A quality wilderness walking safari that starts with a visit to the world famous Maasai Mara for game viewing and a cross country trek through the wonderful Maasai country in the south of Kenya. This itinerary thoughtfully combines walking in the plains, hills and lush high altitude forest to emerge at the deepest escarpment drop of the Great Rift Valley, locally known as Nguruman. It is a demanding trek led by the Maasai warriors with enriching experience of remarkably spectacular scenery and unique Maasai culture. The second part leads you further north to Samburu country, a country that is made up of scenic rugged terrain. Here you will hike up to the highest points to reveal some of the most fascinating sceneries to be found in Kenya. The final days of the walking are spent on game drives in the Samburu National reserve: A well earned respite after the challenging trek.
Day 1: Leave Nairobi after breakfast and drive to Maasai Mara National via the Great Rift valley with its magnificent geological formations. You arrive in the Mara in time for late lunch. Later in the evening you depart for an evening game drive.
Maasai Mara, now the seventh wonder of the modern world, is a country of breathtaking vistas, vast rolling plains and rounded hills, acacia woodlands, dense thickets of scrub. Its vast plains teem with endless herds of game together with the associated predators. It is perhaps the only region left in Africa where the visitor may see animals in the same super-abundance as existed a century ago. Here, you find the largest population of lions in Kenya, seen in their natural setting and the impressive herds of elephants. Other animals include buffaloes, hartebeest, wildebeest, topi, eland, impala, gazelles, black rhino (very rare), giraffe, zebra, waterbuck, hippopotamus, crocodile, leopard, cheetah, hyena, jackals, among others. Bird species include eagles, vultures, marabou, ostrich, touracos, guinea fowls, bastards, cranes, and many more. |
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The wildebeest migration that occurs between the months of July and September is the most remarkable aspect of this park. Every July, millions of wildebeests and zebra move from Serengeti to Maasai Mara on their annual migration, attracting an entourage of cheetahs, lions and other predators.
Dinner and overnight at Mara Springs safari Camp. |
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Day 2: Whole day game drives in the Maasai Mara reserve where you will visit different parts of the reserve to observe these wildlife species. At midday you stop at one of the lodges for a swim (optional). Later you proceed on another game drive on your way to the camp. Dinner and overnight at Mara Springs Safari camp.
Day 3: Depart from Maasai Mara to Loita plains with enroute game drive in the Siana Conservancy. Siana Conservancy is the wildlife dispersal area bordering Maasai Mara. This conservancy is as rich as the Maasai Mara in terms of wildlife. Later you drive to a small Maasai village called Maji Moto (hot springs) in the Loita plains. The Loita plains form the wildlife corridor between Maasai Mara and the Narok region. |
| These plains teem with wildlife all year round with climax concentration being between the months of November and March. During this period there is a huge population of wildebeests that migrate to here from the Maasai Mara to graze on the grassy plains and for the calving season. With the abundance of herbivores predators are inevitable and so anyone coming here may be mistaken to think that he/she is already in the Maasai Mara. This region is also home to the Maasai people, the semi nomad pastoralists who have preserved the age old traditions despite the advent of modernity. Upon arrival you will visit a Maasai manyatta (homestead) to learn more about the way of life of these people. Dinner and overnight at a community campsite at Maji Moto. |
Day 4: After an early breakfast in camp, your walk is escorted by Maasai guides and porters who carry your luggage and basic camping equipment. Your effort will be rewarded with views of the magnificent landscape and the traditional Maasai people in the Loita Hill. Walking today and on subsequent days along the Savannah grassland, you may see zebra, gazelle, giraffe, gnu, wildebeest, hartebeest, baboons, many species of birds, and more. Motorok means Egyptian goose, so you may also see the Egyptian geese that live next to a salt lick spring. You will have lunch in the wilderness, and overnight camping at Motorok.
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Day 5: Walking through Maasai land, we pass through the Maasai town of Narosura, where we will stop to add to our supplies of food and water. We will have lunch along the way and camp overnight at Oltulelei.
Day 6: Walking through thick forest and crossing rivers, we enjoy the beauty of the landscape, seeing many birds along the way. We have lunch enroute, and camp overnight at Nchorroi.
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| Day 7: After rising early to see a beautiful sunrise over the Great Rift Valley, we make a final steep descent to Nguruman village at bottom of escarpment to arrive at the local farms and villages. During the walk you'll be amazed at the differences in people's lifestyles. People of Bantu origin have interacted with the local inhabitants of the area and are utilizing the waters from the Nguruman escarpment for horticulture in a small farm area at the base of the escarpment. This is where you part ways with the Maasai guides and their donkeys. After enjoying your packed lunch at a local hotel's terrace you board the waiting vehicle. En-route you have a brief walk on the shores of Lake Magadi, rich in bird life with flamingos as the dominant species, 'temperatures here can get very hot'. Time permitting you could also optionally visit the Olorgesaille national monument to see the remains of early man before you drive back to Nairobi. On arrival an African lunch is offered at our Rock House and optional overnight stay if your schedule permits. |
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Day 8: We depart Nairobi and head northwards driving through agricultural rich country destined for Mountain Rock lodge on the slopes of Mount Kenya. On the way we pass across vast swathes of coffee and pineapple plantations among other crops. We arrive at Mountain rock for lunch. Mountain Rock Lodge is a comfortable country-style resort nestled in the forested slopes of Mt. Kenya. After Lunch you spend the afternoon visiting the local Kikuyu farmlands and homesteads to get close perceptions of the way of life of Bantu speaking people inhabiting the slopes of Mt. Kenya On returning to the camp you pass by the Mt. Kenya forest reserve to learn about the medicinal plants and look out for the black and white colobus monkeys. Overnight at Mountain Rock Lodge.
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| Day 9: Depart late morning to the base camp of Ololokwe Mountain in the Namunyak conservation area. We go past Samburu Game Reserve to Namunyak community conservation area, the land of endless hills including the Mathews Ranges. Namunyak conservation area is a community run conservancy that acts as a dispersal area for the wildlife coming from Samburu and Meru national parks. Consequently our visit to the conservancy provides direct benefit to the local community who co-exist with the wildlife and helping boost their commitment to environmental conservation. On arrival we meet our local hosts, the Samburu tribesmen who will give us a detailed overview of their land and culture. Our bush camp today is at Kirish Camp site, the base of the Olololokwe Mountain. This mountain is sacred to the Samburu sub tribe of northern Kenya who apparently are related to the Maasai found in the southern part of Kenya. We use this evening to sort out logistics of guides, security and donkeys for the next day’s trek. Dinner and overnight at Kirish bush Camp. |
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Day 10: Start the hike of the Olololokwe with the donkeys carrying provisions for two days. You hike through the acacia thickets, comiphora trees, on the steep slopes of the Mountain. As one go higher the vegetation changes to palm cycads and gigantic podo carpus and pencil cedar trees. A long the way you are treated to magnificent views of the nearby lands. The hike will approximately 5 hours to the base camp. You will have lunch at the base camp and later in the afternoon go to the Ololokwe summit 2000m and explore the nearby viewpoints. The views from these viewpoints are awesome. On one side there is the Mathew ranges with its Warges Peak (2600) proudly standing out. On the other side are the expansive plains that extend to the Nyambene Hills in the south-east. Dinner and Overnight at Bush Camp. |
Day 11: You hike down via Saddle with stunning views of Namunyak Conservation area and the magnificent Mathew Ranges with its Warges peak (2600m) standing out in defiance. You proceed to the Dam where you will have picnic lunch and say goodbye to our Samburu guides and their donkeys. The trek today will take approximately 6 hours. After lunch we take vehicles to the Rhino Boma Camp for Dinner and Overnight.
Day 12: Start early for the steep hike to the Summit. Here you hike through the thick altitude forest with chances of spotting buffalos and elephants and some birds. After a 5 hour hike through dense high altitude forest we arrive at the base camp where we set camp and have picnic lunch. After lunch we set off for the Warges Summit (2600m). This is the highest point of the Mathew Ranges. The view up here is splendid. Overnight at Bush Camp. |
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Day 13: Depart after breakfast and hike across the other side of Mathew Ranges and descend to Wamba. At Wamba you will have an early lunch and later drive to Samburu National Reserve preferably arriving in the park via the west Gate. You do game drive enroute to the camp.
Samburu national reserve is a semi arid ecosystem which teems with a host of wildlife endemic to the northern part of Kenya chief among them being the reticulated giraffe, the gravy zebra, the Oryx, the Somali ostrich, and the gazelle with the longest neck called the gerenuk, the vulturine guinea fowl among others. Apart from the above species, elephants, buffaloes, gazelles, crocodiles, impalas and dik-diks are seen in plenty as well as the elusive lions, cheetahs and leopard. Dinner and overnight at public campsite |
Day 14: Depart early with game drive enroute and head for Nairobi.
Charges for a group departure with 8 pax and above on board - Euros 1285 per person
Supplement for Park fees - USD. 430 per person payable locally on arrival.
Our individual/private trek costs vary with group size. Kindly e-mail us with details.
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Prices quoted include:
All transport - 4WD Land Rovers or safari vehicles
Accommodation as detailed - roomy tents when camping
Camping equipment (except sleeping bags and insulation mats)
Services of guides and porters
All National Park entrance and camp site fees
All food - breakfasts, packed lunches and evening meals
A certificate of achievement.
Prices quoted exclude:
International flights
Travel and personal accident insurance
Visa, passport, vaccinations, medicines
Tips
Alcoholic drinks, souvenirs, personal items
Optional excursions/activities not detailed in itinerary
Any additional services requested |
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