SILVER AFRICA TOURS & SAFARIS
Airport North Rd, Nyayo Embakasi suite 88/13,
P.O.BOX 60854 code 00200 city square,
Nairobi, Kenya, East Africa
Email:
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http://www.silverafricatours.com
The Big 5 Safari.
TOUR CODE: SAT003
Validity: 01st March 2011 ? 15th December 2011
Minimum: 02 pax
Transportation: Seven (7) 4 x 4 Landcruiser with the services of an English speaking driver/guide
Start: Nairobi
End: Nairobi
Departures: Guaranteed daily departure
|
Itinerary at a glance |
||||
|
Day |
Location |
Accommodation |
Board |
Activity |
|
01 |
Nairobi |
The Stanley Hotel |
BB |
Trsf, LE |
|
02 |
Amboseli Park |
Amboseli Serena Lodge |
LDBB |
P |
|
03 |
Amboseli Park |
Amboseli Serena Lodge |
LDBB |
E, P |
|
04 |
Aberdare Park |
Treetops Lodge |
LDBB |
GV |
|
05 |
Samburu Reserve |
Samburu Sopa Lodge |
LDBB |
P |
|
06 |
Samburu Reserve |
Samburu Sopa Lodge |
LDBB |
E, P |
|
07 |
Nakuru Park |
Lion Hill Lodge |
LDBB |
P |
|
08 |
Masai Mara Reserve |
Mara Sarova Camp |
LDBB |
P |
|
09 |
Masai Mara Reserve |
Mara Sarova Camp |
LDBB |
E, A, P |
|
10 |
Departure |
|
|
|
Trsf ? Transfer, BB ? Bed & Breakfast, L ? Lunch, D ? Dinner , LDBB ? Lunch, Dinner, Bed & Breakfast, E ? Early morning game drive, A ? Morning game drive, P ? Afternoon game drive, LE ? Leisure, CT ? Crater Tour, GV ? Game viewing from the lodge, FLT - Flight
DETAILED ITINERARY
DAY 01 ? ARRIVAL NAIROBI
Met upon arrival at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport by Silver Africa Tours Representative. Assistance and transfer to The Stanley Hotel. Rest of the day at leisure with the possibility of realizing optional excursions. Accommodation on bed and breakfast basis at The Stanley Hotel (BB).
Stanley was the hotel to stay or be seen at until the 1970s . In its heydays, the Stanley played host to famous royalty, politicians and stars. Situated in the city centre, it was also where the travelers, including Ernest Hemingway, gathered for a drink at the legendary Thorn Tree Cafe before or after a long safari. A message board on the acacia xanthophildea tree was used by travelers to make contact with fellow travelers. Today, the Stanley has lost much of its importance as a meeting place but a drink at the Thorn Tree Café is still a pleasant experience. Much of the hotel has been refurbished to a high standard and still retains the original Victorian charm. A revolving door leads to a lobby with marble floors, reproduction antique furniture and subdued lighting, recalling the graceful era of grand living. Bedrooms with private bathrooms, though small, are very comfortable while the restaurants at the Stanley serve excellent international cuisine. Several upscale galleries and artifact shops are located next to the hotel. The hotel has a pool and health club where guests can also relax.
DAY 02 ? NAIROBI/AMBOSELI NATIONAL PARK
After breakfast drive to Amboseli National Park arriving in time for lunch at Amboseli Serena Lodge. Afternoon game drive. Dinner and overnight at Amboseli Serena Lodge (LDBB).
DAY 03 ? AMBOSELI NATIONAL PARK
Early morning game drive returning to the lodge for breakfast. Rest of the morning at leisure. Lunch. Afternoon game drive. Dinner and overnight at Amboseli Serena Lodge (LDBB).
In the shadow of Mount Kilimanjaro, beside acacia trees and a natural spring, amidst more big game than almost anywhere else in Africa, stands Amboseli Serena. Influenced by Masai Manyatta architecture, the lodge is in harmony with its environment. Guest rooms are appointed with genuine Africana. Unique guest services and exceptional amenities enhance the distinctive ambience.
Arid looking as Amboseli is it has, historically, supported both game and the Masai that kept their herds of cattle here. It is thanks to the waters that run off Africa's greatest mountain that the apparently dry Amboseli, Kenya's first game sanctuary, is able to support its wildlife. Mount Kilimanjaro broods high over Amboseli, generally cloaked by clouds but appearing in all its snow-shrouded magnificence from time to time. Kilimanjaro was once part of Kenya, but on the marriage of Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany Queen Victoria gifted it to her beloved grand son, whose colony Tanzania then was, as the perfect wedding present. The mountain now provides water for the park, wonderful views and, of course, the most glorious background for animal photography. There has been serious erosion in the park. Elephant feeding habits combined with light soil have made serious inroads in the Amboseli vegetation. Nonetheless, there are still high numbers of the elephant for which the park is famous, and it is here that much research has been done on the largest land mammal. Indeed, a cursory examination will show that humankind is not the only animal to destroy its own environment. The grasslands in the park can be undeniably lovely when made verdant by the rains and the three major swamps could star in a dinosaur movie. The swamps on the east of the park attract wildebeest, zebra and antelope with the predators that live off them, chiefly lion which tend to be easy to view here. In the south, Enkongo Narok swamp attracts hippos to the larger pools and plenty of buffalo, buck and teeming birdlife including the jacanas that pick their way elegantly and carefully. Giraffe are here and in areas still sufficiently treed there are leopard. Cheetah, caracal and civet may be seen. In the west of the park lies Lake Amboseli, a seasonal soda lake, sometimes with flamingos. Amboseli is a fabulous place to visit. The overwhelmingly lovely views and good wildlife sightings are too good to miss.
DAY 04 ? AMBOSELI NATIONAL PARK/ABERDARES NATIONAL PARK
After breakfast drive to Nairobi arriving in time for lunch at The Carnivore Restaurant. After lunch drive to Nyeri arriving at The Outspan Hotel. Late evening transfer to Treetops Lodge in The Aberdare National Park. Rest of the day at leisure with game viewing from the lodge. Dinner and overnight at Treetops Lodge (LDBB).
Note: Only small overnight bags are allowed at Treetops. The rest of the luggage will be stored at Outspan Hotel from where it will be collected the following morning.
Treetops is the original tree lodge, legendary for its historical royal connection, for the animals it attracts and for the sheer joy of exploring a tree house visited by rhino, elephant, buffalo, lion, bushbuck, waterbuck and many other species.You leave the Outspan after lunch for the ten-mile drive to Treetops and are met by a ranger who will help you with the common sense rules of behaviour necessary for safety and good animal viewing. The lodge rises dramatically out of the ground on stilts and overlooks a water hole and salt lick. It has four decks and a rooftop-viewing platform. Solely dedicated to game viewing, the accommodation is compact and cosy. At 6450 feet above sea level it is chilly at night at all times of the year and during the Kenyan winter, from June to September, you will need sweaters and hats for comfort and warmth.The fifty twin bedded rooms are small and neat and cosy, like cabins on board ship. Dinner is served at refectory tables with bench seating - what fun.
Probably the highest national park in the world, Aberdare is all above 7,000 feet. The habitat of the Aberdare Mountains, like that of Mount Kenya that is on the other side of the Laikipia Plains, ranges from forest and thick bamboo to open moor land. Breathtaking waterfalls, brightly coloured birds, soaring raptors, a fascinating and diverse plant world and gorgeous scenery make this national park both lovely and intriguing. This is the area for those who are keen to fish. A certain Captain Grogan and the fishing, in rivers such as the Naro Moru, the Thego, introduced the trout here in 1906 and the Chania is renowned. The Aberdares are also remembered as the guerrilla base of Kenyan heroes during their war for independence from the British. Established as a national park in 1950, Aberdare lies around two high peaks, Kinangop and Lesatima, with almost 50 kilometres of high moors stretching mistily between them. The scenery here is stunning and the waterfalls particularly dramatic - the Gura Falls plunge and foam down the side of a 1500-foot rock face. Some of the indigenous wildlife in the Aberdares is equally as stunning. Melanistic black leopard, serval and genet can be found here, but are both shy and rare. Large numbers of buffalo, a few rhino, elephant, Colubus monkeys, bush pig and wart hog may be found in the forests. It is said that the elephant still remember the bombing raids by the British during the war for independence, and are thus extremely suspicious of mankind. The birding is excellent. Brightly coloured parrots, francolin, the strutting secretary bird and green ibis are among the species here. Sunbirds enjoy the open moors and raptors such as the rufous sparrowhawk, goshawk, buzzards and the crowned eagle scour the moors for prey. The Aberdares even has a Hollywood connection. This is where the film "Gorillas in the Mist", starring Sigourney Weaver, was made. The renowned naturalist studied the mountain gorillas of Rwanda and was murdered there. Perhaps even more famously, although rather longer ago, it was to Treetops, that the news of her father's death, and her accession to the throne, was brought to the then Princess Elizabeth.
DAY 05 ? ABERDARES NATIONAL PARK/SAMBURU GAME RESERVE
Early morning wakeup call and transfer to Outspan Hotel for breakfast. After breakfast drive to Samburu Game Reserve arriving in time for lunch at Samburu Sopa Lodge. Afternoon game drive. Dinner and overnight at Samburu Sopa Lodge (LDBB)
DAY 06 ? SAMBURU GAME RESERVE
Early morning game drive returning to the lodge for breakfast. Rest of the morning at leisure. Lunch. Afternoon game drive. Dinner and overnight at Samburu Sopa Lodge (LDBB).
Samburu Sopa Lodge is situated in the middle of park, six kilometers due north of Serena, next to the new Oryx airstrip.It is accessible from the main Isiolo ? Moyale road at both Ngare Mara as well as Archers post junctions. The lodge is built atop raised ground allowing panoramic views of distant Samburu hills to one side and El Ndonyo Keri (Samburu name for Mt. Kenya) on the other. The lodge is the only one with a waterhole in Samburu which will allow animal viewing from bedroom verandahs especially during dry seasons. Thirty cottages forming buffalo horn pattern converge at the public facilities area, leaving the open end to free movement of the wildlife to access the waterhole. The architecture blends in with the area, to keep up with the style of the housing by the local Samburu people. Each cottage has two tastefully appointed bedrooms, each with two queen size beds, shower and private verandah. Local material has been used in the construction, furnishings and interior decoration. High ceilings and space ensure that the rooms are airy and comfortable. The public areas are airy and spacious with views of the surrounding area. The reception is decorated with local artifacts, and rich earth colours typical of the Samburu area have been well blended. The dining room has a beautiful view and once again the same theme is carried through, including the furniture which is unusually carved, and the chairs have a cow horn shape on the back rest. Local stones and materials are tastefully displayed bringing nature into the lodge. There is a swimming pool to cool one in the warm Samburu weather, and loungers, much needed after a long dusty safari.
PSamburu is different from many of the other frequently visited areas. These forty square miles of reserve is not the oft-seen Kenyan landscape of savannah and flat-topped acacias, but harsh, dramatic terrain. The people from this area, the Samburu, are similarly dramatic to the outsider. Dressed in bright red, with their braided hair and skin daubed with red ochre, the "Moran", the youthful warriors of the Samburu almost always spear-in-hand, are a wonderful sight. The permanent water supply of the Uaso Nyiro River is what attracts the game to Samburu. Much of the reserve is arid, hilly landscape but riverine forest fringes the riverbanks and there are doum palms, the fruit of which is a great favourite with elephants. Crocodiles lie quietly in the mud and it is here that you will find abundant Birdlife, including palm-eagles, storks, hornbills, bee-eaters and plenty of weaverbirds. Some species in the area are specially adapted to the arid environment, and are particularly northern - the magnificent Oryx, for example and the gerenuk, a rather odd looking long-necked gazelle which can stretch up to reach the lower branches of the thorn trees. You will also find Grevy's Zebra, larger than the more commonly seen Burchell's zebra, and reticulated giraffe, with their irregular netted pattern of white. Desert lion are found here, leopards can be seen, and the ostrich (Ethiopian) have blue legs! Elephant wander, browsing in family groups. Buffalo Springs has the Uaso Nyiro River as its northern boundary, and thus may almost be seen as an extension of Samburu Reserve, which is bounded in the south by the river. The game here is the same as Samburu, but here there is more marshland and the large pools from the springs themselves. You may cross from one reserve to the other via a bridge over the river. Samburu and Buffalo Springs are becoming more sought after as a wildlife destination. They are only a couple of hundred miles from Nairobi and thus an easy hop on the light aircraft that fly from Wilson Airport, which itself is just outside Nairobi. In addition, the harsh beauty of the landscape is compelling.
DAY 07 ? SAMBURU GAME RESERVE/LAKE NAKURU NATIONAL PARK
After breakfast drive to Lake Nakuru National Park arriving in time for lunch at Sarova Lion Hill Lodge. Afternoon game drive. Dinner and overnight at Sarova Lion Hill Lodge (LDBB).
Situated in the heart of the Rift Valley, Lake Nakuru is one of Kenya's most famous soda lakes. A major feature of this park is the wonderful bird life, particularly the thousands of flamingos, which create a shimmering pink hue over the lake. A rhino sanctuary also provides the opportunity to see the endangered black rhino. Sarova Lion Hill offers a unique vantage point. Each of the 64 superbly appointed chalets with private secluded veranda enjoys views over the lake and the distant hills. Even the glorious pool has a view!
Originally declared a national park because of a superbly diverse bird population, which includes many migrants, the park is also a favourite place for travellers to seek the rare black rhino. However, it is for the flamingos that the lake is best known, and it was for their protection that the park was originally created. The level of the blue-green alkaline waters here varies and this, with other accompanying environmental changes, causes considerable variation in the flamingo population, but when they are present, en masse, the whole lake turns a gorgeous rosy pink. Although protection of the flamingo population on the lake was the original rationale for the inception of the national park, further land was included in the early seventies and it is now about 190 sq m. This expansion, which took in a large grassland area, has allowed the park to protect further species. Buffalo, zebra, antelope and both lion and leopard are to be found. The rather less ubiquitous reedbuck and waterbuck are also here as is the glamorously leggy Rothschild giraffe. Temptingly, the black rhino-breeding programme, started in the late eighties, has proved successful and this is an excellent place to view them.
DAY 08 ? LAKE NAKURU NATIONAL PARK/MASAI MARA GAME RESERVE
After breakfast drive to Masai Mara Game Reserve arriving in time for lunch at Mara Sarova Camp. Afternoon game drive. Dinner and overnight at Mara Sarova Camp (LDBB).
DAY 09 ? MASAI MARA GAME RESERVE
Very early in the morning, after a cup of coffee or tea in the lodge you will join your driver-guides and set out for an early morning game drive in the reserve. This is usually the best game viewing time as during the early hours, temperatures are low and the animals are the most active. The plains game roam the savannahs licking on the morning dew on the leaves, watching all the while for the predators. Back in the camp, enjoy your sumptuous buffet breakfast then it?s time to relax or swim in the camp?s pool. Mid morning game drive followed by lunch in the lodge. Afternoon game drive. Dinner and overnight at Mara Sarova Camp (LDBB).
Sarova Mara Tented Lodge has 75 tents and is located in the world-renowned Masai Mara; home to the greatest game show on earth ? the Wildebeest Migration. The lodge is situated on an elevation astride two streams, with extremely beautiful gardens. The luxurious tents all have permanent roofs, zip-up fronts, electricity and ensuite facilities. Relax outside your own tent listening to the orchestra of rasping Cicadas, croaking tree frogs. The intermittent call of birds and monkeys is a memorable symphony. The Isokon Restaurant offers a wide range of cuisine and with special barbecues are held by the swimming pool beneath the star filled skies. The restaurant has two sections, one internal and one external with a canopy. Breakfast and lunch are buffets, whilst dinner is Table D?hote. The capacity is 150 people. The Oloip Bar is located on the ground floor, it is perfect in the evenings with a cozy log fire is lit in the fireplace in the Bar. It has a capacity of 150 people and operates between the hours of 0700hrs-2300hrs. Complementing the simplicity of the camp is cozy log fire that is lit in the Oloip bar every night, when the temperature drops. This is where traditional Maasai performers with their rich cultural dances and music entertain guests.
Probably the most famous of the reserves, the Masai Mara, in Kenya's southwestern corner, boasts an astonishing amount of game. Unfenced, the Mara is bounded in the east by the Ngama Hills and in the west by the Oloololo or Siria Escarpment. Gazelle, wildebeest and zebra graze in large numbers and where prey is found so are predators. Not only is this a great place in which to find game, but also the wide greeny-gold savannahs spotted with thorn trees make it ideal for photography. The Mara, as it is known in Kenya, is ravishingly beautiful and also offers long, undisturbed views and utterly dramatic panoramas. The weather really means something here. The sun may beat down unforgiving, huge clouds in fabulous shapes may sweep across the widest of skies; the wind ripples the grasses as though a giant hand strokes them. The landscape is stunning. The famously black-manned Mara lions are possibly the stars of the Mara show, but cheetah, elephant, kongoni, topi, Thompson's gazelle, waterbuck, hyena, and primates are all here too. As with the rest of Kenya, the birding is good. There is no settlement within the reserve however, the Mara is in theory owned by the Masai, pastoralists and, in earlier times, renowned lion-killers. Lodges and hotels offer the opportunity to buy their beadwork, checked cloths and copies of their spears. It is said that if lions scent approaching Masai on the breeze they move swiftly in the opposite direction. Famously, the Mara is the northerly end of the Great Migration, that great primeval surge of wildebeest, zebra and antelope that sweeps in from Tanzania's Serengeti to Kenya's Masai Mara as the Tanzanian grass starts to fail. The large predators who pick off the weak, the stragglers and the young track them. The great herds, nearing their destination by July, mass along the Mara River, pushing, shoving and fantastically noisy, just waiting for the first animal to cross so that they can all follow, lemming-like, on the final leg of the journey. However, crocodiles lie in wait, sluggishly cruising the waters, fully prepared for their best meal of the year. Many fail in the life-and-death struggle - drowned, eaten by the crocodiles or, made careless or weak by their stressful swim, brought down by lions. The Masai Mara is terrible yet wonderful, and not to be missed.
DAY 10 ? MASAI MARA GAME RESERVE/NAIROBI/DEPARTURE
After breakfast drive to Nairobi, Kenya?s colourful capital city. Drop off at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport for your onward departure flight. End of our services. All prices indicated are in US$ and are net and non commissionable:
|
From |
To |
Each of 2 pax |
Each of 3 pax |
Each of 4 pax |
Each of 5 pax |
Each of 6 pax |
Each of 7 pax |
Single room Sup |
|
01.01.10 |
31.03.10 |
2904 |
2575 |
2410 |
2311 |
2246 |
2199 |
605 |
|
01.04.10 |
31.05.10 |
2531 |
2202 |
2037 |
1938 |
1873 |
1826 |
74 |
|
01.06.10 |
30.06.10 |
2907 |
2578 |
2413 |
2314 |
2249 |
2202 |
574 |
|
01.07.10 |
31.10.10 |
2975 |
2668 |
2515 |
2423 |
2361 |
2317 |
724 |
|
01.11.10 |
15.12.10 |
2877 |
2548 |
2383 |
2284 |
2219 |
2172 |
560 |
Easter supplement applicable on 10+11+12+13.04.10(inclusive) US$45.00 per person per night
Included:
? Accommodation and meals as indicated above
? Seven (7) seater minibus with English speaking driver/guide
? Game drives as indicated above
? All park fees
? One (1) litre bottle of mineral water per person per day on safari
? All transfers and assistance
Excluded:
? International flights, visas and airport taxes
? Personal expenses like drinks, tips, laundry etc
? Personal insurance and baggage insurance
