P a g e | 1 Kenya Agricultural Tour Nairobi - Aberdare National Park - Samburu National Reserve - The Rift Valley - Lake Naivasha - Masai Mara 14 Days / 13 Nights 10 July 2019 - 23 July 2019 P a g e | 2 Accommodation Accommodation Destination Start End Basis Duration Overnight Travel 10 Jul 11 Jul 1 Night Windsor Golf Hotel & Country Club Nairobi 11 Jul 13 Jul B&B 2 Nights The Ark Lodge Aberdare National Park 13 Jul 14 Jul FB+ 1 Night Elephant Bedroom Camp Samburu National 14 Jul 16 Jul FB+ 2 Nights Reserve Mbweha Camp The Rift Valley 16 Jul 18 Jul FB+ 2 Nights Lake Naivasha Sopa Lodge Lake Naivasha 18 Jul 19 Jul FB+ 1 Night Tipilikwani Mara Camp Masai Mara 19 Jul 22 Jul B&B 3 Nights Overnight Travel 22 Jul 23 Jul 1 Night Key B&B: Bed and Breakfast FB+: Dinner, Bed, Breakfast, Lunch and Activities Daily P a g e | 3 Day 1: Overnight Travel (Tue, 10 July) Flight Information Date Flight Airline Departure Airport Time Arrival Airport Time 10 Jul VA693 Virgin Melbourne 18:15 Perth International 20:40 (Scheduled) International Airport Airport [PER] [MEL] 10 Jul SA693 South Perth International 23:40 OR Tambo 04:50 (Scheduled) African Airport [PER] International Airport (11 Jul) Airlines [JNB] Day 2: Windsor Golf Hotel & Country Club, Nairobi (Wed, 11 July) Day Itinerary Connecting flight Johannesburg to Nairobi. Flight Information Date Flight Airline Departure Airport Time Arrival Airport Time 11 Jul SA185 South OR Tambo 10:10 Jomo Kenyatta 15:05 (Scheduled) African International Airport International Airport Airlines [JNB] [NBO] Upon arrival you will be met and transferred to your Hotel for check in. The remainder of the day will be at leisure. Situated in along the Nairobi River in beautiful Kenya, the capital of Nairobi is East Africa's most cosmopolitan city. It serves as an excellent starting point for African safari trips around Kenya. Nairobi is Africa’s 4th largest city and is a vibrant and exciting place, and although it has developed a reputation which keeps tourist visits brief, there are some fascinating attractions: its cafe culture, unbridled nightlife, the National Museum, the Karen Blixen Museum and most notably just 20 minutes from the city centre wild lions and buffalo roam in the world’s only urban game reserve. Make sure you pay a visit to the elephant orphanage operated by the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. P a g e | 4 Overnight: Windsor Golf Hotel & Country Club The Windsor Golf Hotel & Country Club is a cluster of impressive Victorian style buildings with 130 deluxe rooms comprising twins, doubles, studio suites and cottages all overlooking our spectacular 18-hole championship golf course and are tastefully decorated with five-star amenities in each room. A 16-hour business center and Stay Fit gym ensure you won’t miss a moment of excitement when you choose to stay at the Windsor. Day 3: Windsor Golf Hotel & Country Club, Nairobi (Thu, 12 July) Day Itinerary Enjoy breakfast and depart for the nearby Ruiru Coffee Research Institute for a guided tour of the Institute. You will have the opportunity to view preparation of the seed beds, processing which involves cherry picking, sorting, pulping and pre-grading through to farm management including a brief on good agricultural and hygiene practices. We’ll walk through the Laboratory to see how the Biological research is undertaken and visit the Coffee Museum within the Institutes which compares different kinds of coffee from around the world. A lovely lunch will be served on the lawns of the Institute. We will leave to proceed to Thika Coffee Millers where you will have the opportunity to see the mechanized processing, grading and packaging of coffee, tea and nut. We might be lucky to see a live coffee auction. If time permits, visit their large scale coffee Farm. Day 4: The Ark Lodge, Aberdare National Park (Fri, 13 July) Day Itinerary Breakfast at the hotel we ‘cruise’ to the Aberdares National Park. A warm welcome at the Aberdares Country Club where we will have our lunch and also store any excess luggage we may have, pack what we need for the night in sleeping bags then board lodge vehicles to our tree lodge. The Ark enjoys a great, serene location – inside the thick rain forest of Aberdares. We will spend this afternoon and the night game viewing from the lodge balconies. The flood lit water-hole is a quite a magnet for a wide variety of wildlife species who come to drink, bath or salt lick. These include; Cape buffalo, the Savannah Elephant, leopard and water bucks, giant forest hogs, lions among many others. The Lodge is designed with 'decks' from which numerous balconies and lounges that provide superb vantage points for game viewing. A lot of silence is required so that animals are not scared away so remember to speak in low tones. A ground level bunker provides excellent photographic opportunities and takes you closer than you would believe possible to the wildlife. Dinner and overnight at our tree lodge. PLEASE NOTE: The nights get very cold so you need to have some warm clothes with you. P a g e | 5 Located northeast of Nairobi, Kenya, the Aberdare National Park was created to protect the Aberdare Mountain Range, the peaks of which soar to 3930 metres. The landscape is characterised by steep forested slopes, expansive moors, and deep ravines scattered with cascading waterfalls, crystal-clear streams and rushing rivers. The park is inhabited by a variety of African wildlife such as: elephant, lion, spotted hyena, rhino, black leopard and the very elusive bongo antelope that lives in the high altitude bamboo forests. The park offers the perfect environment for picnics, camping in the moorlands, trout fishing in the rivers, and excellent bird watching with over 250 species of birds including hawks, eagles, sunbirds and plovers. Aberdare National Park Overnight: The Ark Lodge The Ark has four viewing areas from which to observe the ever-present animal activity at the waterhole and saltlick. There is also a ground level hide - the perfect spot for the discerning photographer. From this vantage point, photos of animals can be taken at eye-level. So as not to miss any animal sightings, the resident guide will buzz your room when special animals come to the waterhole. Simply throw on your provided robe and slippers, grab your camera and view nightlife at the waterhole! The sister property to The Ark the Aberdare Country Club, is a short distance away and is the perfect place to spend an afternoon. Activities include a game walk on our 1300 acres, golf, tennis, horseback riding, relaxing at our health club or swimming pool, or simply enjoying the gorgeous gardens. P a g e | 6 Day 5: Elephant Bedroom Camp, Samburu National Reserve (Sat, 14 July) Day Itinerary Our guide driver will warmly meet you at the hotel after breakfast, help you load your luggage into the Safari land cruiser then proceed to Samburu. We have a stop at the Kisima Farm where we will engage in an educative chat with the managers and farm workers on the farm. Here wheat, bearley, potatoes, sunflowers are grown. They are also engaged in flower farming. The farm also does dairy & beef farming. We may visit other farm of interest on our way.. We enjoy an afternoon game viewing drive enroute to the camp. The Samburu region is the best place to find several endemic Northern species; including the Gerenuk (twiga gazelle) due to her long neck, the beisa Oryx, the Reticulated Giraffe, the Somali ostrich and Grevy’s Zebra. Samburu is also an ornithological paradise, home to many birds including local species such as the Palm Nut Vulture and the Vivacious Dove. Enjoy dinner and overnight at our camp Resting on the banks of the Ewaso Ng'iro River and neighbouring the Buffalo Springs National Park, Samburu National Reserve is remote, hot and arid. The reserve spans over 165 square kilometres of spectacularly scenic landscape featuring rugged hills, undulating plains and riverine forests. The park is home to abundant wildlife including a variety of rare species such as the reticulated giraffe, the long necked gerenuk, Somali ostrich, Grevy's Zebra and Beisa Oryx. Samburu was one of the homes of 'Elsa the Lioness', star of the best selling book and award- winning movie 'Born Free'. Visitors can enjoy viewing over 900 elephants, a variety of predators, and over 450 bird species. Overnight: Elephant Bedroom Camp Set on the banks of the Ewaso Nyiro River in Samburu National Reserve surrounded by doum palms and other beautiful indigenous trees and shrubs sits this small and exclusive camp of 12 luxury tents - all furnished in rustic African style while offering all the comforts expected of a luxury Camp (hot & cold running water, electricity and herbal products). The lounge and dining area offer vibrant safari colours with original oil paintings, soft intimate lighting designed to relax guests returning from an exciting game drive. Huge herds of elephant, prides of lion or the solitary leopard amongst other game are regular visitors around the camp providing excellent game viewing in spectacular scenic background of rugged rolling hills. Dining is a culinary experience with al-fresco breakfast, 3 course lunch and 4 course candle lit gourmet dinner set either under the African sky or inside the well-appointed dining area. P a g e | 7 Day 6: Elephant Bedroom Camp, Samburu National Reserve (Sun, 15 July) Day Itinerary Enjoy a full day game viewing in both Samburu and Buffalo Springs Game Reserves. Samburu National Reserve Day 7: Mbweha Camp, The Rift Valley (Mon, 16 July) Day Itinerary This morning after breakfast, we drive to Lake Nakuru national Park.