Kenya Safaris: SAROVA HORIZONS TOUR

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ITINERARY AT A GLANCE

ITINERARY DETAILS

Day 1 Sunday - Nairobi
Arrival Jomo Kenyatta Airport, met and assisted by a tour representative. Transfer to your hotel. Rest of the day at leisure in Nairobi. Overnight at The Stanley Hotel ( BB )

Day 2 Monday - Shaba & Samburu National Reserves.
After breakfast, drive north via Nanyuki and Mt Kenya to the Shaba National Reserve, a small gem in the wildlife wilderness. This reserve takes its name from a cone of volcanic rock and is one of Kenya's most pristine game reserves. Lunch en-route at the Trout Tree Restaurant. Afternoon game drive en route to your lodge. Dinner and overnight at Sarova Shaba Lodge (LDBB)

Day 3 Tuesday - Shaba & Samburu National Reserves
Morning and afternoon game drives. Meals and overnight at Sarova Shaba Lodge ( LDBB)

Day 4 Wednesday - Aberdare National Park
After breakfast drive to the lush foothills of the Aberdare Mountain Range to the Aberdares Country Club for lunch. After lunch transfer to The Ark (children under 7yrs not permitted, light bags only) overlooking a waterhole and salt lick where the 'Big Five' occasionally gather for an exhilarating night of wild encounters. The Ark comprises three decks from which numerous balconies and lounges provide superb vantage points for game viewing. Dinner and overnight at The Ark (LDBB)

Day 5 Thursday - Lake Baringo
After breakfast, drive to Lake Baringo, which lies in the semi-desert of the northern Rift Valley. It is a haven of peace and beauty and is an ornithologist's paradise. Boat transfer to your lodge. Lunch & afternoon boat trip. Meals and overnight at Island Camp Baringo (LDBB )

Day 6 Friday - Lake Baringo
Morning bird walk , lunch at your lodge. Afternoon at leisure. Meals and overnight at Island Camp Baringo ( LDBB)

Day 7 Saturday - Lake Nakuru National Park
After breakfast, drive to the scenic and alkaline Lake Bogoria. In recent years this lake has become another favorite home of the millions of flamingo which seasonally visit its shores. It is a really unspoiled area with no tourist accommodation at all, and on the western shore a series of hot springs and geysers erupt. The heat is such that it would be possible to boil en egg over if anyone could venture close enough. A short game drive then drive to Lake Nakuru National Park, famous as the home to thousands of greater and lesser flamingo. This park also provides sanctuary for Rothschild giraffe, rhino and leopard. Arrive for lunch at your lodge. Afternoon game drive until sunset. Meals and overnight at Sarova Lion Hill Lodge ( LDBB)

Day 8 Sunday - Lake Nakuru National Park
Morning and afternoon game drives. Meals and overnight at Sarova Lion Hill Lodge ( LDBB)

Day 9 Monday - Masai Mara National G.R
After breakfast, drive to the Masai Mara National Reserve offering wonderful scenery and plenty of game. It is perhaps the only region left in Kenya where the visitor may see animals in the same super-abundance as existed a century ago. Arrive for lunch at your lodge. Afternoon game drive until sunset. Meals and overnight at Sarova Mara Camp ( LDBB)

Day 10 Tuesday - Masai Mara National G.R
Early morning optional balloon ride with champagne-style breakfast .
Morning and afternoon game drives. Meals and overnight at Sarova Mara Camp ( LDBB )

Day 11 Wednesday - Masai Mara National G.R
Morning and afternoon game drives. Meals and overnight at Sarova Mara Camp ( LDBB )

Day 12 Thursday - Depart
After breakfast, drive to Nairobi, Kenya's colourful capital city. Drop off at your hotel or Jomo Kenyatta Airport for your departure flight home. A tour representative will reconfirm your flights and assist at check-in.

ACCOMMODATION INFORMATION

The Stanley Hotel
Stanley was the hotel to stay or be seen at until the 1970s. In its heydays, the Stanley played host to famous royalty, politicians and stars. Situated in the city centre, it was also where the travellers, including Earnet Hemingway, gathered for a drink at the legendary Thorn Tree Café before or after a long safari. A message board on the acacia xanthophildea tree was used by travellers to make contact with fellow travellers. Today, the Stanley has lost much of its importance as a meeting place but a drink at the Thorn Tree Café is still a pleasant experience. Much of the hotel has been refurbished to a high standard and still retains the original Victorian charm. A revolving door leads to a lobby with marble floors, reproduction antique furniture and subdued lighting, recalling the graceful era of grand living. Bedrooms with private bathrooms, though small, are very comfortable while the restaurants at the Stanley serve excellent international cuisine. Several upscale galleries and artifact shops are located next to the hotel. The hotel has a pool and health club where guests can also relax.

Sarova Shaba Lodge
Shaba game reserve, made famous by the late Joy Adamson and her lioness Elsa, is often referred to as "Born Free Country", located on the banks of the Uaso Nyiro river, Sarova Shaba offers a luxury seldom found in the African bush.

There are 80 chalet rooms, or for those of you looking for a little extra luxury, Sarova Shaba has four junior suites and one honeymon suite. Hardwoods, cane furniture and local textiles create a calm and pleasing ambience. The tranquil flow of sparkling spring water throughout the grounds creates an atmosphere of peace and serenity as it collects and cascades.

Shaba boasts a unique collection of game only found in the region including reticulated giraffe, Grevy's zebra, gerenuk and beisa oryx, as well as 150 recorded bird species. For a close inspection of the game take a game drive with one of the experienced guides, returning to the resort for a hearty breakfast in the Surpelei Restaurant overlooking the Uaso Nyiro river. You might spend the rest of the day relaxing by the beautiful free-form swimming pool. When the heat goes out of the day, towards the end of the afternoon, another game drive is a good idea - the animals also wake up as it gets cooler. Return in time for a reviving sundowner and watch the crocodiles climb out of the river to be fed by the golden glow of the setting sun. Early evening entertainment is provided by local Samburu dancers who will delight you, followed by a delicious dinner in the Surpelei Restaurant.

The Ark
Set in the heart of the Aberdare National Park, this unique game lodge overlooks a floodlit waterhole and salt lick which attracts a host of wildlife: elephant; rhino; leopard; bushbuck and occasionally an elusive bongo or giant forest hog. Resembling, and named after, Noah's Ark, the Ark comprises three decks from which numerous balconies and lounges provide superb vantage points for game viewing. A ground level bunker provides excellent photographic opportunities and takes you closer than you would believe possible to the animals.
Comfortable en- suite cabins are fitted with buzzers to announce the arrival of one of the "Big Five"; at the water hole. Before embarking on the half-hour drive to The Ark, lunch is served at the charming Aberdares Country Club. Dinner and breakfast are served on board!

Island Camp Baringo
Situated on an enchanting, remote island in Lake Baringo, each comfortable tent, with its own bathroom, is tucked away under the shade of spreading acacias, and separated by green lawns and natural rockeries.

The views of the surrounding Rift Valley are at their most spectacular from the refreshing, clear pool situated at the pinnacle of the camp. Winding paths lead down from the pool to the informal dining and bar areas.

Over 400 bird species make this an ornithologists haven. Boat trips to the surrounding islands to view hippo, crocodile, birdlife and local fishing villages can be arranged. Guided walks to the nearby hot springs and around the island are very popular. The lake is excellent for water skiing, swimming and windsurfing. A day trip to Lake Bogoria, with its multitude of flamingos, hot geysers and the rare greater kudu, is a unique experience. Island Camp provides the perfect change of scene in between visiting the many national parks - a chance to relax and recuperate in enchanted surroundings. Enjoy the beauty, tranquility and intimacy of one of Kenya's most exquisite camps.

Sarova Lion Hill Lodge
Situated in the heart of the Rift Valley, Lake Nakuru is one of Kenya's most famous soda lakes. A major feature of this park is the wonderful birdlife, particularly the thousands of flamingos, which create a shimmering pink hue over the lake. A rhino sanctuary also provides the opportunity to see the endangered black rhino.

Sarova Lion Hill offers a unique vantage point. Each of the 64 superbly appointed chalets with private secluded verandah enjoys views over the lake and the distant hills. Even the glorious pool has a view!

Samburu, Buffalo Springs & Shaba National Reserves
Samburu is different from many of the other frequently visited areas. This forty square miles of reserve is not the oft-seen Kenyan landscape of savannah and flat-topped acacias, but harsh, dramatic terrain. The people from this area, the Samburu, are similarly dramatic to the outsider. Dressed in bright red, with their braided hair and skin daubed with red ochre, the "moran", the youthful warriors of the Samburu almost always spear-in-hand, are a wonderful sight.

The permanent water supply of the Uaso Nyiro River is what attracts the game to Samburu. Much of the reserve is arid, hilly landscape but riverine forest fringes the riverbanks and there are doum palms, the fruit of which is a great favourite with elephants. Crocodiles lie quietly in the mud and it is here that you will find abundant birdlife, including palm-eagles, storks, hornbills, bee-eaters and plenty of weaver birds.

Some species in the area are specially adapted to the arid environment, and are particularly northern - the magnificent oryx, for example and the gerenuk, a rather odd looking long-necked gazelle which can stretch up to reach the lower branches of the thorn trees. You will also find Grevy's Zebra, larger than the more commonly seen Burchell's zebra, and reticulated giraffe, with their irregular netted pattern of white. Desert lion are found here, leopards can be seen, and the ostrich (Ethiopian) have blue legs! Elephant wander, browsing in family groups.

Buffalo Springs has the Uaso Nyiro river as its northern boundary, and thus may almost be seen as an extension of Samburu Reserve, which is bounded in the south by the river. The game here is the same as Samburu, but here there is more marsh land and the large pools from the Springs themselves. You may cross from one reserve to the other via a bridge over the river.