Kenya Student Safari

Rift Valley & Masai Mara Game Reserve

Students Educational Safari (8 Days / 7 Nights)

Students Safari 8 Days / 7 Nights Itinerary

Day 1: Nairobi arrival. Overnight at the La Mada Hotel or Similar
Day 2: Lake Naivasha. Visit Crescent Island. Overnight at Lake Naivasha Country Club
Day 3: Lake Naivasha. Visit Hells Gate National Park. Overnight at Lake Naivasha Country Club
Day 4: Lake Naivasha. Visit Crater Game Sanctuary. Overnight at Lake Naivasha Country Club
Day 5: Masai Mara Game Reserve. Overnight at Mara Simba Lodge or similar
Day 6: Masai Mara Game Reserve. Overnight at Mara Simba Lodge or similar
Day 7: Masai Mara Game Reserve. Overnight at Mara Simba Lodge or similar
Day 8: Drive to Nairobi, Kiambethu Tea Farm for Lunch and evening transfer to the Airport

Cost for 2010: Per Person
Land Arrangements (Per Person)

Detailed Itinerary for the Students Safari

Students Safari 8 Days takes you to visit our favorite Destinations: Crater Lake and Crescent Island Sanctuary and Hell’s Gate National Park — easy to see game such as Giraffes, Waterbucks, Elands, Zebras and various Gazelles. Masai Mara is the Africa that everyone dreams of — enjoy 3 glorious Days of the Safari viewing Elephant's, Lion's, Leopard's, Cheetah's, Topi's, Hippos and much more. Never will you feel more a part of the splendor of Africa than on a Bush Walk guided by local Masai and Game Rangers.

Day 1
Nairobi Arrival
Arrival at the airport at night and reception by African Spice Safaris. Transfer from the airport to the La Mada Hotel or similar

Overnight at the La Mada Hotel or similar
Meal Plan: {Bed & Breakfast}

Day 2
Crescent Island Lake Naivasha
After breakfast, a Safari briefing is conducted by an African Spice Safari Director. By 8.30 a.m. we leave Nairobi via the Nakuru road to the Rift valley. The Nairobi - Nakuru road is on a contour along the rim of the Rift valley and on a viewpoint we will be able to see our whole route. We arrive at the Lake Naivasha Country Club, our base for three days, in time for lunch. This lodge opened in 1937 as a staging post for Imperial Airways' flying boat service from Durban to London.

The 55-acre property boasts green lawns shaded by mature acacias and spreading fever trees that stretch down to the lake's shore. In the afternoon we do our first African game viewing walk at 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, waterbucks, elands, zebras and impalas. It is also a heaven for birds with +200 species recorded. The walk is gentle and satisfying. We return to the Lake Naivasha Country Club in time for afternoon tea. Today's program should be taken as light as possible to wear off the jet lag.

Overnight at the Lake Naivasha Country Club or similar
Meal Plan: {Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner}

Day 3
Visit Hell's Gate National Park
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 Hells 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 savannah 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 provided by the hotel will be at the Rangers post.

The second part of the walk is done in the Hell's Gate 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 the transfer back to the Lake Naivasha Country Club.

Overnight at the Lake Naivasha Country Club or similar
Meal Plan: {Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner}

Day 4
Visit Crater Lake Game Sanctuary
An early rising will ensure that one gets another magical display of the various birds. After breakfast we do a transfer by bus to the nearby Crater Lake Game Sanctuary. It is a fairly small 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.

Overnight at the Lake Naivasha Country Club or similar
Meal Plan: {Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner}

Day 5, Day 6 & Day 7
Masai Mara Game Reserve
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, rhinos, 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 Reserve gate. We will be able to see many animals along the way grazing side by side with the Masai livestock. We reach the lodge or tented camp, our home for the next three days, in time for lunch.

The search for great predators and perhaps even cubs continues today and tomorrow during extensive game runs. On the plains are enormous herds of grazing animals plus the elusive cheetah and leopard hiding amidst acacia boughs. We also visit a Masai village and glimpse life so ancient and yet so enduring that it astonishes.

Overnight at the Simba Lodge or similar
Meal Plan: {Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner}

Day 8
Kiambethu Tea Farm & To Nairobi For Outbound Flight
Depart Masai Mara in the morning for Nairobi. Lunch will be served at Kiambethu Farms, a lush and lovely tea estate in the Limuru Highlands hosted by Fiona Vernon, granddaughter of the original settler. Kiambethu still produces tea leaves of the same variety that her grandfather grew when he was the first to plant tea in Kenya almost one hundred years ago.

Established in 1910 by the first family to farm tea in Kenya, it has been home to four generations, including the original owner’s granddaughter Fiona Vernon and her husband Marcus, who now operate a lovely restaurant out of their home. 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.

Safari Inclusions
Our attractive African Spice Safari Price is based on the size of your party and includes
* Transport Nairobi - Lake Naivasha- Masai Mara- Nairobi
* All meals from Breakfast from Day 2 through lunch on Day 8
* All accommodation as per itinerary
* Flying Doctors Evacuation Cover
* Bottled Water during the Walks
* Park Entrance Fees

* Services of Guides

* Airport transfers

Safari Exclusions
* Gratuity or tips and expenditure of personal nature
* Airport taxes, visa, insurance
* Airfare to Kenya
* Drinks with meals