Go beyond the typical safari and observe Kenya's iconic wildlife through the eyes of conservationists committed to preserving it. Spend time in three spectacular reserves, taking part in safaris and visiting field stations where National Geographic-backed researchers work to save key species, from rhinos and giraffes to legendary big cats. Gaze at Amboseli's elephants in the shadow of Kilimanjaro, and track rare species such as African wild dogs and white and black rhinos at the thriving Lewa Wildlife Sanctuary. In the legendary Masai Mara, observe the herds of zebras and wildebeest and the dangerous predators hunting them. Along the way, meet wildlife biologists and conservationists as they find creative solutions to poaching and habitat loss that threaten East Africa's incredible biodiversity.
Day 1: Nairobi, Kenya
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Arrival at Nairobi Airport where our staff will be at your disposal to facilitate your transfer to your hotel. Spend the rest of the day alone.
Accommodation:Hotel under a tamarind tree
Day 2: Nairobi
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Meet fellow travelers this morning for orientation, then head to Kazuri, a factory that employs single mothers and other marginalized Kenyans to produce high-quality ceramic beads and jewelry. After lunch at a local restaurant, visit the Giraffe Centre, set up by the African Fund for Endangered Wildlife to educate children in Kenya about their country's wildlife. Learn about the center's program to breed endangered Rothschild giraffes and release them into the wild. In the early evening, take a tour of the magnificent Nairobi National Museum. Gather together tonight for a gala welcome party and dinner.
Meals included:Breakfast lunch dinner
Accommodation:Hotel under a tamarind tree
Day 3: Nairobi/Amboseli National Park
Fly by private charter to Amboseli National Park, where vast savannahs and swamps are irrigated by underground streams flowing down Mount Kilimanjaro. These landscapes provide habitat for hundreds of elephants, making the park one of the best places in Africa to observe these majestic pachyderms. The safari begins on the way to our sustainable safari lodge, located near Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest free-standing mountain in the world. Enjoy lunch and time to settle into your tent before chatting with our expert. Then set out on a sunset safari, looking for cheetahs, lions, zebras and more scattered across the vast savannah. Return to the Lodge for dinner.
Meals included:Breakfast lunch dinner
Accommodation:Tortilis camp
Day 4: Amboseli National Park
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Take an early morning safari in Amboseli looking for smaller creatures of the savanna, including some of the more than 400 species of birds that have been identified here, from magnificent starlings to crowned cranes. Stop for breakfast on the way to the Amboseli Trust for Elephants, home to the longest-running study of wild elephants in the world. Its director, Cynthia Moss, received support in her work from the National Geographic Society. Meet a team member to hear about his time in the field observing herd dynamics and collecting biological samples. Return to the camp for lunch before a late afternoon wildlife drive.
Meals included:Breakfast lunch dinner
Accommodation:Tortilis camp
Day 5: Lewa Nature Reserve
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The charter flight takes us to the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, 62,000 acres of golden savannah dotted with iconic thorny umbrella trees on the northern slopes of Mount Kenya. Considered a model of conservation, this healthy wildlife habitat is home to many rare species, including the reticulated giraffe, the dazzling Grevy's zebra and African wild dogs. Lewa and the adjacent Borana Conservancy also harbor about 15 percent of Kenya's total rhino population. Live in your luxury tented camp; then go on a safari to track down these creatures and more, and end the day sipping the savannah sunset.
Meals included:Breakfast lunch dinner
Accommodation:Elewana Lewy Safari Camp
Day 6: Lewa Nature Reserve
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If you wish, get up at dawn and go for a bush walk, looking for lion, rhino and leopard tracks and learning to spot the flora and small fauna of the park. Alternatively, take a morning drive through the wild nature. Head to the reserve headquarters to meet members of Lewy's award-winning security team, whose efficient patrolling of the reserve ensures that not a single rhino has been attacked in the past five years (to date). If your schedule allows, join the rangers and their highly trained dogs for a tracking demonstration at the reserve. Enjoy a leisurely lunch and free time before our late afternoon safari.
Meals included:Breakfast lunch dinner
Accommodation:Elewana Lewy Safari Camp
Day 7: Lewa Nature Reserve
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Immerse yourself in Maasai culture on a village visit, learning about traditional games and sports, music and dance, and everyday life. Get to know local families and visit the house to see what the typical apartments are calledManyattasthey are made of dung and grass. Keep an eye out for wildlife on the way back to camp for lunch. Take time to relax by the camp pool or read in the shade, then meet our expert for a pre-dinner chat.
Meals included:Breakfast lunch dinner
Accommodation:Elewana Lewy Safari Camp
Day 8: Lewa Wildlife Sanctuary/Masai Mara National Reserve
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Enjoy a final Lewa safari on the way to the airstrip, then charter to the fabled Masai Mara National Reserve, which stretches along Kenya's southwestern border. The park is famous for its large population of big cats, including leopard, cheetah and lion. During the annual wildebeest migration, around 2 million wildebeest and zebras make their way through it in the fall in search of freshly grown grass. After lunch, get an up-close look at the ecosystems of the area on a ride in an open-top vehicle.
Meals included:Breakfast lunch dinner
Accommodation:Elewana Sand River Masai Mara
Day 9: Masai Mara National Reserve
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At dawn, go on a safari to track down the animals that roamed the area at night. See plains game such as Thomson and Grant's gazelles, topi antelopes and elands, and their stealthy predators during one of their most active times of day. This area is believed to have one of the largest concentrations of predators in all of Africa. Look at large herds of hippos submerged up to their nostrils in the Mara River and crocodiles sunbathing on the shore. After a picnic lunch, return to camp for a leisurely afternoon chat with our expert guide.
Meals included:Breakfast lunch dinner
Accommodation:Elewana Sand River Masai Mara
Day 10: Masai Mara
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Take a closer look at Masai Mara conservation efforts with a visit to one of the region's conservation NGOs, such as the Anne K. Taylor Fund, an organization supported by National Geographic's Big Cats Initiative that works with local Maasai communities to reduce poaching and human-animal conflict. Later, we'll embark on a final safari before toasting our adventure at a farewell dinner.
Meals included:Breakfast lunch dinner
Accommodation:Elewana Sand River Masai Mara
Day 11: Nairobi/Home
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Return to Nairobi on a private charter and visit Ocean Sole, an inventive social enterprise that creates works of art from flip-flops and other plastics washed up on Kenya's shores. Continue this afternoon to the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust featured in the September 2011 issue of the magazineNational Geographermagazine. This organization is the world's most effective program for rescuing and rehabilitating orphaned elephants. Take the opportunity to follow the caretakers of the resort and get up close to the elephants during their afternoon feeding. Later transfer to the airport and evening flight home.
Meals included:Breakfast dinner
FAQs
On Safari: Exploring Wilderness Conservation in Kenya? ›
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A joint venture between The Walt Disney Company and the National Geographic Society, National Geographic Partners combines the global National Geographic television channels with National Geographic's media and consumer-oriented assets.
The Nature Conservancy in Kenya
TNC strives to help Kenya build resilient human and natural communities that are better equipped to adapt to an uncertain future that includes drought, economic shocks, and political change.
The goal in establishing and managing protected areas is to protect, maintain and develop Kenya's natural wildlife resources for the benefit and enjoyment of present and future generations of Kenyans and the people of the world. The key objectives of management are: To enhance wildlife and visitor security.
What happens on a safari in Kenya? ›Game drives are the most common safari activity, however there are plenty of other safari activities available. From bird watching to photography lessons, there are a variety of safari experiences to suit everyone's interests.
How many days is enough for a Kenya safari? ›While you will find safari tours that last shorter than that, it might not be worth traveling to a country like Kenya just for a long weekend. If you have more time, then we suggest that you opt for a trip lasting between ten to 14 days instead.
What is the problem in conservation of the wildlife animals in Kenya? ›Wildlife in many protected areas (Table 1) is under threat from human encroachment, insularisation, poaching for commercial or subsistence purposes, habitat degradation, encroachment of incompatible land uses, loss of migration and dispersal areas, and ever increasing human-wildlife conflicts.
What is the environmental conservation policy in Kenya? ›The Constitution of Kenya empowers persons to seek redress when their right to a healthy and clean environment has been violated or infringed. The courts are empowered to issue orders that prevent, stop or discontinue acts that are harmful to the environment and provide compensation to a wronged party.
Which is the best way of conserving wildlife in Kenya? ›Equipping wildlife rangers, deploying sniffer dogs, and training law enforcement officers to stop wildlife crime.
Why is wildlife conservation important in Kenya? ›Wildlife is the source of a lot of medication.
Take a look at the Maasai in Kenya; they utilize herbs and spices as traditional medicine. Humans often resort to plants for healing. Without nature, modern medications would not exist; wild plants yield drugs like morphine, aspirin, and penicillin.
Community conservation work in Kenya
We're working hand-in-hand with vulnerable communities living on the borders of National Parks and in important wildlife corridors to help reduce the burdens of living alongside wildlife and the poverty that can lead to wildlife crime.
What do I need to know before going on a safari in Kenya? ›
Early morning safaris can be chilly, so it's wise to take layers for a trip to Kenya. Similarly, temperatures can drop at night in the highlands. Fleeces and even windproof waterproofs are recommended. On the other hand, staying cool is key by the coast or in the city.
Why is Kenya the best place for safari? ›Kenya is the original home of the safari and it's still one of the finest safari destinations on the continent. And it's so much more than the Big Five: Kenya's natural heritage spans grassland plains stomped by the feet of a million wildebeest to dense forests, glacial mountain peaks and rich coastal coral reefs.
What happens to animals killed in African safari? ›You will likely eat some of the animals that have been harvested by yourself or other hunters while in camp. The rest of the meat is either sold commercially, kept for camp meat, donated to the local population or used as bait for predators and scavenger hunts.
Is Kenya safari expensive? ›To do a Kenya safari in style with peak season attractions and exceptional guides you can expect anything in the range between US$600 and US$2000 per person per night. Start by figuring out where you want to go and what you MUST see, then decide on your budget.
How much should I budget for safari in Kenya? ›| Comfort Level | Private (per day) | Group (per day) |
|---|---|---|
| Budget | $200 | $175 |
| Budget Accommodation | $200 | $175 |
| Mid Range | $300 | $300 |
| Luxury | $550 | $475 |
Today's safaris are designed with conservation in mind. Africa's wildlife and eco-system is very fragile and can only accommodate a certain number of visitors. To ensure that the balance is maintained the number of visitors have to be limited one way of doing that is by charging high prices.
What is the conservation issue in Kenya? ›Although about 8% of Kenya is designated for wildlife conservation, 65% of the country's iconic wildlife live outside the national parks. Issues such as habitat loss, forest depletion, and human-wildlife conflict due to encroachment continue to threaten Kenya's biodiversity and endangered species.
Why are natural forests conserved in Kenya? ›Importance of forests in KenyaTrees are useful for the following reasons. Forests act as water catchment areas. Therefore, many rivers have their sources in forests. Hardwood timber and other timber products are exported to earn country foreign exchange.
Why is environmental conservation important in Kenya? ›Because of Kenya's richness in non-timber forest products such as medicinal plants, essential oils and beeswax, the destruction of its forests harms both its wildlife and its economy. Conserving the forests is pivotal to protecting both Kenya's resources and its 50 endangered species.
What is the main reason for conserving forests in Kenya? ›Forests filter the air and reduce pollution. Trees don't only create oxygen from carbon dioxide, they're also natural filters. They remove air pollutants like carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, and sulfur dioxide.