13-Day Mwangaza Safari – Light Over Kenya’s Wild Heart

Welcome to Kenya! Land at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), where your expert Pita Safaris driver-guide will greet you with a warm karibu sana — Swahili for “you’re very welcome.” Transfer to the comfortable Sarova Panafric Hotel, your stylish base in Nairobi featuring ensuite rooms and lush gardens. Depending on your arrival time, you may choose to relax or optionally explore Nairobi’s highlights like the Giraffe Centre or Karen Blixen Museum. In the evening, enjoy a welcome dinner at the Flame Tree Restaurant with sweeping city views.

- Travel Tip: Early arrivals may choose to explore Nairobi’s vibrant craft markets or enjoy a refreshing poolside rest.
- Ready for your Kenya wildlife adventure? Rest well — the wilderness awaits tomorrow.

After breakfast, journey north through fertile Kenyan highlands (~180 km | ~3.5 hrs) toward Aberdare National Park, a cool mountain refuge alive with wildlife. Your overnight stay is at The Ark Lodge, uniquely built to overlook a floodlit waterhole where elephants, buffalo, and bushbuck often gather.

Once settled, trade game drives for the lodge’s front-row view—nature comes to you here. Spend the evening in the viewing lounge, spotting nocturnal visitors under the forest’s misty veil.

- Travel Tip: Bring binoculars—Aberdare’s dense foliage rewards sharp eyes for rare sightings.
- Safari Moment: Sip hot tea while watching a giant forest hog emerge under moonlight.

Descend from the cool mountain air and head north (~220 km | ~5 hrs) to Samburu National Reserve, where the rugged landscape meets the winding Ewaso Nyiro River. Your base is Samburu Sopa Lodge, offering sweeping savannah views.

This afternoon, set out on your first Samburu game drive to seek the “Special Five”—Grevy’s zebra, reticulated giraffe, Somali ostrich, gerenuk, and Beisa oryx—species found only in northern Kenya.

- Travel Tip: Keep your camera ready—Samburu’s wildlife is rare and photogenic.
- Safari Moment: Watching a reticulated giraffe framed by Samburu’s ochre hills.

Wake to the soft rustle of acacia leaves and the chatter of weaverbirds as the sun rises over Samburu’s rugged terrain. After breakfast, set off for a morning game drive along the life-giving Ewaso Nyiro River, where elephants gather to drink and lions linger in the shade. Scan the plains for the park’s “Special Five”—Grevy’s zebra, reticulated giraffe, Somali ostrich, gerenuk, and Beisa oryx.

Return to Samburu Sopa Lodge for lunch and a restful afternoon by the pool. Later, choose between another wildlife drive or an optional visit to a Samburu village, where beadwork, rhythmic dances, and captivating stories reveal the deep ties between people and nature.

- Travel Tip: Early mornings are cooler and offer the best light for photos—have your camera ready before sunrise.
- Safari Moment: Lock eyes with a reticulated giraffe as it stretches for leaves high in the thorn trees.

After breakfast, journey south (~160 km | ~4 hrs) from Samburu’s dry plains to the lush foothills of Mount Kenya. Your destination is Ol Pejeta Conservancy, a pioneering wildlife haven known for its rhino protection work. Settle into Sweetwaters Serena Camp, where luxury tents open to sweeping views of Mount Kenya’s snow-capped peak.

In the afternoon, explore the conservancy on a game drive, seeking black and white rhinos, lions, and herds of antelope. Visit the Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary, where rescued chimps find safety and care in a natural setting.

- Travel Tip: Ol Pejeta is home to the last two northern white rhinos—don’t miss the chance to learn their extraordinary story.
- Safari Moment: Stand just meters from a browsing black rhino, its horn catching the sunlight.

Start the day with a sunrise game drive, when predators are most active and the light is magical over the savannah. Look for wild dogs, cheetahs, and elusive leopards. After lunch at camp, enjoy some downtime before an optional rare adventure—a night game drive under a starlit sky.

As darkness falls, the conservancy reveals a different cast of characters: aardvarks snuffling in the grass, bush babies leaping between branches, and hyenas calling in the distance.

- Travel Tip: A light jacket is essential for night drives—the air cools quickly after sunset.
- Safari Moment: Spotting a porcupine waddling across the track, quills glistening in the spotlight.

After breakfast, head southwest (~180 km | ~4 hrs) to Lake Nakuru National Park, where shimmering waters are fringed by acacia forests. Enter the park and enjoy a game drive, spotting white and black rhinos grazing alongside Rothschild giraffes. Keep an eye out for pelicans, cormorants, and, when conditions are right, flocks of pink flamingos along the shore.

Arrive at Lake Nakuru Lodge, where sweeping views of the lake and rolling hills make the perfect backdrop for your stay.

- Travel Tip: Golden hour brings out the lake’s best colors—plan to photograph just before sunset.
- Safari Moment: Watching a fish eagle swoop low over the water, its talons breaking the surface.

Leave Nakuru after breakfast, crossing the dramatic landscapes of the Great Rift Valley (~280 km | 5–6 hrs) toward the world-famous Masai Mara National Reserve. Arrive at Mara Sopa Lodge, where thatched roofs and lush gardens welcome you.

This afternoon, embark on a game drive into the Mara’s endless grasslands, home to elephants, zebras, giraffes, and the Big Five. If luck is on your side, you may spot a pride of lions preparing for their evening hunt.

- Travel Tip: Keep your binoculars handy—cheetahs are often seen perched on termite mounds.
- Safari Moment: Watching the sun melt into the horizon as wildebeest silhouettes dot the plains.

Rise early for a morning game drive when the Mara is at its most active. Depending on the season, you might witness the thundering Great Wildebeest Migration or track predators like leopards and hyenas as they patrol the grasslands.

Return for lunch and a short rest before heading out again in the afternoon. Optional experiences include a Maasai village visit or a hot air balloon safari over the reserve at dawn for breathtaking aerial views.

- Travel Tip: Wildlife activity peaks in the cool early hours—set out before sunrise for the best encounters.
- Safari Moment: Watching a cheetah accelerate in a heart-stopping chase across the savannah.

After breakfast, drive northeast (~240 km | ~5 hrs) to Lake Naivasha, a freshwater oasis surrounded by fever trees. Check into Muthu Lake Naivasha Country Club, with its colonial charm and serene gardens.

In the afternoon, you may choose to take a tranquil boat ride to spot hippos wallowing and African fish eagles swooping for prey, and an optional guided walk on Crescent Island among giraffes, zebras, and antelope in a predator-free sanctuary. If you prefer, you can simply relax at the hotel and enjoy its serene gardens and peaceful surroundings.

- Travel Tip: A wide-brimmed hat is perfect for lake excursions—shade and style in one.
- Safari Moment: Gliding silently across the water as a kingfisher dives in a flash of blue.

Travel southeast (~320 km | ~6 hrs) to Amboseli National Park, renowned for its herds of large-tusked elephants and panoramic views of Mount Kilimanjaro. Settle into Amboseli Sopa Lodge, a serene retreat set in 200 acres of private wooded savannah at the park’s edge. The lodge features spacious cottages, lush gardens, a large swimming pool, and stunning views of Kilimanjaro.

In the afternoon, head out for a game drive where elephants graze with Africa’s highest peak as a backdrop.

- Travel Tip: Kilimanjaro often reveals its peak in the early morning and late afternoon—have your camera ready.
- Safari Moment: Framing a family of elephants against a glowing sunset and snow-tipped Kilimanjaro.

Spend the day exploring Amboseli’s swamps, grasslands, and acacia woodlands. Large herds of elephants are the park’s signature sight, but you may also spot lions, buffalo, giraffes, and over 400 species of birds.

Take in the sweeping scenery, with Kilimanjaro’s ice cap peeking above the clouds. Optional visits to Maasai villages offer cultural insight and colorful photo opportunities.

- Travel Tip: A polarizing filter on your camera can make Amboseli’s skies even more dramatic.
- Safari Moment: Watching a matriarch lead her herd through shimmering wetlands, calves in tow.

Enjoy one last morning game drive, savoring the sights and sounds of the African bush. After breakfast, begin your journey back to Nairobi (~250 km | ~5 hrs), stopping for a picnic lunch along the way.

Arrive in the capital in the afternoon, where your driver-guide will drop you at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport for your flight home—or at your Nairobi hotel if you’ve chosen an extra night.

- Travel Tip: Keep your binoculars close on the drive—wildlife sightings are possible right up to the park gates.
- Safari Moment: Glancing back at the receding plains, carrying home the rhythm of Africa in your heart.