Essential Kenya

Overview

Rising west from the Indian Ocean to the Rift Valley Kenya has a diverse landscape from harsh deserts to woodlands to savannas to the tallest mountain in Africa, Kilimanjaro.

Our Essential Kenya tour provides an in depth, immersive experience across Kenya’s varied ecosystems. Our trip is longer than many, allowing you the opportunity to unpack, get settled in and truly enjoy your time in Africa.

This tour is fantastic for anyone who wants to see and photograph all of eastern Africa’s iconic wildlife. We also take a conservation drift, arranging time with different conservation organizations if there is interest.

Nairobi

Most flights in to Nairobi land at night. We will greet you at the airport, help you get through the passport check and customs. We stay in southwest Nairobi at the Karen Blixen Cottages away from the city for two nights. Spend your first day in Kenya visiting the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust elephant orphanage and the Giraffe Centre, taking the opportunity to rest up after your long flight.

Amboseli

We drive through Amboseli on our way to our lodging, arriving in time for lunch at the Amboseli Serena situated inside the park. The remains of an ancient lake, Amboseli offers varied ecosystems in a relatively small space from harsh desert to marshes to woodlands. Watch some of the few remaining tuskers, lions, hyenas, buffaloes, incredible bird life and more.  Watching herds of elephants crossing the desert to different foraging areas is one of nature’s spectacles that you simply must see. Watching them return the following morning to roam beneath Mount Kilimanjaro is breathtaking. We spend four nights here.

Ol Pejeta

We enjoy a small plane flight from Amboseli to Ol Pejeta through Nairobi’s Wilson airport. A private reserve in central Kenya, Ol Pejeta hosts one of the largest concentration of rhinoceroses in the world. You will see both black and white rhinos here along with giraffes, hyenas, several species of antelope, buffalo, lions and, with a little luck cheetahs and maybe a leopard. You will get to see Fatu and Najin, the last two living Northern White Rhinoceroses, blind Baraka, the chimpanzee sanctuary and have the opportunity to go on a ranger patrol and meet the Ol Pejeta K-9s. Your tented room overlooks a watering hole frequented by myriad wildlife. We spend four nights here allowing you to fully enjoy this magnificent place.

Lake Nakuru

Located about halfway between Ol Pejeta and the Maasai Mara, Lake Nakuru is a fully enclosed national park based on Lake Nakuru. Olive Baboons and Vervet Monkeys frequent the verdant acacia forests as they glow in the early morning and late afternoon light. We will see the highly endangered Rothschild Giraffe, hyenas, rhinos, zebras, and an array of bird life.

Maasi Mara

An easy drive from Lake Nakuru we enter the Maasai Mara before lunch. Welcome to paradise. Civilization melts away as we delve deep in to the endless tall grass savanna of the Mara. Lions are common along with elephants and giraffes. Our tented lodge at the intimate Entim Camp is nestled above the Mara River where hippos and hyenas will serenade you in the evening. With 5 nights in the Mara we will have ample time to explore the Mara in any and every direction, to linger with lions and drive to leopard and cheetah sightings.

Gorilla Extension or Home

We wake up at Entim Camp, enjoying a short wildlife drive to the airstrip for your flight to Nairobi. You will either have a day room in preparation for your flight home or go to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport for your flight to Rwanda and your gorilla treks.

Details

Late February in to early March is generally right before the “long rains.” Most of the wildebeest are in Tanzania at this time, but the parks are not nearly as busy as during other times of the year. It is our favorite time of year in Africa.

We designed this tour with the idea of “Stay Longer…See More” in mind, minimizing long days of driving from park A to park B and to maximize your opportunity to see all of the iconic African species while affording you the opportunity to see the enormous conservation efforts being made here. We will also give you as much or as little photography instruction as you like.

This tour does not require a lot of physical fitness outside of walking to your room and back. That can be up to 100 yards in some cases, but is usually much shorter. If you elect a ranger walk at Ol Pejeta that will be more strenuous. If you elect a gorilla extension that will, of course be more strenuous.

You will have Gina and I as guides as well as a Kenyan guide per vehicle. By limiting this tour to 7 guests across three vehicles everyone gets their own row.

Step 1 – Please Read Our Booking Terms and Conditions

We first recommend that you read and become familiar with our booking terms & conditions, which can be found on this page, under the PRICES box.

Step 2 – Get in Touch

Get in touch with us to confirm that there are still spaces available on the photo safari that you are interested in. Click on the “INQUIRE NOW” button above.

STEP 3 – Complete a Booking Form

Once we have confirmed that there is space available and answered any questions, we will send you a booking form to complete. When we receive your booking form we will send you wiring instructions.

STEP 4 – Send Your Deposit

Deposits can be paid via check or wire transfer. We will notify you as soon as your deposit arrives. Places on the safari will only be confirmed once we have received both a completed booking form and deposit payment.

STEP 5 – Final Balance Payment

As soon as your booking form and deposit are with us, we will send you an electronic confirmation displaying the outstanding balance amount. This amount will be due 90 days before the start date of the safari.

STEP 6 – Final Review

After we receive your outstanding balance payment we will go over an additional visa, vaccination or other questions that you might have.

STEP 7 – Board Your Flight

Enjoy your flight. We’ll see you in Africa.