14 Days Best of Kenya Bush and Zanzibar Beach – Estrella de la Mañana Safaris

14 DAYS BEST OF KENYA BUSH AND ZANZIBAR BEACH

Highlights: Nairobi, Samburu, Nakuru, Maasai Mara ,Lake Naivasha, Amboseli, Zanzibar – Depart

Accommodations: Mid-Range Hotels, Camps & Lodges

Departure: According to your schedule

Itinerary at glance.

Day	Location	Accommodation	Meal plan	Activity
1	Nairobi	Tamarind Tree Hotel	BB	Trsf, Lei
2	Samburu	Samburu Sopa Lodge	BBLD	P
3	Samburu	Samburu Sopa Lodge	BBLD	AP
4	Samburu	Samburu Sopa Lodge	BBLD	AP
5	Lake Nakuru	Lake Nakuru Sopa Lodge	BBLD	P
6	Maasai Mara	Mara Sopa Lodge	BBLD	AP
7	Maasai Mara	Mara Sopa Lodge	BBLD	AP
8	Maasai Mara	Mara Sopa Lodge	BBLD	AP
9	Maasai Mara	Mara Sopa Lodge	BBLD	AP
10	Nbo – Zanzibar	Z Hotel	BBLD	Beach
11	Zanzibar	Z Hotel	BBLD	Beach
12	Zanzibar	Z Hotel	BBLD	Beach
13	Zanzibar	Z Hotel	BBLD	Beach
14	Depart - NBO	No Accommodation	BBL	TRSF

BB -Bed & Breakfast, BBLD – Bed and breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, TRSF– Transfer, AI– All inclusive, LEI – Leisure A – Morning game drive, P – Afternoon game drive

Day 1: Arrival – Nairobi

Upon arrival at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport you will be met by African Adventure Specialists’ staff and transferred to Tamarind Tree hotel for check in and remainder of the day at leisure.

Main destination: Nairobi
Accommodation: Tamarind Tree Hotel
Meals & drinks: Bed & Breakfast (Drinks not included)

Day 2: Nairobi – Samburu National Reserve

Depart after breakfast to the land of endless skies, dust-red plains and palm-fringed rivers, Samburu National Game Reserve lies on the fringes of the vast and semi-arid park located on the banks of the Ewaso Nyiro River near Mount Kenya. The reserve is the home of ‘‘Kamunyak’’ a lioness famous for adopting Oryx calves. Samburu National Reserve was one of the two areas in which conservationists George and Joy Adamson raised Elsa the Lioness. Their story was made famous by the bestselling book and award-winning movie “Born Free”. Elegance is on display with several large game species common to Kenya’s northern plains the gerenuks a unique gazelle with a long neck that stands on its behind legs, the Grevy’s zebras with huge fury ears, Somali ostriches with distinct blue legs and the shy Oryx. Elephant, Leopards, Cheater, lions, and crocodile are guaranteed sightings.

Arrive at the reserve with game drive enroute to your lodge for check-in and lunch. Later in the afternoon depart for your afternoon game drive till late in the evening when you return to the lodge for dinner and overnight stay.

Main destination: Samburu National Reserve
Accommodation: Samburu Sopa Lodge
Meals & drinks: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner (Drinks not included)

Day 3 - 4: Explore Samburu National Reserve

Today, the full day is dedicated to enjoying the unique beauty of the reserve with morning (0730 hrs to 1200hrs) and afternoon (1500hrs to 1800hrs) game drives along the banks of the Ewaso Nyiro River. Samburu National Reserve is a Kenyan less visited Game Reserve. It is relatively small compared to other Kenyan parks, but it has more to offer as well as several endangered species.

It is the home to the unique rare species only found north of the equator that includes the reticulated giraffe, Grevy’s zebras, Beisa oryxes, giraffe-necked gazelle (gerenuk), and the Blue-necked Somali Ostrich and it is also home to the big five, Elephant, Lion, Rhino, Leopard, Buffalo, Endangered Wild Dog as well as Pun cake Tortoise – Endangered. There are over 450 species of birds identified and aquatic species in the Ewaso Nyiro River including, vultures, kingfishers, marabous, bateleurs, guinea fowl, Somali ostriches, and others. Dinner and overnight at the lodge.

Main destination: Samburu National Reserve
Accommodation: Samburu Sopa Lodge
Meals & drinks: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner (Drinks not included)

Day 5: Samburu National Reserve – Lake Nakuru National Park

Early morning after breakfast, leave and head for Lake Nakuru national park. The drive via farming country and local homesteads via the Great Rift Valley escarpment floor is scenically arriving in time into your lodge for check-in, lunch at 1300hrs and some rest. Later you will depart in the afternoon and drive to the park for game drives. The Lake Nakuru National Park is one of the top tourist destinations in Africa, famed for the Flamingos, both lesser and greater, that flock to its shores to feed on the cyanobacteria that live in its alkaline waters.

It is a very important breeding ground and stop over for many species of birds, and has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. At some times of the year, there can be between one and two million flamingos forming a big pink band around the edge of the Lake. The Park is home to one of the greatest concentrations of Black Rhino in the World and also has a thriving population of White Rhino. It is also a sanctuary for the rare Rothschild Giraffe. With luck, you may spot a leopard, which is rather elusive. Dinner and overnight at the Lodge.

Main destination: Lake National Park
Accommodation: Lake Nakuru Sopa Lodge
Meals & drinks: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner (Drinks not included)

Day 6: Lake Nakuru National Park – Maasai Mara National Reserve

This morning you journey south to the Masai Mara National Reserve. On arrival you will check in to the lodge for lunch. Spend three nights here to explore, discover and experience the magic and 7th wonder of the world – “Masai Mara Game Reserve’’ a spectacular watch of the immense “Big-Five” Lion, Rhino, Buffaloes, Cheater and Elephant and wildebeest migration from Serengeti-park Tanzania into Masai Mara-Kenya. Expertise and experience of our driver-guides will maximize your chances of seeing all the splendours of Masai Mara and beyond. Dinner and overnight stay at the lodge.

Main destination: Maasai Mara National Reserve
Accommodation: Mara Sopa Lodge
Meals & drinks: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner (Drinks not included)

Day 7 - 9: Explore the Maasai Mara National Reserve

Full days spent exploring the park in search of the big 5. Take full advantage of what the Mara has to offer. Choose from a wide range of activities including the optional hot air balloon safari that can be arranged at an extra cost, optional cultural visits to the local Maasai villages. The Maasai tribe is among the few tribes in Africa whose culture has lasted for years without changes and the locals are jointly living together and who partially contribute to the protection of wildlife and defined cultural tours as well.

Birding can also be done through the year with the reserve having a record of over 570 species of birds, with more than 50 bird species of prey which include: Eagles, vultures, storks and many others.

The Mara is one of the most famous ecosystems in the world and with reason, this huge expansion is home to an astonishing variety of wildlife, difficult to believe, over 450 species of animals have been recorded here. You might be lucky to see lions, rhinos, hippos, crocodiles, giraffes, wildebeests, zebras, buffalo, warthogs, hyenas, jackals, wild dogs, buffalo, leopard, many kinds of antelopes, and elephant. It is in the Mara that perhaps the most spectacular event of the natural world takes place.

In dramatic fashion, catch thousands of the great wildebeest, zebras, antelopes and elands, followed by gazelles as they cross over returning to their breeding grounds from Serengeti-Tanzania to Maasai Mara-Kenya between the months of July and October.

Main destination: Maasai Mara National Reserve
Accommodation: Mara Sopa Lodge
Meals & drinks: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner (Drinks not included)

Day 10: Maasai Mara– Nairobi - Zanzibar

After breakfast in the hotel, drive back to Nairobi for your flight to Zanzibar Upon arrival, you will be transferred to Zanzibar Stone Town, the old city and cultural heart of Zanzibar. This place had minimal change in the last 200 years hence your chance to experience its well-preserved heritage and exotic antiquity. You will stay at Tembo House Hotel equipped with a swimming pool among other amenities such as WiFi and television.

Main destination: Zanzibar Beach
Accommodation: Z Hotel
Meals & drinks: Breakfast & Dinner (Drinks not included)

Day 11 -13: Explore Zanzibar Beach

Early in the morning after breakfast at the hotel. Enjoy your full day relaxing at the Nungwi beach. Zanzibar is the majestic spice island of the Indian Ocean. These are two main islands of Unguja and Pemba. Over centuries, different cultures have influenced Zanzibar to become what it is today. Sumerians, Assyrians, Egyptians, Phonecians, Indians, Chinese, Persians, Portuguse, Omani Arabs, Dutch and British have settled here at one time or another and influenced the local culture into the present fusion.

Main destination: Zanzibar Beach
Accommodation: Z Hotel
Meals & drinks: Breakfast & Dinner (Drinks not included)

Day 14: Zanzibar Beach - Depart

On your last day, enjoy the rest stay by relaxing in the pool or in the beach while taking in as much sunshine as you can.in the afternoon, we will take you to the airport for your last onward flight destination back home.

Main destination: Zanzibar
Accommodation: End of Tour (No Accommodation)
Meals & drinks: Breakfast Only

Meet and greet services with assistance at the airport or hotel.
All transport and game drives will be in a private 4×4 Land Cruiser with pop up roof for game viewing.
Services of a Professional English-speaking driver-guide on private basis.
Full board accommodation whilst on safari.
Meals and accommodation as specified.
All Park fees and government taxes.
Complimentary drinking water per person per day on game drives