A well-rounded and affordable wildlife safari adventure – the budget Masai Mara & Kenya National Parks Safari explores a combination of remote, scenic, and world-famous national parks in Kenya.
This affordable Private Kenya Safari with luxury camping accommodation includes:
Explore the legendary Masai Mara and lesser-known Tsavo West National Park, along with other top Kenya National Parks in just over a week!
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The 8-Day Masai Mara & Kenya National Parks Safari sets off from Nairobi city at 07h00 this morning.
From the capital of Kenya, Nairobi, we travel southeast to Tsavo West National Park. Explore Chyulu Hills and Mzima Springs, home to numerous hippos and crocodiles. At Mzima Springs we can view the hippos swimming beneath the surface of the water, from the underwater viewing chamber.
We have dinner and overnight at an eco-friendly safari lodge on day one of our luxury camping safari in Kenya.
In the morning we embark on a game drive in Tsavo National Park before driving to Amboseli National Park. Located to the northwest of Tsavo West Park, Amboseli is near the southern Kenyan border with Tanzania. Look out for wildlife en route to our next safari camp set inside Amboseli Park.
Amboseli National Park covers 392km² and is Kenya's second most popular park, after the world-famous Masai Mara. Amboseli is best known for its breathtaking scenery, with towering Mt. Kilimanjaro to the south. This natural setting provides superb photographic opportunities, especially for capturing large bull elephants up close, with the mountain in the background.
We stay in self-contained tents at a luxury, tented safari camp for the night. Enjoy dinner and the beautiful views of Mount Kilimanjaro and the Amboseli plains from the private camp.
We spend the whole of day three of our luxury camping safari exploring Amboseli Park on game drives.
Amboseli covers lush grasslands fed by the melting snow of Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest peak. Standing at 5896m above sea level the snow-topped mountain forms the backdrop to game viewing in Amboseli.
Amboseli National Park hosts some of Kenya's largest elephant herds and is famous for its big elephant bulls with their impressive tusks. Amboseli is considered one of the top game parks in Africa to get up close to elephants in the wild, as well as offering some of the finest photographic opportunities of wildlife flanked by the scenic Mt Kilimanjaro.
The Game Park also contains huge populations of buffalos, zebras, wildebeests, giraffes, hippos, and various antelope species, such as impala. Amboseli Park is also home to lions, leopards, cheetahs, rhinos, jackals, warthogs, and various other wildlife. The park also boasts an abundance of birds, including bee-eaters, kingfishers, pelicans, African fish eagles, and falcons.
Dinner and camping overnight in Amboseli at the same peaceful safari camp as the night before.
Next, our Masai Mara & Kenya National Parks Safari travels north from Amboseli Park to Lake Nakuru, stopping for a picnic lunch along the way.
After lunch, we travel further into the Great Rift Valley passing through beautiful scenery as we drive. In the afternoon we arrive at Lake Nakuru in time for a late afternoon game drive.
This Kenya national park boasts a reputation as an ornithologist's delight, with more than 400 species of bird found here. Bird species include the Great White Pelican, African Spoonbill, Yellow-billed Stork, Lesser and Greater Flamingo, and Long-crested Eagle. The Lake Nakuru National Park is known as an important wildlife sanctuary for some of Africa's endangered species, especially black and white rhinos, and Rothschild Giraffes. The game reserve is also home to lions, waterbuck, buffalo, and baboons, which we keep an eye out for on our game drive.
Dinner and overnight at a comfortable lodge on spacious grounds inside Lake Nakuru National Park.
Day five of the Budget Masai Mara & Kenya National Parks starts with breakfast at the lodge. Then it's back on the road, as we travel to the world-famous Masai Mara National Reserve, our next game-viewing destination in Kenya. We travel via the Great Rift Valley admiring the beautiful scenery as we go.
Arriving at the safari camp near Masai Mara we have lunch, before embarking on a thrilling late afternoon to evening game drive in Mara.
Dinner and overnight at a luxury tented camp in a private conservancy near Masai Mara National Reserve.
The next two days of our luxury camping safari are set aside for game viewing in Kenya's premier national park, the Masai Mara National Reserve.
Our morning and afternoon game drives take us in search of Africa's Big Five and the array of other wild animals inhabiting this vast Kenya national park. On clear days, the Mara offers fantastic orange-tinged sunsets that make for spectacular photos.
The Mara Reserve covers 1510km² of incredible wide-open landscapes and fertile riverine woodlands, following the winding meanders of the Mara and Talek rivers in southwest Kenya. One glimpse is enough to explain its appeal; it is the epitome of open African savannahs, hosting a mass of amazing wildlife.
Wherever you go in the vast Masai Mara Park you will see a frequent amount of wildlife such as Masai giraffes, baboons, warthogs, bat-eared foxes, grey jackals, spotted hyenas, topis, impalas, hartebeests, wildebeests. Elephants, buffalos, zebras, and hippos are also found in great numbers. It is also 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 reasonably common. The ultimate wildlife action here is without a doubt the annual wildebeest migration, known as the Great Migration, in July and August when millions of these grazers move north from the Serengeti, in search of lusher grass, before turning south again in October. The mass of hoofed animals, in turn, attracts the predators of Masai Mara - lion, cheetah, jackal, hyena, wild dog, and vultures.
The optional hot-air balloon trips offer an entirely outstanding way of surveying the savannah plains teeming with wildlife. These Masai Mara balloon trips can be arranged at extra cost. Optional visits to local Maasai villages can also be arranged with your guide.
We overnight at the same safari camp on the banks of the Oloirigynyisho River, close to Masai Mara on nights six and seven of our Masai Mara & Kenya National Parks Safari.
Kick off your last day on safari in Kenya with a leisurely breakfast at the luxury tented camp in a private conservancy. Then we return to bustling Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, arriving at about 15h00 this afternoon. This Budget Masai Mara & Kenya National Parks Safari ends upon arrival in Nairobi.
Accommodation on this safari tour is at a luxury tented camp in a 30-acre private conservancy near Masai Mara Game Reserve. The camp is set on the banks of the Oloirigynyisho River, drawing elephants, wildebeest, zebra and other animals, which are regularly sighted. The tented camp overlooks the Oloolotikoshi Hills and is 2,5 km from the Ololaimutia gate of Masai Mara.
We stay in permanent, walk-in tents with beds. All tents have en-suite bathrooms, flush toilets, washbasins, and hot showers, and are fitted with mosquito nets. The luxury tents are tastefully decorated in rustic style, with linen provided. Each luxury tent has its own veranda where guests can sit back and enjoy the views.
Facilities include bar and lounge areas, a shop stocked with local crafts and a spacious restaurant designed in the style of a traditional hut.
Stay at one of two safari lodges in Tsavo National Park, both featuring watering holes and offering open views over this remote wilderness.
Stay at a comfortable lodge with lush gardens, inside Lake Nakuru National Park. Accommodation is in en-suite rooms with views of the national park and lodge gardens. Facilities include two bars, a restaurant, and a big swimming pool.
Stay at a private safari camp in luxury tented rooms with bathroom areas, that feature flush toilets, hot and cold showers, and washbasins. This peaceful camp is located in a natural setting within Amboseli Park and offers beautiful views of Mount Kilimanjaro. Facilities at camp include a swimming pool, gift shop, African art gallery, and a massage parlor.
This safari will be conducted in a custom-made 4x4 Land Cruiser with a pop-up roof for game viewing. The 4x4 Land Cruisers are adapted for game viewing and fitted with refrigerators to keep your drinks cold out in the bush.
The maximum group size on this Kenya Safari is six people, to guarantee each person a window seat on game drives.
Please note that the Wildebeest Great Migration is seasonal. As a natural wildlife phenomenon, it is fluid and unpredictable. For this reason, seeing the Great Migration cannot be guaranteed.
The wildebeest and other wild herbivores migrate between Masai Mara in Kenya and Serengeti in Tanzania. These herds move in a massive circular route covering some 1200 miles (1931km). It is a continuous movement of wildlife that can be seen in different areas at different times of the year. During certain phases of this annual trek the animals disperse or slow down, whilst at other times the migration picks up speed, with the herds becoming larger and denser. Not only does the Wildebeest Great Migration vary from place to place and season to season but the movement of these large wildlife herds varies from year to year.
Please talk to a travel expert from African Budget Safaris about seeing the Wildebeest Great Migration on your safari to find out more. Also, check out our detailed article about the Great Migration in Serengeti and Masai Mara.
For up-to-date and confirmed pricing info for optional items, please drop us an enquiry.
This tour does take children.
Children of all ages, travelling with accompanying parents or guardian, are accepted on this safari.
Please contact African Budget Safaris for further information.
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