Tour Package: TourRadar Magic of Kenya Safari Tour – 7 days

As is always the case we had flight issues. BA kept us on the tarmac because of engine issues and then canceled the flight. We were taken to a hotel overnight and rebooked in a Lufthansa flight the next day. 

This meant we reached Nairobi at 10pm, reached the Airbnb by midnight and were picked up at 8am for the Safari.. so not much time to recoup and unjetlag!

Day 1: Nairobi to Maasai Mara

James, our driver and guide, drove us and the co-travelers to the Lenchada tourist camp with a brief stop at the point overlooking the great rift valley. Roads in Kenya aren’t exactly first world and it was a very bumpy ride, especially once we got off the main highway. 

Shortly after checking in that evening we went out for our first game drive in the Masai Mara and were quite pleasantly surprised to see the number and variety of animals you encounter right away. Zebras were the first to greet us along with Impalas and Thompsons gazelles. The 2 hour or so drive was sufficient to see a very wide variety of species. Perhaps the packs of elephants put up the best show. 

Back at the camp we had dinner and went to our tent for the night. A budget camp like this provides you the basic amenities which are quite sufficient and comfortable. Buffet meals consist of eggs, bread, beans, sausages, tea, coffee for breakfast. Lunch and dinner have rice with some sort of meat, lentils and vegetables and sometimes Indian style chapatis. The camp was solar powered with electricity available only between 6-10pm and 5-7am. The shower had hot water all day and the beds were comfortable with enough blankets and mosquito nets. Expect howling animals in the middle of the night and chirping birds early in the morning.

Day 2: Maasai Mara

We had an early breakfast and headed out for a day long game drive in the Maasai. Most tour vehicles are Toyota Land Cruisers and some Nissan vans fitted with pop up roofs. 

James with his trained eyes spotted a pride of lions in the distance and drove around the roads to get to them. Word spreads fast through the dispatch system and there was a rush of vehicles to see them. We saw the lioness come out of the bushes but being surrounded by safari vehicles decided to sit down and wait for a bit before heading back into the bushes. So did 2 of her cubs.

We encountered more packs of lions through the day but they all were sleeping their afternoons off. Back in the camp for dinner we found out that some jeeps had indeed found some lions feasting on a Buffalo before going for their prolonged afternoon siestas. 

Predators like leopards and cheetahs are rare to find so we were quite lucky see a leopardess walking along the road and a cheetah feasting on a carcass.

Some of the most memorable moments were elephant packs walking while eating grass and giraffe packs eating from tree tops. There’s something about these majestic beasts and their calm, behavior that leaves a lasting impression.

Even without the animals the African savannah is a beautiful sight with its expansive grasslands broken up with the occasional baobab tree and hills. 

Day 3: Drive to Nakuru

This was mostly a transit day from Maasai Mara to Nakuru. Road travel in kenya is quite dependent on the amount of traffic you encounter going through towns on the way. You could make it fast through some stretches followed by being stuck behind slow moving trucks for long stretches inhaling their exhaust. 

We made it to Nakuru city late afternoon and checked in at the Matfam resort. For some reason us and our co-travelers were the only clients this evening and got to enjoy their rather expansive property including the swimming pool area, fruit trees and a full buffet spread for dinner. 

Day 4: Lake Nakuru and Lake Naivasha

Nakuru is a Swahili word meaning dust and you encounter quite a bit of it driving through the city and the park. The lake itself is shallow and manmade with its total area varying greatly between seasons.

Entering the park you drive along the lake for a while and get to see a plethora of birds. Pelicans are in plenty with a mix of others like spoonbills, egrets, herons and fish eagles. It’s supposed to be home for thousands of flamingoes but we only saw a handful and these were still quite white with signs of pink as they feed on the Cyanobacteria that give them their colour. 

We got to see a number of rhinos although from a distance and many baboons. There were also many zebras, impalas and gazelles.. animals that are present in large numbers across the country.

From Nakuru we drove over to lake Naivasha reaching in the afternoon with enough time to check in to the hotel, get some rest and go out for a boat ride on the lake. 

The ride was a good experience on this large lake that’s a lot deeper than lake Nakuru. There’s plenty of bird watching to do with all the pelicans and egrets, fish eagles and kingfishers. Crescent island, which is more of a peninsula, is a privately owned area where you can pay to walk among the wildlife. We only found out about this while boating along its coast but would have definitely gone for the walk if we had known in advance.

After the boat ride we headed over to Lake Naivasha resort hoping to get a closer look at the hippos we noticed on their property. This turned out to be a great idea and the hippo caretaker even came up to tell us about their names and personalities (Steve being the male of the pack) and how they show up on time thrice a day to eat leftovers that the resort provides them. 

Day 5: Hells Gate Gorge Hike and Drive to Amboseli 

The next morning we went to hells gate gorge.. so named because of an old volcanic explosion that killed many locals. 

This is the only public park that allows one to bike or walk along a path with wild animals around. Not keen on biking we decided to go halfway in the Land Cruiser and walk the rest of the way. This is a highly recommended activity as it’s quite a treat to walk so close to the animals. We got to see a group of impalas crossing the road up close and giraffes in the distance. The rocky mountain edges around the park and the morning sunlight made this a special experience. 

At the end of the road you go down into the hells gate gorge itself and get to walk between the steep mountain sides carved into amazing ridges with the enormous amounts of water that flows through the gorge during the rainy season. 

After this we got on the road to Amboseli. This is a rather long and tiring drive and we made it to Manjaro camp rather late. However, the staff were very welcoming and made fresh dinner for us. 

Day 6: Amboseli Game Drive

After a good nights rest we started on a full day gane drive the next morning. The sunrise is beautiful and you can see hot air balloons. 

. Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa sits across the border in Tanzania. On a clear day it’s majestic size and snowy peak provide a picturesque background for the nature and wildlife in amboseli. 

Amboseli is the home of the African elephant including Craig the largest elephant in the world. We had many encounters with large packs of elephants going about their daily business and crossing the road. We also saw a number of hippos near the water bodies and many species of birds including the rare secretary bird and many more more flamingos than in Nakuru. It’s quite easy to find grazers like zebras, gazelles, wildebeest but Lions and cheetahs are rare and we didn’t see any.

The following morning we went for our final game drive. The day was sunny and clear and you could see mt Kilimanjaro in all its beauty. As luck would have it, a large tusker came up close to our vehicle with Kilimanjaro in the back and provided us the best photos of our trip in the final few minutes in the park. 

From there we took the long drive back to Nairobi.

Day 6,7: Nairobi 

We stayed in westlands, an upper middle class, safe area with plenty of dining options and shopppng malls. 

We visited the National Museum of Kenya which was very impressive with its collection of ancient human remains, the birds section and colonial history of Kenya. Most of our local handicraft shopping was done at Spinners Web which has  number of vendors and a cafeteria with good food options.