Enjoy a full day of exploring the Shaba and Buffalo Springs National Reserves. The Shaba Reserve is named after an outcrop of volcanic rock that dominates the region. Evidence of the intensity of its upheaval is demonstrated by the formidable lava flow that travelers must cross to reach the reserve and the lodge. The Reserve’s northern boundary is marked by the width of the Ewaso Nyiro River, which empties into the Lorian Swamp. The tall doum palms mark its course in silent contrast to the rugged and pitted tracts, which make up much of the sanctuary. 

Many small hills dot the landscape and, with four springs, Shaba is better watered than its neighbors. Animals commonly seen are elephants, lions, cheetahs, Grevy’s zebras, giraffes, gerenuks, buffalo, oryx, grants gazelles, Dikdiks and waterbuck. The river forest also attracts a wide variety of birds. 

Overnight at Sarova Shaba Game Lodge. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

After breakfast, depart for the exclusive Mt Kenya Safari Club (approximately 3-hour drive). Mt Kenya is Africa’s second highest massif, and its twin peaks top one of the world’s highest national parks. As you travel around to the other side of the mountain, you’ll come to the town of Nanyuki, nestled into the lush slopes of this mountain astride the Equator. It is here where you come to rest in time for a buffet lunch at the incomparable Mount Kenya Safari Club, playground to the rich and famous for years, and understandably so, with its lush, landscaped gardens, golf course, swimming pool, and, of course, breathtaking views of the snow‑capped mountain.

Overnight at Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner) 

After breakfast depart for Aberdare Country Club, the base hotel for The Ark. After lunch at the club, drive to The Ark, a uniquely shaped lodge tucked away in the Aberdares National Park forest. The lodge’s water hole and salt lick are well lit at night when the animals come to drink, and a well-concealed “hide” affords eye‑to‑eye viewing of forest elephant and other game, including the endangered black rhino. Look out for baboon, buffalo, bushbuck, bush pig, civets, duikers, giant forest hog, Colobus and Syke’s monkeys. The birdlife includes some species not common in other places among them being: green ibis, rufous sparrow hawk, mountain buzzard, crowned eagle and the silvery-cheeked hornbill. 

Overnight at The Ark Lodge. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Note: Only a small overnight bag is required at the ARK. The rest of the luggage is stored at the Aberdare Country Club at no cost. Warm clothing is advisable, as nights tend to be chilly. 

After breakfast at the Ark, return to the base hotel to retrieve your luggage and rejoin your driver where you will proceed to Lake Nakuru with a brief stop at Nyahururu to view Thompson’s Falls and its 237-foot cascade. Then travel south to Lake Nakuru, colored a shimmering flamingo pink from thousands of the beautiful birds lining its shores. You’ll arrive at Lion Hill Lodge – affording unforgettable views of the lake from its hillside perch. The lodge is also a perfect base from which to explore the lake, with its fabulous array of birds as well as many types of game, including waterbuck, rhino, leopard and buffalo. Buffet lunch at the lodge.

Afternoon game drive in the park, which is, of course, known for its birdlife – as thousands of flamingos make this their home, among hundreds of other species. But wildlife is also in abundance here. You’ll see large numbers of waterbuck, warthog, impala, buffalo, plains game, cheetah, and now rhino, as Lake Nakuru National Park now hosts one of Kenya’s rhino sanctuaries.

Your lodge is an oasis of comfort and excellent service with its commanding views of the surroundings and the animals, which graze peacefully, close by. The Acacia and Euphorbia Forests are havens for animals during the heat of the day, making an excellent game-viewing destination, whilst the “Hippo Pool” is a favorite spot for picnics. The park is known for its birdlife, as thousands of flamingos make this lake their home, among hundreds of other species. But wildlife is also in abundance here: you’ll also see large numbers of waterbuck, warthog, impala, buffalo, plains game and cheetah. 

Overnight at Sarova Lionhill Game Lodge. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

After breakfast at the lodge, leave the flamingo-fringed Lake Nakuru behind, and drive to Narok, gateway to the Maasai Mara and district headquarters of this part of Maasailand (approximately 5 ½ hour drive). Arrive at the lodge in time for lunch. Enjoy free time until 1600hrs when you start your first game viewing drive in the reserve, regarded as the most magnificent natural theatre in the world. Set in the heart of Africa’s Great Plains, the Maasai Mara boasts 1,672 sq kms of unspoiled wilderness and is home to the highest concentration of animals and birds anywhere on the continent. The Masai Mara Game Reserve is the natural habitat for lions, elephants, leopards, cheetahs, hippo, rhino, buffalo, zebra, giraffe, wildebeest, and much other game. 

Sarova Mara Camp is set in the African bush but the luxurious tents all have permanent roofs, zip-up fronts, electricity and en-suite facilities. Relaxing outside your own tent listening to the orchestra of rasping cicadas, croaking tree frogs and the intermittent call of birds and monkeys is a memorable symphony.

Overnight at Sarova Mara Game Camp. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Breakfast at camp Enjoy a full day in the Maasai Mara with unlimited game drives, you have a choice of early morning and evening game drives OR full day game drive with packed lunch.

The Maasai Mara National Park is situated to the west of Nairobi, on Tanzania’s northern border and is the extension to the larger Serengeti National Park in Tanzania. The Maasai Mara offers wonderful scenery and an abundance of big game. It is perhaps the only region left in Kenya where the visitor may see animals in the same super-abundance as existed a century ago. It is a reserve of breathtaking vistas, panoramas of vast rolling plains, hills and woodland groves, well watered by the lovely Mara River, which bisects the Reserve from north to south. The Mara is home to the largest population of lions in Kenya. These magnificent beasts spend most of the day sleeping in the shade of acacia trees. Vast herds of buffalo, zebra and wildebeest roam the plains. Impala, gazelle, giraffe and hartebeest grace the landscape, and the cautious topi may also be seen standing sentinel on earth mounds on constant lookout of predators. The waters of the Mara River are home to crocodiles and pools of hippo, the acacia woodlands and riverine forests favored by leopard and elephant, and the open savannah and dry bush areas play host to the plains game and their attendant predators such as lion, cheetah, hyena and jackal. Overnight at Sarova Mara Game Camp. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

After an early breakfast, bid farewell to the Mara as you set off on your journey back to Nairobi (approximately 5 ½ hour drive). Enjoy a lunch at the famous Carnivore restaurant. 

Later, you will be transferred to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport for your flight back home. (Breakfast, Lunch)