9-Day Kenyan Communities and Wildlife Safari

The day before your safari begins and when you arrive, you will be met and transferred to your hotel. This will enable you to rest up after your journey to Kenya in readiness for the beginning of your safari the next day. Please note that check in at the Palacina Hotel is at 12.00 pm on the day prior to your tour beginning. The cost of this is included in your tour package. If you are arriving in Nairobi on an early morning flight on the day prior to your safari starting, please contact us if you would like us to arrange an additional nights accommodation so that you can access your room. Accommodation: Palacina, the Residence & Suites

Today we pick you up from your hotel and transfer you to Wilson Airport for the 45-minute flight to Nanyuki, which is a small town in the scenic foothills of Mount Kenya. We then embark on a drive to the camp in eastern Laikipia, which is about a two-hour drive north of Nanyuki. The camp will be your home for the next four nights. Laikipia lies northeast of the Great Rift Valley and is a vast plateau where landowners and conservationists have created a special place for communities and wildlife to coexist. The camp looks westward toward a series of granite kopjes (outcrops of rock), and in the foreground you might see zebra, giraffe and antelope on the open grasslands. The camp features six spacious walk-in traditional safari tents decorated with colourful African furnishings and fabrics, and the home-cooked food is always varied, fresh and tasty. In the evenings we have drinks, or sundowners, overlooking the bush or by the fire and three-course dinners under the stars. Accommodation: Tumaren Camp

Your amazing safari starts in earnest. Away from roads and vehicles, guests have a unique opportunity to take leisurely walking safaris around the camp and conservancy and take in the wide-open spaces and wildlife that Laikipia is famed for. These might include eland, hartebeest, steenbok, giraffe, Grevy’s zebra and buffalo and lucky visitors may even see spot elephants, lions and wild dogs. You never quite know what you will see and that's the exciting thing about this camp. It has a high density of wildlife that will leave you in awe. Each walking safari is tailor-made to suit guests’ abilities and you walk for as long as you feel comfortable, and you will also be accompanied by camels that carry your heavier cameras, refreshments and day-packs. You will also learn about the local ecosystems and traditions from the Laikipia Samburu and Maasai guides. So what you do each day is entirely up to you and how you feel. You can walk, ride a camel or hop in the 4 wheel drive. Accommodation: Tumaren Camp

If you prefer, you can stay at camp and let the wildlife come to you. There are wonderful views across the plains from your tent and a salt lick right beside the camp which attracts the wildlife. Other activities include game-viewing by vehicle along the Ewaso Ng'iro River, which is an excellent spot to watch elephants and other animals come to drink and rock-climbing in the kopjes. And as the area has a very rich traditional culture, there’s the option to visit a local market where all the warriors and women come dressed in their finest adornments. So what you do and when you do it, is all determined by you and your guide. It is the personal service and enthusiasm of the guides and their knowledge of the local area which ensure you will have amazing wildlife viewing opportunities. And every morning the guides will give you the latest in terms of where the wildlife is likely to be found. Accommodation: Tumaren Camp

By now you have settled into the rhythm of life in the camp and all that it has to offer. Whether you start early or later in the day, where you do a short walk or a long one, is entirely up to you. But you will be enthralled by the sheer number of wildlife sightings that you have. It's the ultimate eco tour. Your low eco footprint is the hallmark of all wildlife safaris and your hosts have been the leaders in this field for many years. And on top of al this, you will capture some amazing moments both in terms of wildlife images and also with the local people. Your presence on this safari supports the local people who provide the guiding services, fantastic meals and who look after all your needs throughout the four days you are at the camp. And long before the terms éco friendly' was in vogue, your hosts were educating all about responsible and sustainable travel and wildlife conservation. Accommodation: Tumaren Camp

After breakfast and a hearty goodbye from the camp team, enjoy the last drive in Laikipia back to the airport at Nanyuki, and after your flight arrive at Wilson Airport. You will be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel. The hotel will be your base for the next three nights as you head out on three inspiring day trips to meet some remarkable communities in and around Nairobi. On this night, and for the next two nights, you'll enjoy dinner at restaurants the locals love in Nairobi. We always choose somewhere interesting to eat and have lots of fun. The restaurants are chosen for their excellent food and service and we take into consideration what the group likes to eat and whether there are children in the group. So the ambience of the restaurants is always a great consideration. Dining out at restaurants is a great way to relax, discuss and ask questions that come to mind about the various communities and projects we visit and what you have seen over the last few days. Accommodation: Palacina, the Residence & Suites

Today we visit a Women's Empowerment Centre in a developing area in the west of Nairobi, which is one of the worthwhile projects One Horizon supports. The center was started by Mary a Kenyan social worker, who developed a program to help struggling mothers by teaching them lifestyle, trade and entrepreneurial skills so they can set up their own businesses. The results have been phenomenal as the mothers are able to transform into independent business owners and community leaders, and crucially support and keep their families together. You will spend time with Mary to learn about her vision and meet some of the proud and resourceful women. The experience will show you how teaching empowerment and skills can lift people out of poverty. The day is likely to be one of the most emotional and inspiring days you will ever have. And be prepared to join in the singing and dancing which inevitably takes place on such visits. Accommodation: Palacina, the Residence & Suites

There are many grandmother-headed households in Kenya who care for their grandchildren among other generations of their family in difficult economic circumstances. Today you visit a rural Kikuyu community of delightful and resourceful grandmothers who will show you their pig-farming operation. This is another project that One Horizon supports, and the initiative aims at improving the livelihoods of the grandmothers by economically empowering them through small-scale farming. Sit down with the grandmothers while they cook traditional meals for their families and you, enjoy some joyful singing and dancing, and listen to them narrate their powerful stories about progress and resilience. You will probably be in awe of how grandmas, in their 70's are embarking on business careers at a time when others would be considering retirement. These grandmas are securing their families future and you will no doubt leave with great respect for them. Accommodation: Palacina, the Residence & Suites

Today we venture into rural Maasai country where you will meet a family and immerse yourself in the midst of the daily hustle and bustle of village life. Your host will be one of the village elders, an heir to his clan, who will take you on a tour to explain how the Maasai have managed these precious lands for centuries. The women will offer to dress you in traditional Maasai shuka cloth or ‘African blanket’, and the young men, or morans, will explain what it’s like being a warrior in Maasai society and show you how to throw a traditional spear and the techniques needed to survive in the bush. There will be singing and dancing, which might include the extraordinary jumping dance, or ‘adumu’ which is how Maasai warriors demonstrate their prowess. After an exciting final day on this Kenyan Communities and Wildlife Conservation tour, we return to Nairobi where the tour ends. We will have organized your transfer to the International Airport for your onward journey.