The Journey Begins!

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Meet your safari guide this morning and set out on a game drive in Nairobi  National Park. Kenya's oldest national park located just outside the city center is home to healthy populations of White and Black Rhino,  Giraffe, Cheetah, Lion and Buffalo. During the morning hours, many  animals are just beginning their daily activities and this provides for  outstanding viewing and photography opportunities. 

The David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage is a world renowned rescue and  rehabilitation initiative primarily focused on the well-being of elephants and rhino’s. Since 1977, the Orphan’s Project has assisted in the recovery and reintegration of more than 150 elephants, returning  them to the wild herds of Tsavo. Today, stop in for a visit to the David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage, found at the Nairobi Game Park  Headquarters. Arriving in time to participate the morning feeding, which  takes place between 11am and 12pm, you will have the chance to meet the  elephants as well as other endangered animals like the black rhino.  This shared visit does not require the fostering of an elephant, however, if you are interested in contributing to the orphanages efforts, please visit https://www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/asp/fostering.asp to learn more.

Make  the trip to the Giraffe Center to learn about the world’s tallest  terrestrial animal and to see these wonderful creatures up close and, if  you so choose, to feed them by hand! After the Giraffe Center, visit  the Karen Blixen Museum – a home once lived in by Karen – and made  famous in the film “Out of Africa” featuring Meryl Streep and Robert  Redford (consider watching the movie before setting out on your trip).  After exploring this landmark, head to Kazuri Beads. An all-woman craft  workshop renowned for making handmade ceramic jewelry and pottery,  Kazuri – which means “small and beautiful” in Swahili – is a  co-operative enterprise founded decades ago by an English woman who  wanted to help single mothers become self-supporting. The clay beads,  jewelry and pottery are as amazing as the story of its people, making  Kazuri Beads the perfect place to round out your day in Nairobi.

A  truly unique safari experience awaits you at Nairobi National Park. Set  close to the city limits, this wildlife reserve offers you an  opportunity to get close to African wildlife while enjoying the backdrop  of Nairobi’s skyline in the distance. With your private guide by your  side and traverse the wide-open grass plains of the reserve in search of  game sightings. The resident species include giraffe, black rhino,  lion, leopard, buffalo, cheetah, and hyena.

Where you’ll be staying

• Fairmont Norfolk Hotel (or similar)
• Standard Room

As the sun begins to rise over the conservancy you will head out for another eventful day on safari with your guide. Loisaba sits on a vital Elephant Corridor connecting the famous Laikipia Plateau and plays a key role in supporting one of Kenya's largest and most stable lion  populations. Watch carefully for signs and indications of wildlife as you search for lion, elephants and more this morning. 

After a successful drive you will return to camp to recharge before your next safari in  the late afternoon. Loisaba offers a variety of experiences in addition to game drives which can be arranged during your stay. 

Where you’ll be staying

• Sweetwaters Serena Camp (or similar)
• Tented Room (Package)

A representative from your lodge will pick you up and transfer you between the lodge and airstrip.

Enjoy a short flight from Lapiki with service to the Masai Mara, Kenya. Approximate flight duration is 45 minutes.

Please note, strict luggage restrictions apply to this flight: 1)  Maximum weight allowance of 32 lbs (15 kg) is permitted per person. 2) Baggage must be soft-shelled. 3) Additional baggage allowance can be  arranged at additional cost, please speak to your Destination Expert for more information

A representative from your lodge will pick you up and transfer you between your accommodations and the nearby airstrip.

Your expert guide will meet you at your lodge for an afternoon game viewing  drive in and around the Masai Mara, today focusing on lions. Typically found in the savanna and grasslands, lions live on average between 10 and 14 years, and are unusually social compared to other cats. A pride of lions consists of related females, their offspring and a small number  of adult males. Groups of female lions typically hunt together, while the highly distinctive male lion is easily recognized by its mane and large face; one of the most widely recognized animal symbols in human culture. 

Where you’ll be staying

• Kibo Safari Camp (or similar)
• Tent (Package)

Early this morning head out on a rewarding game drive. Today, see if you can spot the elusive leopard. The smallest of the four "big cats," the leopard was once found across eastern and southern Asia and Africa, from Siberia to South Africa, but its range has decreased radically because of hunting and loss of habitat. It is now chiefly found in sub-Saharan Africa. Compared to other members of the Felidae family, the leopard has relatively short legs and a long body with a large skull. It is similar  in appearance to the jaguar, but is smaller and more slightly built. The species success in the wild is in part due to its opportunistic hunting behavior, its adaptability to various habitats, its ability to  run at speeds approaching 36 miles per hour, its unequaled ability to climb trees even when carrying a heavy carcass, and its notorious ability for stealth. Ever elusive, these animals are one of the prized sightings within the Masai Mara.

This afternoon, head out on an exciting game drive with your guide, keeping your eyes peeled for giraffes. Giraffes usually inhabit savannas, grasslands, and open woodlands. They prefer areas with plenty of acacia trees, an important food source, and can browse at heights that most  other herbivores cannot reach. While adults are nearly invulnerable to  predation, lions, leopards, spotted hyenas and wild dogs prey on baby calves. Giraffes commonly gather together to eat or socialize for a few hours and then roam off to graze separately. Males establish social hierarchies through "neckings," which are combat bouts where the neck is  used as a weapon. Based on these displays, dominant males gain mating  rights to females, who then bear the sole responsibility for raising their young.

Where you’ll be staying

• Kibo Safari Camp (or similar)
• Tent (Package)