9-Day Kenya Wildlife Safari from Samburu to Masai Mara

Your unforgettable journey with Jossec Tours and Safaris begins as our friendly team picks you up from your hotel or the airport in the morning.

Our route takes us past local homesteads, the snow-capped peak of Mt. Kenya, and the equator, crossing into the northern hemisphere.

We will arrive at Samburu, enjoy lunch, and relax.

Then, prepare for your first game drive - the first of many over the next nine days.

Nearby Shaba and Buffalo Springs reserves are green oases, promising more wildlife among their forests, woodlands, and surprising volcanic formations.

Besides the big game, the park hosts unusual species such as Grevy's zebra, beisa oryx, and the reticulated giraffe - animals you will not commonly find elsewhere.

We will travel along the banks of the Ewaso Ngiro River, the lifeline of this dry park and the best spot to view thirsty wildlife.

Look for kingfisher, guinea fowl, egret, falcon, and eagle.

We may also glimpse the local Samburu tribes and their villages.

Encounter Africa's famous Big Five predators in their natural habitat.

Explore a unique rhino sanctuary safeguarding over one hundred endangered species.

Delight in the antics of intelligent and playful chimpanzees at the Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary, the only place in Kenya where you can witness such captivating behavior.

Let's take an early morning drive in the 4 x 4 to see if you can spot some of them.

Now, it is a quick drive to Aberdare National Park, and the upcountry terrain here is quite different - mountains, rainforest, and relaxed evening mists.

We will arrive in time for lunch and then head to your Tree Hotel.

Enjoy relaxation from your balcony as you take in the wildlife below at an adjacent watering hole.

Look for antelope, elephant, buffalo, hyena, bush pigs, and waterbuck.

It is time to head out to the Rift Valley lake country.

On our way to Lake Nakuru, we will stop at Nyahururu to see the incredible power of the cascading Thompson's Falls.

We will pass farming country as we traverse the dramatic rises and falls of the Great Rift Valley escarpment.

Arriving at Lake Nakuru Park, we will have time for a bird and game viewing drive.

We will also spot rhinos in the protected sanctuary here and be on the lookout for the rare Rothschild's giraffe nibbling at the branches above.

The lake provides a stunning setting for an early game drive, and we will enjoy the moment in this beautiful park.

Continuing our scenic route through the Great Rift Valley, our next destination will be Lake Bogoria National Reserve.

The park is a geothermal spectacle of hot springs and bubbling geysers around an alkaline lake that hosts flamingoes and other wildlife, such as kudu and antelope.

We will hop back in the 4 x 4, heading for our next park, Lake Naivasha.

Here is your opportunity to go bicycling in a national park.

We will take a short bicycle safari to Hell's Gate National Park and then hike through imposing gorges in search of grazing antelope, zebra, impala, and buffalo.

It is a perfect morning for a sail across the lake. Let's glide by dozing hippos as they awake to see us passing by, and we will take in the active birdlife hovering about.

Now that everyone is awake, we will enjoy a short, guided walking safari to Crescent Island Game Sanctuary.

We have seen and experienced a lot this past week, but now it is time to set our sights on the jewel in the crown of Kenya's wildlife parks - Masai Mara National Reserve.

We will arrive at the park in time for an afternoon game drive, the first of many here.

You will soon see examples of this as we track the Big Five and the more than 90 mammal species in the park.

Today we will traverse the savannahs, hills, and rivers, searching for all the big game.

We will also see if we can spot topi, eland, and birds like stork, kingfisher, and hornbills in this fertile ecosystem.

If you are seeing great processions of wildebeests and zebra marching through the reserve, you are most likely here during the migrating season - July through October. That's when vast herds invade the park, crossing the Mara River in a never-ending search for sustenance.

We will picnic by the Mara River, site of the crossing, and look for hippos and crocodiles plying the muddy waters.

For an up-close cultural encounter, we offer an optional visit to the local Maasai tribespeople in their nearby village.

You will be able to learn about their lifestyle and perhaps purchase some colorful beaded souvenirs.

For a truly unforgettable experience, take advantage of our optional pre-dawn balloon safari over the park.

You will get an eagle's-eye view of the park coming to life as the animals below awake to a fresh, new day.

Just ask your driver/guide to make the arrangements.

After a leisurely breakfast at your lodge/camp, your dedicated driver guide from Jossec Tours and Safaris will assist you with the checkout process.

Then, proceed to Nairobi - Kenya's colourful capital city.

On the way, your guide will point out the Longonot extinct volcano, a stratovolcano located southeast of Lake Naivasha in the Great Rift Valley of Kenya. It is thought to have last erupted in the 1860s, and its name is derived from the Maasai word Oloonong'ot, meaning