7 Days Out of Africa Safari
Samburu, Lake Nakuru, Lake Naivasha, and Maasai Mara
Four Kenyas, in seven days.
Karen Blixen wrote about East Africa from a farm on the edge of the Ngong Hills. She described a landscape that does something to people who encounter it properly: it stays with them. This itinerary is named for that idea, not for the film, but for what the landscape does.
Seven days across four of Kenya’s most significant wildlife and natural destinations: Samburu in the semi-arid north, Lake Nakuru with its flamingos and rhino sanctuary, the freshwater expanse of Lake Naivasha, and the Maasai Mara. Each destination is different in character, in elevation, in the wildlife it holds, and in the light at different hours of the day.
This is a Nairobi-based itinerary that covers ground efficiently without feeling rushed. There are two full days in the Mara. There is time at Naivasha. There is no day that feels like it was included simply to fill a gap.
The itinerary.
Nairobi to Samburu National Reserve
Pick-up from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport or your Nairobi hotel. Drive north through the central highlands, passing through the foothills of Mount Kenya before descending into the semi-arid landscape of the Northern Frontier. Enter Samburu with a game drive en route to the lodge for lunch.
An afternoon game drive follows along the Ewaso Ng’iro River. Samburu holds species found nowhere in southern Kenya: the Reticulated Giraffe, Beisa Oryx, Grevy’s Zebra, Somali Ostrich, and Gerenuk. Lions, cheetah, and leopard are also resident.
Samburu, Full Day
An early morning game drive runs between 06:30 and 11:30, covering the river banks and the acacia woodland where leopards are frequently seen. Return to the lodge for lunch and a rest. An afternoon game drive runs from 16:00 until the light fades.
Samburu to Lake Nakuru National Park
After breakfast, drive south to Lake Nakuru, stopping briefly at Thomson Falls near Nyahururu on the way. Enter the park with a game drive en route to the lodge for lunch. The afternoon game drive visits Baboon Cliff, Makalia Falls, and the lake shore, where flamingos, pelicans, and waterfowl gather in numbers that have to be seen to be properly understood.
Lake Nakuru is also one of the best parks in Kenya for rhino. Both black and white rhino are present.
Lake Nakuru to Lake Naivasha
An early morning game drive between 06:30 and 08:30, followed by breakfast and check-out. Drive to Lake Naivasha, a freshwater lake in the floor of the Great Rift Valley, and check in for lunch. The afternoon is at leisure: you can take a boat ride on the lake to see hippos and birdlife at close range, or walk on Crescent Island, a wildlife sanctuary in the lake accessible by boat.
Lake Naivasha to Maasai Mara National Reserve
After breakfast, drive south and west to the Maasai Mara, arriving in time for lunch. An afternoon game drive on the open plains runs until sunset.
Maasai Mara, Full Day
A full day on the Mara plains, with a picnic lunch in the bush. The route follows the wildlife: the resident lion prides, cheetah, elephant, and the Mara River if a wildebeest crossing is underway. A sundowner stop before returning to camp at the end of the afternoon.
Maasai Mara to Nairobi
An early morning game drive, followed by breakfast and the drive back to Nairobi. Arrive in time for a late lunch at the Carnivore Restaurant. Transfer to your Nairobi hotel or Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
Inclusions & exclusions.
- Return road transport in a private 7-seater safari vehicle with pop-up roof and guaranteed window seats
- Services of a professional multilingual driver-guide throughout
- All game drives as detailed in the itinerary
- Six nights full-board accommodation
- All national park entrance fees
- 3 bottles of mineral water per person per day
- One safari hat and one safari bag per person
- Farewell lunch at the Carnivore Restaurant, Nairobi
- Flying Doctors emergency evacuation cover
- All applicable government taxes
- Alcoholic and soft drinks
- Tips and gratuities for guides and lodge staff
- Boat ride on Lake Naivasha
- Personal expenses including telephone calls, laundry, and similar
- Travel insurance
- International flights and airport transfers not specified above
- Any items not specified above
Lodges shown reflect our standard arrangement for this route. Where we hold a fixed relationship, the named property is used; otherwise a lodge of equivalent standard is substituted.
What you will see.
Book this safari, or shape your own version of it.
Tell us your dates and who is travelling. We will confirm availability and tailor the route, the pace, and the lodges to your group.