14-day Kenya: Grand Slam of Game Drives – Golden

‘Jambo!’ As you walk out of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, your personal Africa Safari Trips guide greets you with a big smile on his face. ‘Karibu Kenya – welcome to Kenya!’

Our Africa Safari Trips guide takes you straight from the airport to your hotel, which gives you the first impressions of the vibrant city of Nairobi. You take in the skyscrapers, the traffic with the motortaxis and colourful matatu’s (local public transport), and the hussle and bussle of people living their every day life…

Ask your guide anything that comes to mind, because he knows all about Kenyan life and culture. But not only that; he also gladly tells you everything about the beautiful national parks you are about to visit. So ask whatever you want – he will do his utmost best to answer all your questions…!

At a three to four hour drive from Nairobi you will today find yourself in what we call heaven on earth for rhino fans. With a population of 140 black rhinos the Ol’ Pejeta Conservancy is the largest sanctuary for these massive animals in East and Central Africa.

Black rhinos are critically endangered since 1993. Back then, there were only an estimated 2300 left worldwide. These days their number is up to over 5000 again. In Ol’ Pejeta, their number grew steadily from 20 in 1995 to a population of 140 today. Besides, it’s also home to the last two remaining northern white rhinos in the world and 39 southern white rhinos.

To top it off Ol’ Pejeta also hosts a sanctuary for abused chimps, and in the park itself you can spot the Big Five and many more animals.

With beautiful landscapes and hundreds of animals, Samburu National Reserve guarantees the sort of game viewing you otherwise would only experience watching National Geographic. At a five hour drive from Ol’ Pejeta, it has a semi-dry desert and savannah landscape, which allows for great visibility over the park and over its river that attracts many animals.

This park is 165 square kilometers big and, with over nine hundred elephants roaming around in large families, this is a spectacular park to visit. Follow the banks of the Ewaso Nyiro River for the best game viewing. It is is the only source of water for many animals, especially during dry seasons. Four of the Big Five (lion, leopard, elephant and buffalo) roam around, as well as the Samburu Special Five: Grevy Zebra, Gerenuk, Beisa Oryx, Reticulated Giraffe and the Somali Ostrich.

In this full day in Samburu you get the chance to really search for the Big Five, and of course observe the elephants. During the day it can be hot, and game viewing is best done in the morning and afternoon. In between you can take a rest at your hotel, or visit the beautiful Samburu people.

This is a traditionally nomadic tribe related to the Masai. They live in secluded bomas: little villages with a circular wooden fence. Their huts have rounded roofs made out of cowdung, since they are pastoralists with mostly herds of cows, sheep or goats. Especially the Samburu women wear complicated and colourful necklaces and headwear, that they make themselves out of small beads.

As a break in between safaris, it’s possible to visit one of their bomas to get familiar with the traditional life of Samburu people. You will see their houses, learn about their way of life, how their necklaces are made and what the secret messages are inside.

Today you will visit Solio Game Reserve, a privately owned sanctuary dedicated to rhino conservation. The reserve is located in the valley between the high slopes of Mount Kenya and the peaks of the Aberdare Mountains just north of Nairobi, providing a home for 200 rhinos.

The Solio Game Reserve (or Solio Ranch) used to be a working cattle ranch but in 1973, part of it was turned into a wildlife sanctuary. Rhinos and other wildlife were brought back to the area. Nowadays it’s a 49,000 acre ranch with 19,000 acres of wildlife sanctuary for the black and white rhinos.The rhinos live here in harmony with other wildlife like buffalos, zebras, giraffes, elands, oryxes, impalas, waterbucks, Thompson’s gazelles and warthogs. Here, it is not uncommon to see up to 40 rhinos at a time!

Picture yourself as you drive above the hills of the Great Rift Valley, bend a corner and see a glimmering lake in between the hills. Welcome to Lake Nakuru! At a mere three hour drive from Solio Ranch, this 45 square kilometer big lake lies at the bottom of the Lake Nakuru National Park. With its 88 square kilometers, this national park is relatively small but home to four of the Big Five.

Lake Nakuru National Park is one of the soda lakes in the Great Rift Valley. It used to have millions of flamingos, but ten years ago, rising water levels caused these birds to move elsewhere. Fortunately, they slowly came back again.

Besides, Lake Nakuru is famous for its population of black and white rhinos (introduced in the 1990s), giraffes, buffalos, lions, leopards, baboons and over 400 different bird species. It’s especially easy to spot the white rhino on the edge of the lake – a unique sight!

Today you make the beautiful five hour drive from Lake Nakuru through Kenya’s Rift Valley to the Masai Mara National Reserve. Be ready for a  jawdropping sensation when you arrive on the amazingly beautiful savannah plains of the Masai Mara…!

After lunch you will get your first impression of these plains with its abundance of wildlife. The Masai Mara borders Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park and together they are home to Africa’s best known natural wonder: the annual great migration. Over 2,5 million animals roam the plains of Serengeti and the Masai Mara together, following the rains in search of green pastures.

The Reserve is named Masai Mara in honor of the Masai people. The Masai (also spelled Maasai) have lived in this region since they migrated from the Nile Basin centuries ago. Mara means spotted in the Maa language and refers to a landscape marked by many short bushy trees scattered all over the outstretched savannah.

The Masai Mara is known for its abundance of wildlife, and today you have a full day to try and see it all! The National Reserve is home to more than 95 animal species and over 400 species of birds. From mid September to mid October the great migration arrives here. This means that huge herds of wildebeests, zebras, gazelles, antelopes and impalas can be seen trying to cross the Mara River.

In other months you can spot the famous Big Five in the Masai Mara, as well as cheetahs, servals, hyenas, bat-eared foxes, black-backed or side-striped jackals, hippos, crocodiles, baboons, warthogs, topis, elands, waterbucks, oribis, reed-bucks and many, many more… A perfect way to end your safari adventure!

The mesmerizing Lake Naivasha lies in the Kenyan Rift Valley at 1,884 meters above sea level and is the highest lake within the Great Rift Valley. Today you drive in four to five hours from Masai Mara National Reserve to this 139 square kilometres large freshwater lake.

Between 1937 and 1950, Lake Naivasha was a landing place for Imperial Airways planes. They flew from Durban to Dublin at a time when this took several days of flying. Nowadays the lake forms a popular day trip for Nairobi residents due to its proximity to the capital.

Nestled in between swamps, forests and rock formations, Lake Naivasha is the perfect place for an amazing boat safari in between groups of hippos and flamingos! On the shores, you might see zebras, wildebeests and giraffes. After that, you experience walking amongst them as you take a guided walking safari on Crescent Island (the ‘hidden gem of Naivasha’) in the middle of the lake. It is a truly atmospheric place, where you might find some familiar settings as it was the primary filming location for the 1985 romantic drama Out of Africa.

Amboseli National Park lies on the border between Kenya and Tanzania at a seven to eight hour drive from Lake Naivasha. You arrive here just in time for an afternoon gamedrive at sunset…!

Amboseli is almost 400 square kilometers in size and offers a magnificent view of the beautifully snowcapped Mount Kilimanjaro. The park is home to many animals but foremost famous for its large groups of free-roaming elephants. Here you will have the chance to take some iconic pictures of elephants in front of the Africa’s highest lone-standing mountain.

Up until 2020 the park was a safe haven to an incredible bull elephant named Tim (see picture). This mighty leviathan quickly became one of Amboseli’s major attractions because of his size and iconic tusks that reached the ground. He was around 50 years old at the time of his death in February 2020.

Today we advise you to get up early, and take the chance to do a gamedrive at sunrise – the time when animals are most active.

This day is reserved completely for game drives, which allows you to explore Amboseli to the fullest. It stretches over an area of 392 square kilometers and is dominated by acacia woodland, rocky thorny bush, swamps marshland and a Pleistocene lake. The usual safari suspects roam around here in good numbers: giraffes, zebras, buffalos, elephants of course and big cats like lions, cheetahs and leopards.

The Masai live close here and are actually the ones who gave the park its name: Kioko Lake is a lake in the middle of the park that often completely dries up during the dry season. The ashy earth that remains is called amboseli by the Maasai people. This is where the park’s name came from. During your time to Amboseli, you can also discover Maasai culture by visiting one of their villages.

With green hills, savannah, water and lavarocks from nearby volcanos, the landscape of Tsavo West National Park is very diverse. With its 9,065 square kilometers it is huge and home to all of the Big Five. They roam the land together with giraffes, zebras, antilopes and many different birds.

Tsavo West is famous for the Shetani Lava Flows, where fifty square kilometers of volcanic black rock spread over the land. Also the Mzima Springs are worth a visit; a series of four natural springs with fifty million gallons of crystal clear water that gushes out of from under parched lava rock. Hippos and crocs love the clear, fresh water of Mzima Springs, which means they are easy to spot…!

Founded in 1948, the Tsavo brothers are two of the oldest parks in Kenya. They are seperated from each other by the high- and railway that connect the coastal town of Mombasa to the capital, Nairobi. From Amboseli it’s a mere three hour drive to Tsavo West, which you then cross en route to Tsavo East.

The Tsavo East National Park at a two hour drive from Tsavo West is impressive and huge with its 13,000 square kilometers in size. It’s mostly famous for its many lions and elephants. Here you cruise the outstretched savannah of the Yatta Plateau, while large groups of elephants walk these red dusty plains. En route you pass a spectacular amount of other animals. All members of the Big Five live here, together with zebras, African wild dogs, cheetahs, antilopes, impalas and more.

There are a few spots in Tsavo that are perfect for admiring wildlife: Madunda Rock, Lugard Falls and the Aruba Dam. The 1,6 kilometers rock formation of Madunda allows for great viewing of animals drinking below. Lugard Falls is not an actual waterfall but a series of rapid waters that are filled with hippos and crocs. Last but not least, the Aruba Dam creates a waterbassin in the Voi River that is a favorite drinking spot for many animals. Tsavo East National Park basically has it all!

Take in the beauty of Tsavo one last time, because this is the last day of your safari…! If you still want more, it is still possible to add some national parks to your safari. Otherwise you can drive back to Nairobi for your flight back home.

However, we advise you to hop on the adventurous train to Mombasa to catch your flight there. Or to continue your holiday… on the beach!

Kenya has some amazing tropical beaches to help you unwind after your safari. We at Africa Safari Trips especially like the stunning stretches of beach in the south of Kenya. There is the beautiful Diani Beach 20 kilometers south of Mombasa, and lively Bamburi Beach north of the city. Think crystal blue oceans, sandy white beaches, endless pools and colourful cocktails. As a plus, historical Mombasa is just around the corner…!