TSAVO EAST • TAITA HILLS • TSAVO WEST • AMBOSELI • L.NAKURU • NAIROBI NATIONAL PARK

Approx. 4-5 hours from Mombasa/Diani/Watamu

Morning: Early pickup from your beach hotel (6:00-7:00 AM) in Watamu, Diani, Mombasa, or Malindi. Briefing by your safari guide before departing inland via the Mombasa-Nairobi Highway.

Midday: Enter Tsavo East through Bachuma Gate. Commence game drive en route to your lodge, keeping eyes peeled for the famous "Red Elephants" of Tsavodust-bathed giants that glow russet against the arid landscape.

Afternoon: Check-in and lunch at lodge. Relax during the heat of the day.

Evening: 4:00 PM game drive to the Aruba Dam area, a wildlife magnet where lions, buffalo, giraffes, and zebras congregate. The open savannah offers excellent predator spotting opportunities.

Overnight: Tsavo East (Lodge/Camp)
Meals: Lunch, Dinner

Dawn: 6:00 AM sunrise game drive. The Galana River ecosystem comes alive as animals seek water. Look for cheetahs on the open plains and the elusive lesser kudu in the thorn scrub.

Midday: Return for breakfast and leisure time. Optional visit to the Lugard Falls—a series of rapids on the Galana River where crocodiles and hippos bask.

Afternoon: 4:00 PM game drive to the Yatta Plateau, the world's longest lava flow. This elevated vantage point offers sweeping views across the park. Elephant herds are frequently sighted here.

Evening: Night game drive (where permitted) to spot nocturnal species including genets, civets, and bush babies.

Overnight: Tsavo East (Lodge/Camp)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Approx. 2 hours

Morning: Final game drive in Tsavo East, then depart for the Taita Hills. The landscape transforms from arid savannah to lush, misty highlands as you ascend.

Midday: Arrive at Taita Hills Wildlife Sanctuary, a private conservancy nestled in the Taita Hills. Check-in at the iconic Salt Lick Lodge—famous for its stilted structure overlooking a waterhole that attracts elephants, buffalo, and leopard day and night.

Afternoon: Lunch and relaxation. The lodge's underground bunker and viewing rooms offer unique photography opportunities at eye level with drinking wildlife.

Evening: Game drive within the sanctuary, known for its high density of predators including lion prides and the rare Taita thrush (endemic bird species).

Overnight: Taita Hills (Salt Lick Lodge or similar)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Approx. 1.5 hours

Morning: Early breakfast with views of wildlife at the waterhole. Depart for Tsavo West via scenic mountain roads.

Midday: Enter Tsavo West and drive to the Ngulia Rhino Sanctuary, a 90 sq km fenced area protecting over 80 black rhinos—one of Kenya's most successful conservation stories. Guided tour on foot (with rangers) to track rhinos.

Afternoon: Lunch at lodge, then visit Mzima Springs—a crystal-clear oasis where millions of gallons of water bubble up from volcanic rock. Walk the underwater viewing chamber to see hippos and fish from below the surface.

Evening: Game drive to Roaring Rocks for sunset views over the Ngulia Hills. The volcanic landscape here is dramatically different from Tsavo East's open plains.

Overnight: Tsavo West (Kilaguni Serena or similar)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Dawn: Sunrise game drive with potential views of Mount Kilimanjaro (weather permitting) from Tsavo West's western reaches. The mountain rises majestically across the Tanzania border.

Morning: Visit the Shetani Lava Flows—expansive black lava fields formed 200 years ago. Walk among the volcanic cones and learn about the region's geology.

Midday: Return to lodge for breakfast and rest.

Afternoon: Game drive to Lake Jipe on the Tanzania border, known for aquatic birds and elephants that swim between reed beds. The lake offers a different ecosystem within the park.

Evening: Sundowner at a scenic viewpoint overlooking the savannah with Kilimanjaro as backdrop (weather dependent).

Overnight: Tsavo West
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Approx. 3-4 hours via rough road

Morning: Early departure for Amboseli. The road traverses the volcanic Chyulu Hills and Maasai pastoral lands a rough but scenic route connecting the parks

.

Midday: Arrive at Amboseli, check-in and lunch. The park sits at the foot of Kilimanjaro, offering Africa's classic postcard views.

Afternoon: 4:00 PM game drive to the central swamp areas. Amboseli is elephant paradise over 1,500 elephants roam here, including some of Africa's largest tuskers. The swamps attract buffalo, wildebeest, zebra, and numerous water birds.

Evening: Optional Maasai village visit (additional cost) to experience traditional culture.

Overnight: Amboseli
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Dawn: 6:00 AM game drive to Observation Hill. Climb the pyramid-shaped hill for 360-degree views of the park, swamps, and Kilimanjaro. Elephants are often seen silhouetted against the mountain at sunrise.

Morning: Continue game viewing in the eastern plains. Look for lions, cheetahs, spotted hyenas, and the endangered wild dog. Amboseli's compact size makes wildlife easy to locate.

Midday: Breakfast and leisure time. Optional guided nature walk with Maasai guides (additional cost).

Afternoon: 4:00 PM game drive focusing on the western swamps and woodlands. The yellow-barked acacia forests shelter bushbucks, leopards, and over 400 bird species.

Evening: Sunset photography session at the lodge with Kilimanjaro backdrop.

Overnight: Amboseli
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Approx. 6-7 hours via Nairobi

Early Morning: 5:30 AM departure for the long drive north. Breakfast en route or packed breakfast.

Midday: Arrive at Lake Nakuru National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site as part of the Kenya Lake System in the Great Rift Valley . Check-in and lunch at lodge.

Afternoon: 4:00 PM game drive. Lake Nakuru is renowned for:

• Rhino Sanctuary: Both black and white rhinos thrive in this fenced park
• Rothschild's Giraffes: Relocated here since 1977, these rare giraffes wear distinctive "white stockings"
• Flamingos & Pelicans: Though flamingo populations fluctuate due to water levels, the lake hosts great white pelicans that turn pink from their algal diet
• Lions & Leopards: High predator density in the acacia woodlands

Evening: Game drive to Baboon Cliff for sunset over the lake.

Overnight: Lake Nakuru
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Approx. 3 hours to Nairobi

Morning: Final game drive in Lake Nakuru, focusing on the southern lake shores and Makalia Falls. Depart by 10:00 AM for Nairobi.

Midday: Arrive Nairobi for lunch at the famous Carnivore Restaurant (included) or similar.

Afternoon: Enter Nairobi National Park—unique as the only national park within a capital city worldwide. Despite its 117 sq km size, it hosts four of the Big Five (no elephants). Highlights include:

• Ivory Burning Site Monument: Where Kenya made its anti-poaching statement
• David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage: (if timing permits, 11am-12pm feeding—may require schedule adjustment)
• Nairobi Safari Walk: Elevated boardwalks for close wildlife viewing

Evening: Game drive until 6:00 PM. Transfer to your Nairobi hotel or Jomo Kenyatta International Airport for departure (if flying out this evening, flight must be after 8:00 PM).

Overnight: Nairobi
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Morning: Leisurely breakfast. Optional activities:

• Visit the Giraffe Centre to feed endangered Rothschild's giraffes
• Karen Blixen Museum (Out of Africa author)
• Nairobi National Museum and Snake Park
• Bomas of Kenya for cultural performances

Transfer: To Jomo Kenyatta International Airport for departure, or extend your stay.

Meals: Breakfast