DTC 5 | 7 Days Samburu/Great Rift Valley Lakes/Maasai Mara

A safari to the north via the high shoulder of Mountain Kenya to the Game Reserve of Samburu, the world famous Bird Sanctuaries of the Great Rift Valley Lakes Baringo, Bogoria and Nakuru, then south over the Mau Escarpment to Kenya's greatest concentration of game - the Maasai Mara.

Day 1 - Samburu
Depart Nairobi 9.30 a.m. passing through the rich agricultural farmland on the slopes of Mount Kenya to the mainly dry scrub land and open Savannah plains of Samburu Game Reserve. Here the Ewaso Nyiro River supports a wide variety of game among them elephant, buffalo, cheetah leopard, lion, grevy’s zebra, reticulated giraffe, Oryx and the long necked gerenuk. Dinner and overnight camping.

Day 2 - Samburu
Morning and evening game drives to enjoy this lively park. It is here in Samburu that a lioness adopted a baby oryx , a spectale that left wildlife experts amazed. Dinner and overnight camping.

Day 3 - Baringo
Leaving Samburu in the early morning, we make a scenic drive to the west across the Lerochi Plateau, (lunch enroute) and later descend to the floor of the Great Rift Valley, arriving at Lake Baringo in the afternoon. This is a fresh water lake, which supports a great variety of birds as well as hippos and crocodiles. Indeed, the lake is reputed to be the bird-watching centre of Kenya. Take a boat ride to see the hippos and crocodiles. Dinner and overnight camping.

Day 4 - Lake Nakuru
Early in the morning we head south via Lake Bogoria which is a shallow soda lake with a beautiful scenery and also home to a sizeable number of flamingoes and other species of birds. The highlight, however, is the boiling hot springs and geysers – hot enough to boil eggs - which also contribute to the beauty of the lake. Don’t fall in! After lunch, proceed to Lake Nakuru in the south - another shallow soda lake that has been described as "an ornithologist’s paradise and one of the world's most magnificent sights". Here you have an opportunity to see up to two million flamingoes besides tens of thousands of other birds if lucky. Lake Nakuru also has rhino sanctuary and also harbors lions, warthogs, waterbucks, buffaloes, hippo and many other animals. Dinner and overnight in a campsite.

Day 5 - Maasai Mara
We head further south to Narok and into Maasai Mara Game Reserve arriving by afternoon. evening game drive followed by  dinner and overnight camping.

Day 6 - Maasai Mara
One full day to experience the Mara magic! This is the most popular reserve in Kenya and it is famed for its astounding concentration of game. From the base camp, we explore the Mara region, packed with the elephant, zebra, rhino and all kinds of game throughout the year with the spectacular wildebeest migration from Serengeti occurring mainly in July and August. Being at Maasai Mara is as if you found yourself in “the New York of the natural world” according to some authorities. Indeed, you have the best opportunity of seeing all the “Big Five”. Dinner and overnight in a camp.

Day 7 - Nairobi
Early morning game drive followed by breakfast at leisure before breaking camp and driving via Narok town where we stop to buy souvenirs or to have a cup of tea. Drive back to Nairobi arriving late afternoon. Drop off at your hotel.