10-day Kenya walking tour
In this tour you walk in scenic places in the
great Rift Valley, see the flamingoes in Lake
Nakuru and Elementaita and spend three days
watching all the big game in Masai Mara. Game
viewing is a daily affair with the walks at
Crescent Island, Crater Lake, Hell's Gate and in
Masai Mara we add culture as we visit a Masai
Village guided by Masai Morans.
Walking Safaris in Kenya
Day 1: Nairobi
Arrival at the airport and transfer a Hotel in
Nairobi.
Day 2: Crescent Island. O/N Lake Naivasha
Country Club
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 Rift valley.
The Nairobi - Nakuru road is on a contour along
the rim of the Rift valley and on viewpoints we
will be able to see our whole route for the next
days.
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 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.
Day 3: Hell's Gate National Park (Walking
Safari). O/N Lake Naivasha Country Club
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
gate of the 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 last 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 transfer back to the Lake
Naivasha Country Club.
Day 4: Crater Lake. O/N Lake Naivasha Country
Club
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
lesser lake in the Rift Valley but a place where
nature walking 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,
zorillas, aardvarks, leopards and a range of
gazelles, all which are easily found in the
sanctuary.
Day 5: Visit Lake Nakuru National Park. O/N Lake
Elementaita Lodge
The nearby Nakuru National Park is the eldest
park of Kenya. It's not only known for its
thousands of flamingos but also for the vast
herds of buffaloes, tens of rhinos and cats like
leopard and lion. Of the big five only the
elephant is missing. We make a game drive around
the lake and have lunch at the Lake Nakuru
Lodge.
Afternoon transfer to the Lake Elementaita Lodge
where we'll stay for 2 nights.
Day 6: Lake Elementaita. O/N Lake Elementaita
Lodge
This lake may not have the big name of Lake
Nakuru but its scenic beauty is unmatched. We
walk up to the shores of the alkaline lake. From
there we proceed up to the hot springs and into
the Kikopey Hills surrounding the lake.
We walk mainly in open savannah land and
occasionally we will stop for a chat with a
Masai herdsman. The gentle sloping hills give a
good panorama. The walk should be for 4 hrs
after which we go back to the lodge in time for
lunch. Afternoon is spent in the lodge.
Alternative to Day 5 + 6.
You may choose to swap the days in Elementaita
with Maili Saba camp as below at no extra cost
but subject to availability. The only change for
easier transfers is that then Maili Saba will be
at the beginning of the tour as day 2 and 3
straight after Nairobi. Your itinerary will be
as:
We will be fortunate to escape from the crowded
lodges in the Lake Nakuru National Park to the
very exclusive Maili Saba camp on the dormant
Menengai Crater. The Menengai area is very
beautiful with cliff walls and steam jets
filling the crater with mist. It is only 10 km
from the Nakuru National Park and has not been
touched by tourism. This is an easy to explain
situation as safari evolves around wildlife with
other geographical features being relegated to
viewpoints – that is if they happen to be
visible from a highway. Fortunately Menengai
Crater is off the highway, so it is spared the
viewpoint ritual of convoys of tour buses
stopping for the mandatory 10 minutes break of
photo taking.
In the afternoon of day 2 we will do a nice walk
in the crater where we will enjoy the beautiful
contrasts of nature. Rocks that have stood the
test of time, natural springs with mirror clear
water, lava that reminds us that this is the
Rift Valley and baboons trooping around with
their babies. All this is in an atmosphere that
is completely away from mass tourism.
On day 3 we visit the nearby Lake Nakuru
National Park, the oldest park of Kenya. It's
not only known for its thousands of flamingos
but also for the vast herds of buffaloes, tens
of rhinos and cats like leopard and lion. Of the
big five only the elephant is missing. We have
the whole day for doing game drives in the park.
Day 7: To Masai Mara. O/N Fig Tree / Sarova Mara
/ Keekorok
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
park gate. We will be able to see many animals
along the way grazing side by side with the
Masai livestock. We reach the tented camp or
lodge, our home for the next three days, in time
for lunch.
Day 8+9: Masai Mara. O/N Mara Simba / Sarova
Mara / Keekorok
These are our cultural and activity days 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 9 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.
Day 10: Transfer to Nairobi
Return to Nairobi in time for lunch and transfer
to the airport for your flight home
You'll walk through places in northern Kenya
where neither camel nor vehicle have ever passed
– only the local tribesmen and a few dozen
like-minded travelers have journeyed here before
you. This journey is suitable for all ages and
persons of an average fitness level (walking
distances are on average 8-10km per day and 4-5
hours).
Kenya Walking Safaris
KENYA WALKING SAFARI ::: 4 DAYS ABERDARE
FOOT WALK
This trek through the Aberdare Mountains is
a fascinating walk amongst the exotic flora
and fauna found above 2500metres.Views of
the Rift Valley are breath taking and the
experience is made more memorable by camping
above the surrounding forests, occasional
encounters with big game such as elephant
and buffalo, great bush buck and other
antelopes.
The Aberdare (Nyandarua) overlooks the Great
Rift Valley and lies on its eastern edge.
There are two main peaks, Lesatima to the
north and Kinangop to the south. Various
species of wildlife inhabit these mountain
ranges, hiding in the heavily forested
slopes and in the upper moorlands. Walking
is always cool with plenty of clear mountain
streams. Our walk starts below the bamboo
forest, climbing up onto the moorlands.
There is always danger walking through the
African bush but we do not expect many close
encounters with large game. However, our
trained and armed game ranger knows the area
and the habits of the game.
Day 1 - Mweiga
Departing our office in the morning., we go
north to Mweiga to meet our guide and then
up into the forested eastern slopes of the
Aberdare ranges where we make camp.
Day 2 & 3 - Walking
We start our walk. Carry only what you need
for the day's walk, the vehicle will meet us
in the moorlands where camp will be made. A
short game drive if weather permits.
Day 4 - Nairobi
We depart the moorland camp (10,000ft) and
descend by vehicle looking for game on the
way. We drop off the guide and head back to
Nairobi arriving before late afternoon.
Note: Clients should arrange to have good
weatherproof clothing and a warm sleeping
bag, a water bottle and good walking shoes
plus a pair of shoes to wear in camp.
What is included in the price
- Transport by Four Wheel Drive safari
vehicle
- Services of English speaking driver/safari
cook?
- Flying Doctors evacuation cover
-- All airport/hotel/airport transfers
- Game park entrance fees
- Services of an armed ranger
- All campsite fees
- All camping equipment including use of our
2-person tents, stools, foam mattresses,
except sleeping bags
- Three meals a day while on safari whether
vegetarian or non-vegetarian prepared by our
safari chef
Kenya
Walking Safaris
Kenya
Safari Holidays
