Kenya – 7 Days in Maasai Mara, Lake Nakuru, Amboseli & Tsavo

From Nairobi you’ll be driven to the Maasai Mara. Enjoy a long afternoon game drive before spending the night at either Oloshaiki Camp or Fig Tree. Both options offer a personal experience and superb accommodation that’s surrounded by nature. And what nature! Out on the plains a cheetah carefully stalks its prey, camouflaging itself before accelerating towards the impala with unrivaled speed. A lion pride approaches the safari truck. Mouths fall silent and jaws drop open. Everybody instinctively makes a small move away from the window. But the lions aren’t hunting for food, they’ve come to lounge in the shade created by the truck. Leopards are often the most elusive of the big cats, but their abundance means that most people get more than just a glimpse. These predators might look cuddly or cute in photos, but there is something solemn and absolute about their meticulous movements through the grass.

On your second day in the Mara, there’s plenty of time to relax and fully appreciate the rich landscape. See the giant herds, but take time to admire the enchanting interplays that are eternally being played out. Boisterous young males fight for mating rights. Tiny zebra foals are adoringly nurtured by vigilant mothers. Bull elephants flap their ears in pride defiance, refusing to leave the waterhole before their extended family has had enough to drink. In some parks there is a preoccupation with spotting the Big Five. In the Maasai Mara there is so much going on that any tick-list goes out of the window.

After breakfast you’ll head north from the Maasai Mara, driving towards Lake Nakuru, arguably Kenya’s most beautiful national reserve. Over 400 species of bird offer a meandering soundtrack; kingfishers and hamerkops sing from the treetops, while cormorants and heron squawk from the shallows. Down besides the lakeshore the sheer numbers of flamingos defy your eyes, and their brilliant pink finds another contrast; this time the sharp black and white stripes of zebra herds. Lake Nakuru is far more than a bird lover’s paradise. The big cats will need no introduction after the Maasai Mara, nor will the large antelope herds. But out in the forest something is stirring. It emerges from the trees, its great horn blazing a trail towards the lake. As the white rhino passes, it takes a moment to stop and glare at the safari truck.

Africa’s highest mountain provides the backdrop to Amboseli, the snow-capped Uhuru Peak clearly visible above the flat savannah. Great elephant herds roam across this land, their distinct shapes providing a wonderful contrast on any photo of Mount Kilimanjaro. On one hand Amboseli offers a small and compact safari experience, the bountiful wildlife easily found congregating around swamps and dried out lake beds. Yet it’s also a spacious place of serene beauty. Little compares to relaxing on a verandah and watching the elephants roam beneath Mount Kilimanjaro. After an early breakfast you’ll drive towards Amboseli where your night’s accommodation is at the Amboseli Serena.

Heading east towards Mombassa, your next safari stop is the dusty landscapes of Tsavo West. Areas of high grassland make this an ideal spot for predators, the big cats able to easily approach without being spotted. Elephants and giraffe wander across large red swathes of arid rock. Hartebeest and kudu drink from withering waterholes, while the daily sightings of buffalo and giraffe continue. You will spend the night at the sumptuous Kilaguni Serena Lodge, another lodge that combines a personal touch with a careful attention to detail.

Tsavo East is home to a phenomenal cast of Africa’s great animals. They range from obvious predators to rare antelopes, and swinging primates to bizarre nocturnal rodents. Guides never like to predict or promise what might be seen on a game drive, even if they’re 99% certain of particular sights. In Tsavo East it’s impossible to suggest what might be found. And this unpredictability makes it an ideal final safari stop. After the four previous parks there shouldn’t be any lingering desperation for an animal that hasn’t been seen. Tsavo East becomes a thrilling adventure, a roller coaster ride that will reveal an assorted collection of special sights. Tsavo West and Tsavo East neighbor each other. With no transfer time between the parks, pretty much this whole day will be spent on a game drive. Your final overnight accommodation is in the wonderful Voi Wildlife Lodge.

Enjoy your final morning waking up surrounded by Kenya’s beautiful wildernesses. An early morning game drive is an added bonus, a last chance to savor the charms of an untamed animal world. Return to the lodge for a filling breakfast before departing to Mombasa. You can be dropped off at either a hotel or the Mombasa Airport. This one way itinerary is easy to combine with a few days soaking up the sun on the glorious Indian Ocean beaches of Mombasa.