An amazing guided walking and wildlife adventure in Kenya’s northern lakes away from mass tourism. Relaxed hikes, hot springs, thousands of flamingos, unique Njemp’s culture, over 400 birds species plus of course wildlife viewing are the hallmark of this students travel.
This tour has 3 days in the Baringo/Bogoria area and 3 days in the Naivasha area. Masai Mara, the Africa that everyone dreams of, takes the last 3 days of the tour with elephants, lions, leopards, cheetahs, topis and hippos all calling for our attention. A walk guided by Masai Morans makes this a perfect student safari in all aspects.
Nairobi – JKIA Airport or Nairobi hotel
Early Morning
Arrival at the airport and reception by our guides. Transfer from the airport to a hotel in Nairobi.
After breakfast there is the briefing by the guide about the program. By 8.30 a.m. we leave Nairobi via the Nakuru road to the Great Rift Valley. Our destination is Lake Baringo where we should arrive in time for a late lunch. Based here for the next three days we will have time to take in the beauty of this area with high volcanic escarpments, open savannas and high temperatures most of the year.
In the late afternoon of day 2, we will go for a guided walk on the high escarpments. The contrasts of the setting sun against the steep volcanic rocks are highlights of this walk.
On day 3 we first visit the Njemps, an ethnic community related to the Masai but their culture is different in that they are fishermen as well as pastoralists. Get the shivers as you see the Njemps on shallow fishing boats in a lake where every few meters there is a crocodile!!! We then take a guided walk in the open savannah.
On day 4 we will drive to Lake Bogoria which is a salt water lake and a place to see thousands of flamingos. We will spend some time at the hot springs and then walk towards the Fig Tree campsite. The walk is in open savannah with scattered bushes and we have the chance to see the greater kudu, Thompson’s and Grant’s gazelles as well as zebras, monkeys and baboons.
After breakfast we head to Lake Naivasha, another fresh water lake in the Rift Valley. We arrive at Elsamere, the home of the late Joy Adamson of the Born Free fame, in time for lunch. This will be the base for the next 3 days of the school trip as we enjoy the activities in the Lake Naivasha area. The property is secluded with huge fever trees that stretch down to the lake’s shore.
In the afternoon we do another African game viewing walk at the nearby Crater Lake Game Sanctuary. It is a lesser lake in the Rift Valley but a place where nature is at its best.
We do a walk in the sanctuary followed by a circular trek on the top of the crater from where we see the lake from various angles. Pleasant interruptions on the walks will be from giraffes, black and white Colobus monkeys, elands and a range of gazelles. We return to Elsamere for overnight.
We wake up for breakfast with the sun giving a wonderful effect over the lake. An early morning here should not be missed by anyone with an eye for birds since the lake boasts a wide variety of water and woodland birds.
After breakfast we do a short transfer to the Hell’s Gate National Park. This is a unique park where walking is done in the middle of wildlife. Giraffes, zebras, warthogs and many types of gazelles are found here. The first part of this walk is done in typical flat African savanna in a volcanic area with huge rock boundaries. There are camphor and acacia trees all over and this is where to look for the giraffe as they mainly feed on them. A picnic lunch will on a view point overlooking the Ol Njorowa Gorge.
The last part of the walk is done in the gorge by descending into a steep canyon with running water from geysers and wild vegetation. The climax of the day is in walking in the side gorge where the rocks have split to leave only a walking path. We climb back to the rangers post for transfer back to the Elsamere.
In the morning we will visit the privately owned Crescent Island, which is a peninsula on the Eastern shore of Lake Naivasha. There is a lot of easy to see game e.g. giraffes, wildebeests, waterbucks, elands, zebras and impalas. It is also a heaven for birds with +200 species recorded. The walk is gentle and satisfying.
Afternoon is for a visit to the colorful Naivasha town and the surroundings. Back to Elsamere in the late afternoon.
We now take a break from walking to put all our attention to watching wildlife. To see the best of Kenyan wildlife, Masai Mara is the place to be. Elephants, giraffes, buffaloes, gazelles and all the big cats are found here. So, after breakfast we start our journey passing through Narok Town: a colorful Masai town.
Our game viewing does not actually start at the park gate. We will be able to see many animals along the way grazing side by side with the Masai livestock. We reach the camp, our home for the next three days, in time for lunch.
These are our cultural and activity days on the students travel in Masai Mara. We do a morning game drive through the park and hike to a Masai manyatta (=homestead). Here we will see how the typical Masais live. An afternoon game drive makes the day complete.
On day 10 we do a morning and an afternoon game drive. We break from the driving with an optional walk in a natural area with rolling hills and grasslands, out of the park boundaries.
Leave Masai Mara in the morning for lunch at the Kiambethu Tea Farm. This is an old colonial home established by the early settlers and the pioneers of tea growing in Kenya. There will be a talk on tea: its arrival in Kenya, the growing, processing and up to when you put it into your cup. A short walk in the tea plantation and into a small remaining part of indigenous forest completes the tour. We have a healthy farm lunch and thereafter transfer to Nairobi for the evening flight out.
