Samburu, Great Rift Valley Lakes & Masai Mara Safari

Heading out on our 7 day Camping Safari our first stop will be Samburu National Reserve in Northern Kenya. The park has a permanant water supply resulting in spectacular bird life some of which are endemic to this area of Kenya. We then will head off to the Great Rift Valley Lakes of Baringo, Bogoria and Nakuru which are themselves famous for their bird life.

from here its South over the Mau Escarpment to Kenya's premier reserve - The Masai Mara. the Mara is one of the finest Game Reserves in africa and home to an abundance of wildlife, especialy the Big Cats. If we are lucky and its that time of the year we will witness the Wildebeest Migration, one of the most spectacular wildlife displays on Earth.

The Safari ends back in Nairobi.

Day 1 - Samburu Game Reserve

Depart Nairobi in the morning heading north via the shoulder of Africa's second largest mountain, Mt Kenya to the Samburu Game Reserve. Accommodation in the semi-permanent campsite is beautifully set under a canopy of trees or we may pitch tents o­n the edge of Uaso Nyiro (meaning Brown in Samburu) River. Cold showers are available which are amazingly refreshing in the hot, dusty climate.

Day 2 - Samburu

Day spent game viewing in the park appreciating the diverse landscape and variety of animal species.

Samburu is part of a lava plain that includes a diverse landscape of thorn scrub, red dirt, dried river beds, broken volcanic rock, steep hills and rocky outcroppings. The region is home to the uncommon Grevy's zebra with huge fury ears, gerenuk antelope standing on hind legs to feed, Somali ostriches with distinct blue legs and the shy Oryx. Elephant and crocodile are guaranteed sightings, excellent bird watching with numerous varieties of weaverbirds and the martial eagle. Leopard sighting is also a special feature here.

Day 3 - Baringo

Depart in the early morning across the scenic Lerochi Plateau (with lunch enroute) towards Lake Baringo. Arriving this fresh water lake in the late afternoon, we enjoy an evening boat ride in search of hippo, crocodile, fish eagle and a variety of other birds.

Lake Baringo is the most Northerly of Kenya's small Rift Valley lakes; creased with papyrus and well developed acacia forest. Hippos, crocodiles and monitor lizards are effortlessly seen from the shore, as is a magnificent display of water birds. This is Kenya's bird watching centre with over 1200 different species native to the country and more than 450 sighted here. A bird watcher's haven but beware, this is malaria land so its best to come prepared with plenty of mosquito repellent!

Day 4 - Lake Nakuru

A 30km drive south to the spectacular Lake Bogoria with hot springs and geysers being the main attractions. The lake has been called ‘the new home of the flamingo' with a nomad population of up to two million birds. Lunch and then proceed for an afternoon game drive at the Lake Nakuru National Park.

This small park (180 sq km) is home to warthogs, waterbuck, buffaloes, reedbucks, and the occasional leopard. White and black rhinos were introduced to the park some years ago and you will find white rhino at the southern end. The park has also retained its reputation as an ornithologists' delight with more than 400 species of bird found here. We spend the night at a campsite just outside of town.

Day 5 - Masai Mara

Heading further south towards Narok, we proceed towards our permanent campsite on the Talek River. Here we have stand-up tents with beds or small wood cabins for those after a touch more comfort. If all are occupied, we pitch tents.

On clear days, the Mara offers fantastic orange tinted sunsets and you will definitely want to capture this moment while sipping on a sundowner back at our campsite. The Mara reserve is 1510 sq km of incredible wide-open landscapes and fertile riverine woodland following the looping meanders of the Mara and Talek rivers. One glimpse is enough to explain its appeal; it is typical savannah, with a mass of amazing wildlife.

Day 6 - Masai Mara

The day is spent exploring the Mara magic. Wherever you go in the Mara you will see a frequent amount of wildlife such as Masai giraffe, baboons, warthogs, bat eared foxes, grey jackals, spotted hyena, topis, impala, hartebeests, wildebeest. Elephants, buffaloes, zebras and hippos also exist in great numbers. It is common to see lions either basking after a heavy meal, or surveying the plains for their next meal. Cheetahs and leopards are harder to spot but are still reasonably common.

The ultimate action here is without doubt the annual wildebeest exodus in July and August when millions of these grass eaters move north from the Serengeti in search of lusher grass before turning south again in October.

Balloon trips are an entirely outstanding way of seeing the savannah plains and the wildlife after which you come back down for a beautiful champagne breakfast. These trips can be arranged at our office upon booking.

Day 7 - Nairobi

We break camp and drive to Narok where Masai souvenirs can be bought, thereafter proceeding towards Nairobi.

Looking for departure date info? It's up here…

Looking for other tours to Masai Mara? View all Masai Mara Budget Safaris