The Samburu National Park is in the northern part of the rift valley which entails some of the driest locations in the country. The park is set in a small but largely endowed ecosystem mainly comprising Samburu national reserve, buffalo springs and a more remote and less visited Shaba national reserve.
Due to its remote and far location from the capital Samburu receives relatively low number of visitors despite its impressive wildlife population. Here elephants and reticulated giraffes are the most common animals often sighted within the first few minutes of your game drive. Over the dry season large concentrates of wildlife especially elephant that migrate from Mt Kenya gather along river Ewaso Ngiro which has the last grazing spots to sustain life in the entire ecosystem.
This leads to a premium experience for game watchers. Though not a big cat destination, Samburu offers impressive sights of leopard which are more elusive in places like masai mara. Besides game drives Samburu is a great ornithological site boosting a unique set of semi arid birds that you may not find in other parks in kenya. Somali Ostrich which are some of the largest birds in the world are some of the most common bird varieties in this wilderness.
Aberdare National Park
Aberdare is not a typical game drive destination boosting dense woodlands track that would affect visibility. Most visitors here experience the incredibly beautiful game scenes by embarking on a hiking trail or booking a stay in the Ark lodge which has a permanent floodlit watering hole situated at the heart of the park. The facility also owns aberdare country club set on a private concession on the more open muiga hills a location ideal for a game drive or a horse safari. Some of the most common wildlife you are likely to encounter include elephants, buffalos, giraffes (aberdares country club) and rhinos.
Lake Nakuru
This is a national park in central rift valley just 155 kms from Nairobi the capital, Nairobi. The park is well known for hosting large concentrates of flamingos. Lake Nakuru national park on the lakesides is also an excellent wildlife and terrestrial bird hotspot. You will have an opportunity to sight the black and white rhinos more than any other place in Kenya. The lake park is also one of the few government owned wildernesses where you will have the luxury to alight from your vehicle and watch game scenes over viewpoints like Makalia falls and baboon cliff.
Program
Day 1: Nairobi- Samburu
Early morning our driver arrives at the Airport/ your hotel. You will have departed for Samburu by 0730 hrs ascending to the central highlands where you will enjoy great views of flora and landscape. You will have a refreshing transition to the northern hemisphere at the equator town, Nanyuki. You arrive at a lodge in Samburu at around 1300 hrs where you check in and take lunch. In the afternoon you will have your first round of game drives continuing to sunset.
Day 2: Samburu game drives/ camel riding/ village tour/ bush walk
After breakfast you will go for the morning game drives starting with sites along river Ewaso Ngiro where you are guaranteed of great wildlife encounters as most of the animals are actively feeding on the flora rich river basin. The morning and evening hours are the most common feeding moments for most daytime animals. With Samburu wilderness being just 510 square kilometres in size you will have exhaustively unraveled all this track has to offer by lunch hour. In the afternoon you can choose to go for a second round of game drives or embark on a walking safari guided by a Samburu warrior. This will help you discover some of alluring bird scenes mostly entailing arid birds as well as a variety of trees and their usefulness in Samburu culture. Alternatively, you can visit one of the nearby Samburu vlllaes or o for a game drive in Bufallo springs.
Day 3: Samburu- Aberdares
After breakfast you checkout followed by departure to Aberdare in te central highlands. We will first check into aberdares country club set on a private wilderness on the slopes of muiga hills on the periphery of Aberdare national park. Here you will have an opportunity to o for a horse back safari guided by an expert from the facility and an armed ranger. This will help some of the best kept secrets of this wilderness as you navigate into some of the most inaccessible terrains and view wildlife at a close range. Lunch will be served in the facility.
At 1500 hrs you depart for tree tops, another ark facility situated at the heart of Aberdare national park where you spend the night.
Day 4: Aberdares – Lake Nakuru
After breakfast you will spend some moment in the private lounge overlooking the watering hole. The Ark lodge watering hole boost an excellent game view all round the year especially elephants. The morning hours are the premium times as most of the animals are breaking for their day activities. At 1000 hrs you will check out followed by departure for Nakuru. The maximum 4 hrs journey leads into the lush central flora and the scenic central rift valley landscape. You make a stop at the breath-taking Thompson set along where water splash from 10 m. You will arrive at sarova lion hills lodge in Lake Nakuru at approximately 1400 hrs where you check in and take lunch. The lodge is set at a major viewpoint enjoying bird-eye perspective of the lake and the surrounding wilderness. After taking lunch you can choose to relax in the bar lounge with a pair of binoculars and enjoy avian and wildlife in the entire wilderness. Alternatively, you go for short game drive.
Day 5: Lake Nakuru – Nairobi
After breakfast you will go for a short game drive around the lake where you are likely to encounter buffalo and rhino breaking the day with the rich riparian flora by the lakeside. You are also likely to encounter some flamingo though their numbers are largely depending on climatic conditions. Thereafter at 1000 hrs you return to your hotel for checkout and subsequent transfer to Nairobi. You are dropped at the point of pick up in the afternoon.
Cost includes
- Quality safari
- The services of our knowledgeable English-speaking driver/guide
- Full board accommodation
- All the Park entrance/ conservation fees
- Transport in a customized safari Landcruiser
- guaranteed window seats
- bottled mineral water throughout your safari
- dropping off at the Airport/ Hotel/ point of pick up
- Emergency flying doctor’s evacuation covers up to a radius of 1000 km ex-Nairobi
- All applicable taxes & government tolls
Cost excludes:
- Soft drinks, juices, alcoholic and other beverages taken with lunch/dinner
- The optional visit to tribal villages.
- Camel ride fees
- Buffalo springs entrance fee
- Horse riding fee
- Tip to driver/guide
