"Kenya walking and wildlife tour"

Kenya 10 days Walking and Wildlife Tour

Enjoy guided walking and wildlife viewing in the Kenya’s Great Rift Valley away from mass tourism. This is a small group African safari with walking adventures in Crater Lake and Crescent Island sanctuaries, Hell’s Gate National Park, Lake Elementaita with guaranteed interruptions from Giraffes, Waterbucks, Elands, Zebras and various Gazelles. Travel to Lake Nakuru National Park, which is colored pink with thousands of flamingoes, and the open grasslands are home to the White Rhino and the Rothschild’s Giraffe. The Black Rhinos are found in the forests around the lake.

A safari in Masai Mara, the Africa that every one dreams of, takes the last 3 days of the tour with Elephants, Lions, Leopards, Cheetahs, Topis and Hippos all calling for our attention.

A walk guided by Masai Morans makes this a perfect tour in all senses. We handle all tour logistics leaving you free enjoy your safari.

This itinerary visits some of the most scenic areas of the Great Rift Valley where walking and game viewing can be simultaneously done all in total absence of mass tourism. The highlights are the Crater Lake and Crescent Island sanctuaries, Hell’s Gate National Park, Lake Elementaita with guaranteed interruptions from Giraffes, Waterbucks, Elands, Zebras and various Gazelles.

We visit Lake Nakuru National Park, which is colored pink with thousands of flamingoes, and the open grasslands are home to the White Rhino and the Rothschild’s Giraffe. The Black Rhinos are found in the forests around the lake.

Masai Mara, the Africa that every one dreams of takes the last 3 days of the tour with Elephants, Lions, Leopards, Cheetahs, Topis and Hippos all calling for our attention. A walk guided by Masai Morans makes this a perfect tour in all senses.

ITINERARY

Day 1: Nairobi

Arrival at the airport at night and reception by Ontdek Kenya Ltd. Transfer from the airport to the La Mada Hotel in Nairobi.

Day 2: Crescent Island. O/N Lake Naivasha Country Club

After breakfast there is the briefing by the guide about the program. By 8.30 a.m. we leave Nairobi via the Nakuru road to the Rift valley. The Nairobi - Nakuru road is on a contour along the rim of the Rift valley and on viewpoints we will be able to see our whole route for the next days.

We arrive at the Lake Naivasha Country Club, our base for three days, in time for lunch. This lodge opened in 1937 as a staging post for Imperial Airways' flying boat service from Durban to London. The 55-acre property boasts green lawns shaded by mature acacias and spreading fever trees that stretch down to the lake's shore.

In the afternoon we do our first African walk at the privately owned Crescent Island, which is a peninsula on the Eastern shore of Lake Naivasha. There is a lot of easy to see game e.g. giraffes, waterbucks, elands, zebras and impalas. It is also a heaven for birds with +200 species recorded. The walk is gentle and satisfying. We return to the Lake Naivasha Country Club in time for afternoon tea. Today's program should be taken as light as possible to wear off the jet lag.

Day 3: Hell's Gate National Park. O/N Lake Naivasha Country Club

We wake up for breakfast with the sun giving a wonderful effect over the Lake. An early morning here should not be missed by anyone with an eye for birds since the lake boasts a wide variety of water and woodland birds.

After breakfast we do a short transfer to the gate of the park. This is a unique park where walking is done in the middle of wildlife. Giraffes, zebras, warthogs and many types of gazelles are found here. The first part of this walk is done in typical flat African savannah in a volcanic area with huge rock boundaries. There are camphor and acacia trees all over and this is where to look for the giraffe as they mainly feed on them. A picnic lunch provided by the hotel will be at the Rangers post.

The last part of the walk is done in the Hell's Gate Gorge by descending into a steep canyon with running water from geysers and wild vegetation. The climax of the day is in walking in the Side Gorge where the rocks have split to leave only a walking path. We climb back to the rangers post for transfer back to the Lake Naivasha Country Club.

Day 4: Crater Lake. O/N Lake Naivasha Country Club.

An early rising will ensure that one gets another magical display of the various birds. After breakfast we do a transfer by bus to the nearby Crater Lake Game Sanctuary. It is a lesser lake in the Rift Valley but a place where nature is at its best.

We do a walk in the sanctuary followed by a circular trek on the top of the crater from where we see the lake from various angles. Pleasant interruptions on the walks will be from giraffes, black and white Colobus monkeys, zorillas, aardvarks, leopards and a range of gazelles, all which are easily found in the sanctuary.

Day 5: Visit Lake Nakuru National Park. O/N Lake Elementaita Lodge

The nearby Nakuru National Park is the eldest park of Kenya. It's not only known for its thousands of flamingos but also for the vast herds of buffaloes, tens of rhinos and cats like leopard and lion. Of the big five only the elephant is missing. We make a game drive around the lake and have lunch at the Lake Nakuru Lodge.

Afternoon transfer to the Lake Elementaita Lodge where we'll stay for 2 nights.

Day 6: Lake Elementaita. O/N Lake Elementaita Lodge

This lake may not have the big name of Lake Nakuru but its scenic beauty is unmatched. We walk up to the shores of the alkaline lake. From there we proceed up to the hot springs and into the Kikopey Hills surrounding the lake.

We walk mainly in open savannah land and occasionally we will stop for a chat with a Masai herdsman. The gentle sloping hills give a good panorama. The walk should be for 4 hrs after which we go back to the lodge in time for lunch. Afternoon is spent in the lodge.

Day 7: To Masai Mara. O/N Mara Simba / Keekorok

We now take a break from walking to put all our attention to watching wildlife. To see the best of Kenyan wildlife Masai Mara is the place to be. Elephants, rhinos, giraffes, buffaloes, gazelles and all the big cats are found here. So, after breakfast we start our journey passing through Narok Town; a colorful Masai town.

Our game viewing does not actually start at the park gate. We will be able to see many animals along the way grazing side by side with the Masai livestock. We reach the tented camp or lodge, our home for the next three days, in time for lunch.

Day 8+9: Masai Mara. O/N Mara Simba / Keekorok

These are our cultural and activity days in Masai Mara. We do a morning game drive through the park and then take a walk in a ranch outside the park guided by Masai Morans. A visit to the manyatta will show how the typical Masais live. An afternoon game drive makes the day complete.

On day 9 we explore the park further both by vehicle and more walks in an area of rolling hills and grasslands out of the park boundaries.

Day 10: Kiambethu Tea Farm + to Nairobi for outbound flight.

Leave Masai Mara in the morning for lunch at the Kiambethu Tea Farm. This is an old colonial home established by the early settlers and the pioneers of tea growing in Kenya. There will be a talk on tea: its arrival in Kenya, the growing, processing and up to when you put it into your cup. A short walk in the tea plantation and into a small remaining part of indigenous forest completes the tour.

We have a healthy farm lunch and thereafter transfers to Nairobi for the evening flight out.

Monthly departures through out '09.

To contact this tour operator please use the contact form next to the map on the right.

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Price/Person: 2640 DOL
Number of participants 4-10
Duration: 10 Days

Area: Kenya
Accomodation is included in this tour: Accommodation is in ensuite rooms in comfortable hotels and luxury tented camps. No camping. This tour is fully supported.

The Guide is able to understand this language also    
   english

Special Hints: Guided walking tour away from mass tourism. Zebras, gazelles & giraffes give exciting breaks – genuine alternative to minibus safaris. Lodge accommodation. Small groups.

edited at 25.10.06 | 08:57 AM
last update 01.09.08 | 1:05 PM

Guide details

Peter Huysman

Web: To contact this tour operator please use the contact form above.
Phone Number: ---
Vita
Ontdek Kenya, established in 1996, is the Kenyan specialist for walking tours, bird watching and wildlife safaris in Kenya offered in tailor-made and small groups’ departures.

As an owner operated company, we have made a deliberate decision to cater for the discerning nature travelers of all ages seeking nature journeys that combine guided walking, (or) bird watching and game viewing away from mass tourism.

Bird watching and walking tours are our forte and we use our personal experience of travel & extensive research in Kenya to design and deliver relaxed active and personalized safaris that go way beyond the vehicle-confined tour packages of “morning and afternoon game drives”.

An Ontdek Kenya holiday is not a competition of the number of lions seen: it is about a responsible approach to wildlife viewing in the company of our expert guides with enough time to look at the birds, explore the areas on foot, meet the local people and have an in-depth photo exploration. We create tours around your interest, desires and budget.

While we use vehicles to facilitate transfers we deliberately avoid long circuits that would turn our African safaris into exhausting road expeditions with endless hours of driving. For total relaxation during the tour we stay in one of our selected lodges/tented camps for 2-3 nights thus giving us a base without the inconvenience of packing up every morning. These two items are very important factors to consider when comparing itineraries. Our promise to you is a holiday of a lifetime which you can’t get if you are rushed and exhausted.

Our local naturalist’s guides are competent and their views about Kenya are not limited to wildlife as is the norm in safari. They are enthusiastic outdoor people with a great interest in conservation.

For our unique approach of organizing nature tours coupled with first rate tour logistics, we are rewarded with a loyal following of independent nature travelers as well as a good portfolio of overseas tour operators whose clients we host in Kenya.


edited at 24.10.06 | 07:52 AM
last update 01.09.08 | 1:32 PM

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