4-Day Masai Mara Safari from Nairobi with Big Five Game Drives

• Upon arrival at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, enjoy an early breakfast before departing for the Masai Mara National Reserve.
• Arrive in time for lunch, then head out on an afternoon game-viewing drive in search of the hundreds of wildlife species for which the reserve is famous. These include lion, Cape buffalo, savannah elephant, black rhino, and the elusive leopard, as well as impalas, Masai giraffes, waterbucks, warthogs, Thomson's and Grant's gazelles, topis, and resident wildebeests, among many others.

Enjoy dinner and an overnight stay.

• After breakfast, embark on a full day of game-viewing drives in search of the Big Five and many other wildlife species. Beyond its wildlife, the Mara also offers lovely and varied scenery, while its vast plains and grasslands are home to hundreds of bird species.

Enjoy meals and an overnight stay.

Optional activity:

• Today's adventure begins just before dawn. Flames from the hot air balloon burners light up the darkness as the crew inflates their craft. As the first pink tongues of sunlight flicker across the sky, the balloon fills and rises. Suspended in a basket beneath the rainbow-coloured canopy, you set off on a game-viewing adventure from an entirely different perspective. Apart from the occasional hiss of the burners, a lion's roar, elephants crashing through the bush, and baboons perched in the treetops screeching in surprise at the sight above them, the flight over the Masai Mara plains is magically silent.

• At the end of the flight, you are treated to a champagne breakfast in the bush, complete with flowers. China and crystal are set out on a table placed beneath a convenient acacia tree. The finishing touch to the flight is a game drive back to the camp, with the possibility of seeing the same pride of lions or herd of elephants viewed while ballooning. A flight certificate is issued upon completion of the balloon safari.

• Alternatively, enjoy a visit to a traditional Masai Manyatta. Experience the culture of this world-famous community - the Masai still live as they did for centuries. Interact with these nomadic people and experience their way of life as you learn about their customs and traditions.

• Continue with your afternoon game-viewing drive before returning to your camp or lodge for dinner and an overnight stay. This optional activity is available at an extra cost.

• After breakfast, enjoy a full day of game-viewing drives in search of the Big Five and many other wildlife species. In addition to its wildlife, the Mara has lovely and varied scenery to enjoy, and its vast plains and grasslands are also home to hundreds of bird species.

Enjoy meals and an overnight stay.

• Enjoy breakfast and check out. You may choose to drive back to Nairobi or take a one-hour flight at an extra cost.
• Savour a farewell lunch at the Carnivore Restaurant.
• Get dropped off by your Kenyan guide-driver at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport for your onward flight.