Masai Mara - Lake Naivasha Lodge Safari Adventure 4 days.
Trip Summary:
The tour takes you to experience wildlife in Masai Mara Game Reserve for 2 nights; Masai Mara extends southwards to the Great Serengeti National Park in Tanzania where thousands of wildebeest and zebra migrate around the two park for green pasture and water.
You will enjoy and experience nature, wildlife, habit and habitat of the fauna and flora in the natural areas, also peoples and culture. Availability 90%
Minimum Rate Per Adult: US$
Departing From: Nairobi
Duration: 4 Days / 3 Nights Lake Naivasha - Masai Mara Lodge Safari
Departure Time: 0800 Hrs (possible to leave earlier than)
Departures: Daily
Minimum Persons Required: 2
Best Time: All round the year
Trip Itinerary:
Lake Naivasha Lodge - Kenya Safari - 4 Days
Lake Naivasha, Masai Mara Lodge Safari
4 Days Lake Naivasha - Masai Mara Lodge Safari
Day 01: NAIROBI - LAKE NAIVASHA
In the afternoon, collected from your Nairobi Hotel and at 14.00hrs,
commence safari to Lake Naivasha. Remainder of the day at leisure.
Dinner and overnight at LAKE NAIVASHA COUNTRY CLUB / LAKE NAIVASHA SIMBA
LODGE / LAKE NAIVASHA SOPA LODGE.
Day 02 : LAKE NAIVASHA - MAASAI MARA
Breakfast at the Club/Lodge, drive west past Mount Longonot and via
Narok to the Maasai Mara National Reserve to arrive for lunch at the
respective hotel. Afternoon game viewing drive. Dinner & overnight at
MARA SOPA LODGE / MARA SIMBA LODGE / KEEKOROK LODGE / SAROVA MARA CAMP.
Day 03: MAASAI MARA
Morning and late afternoon game viewing drives in this Reserve, with
spectacular sceneries and diverse wildlife. All meals and overnight at
MARA SOPA LODGE / MARA SIMBA LODGE / KEEKOROK LODGE / SAROVA MARA CAMP.
Day 04: MAASAI MARA – NAIROBI
After breakfast at the Lodge, embark on your return journey to Nairobi.
On arrival you will be dropped at the airport
Tour Cost Includes:
-Guarantee price/guarantee safari on confirmation
-All ground transport whilst on safari in a comfortable safari vehicle
equipped for game viewing, photography and touring
-Full board accommodation whilst on safari and meal plan as described,
B=Breakfast, L=Lunch and D=Dinner
-Accommodation in double/triple room
-All park entrance fees to include government taxes
-Service of an English speaking professional driver/guide
-All game drives as detailed in the itinerary
-Bottled water whilst on safari
-Start and end in Nairobi.
-Personalised service
Tour Cost excludes:
-Tips
-Laundry
-Beverages/Drinks
-International flights
-Visas
-Items of a personal nature
-Any other extras not detailed in the above itinerary.
Maasai Mara
South Western Kenya is the heartland of the Maasai.
Masai Mara is "The" park of parks in Kenya. Its grass-carpeted smooth
hills, the chocolate Mara river waters with frolicking hippos, as well
as the rich faunal diversity, fulfill the expectations of any visitor
searching the African landscapes portraited in motion pictures such as
"Out of Africa" or "Mogambo". Save particular tastes or special
requirements, this is the park on top of the "must" list in the country:
no trip to Kenya would be complete without a visit to Masai Mara. True
that it's not the best park for birdwatching, and true that some species
are not easily found. However, leopards and rhinos abound, and with more
than 450 bird species, the reserve should not be envious of Samburu or
the great Kenyan bird sanctuaries. Albeit, in an area only slightly
smaller than the State of Rhode Island and with a diverse and complex
geography, getting lost is far easier than finding a leopard or sighting
a given bird species in its multiple woods.
The reserve, gazetted in 1961, is located west of the Rift Valley and is
a natural extension of the Serengeti plains, in Tanzania. The Mara
river, the reserve's backbone, traverses north to south heading for its
westbound way unto lake Victoria, through the Tanzanian park. This
course is the natural barrier crossed every year by the large migratory
herds of wildebeests and zebras which march across the two parks. As
explained below, more than one million wildebeests and 200,000 zebras
move in a quest for the best pastures, finding along the way the
crocodile-crowded river. When the herds ford the stream, many animals
die flattened or drowned and leave their bones by the Mara banks. From
July to October, Masai Mara is at its peak, with the seasonal visitors
populating the vast grasslands.
Masai Mara's location and altitude, above 1,500 m, yield a climate which
is milder and damper than in other regions. The grassy landscape and the
nutrient wealth for the great herds are mantained by the abundant rains,
which here last from November through June, as a fusion of the two rain
seasons (long and short) typical in other Kenya areas. Night storms are
frequent. In the hills and plains, grasslands are scattered with acacia
woods and bush. The riverbanks of the Mara and of the multiple tributary
streams are bordered by dense riverine forests with a good chance to
find some of the reserve's bird species.
The Maasai are a strongly independent people who still value tradition
and ritual as an integral part of their everyday lives. They regard
themselves not just as residents of this area but that they are as much
a part of the life of the land as the land is part of their lives.
Traditionally, the Maasai rarely hunt and living alongside wildlife in
harmony is an important part of their beliefs. Lions and Wildebeest play
as important a role in their cultural beliefs as their own herds of
cattle. This unique co-existence of man and wildlife makes this Maasai
land one of the world’s most unique wilderness regions.
At the heart of these lands is the Maasai Mara Game Reserve, widely
considered to be Africa’s greatest wildlife reserve. The Mara comprises
200 sq miles of open plains, woodlands and riverine forest. Contiguous
with the plains of the Serengeti, the Mara is home to a breathtaking
array of life. The vast grassland plains are scattered with herds of
Zebra, Giraffe, Gazelle, and Topi. The Acacia forests abound with
Birdlife and Monkeys. Elephants and Buffalo wallow in the wide Musiara
Swamp. The Mara and Talek rivers are brimming with Hippos and
Crocodiles.
Each year the Mara plays host to the world’s greatest natural spectacle,
the Great Wildebeest Migration from the Serengeti. From July to October,
the promise of rain and fresh life giving grass in the north brings more
than 1.3 million Wildebeest together into a single massive herd. They
pour across the border into the Mara, making a spectacular entrance in a
surging column of life that stretches from horizon to horizon.
At the Mara River they mass together on the banks before finally
plunging forward through the raging waters, creating a frenzy as they
fight against swift currents and waiting crocodiles.
The wildebeest bring new life to the Mara, not just through their cycle
of regeneration of the grasslands, but for the predators who follow the
herds.
The Mara has been called the Kingdom of Lions and these regal and
powerful hunters dominate these grasslands. Cheetah are also a common
sight in the Mara, as are Hyena and smaller predators such as Jackals.
The Mara is an awesome natural wonder, a place where Maasai warriors
share the plains with hunting lions, a place of mighty herds and
timeless cycles of life, death and regeneration.
The Mara is probably the best serviced of all Kenyan Parks and Reserves
with a wide range of Accommodation for any budget. The Reserve is a
popular attraction with Safari operators. The reserve is ideal for game
drives, and some lodges and camps offer walks and balloon safaris.
Wildlife moves freely in and out of the reserve, and through
neighbouring Maasai lands. Outside the boundaries of the reserve there
are many other small camps and lodges, some of which offer walking,
horse riding and other safari options.
The Loita Hills and the Nguruman Escarpment, both considered sacred to
the Maasai, offer high forest trekking opportunities for the adventurous
traveller.....
Lake Naivasha
Lake Naivasha is a beautiful freshwater lake, fringed by thick papyrus.
The lake is almost 13kms across, but its waters are shallow with an
average depth of five metres. Lake area varies greatly according to
rainfall, with an average range between 114 and 991 sq kms. At the
beginning of the 20th Century, Naivasha completely dried up and
effectively disappeared. The resulting open land was farmed, until heavy
rains a few years later caused the lake to return to existence,
swallowing up the newly established estates.
Afternoon wind and storms can cause the Lake to become suddenly rough
and produce high waves. For this reason, the local Maasai christened the
lake Nai’posha meaning ''rough water'', which the British later misspelt
as Naivasha..
The lake and its surrounds are rich in natural bounty, and the fertile
soils and water supply have made this one of Kenya’s prime agricultural
regions.
Much of the lake is surrounded by forests of the yellow barked Acacia
Xanthophlea, known as the yellow fever tree. These forests abound with
bird life, and Naivasha is known as a world class birding destination.
The waters of the lake draw a great range of game to these shores.
Giraffes wander among the acacia, Buffalo wallow in the swamps and
Colobus monkeys call from the treetops while the Lakes large hippo
population sleep the day out in the shallows.
The region surrounding the Lake is well worth exploring. There are two
more smaller lakes nearby, Oloidien, and Sonachi, a bright green cater
lake.
Hell’s Gate National Park lies beside the lake. This Park was named for
its pair of massive red tinged cliffs framing a geothermically active
interior of steam vents and bubbling springs. The park is home to a
profusion of plains game and birdlife. Walking is permitted, making it
ideal for hiking, biking, and rock climbing.
Boat trips on the lake are widely available, and is a great way to spend
an afternoon or morning.
Sunsets are always stunning, with the haunting call of a Fish Eagle high
over the Lake bringing the day to a perfect end....
