Kenya & Rwanda Safari - Sample Itinerary

Sample Kenya & Rwanda Safari Itinerary at a Glance

DAY 1 – Hemingways Hotel/Nairobi – Bed and Breakfast – On your arrival into Jmo Kenyatta airport, you will be met and driven to the Hemingways hotel. Time permitting, you may want to visit Nairobi’s best attractions, including the home of Karen Blixen, from the Academy Award winning film ‘Out of Africa’, Sheldrick’s Elephant Sanctuary, and the Giraffe Center.

DAY 2 – Ol Pejeta Camp/Ol Pejeta Conservancy – Fully Inclusive – This morning you will be driven to Wilson airport in time to fly with Air Kenya to Nanyuki airstrip. Your guide will be there to meet you in Nanyuki and drive you to Ol Pejeta Bush Camp where you will spend the next 2 nights. Afternoon/evening game drive with sundowners will be on offer.

DAY 3 – Ol Pejeta Camp/Ol Pejeta Conservancy – Fully Inclusive – The next day you will have a wide array of activities to choose from including game drives. walking safaris, lion tracking, horseback riding, cultural visits, or visits to the canine anti-poaching unit or endangered species enclosure.

DAY 4 -Offbeat Mara Camp/Mara North Conservancy – Fully Inclusive – After breakfast you will be driven to Nanyuki airstrip and flown by Air Kenya to the Masai Mara where you will be met and driven to your next destination, Offbeat Mara camp. Here you will be staying for the next 3 nights. Afternoon/evening game drive and sundowners overlooking the beautiful Olare Orok River.

DAY 5 – Offbeat Mara Camp/Mara North Conservancy – Fully Inclusive – Early morning call for a hot air balloon safaris across the Masai Mara…a truly spectacular way to view the wildlife and scenery. Afternoon visit to Keiyaki Guiding School and game drive.

DAY 6 – Offbeat Mara Camp/Mara North Conservancy – Fully Inclusive – Morning walking safari and afternoon cultural visit to a nearby Masai village and game drive.

DAY 7 – Virunga Lodge/Twin Lakes of Burera and Ruhondo – Fully Inclusive – Today will be a travel day. You will be driven to the airstrip and then flown by private charter to Jmo Kenyatta airport in time to check in for your flight to Kigali. From Kigali you will be transferred by road to Virunga Lodge which is a 3 hour drive through the volcanic hills to Volcanoes National Park and Virunga Lodge.

DAY 8 – Virunga Lodge/Twin Lakes of Burera and Ruhondo – Fully Inclusive – This morning you will be taken to the Volcanoes National Park Headquarters where you will receive your briefing and prepare for your gorilla trek. Tracking mountain gorillas through the dense African forests is a magical experience. Only eight visitors are allowed per gorilla group each day. Typically, tracking can take from 3 to 8 hours.

DAY 9 – Virunga Lodge/Twin Lakes of Burera and Ruhondo – Fully Inclusive – Today you will have a choice of a wide variety of activities including trekking for the endangered, beautiful and playful golden monkey, a visit to the graves of Dian Fossey and some of her beloved research gorillas, bird watching some of the 700 different bird species, a village walk through the local village, Lake Bulera, or a climb up one of Virunga’s chain of volcanoes.

DAY 10 – Virunga Lodge/Twin Lakes of Burera and Ruhondo – Breakfast – This morning, after breakfast you will be driven about 3 hours back to Kigali airport in time to check-in for your onward connection.

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Safari-Adventures-Worldwide-Hemingways-Nairobi

Hemingways Nairobi/Nairobi

Hemingways Nairobi, a member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the world, is an elegant boutique hotel situated in Nairobi’s Karen residential area with magnificent views of the nearby Ngong hills. Sensitively designed for the discerning business and leisure traveler, Hemingways Nairobi offers the full facilities expected in a modern-day luxury boutique hotel. The Hemingways Nairobi Brasserie serves classic dishes and the very best of local and international cuisine and is open everyday for breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner.

ACTIVITIES

Located just minutes from Nairobi’s best attractions, including the home of Karen Blixen, from the Academy Award-winning film ‘Out of Africa’, Sheldrick’s Elephant Sanctuary, and the Giraffe Center. The hotel is also a short drive to artisanal craft shops, modern shopping centers and the National Museums of Kenya.

ROOM CONFIGURATION

The hotel offers forty-five luxury suites which include the Hemingways suite, The Blixen suite, 19 Executive rooms and 24 deluxe rooms.

Deluxe suite – These spacious rooms are 80m² and are located on the ground floor of each wing. Each Deluxe Suite features a seating area and private terrace. Large en-suite marble bathrooms feature walk-in closets, double vanity units and separate bath, shower and WC.

PROPERTY FACILITIES

24-hour Security, Bar, Battery Charging Facilities, Business Center, Disability Services, Gym, Internet Access (Complimentary), Laundry Service (Available), Meal on Request, Pool, Restaurant, Secure Parking, Spa

ROOM FACILITIES

Air Conditioning, Balcony / Deck, Bath, Clothes Press, Complimentary Wi-Fi, Cooking Facilities, Disabled Rooms, Dressing Gowns, Electrical Outlets, En-Suite, Fan, Fridge, Hair Dryer, Heater, Internet Access (Complimentary), Lounge Area, Mini Bar, Mosquito Nets, Pure Cotton Linen, Safe, Satellite / Cable Television, Shower, Television, Wheelchair Friendly

SERVICES

Airport Shuttle (Available), Babysitting Service, Credit Card, Foreign Exchange, Room Service (24 hours)

Safari-Adventures-Worldwide-Ol-Pejeta-Bush-Camp

Ol Pejeta Bush Camp/Ol Pejeta Conservancy

On the banks of the Ewaso Nyiro River in central Kenya’s Laikipia region lies the atmospheric Ol Pejeta Bush Camp, the ultimate in Kenyan hospitality and safari excellence.

Ol Pejeta’s seven traditional East African safari tents offer an excellent base from which to explore the secrets of this renowned conservancy. Ol Pejeta is the first choice for discerning safari-goers looking to understand and enjoy the very best of world-leading conservation practice.

Resting at the foothills of Mount Kenya and the Aberdare Mountain Range, in central Kenya’s Laikipia County, the Ol Pejeta Conservancy is the largest black rhino sanctuary in East Africa. It is also home to the last three remaining northern white rhino in the world. Originally a working cattle ranch in colonial Kenya and now a pioneering wildlife conservancy, Ol Pejeta works to protect wildlife and provide a sanctuary for rescued chimpanzees. The Conservancy is a popular safari destination and is home to the renowned ‘Big Five’ as well as a wide selection of other African animals including zebra, giraffe, hippo, cheetah, jackal, serval, hyena, vervet monkey and many more. Visitors can enjoy an assortment of outdoor activities such as horse rides, game walks, and nocturnal game drives.

ACTIVITIES

Day and night game drives
Walking safaris
Visits to the endangered species enclosure
Canine anti-poaching unit visits
Lion tracking
Horseback riding in the conservancy and with rhinos
Cultural and community visits
Junior ranger program for children
Running with the rangers
Gym in the wild
Cycling safaris
Nanyuki market day
Wildlife – livestock integration program

ROOM CONFIGURATION

Perfectly spaced along the Ewaso Nyiro River, the six traditional safari tents at Ol Pejeta Bush Camp are charming and full of character. The family tent at Ol Pejeta features a central shared lounge which joins a king room and twin room.

All tents come complete with warm blankets for the winter mornings, rechargeable solar lights and en-suite bathrooms with hot-water safari bucket showers and flushing toilets. Individual verandas provide the perfect spot to while away an afternoon in privacy, watching the animals come and go along the river bank.

PROPERTY FACILITIES

Bar, Battery Charging Facilities, Communal Dining, Eco Friendly, Internet Access (Complimentary), Laundry Service (Complimentary), Mobile Connectivity, Private Vehicle Available

ROOM FACILITIES

Electrical Outlets, En-Suite, Laundry Service (Complimentary), Safe, Shower, Verandah

Safari-Adventures-Worldwide-Offbeat-Mara-Camp

Offbeat Mara Camp/Mara North Conservancy

One of the smaller camps in the Mara, Offbeat Mara Camp has just seven tents offering a truly private, traditional safari experience within the Mara North Conservancy (MNC). The MNC founded in January 2009, is an area of about 74,000 acres and is incredibly rich in wildlife and has one of the lowest densities of tourist visitors in the greater Mara ecosystem, enabling guests to enjoy game viewing in privacy. Offbeat Mara Camp is one of the founding members of the Conservancy. Tucked away in this prime wildlife area, Offbeat Mara Camp provides guests with superb game viewing – lion, leopard, elephant and buffalo are all seen regularly in the stunning valley that surrounds the camp. Most importantly, the camp is far away from other lodges and camps providing guests with great game viewing ‘away from the masses’.

Situated in southwest Kenya, the Mara North Conservancy is a beautiful private wilderness area spanning more than 30,000 hectares. It is home to a spectacular array of plants, reptiles, birds and mammals; including elephant, rhino, buffalo, lion, leopard, cheetah and large concentrations of wildebeest, zebra, gazelle and other migratory wildlife. Leopard Gorge, in the heart of the conservancy, is famous as the setting of countless BBC Big Cat Diaries and National Geographic documentaries. Neighboring the well-known Maasai Mara National Reserve, this conservancy is vital for sustaining the famous Serengeti wildebeest migrations as well as the highly-threatened African wild dog and black rhino.

ACTIVITIES

Day and night game drives
Walking safaris from camp in the Olare Orok Valley
Bush meals – breakfast, lunch, brunch or dinner
Sundowners
Learn to fire a masai bow and arrow or throw a spear or try your hand at beading with the ladies from the community
Cultural visits to a traditional Masai village
Hot air balloon safaris across the Masai Mara…a truly spectacular way to view the wildlife and scenery
Keiyaki guiding schools visits
Line fishing on the Olare Orok River

ROOM CONFIGURATION

There are 5 tents set up as either doubles or twins, with a large double bed and a large single bed in the tent. All tents have flush loos, safari showers and jugs of water for the basins.

There are also two family tents. Each has two sleeping areas, one with a large double bed and the other with two or three single beds. There are two safari showers, loos and basins in these tents.

All tents have a large verandah, with a table for private dining and chairs to relax on.

PROPERTY FACILITIES AND SERVICES

24-hour Security, Bar, Communal Dining, Eco Friendly, Internet Access (Complimentary), Laundry Service (Complimentary), Library, Meal on Request, Mobile Connectivity, Private Vehicle Available, Restaurant, Babysitting Service, Room Service

ROOM FACILITIES

En-Suite, Laundry Service (Complimentary), Lounge Area, Shower, Tea / Coffee, Verandah

Virunga Lodge/Twin Lakes Burera & Ruhondo

The magnificent Virunga Lodge is the premier luxury gorilla lodge of Rwanda and one of Africa’s finest and most renowned lodges. The lodge is perched high on a ridge with stunning views of the Virunga Volcanoes and the Musanze valley to the west and Lake Bulera and Ruhondo to the east.

It offers uniquely decorated rooms in the Rwandese style, scrumptious food and exceptional personalized service by carefully trained staff. It is the first accommodation choice for the luxury traveler tracking the endangered mountain gorilla.

Located at the base of the Volcano Muhabura in northern Rwanda, the Twin Lakes of Burera and Ruhondo are picturesque blue water masses surrounded by the virunga high hills and separated by a one-kilometer strip of land. Visitors can take canoe or boat trips along the waters to take in the magnificent views. Other activities include gorilla trekking or golden monkey tracking in the neighboring Volcanoes National Park, cultural tours from Iby’iwacu Cultural Village, or visiting the tropical Musanze Caves. The lakes’ Swamp Rugezi is one of the most important birding areas of Rwanda, and provides a photogenic, serene area to see a number of species. The lakes provide a wonderful opportunity to see people fishing along the shorelines with traditional methods, such as using self-made canoes (consisting of a single piece of wood), fish-nets and hooks.

ACTIVITIES

Gorilla tracking
Golden monkey tracking
Intore Dancers – The troupe perform the traditional Rwandan ballet called The Intore
Visit Dian Fossey’s Grave
Birding
Climb a Volcano
Lake Bulera Village Walk
Virunga Water Tank Project
Virunga “One Sheep per Family” Community Project
Dian Fossey Map Room

ROOM CONFIGURATION

• 10 luxurious bandas (6 Doubles, 2 Twins, 2 Deluxe). Each banda has a private terrace from which guests can watch the sunrise over the dramatic landscape of mountains and lakes. All are luxuriously appointed, with the accent on vibrant Rwandese fabrics and stylish locally inspired furniture

• All rooms are complete with a fireplace, en-suite bathrooms with flushing toilet, double vanity and shower with hot & cold running water. All included is:

Wifi access in the main lodge building and Dian Fossey Map Room.
One complimentary massage per guest.
Full board accommodation including all soft drinks and house alcoholic beverages.
Complimentary laundry and boot cleaning service.
Personal butler service for all guests.
Power sockets/charging facilities and hairdryers in the rooms. No air conditioners.

PROPERTY FACILITIES

24-hour Security, Bar, Battery Charging Facilities, Communal Dining, Eco Friendly, Internet Access (Complimentary), Library, Mobile Connectivity, Private Vehicle Available, Restaurant, Secure Parking, Spa

ROOM FACILITIES

Dressing Gowns, En-Suite, Fireplace, Hair Dryer, Laundry Service (Complimentary), Lounge Area, Mosquito Nets, Safe, Shower, Verandah

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