entertained by their fashion show of a new red-dusted coating.
We’ll break to freshen up and enjoy lunch at our accommodation. The afternoon will be an easy mix of game drives, stops to enjoy the African plains, and soon the African sunset. Your driver/guide is always available for any questions you may have or special requests.
DAY 5: TSAVO EAST – MOMBASA (180 km – Approx. 3 hrs)
Meal Plan: Breakfast
It’s our last safari day, so we’ll be up early to make the most of our time. We’re sure to visit the watering holes at Mudanda Rock and Aruba Dam. This is where hordes of wildlife visit to drink from the essential waters.
We’ll enjoy breakfast and then explore some more. The park’s sparse foliage and broad plains lend themselves to rich game viewing. We shall then exit the park and proceed back to Mombasa.
