Day 1 - Nairobi - Lake Nakuru

Leave Nairobi at 13:00 and drive to the Lake Nakuru National Park (approximately four hours with photography stops). Later enjoy an afternoon game drive.

Lake Nakuru National Park, created in 1960 specifically on account of the extraordinary bird life here, complements what the lake has to offer. From the very large - Fish Eagles with their enormous six foot wing span and haunting, mournful cry - to the very small - tiny jewel coloured pygmy kingfisher - avian life thrives here in feathered abundance . Beside its magnificent bird life, it is also a rhino sanctuary and one of the best places in Kenya to see both black and white rhino. As a result of the same haven-creating spirit, you'll see Rothschild's giraffe here, relocated to keep them safe in the mid seventies. The park yields other secrets: it's home to the very rare Long-eared Leaf-nosed bat and a resident population of tree climbing lion.

Overnight: Lake Nakuru Lodge

Meal Plan: D

Day 2 - Drive to Masai Mara

Depart after breakfast and drive to the Masai Mara National Reserve (approximately four hours). Arrive at the hotel for lunch and an afternoon game drive. 

The Masai Mara plays host to the most spectacular array of wildlife. 1,500 square kilometers of broad, biscuit coloured savannah sprawls as home to huge numbers of birds (almost 600 species including many raptors) and animals and is contiguous with the enormous expanse of the Serenegeti; the two combine as the most diverse ecosystem on the continent.

The word 'mara' comes from the local dialect, Maa, as spoken by the Masai and means mottled; certainly the vast grasslands here are spotted by the shadows of small clouds which scud across a huge sky stretched taut-blue above. Every year this place witnesses the most incredible animal phenomenon on the planet - the wildebeest migration moves north from the Serengeti in search of fresh pasture, and returns south around October, a heaving line of grunting, snorting life that stretches for miles. At the Mara River they mass together nervously on the banks before plunging frantically onwards; their quest for food overwhelming their fear of the crocodiles that lie in wait of an annual feast. This incredible spectacle involves the movement of over a million wildebeest and their groupies, half a million Thomson's gazelle, half a million zebra as well as smaller herds of Topi and eland. They operate on a principle of safety in numbers, supported for the symbiotic relationships that have evolved between them. They are followed, inevitably, by predators, primarily lions - Big Cat Diary was filmed here, the cat population is large - and hyena.

Overnight: Mara Sopa Lodge

Meal Plan: B,L,D

Day 3 - Masai Mara 

Early wake-up call with tea/coffee followed by an early morning game drive. The rest of the morning is spent at leisure with lunch at the lodge. In the afternoon they will have a final game drive. 

Optional activity: Morning balloon ride over the Masai Mara 
Optional activity: Masai village visit 

Overnight: Mara Sopa Lodge

Meal Plan: B,L,D

Day 4 - Masai Mara - Nairobi

After breakfast, return to Nairobi.