6-Day Amboseli, Lake Naivasha and Mara

We'll get an early morning start and drive to Amboseli National Park. Check-in at the accommodation and have lunch. In the afternoon we go on a game drive. Amboseli National Park is situated due south of Nairobi - most of the park consists of a dry, ancient lake bed and fragile grassland with patches of acacia woodland, while in the southern area there is a number of small, rocky, volcanic hills. Around the swamps Ol Kenya, Ol Tukai, and Enkongo Narok, the vegetation is lush with yellow-barked acacias and phoenix palms.

Rising early for good views of Mount Kilimanjaro before clouds build up over the summit with packed lunch provided, an optional visit to a Masai village can be planned after breakfast. A visit reveals the singing and dancing that are part of their daily lives and sacred rituals. A glimpse into their homes and social structure is a poignant experience. Despite its changing habitat, Amboseli National Park is possibly the best wildlife area in the whole of Africa to experience elephants at close range. Less harassed by poachers, elephants feeding and bathing in the swamps will form the highlights of any safari.

An early morning drive to Lake Naivasha, it is the highest and the most beautiful of the Rif Valley lakes. At 1910m (6200f), the water is fresh and the lake is fringed with dense clumps of papyrus (ancient Egyptian once used this to make paper). Kingfishers use the papyrus as a perch, herons hide in it while searching for food. Naivasha is yet another area popular for bird watching (over 400species have been recorded). It is also a favorite weekend retreat for Nairobi residents, who come here to sail, water ski, and fish. There are no crocodiles in the lake as the water is too cold for them, due to altitude but there are a number of hippos. Along the lakeshore, vineyards produce grapes for the country's fledgling wine industry.

Depart early morning to Maasai Mara National Reserve. Arrive in time for lunch then have an afternoon game drive. Mara holds on as one of the few places left on earth where wildlife still lives comparatively undisturbed, in the numbers that once roamed the plains and forests of Africa. As the northern tip of the vast Serengeti ecosystem, the Mara hosts the spectacular seasonal migration of many thousands of Wildebeest, Zebras, and attendant predators.

After breakfast, we have a full-day game drive, with packed lunch provided. The reserve is well known for its black-manned lion, as well as its abundant resident wildlife, and it's one of the few places where it's possible to see the Big Five during a morning's game drive. Many of the cheetahs are so tame they seek shelter from the hot sun under one's vehicle and several even climb onto the roof to get a better view of prospective prey. For the bird enthusiast, almost 500 species have been recorded: among these 16 species of eagle, plus many hawks and falcons, 6 species of vultures, 8 species of storks 4 of bustard (including the Kori bustard, the world's heaviest flying bird), and 9 species of sunbirds.

Morning game drive in Mara and afternoon transfer to Nairobi arriving at about 5 pm. Lunch en-route.