12 Days Laikipia Samburu Game Reserve

On arrival in Nairobi you will be picked up from the airport and transferred to the hotel in Nairobi for overnight. Overnight safari park hotel or similar (BB).

Morning leisurely breakfast. Depart and drive north wards. Lunch at Tree Trout Restaurant. After lunch continue to Loldaiga Ranch. Arrive evening and put up camp. Dinner at overnight at the camp site. This 50,000 acres privately owned ranch on the Lolldaiga Hills has stunning views of the snow capped Mount Kenya – the second highest mountain in Africa. The vegetation ranges from dry savannah to open woodlands and a high altitude forest. It’s characterized by dry savanna, open woodland, to hills with cedar, olive forests and rocky ridges. With a wide variety of wild animals, Lolldaiga Farm offers some of the richest wildlife experiences. Animals includes; baboon, common zebra, Grevy’s zebra, elephant, dik dik, klipspringer, gerenuk, impala, reedbuck, waterbuck, greater kudu, oryx, eland, African buffalo, lion, leopard, cheetah, hyena, African wild dog and others. More than 275 bird species have been observed and recorded. Lolldaiga Farm and its diversity offer the seclusion and intimacy of a romantic hide-away. Game drives to spot some of the 60 species of wildlife, including wild dog, leopard, cheetah and lion . Lolldaiga is a working cattle ranch and demonstrates optimal coexistence of people, livestock husbandry and wildlife. The Lolldaiga Hills, with the highest peak in Laikipia, and its ridges and valleys, offer challenging and scenically spectacular walks.

Early morning game drives in the ranch. Return to the camp site for breakfast. After breakfast break up camp followed by mid morning leisurely drive for picnic lunches at the view point. After lunch walk to your next camp site. This evening you have a night game drive in the ranch Dinner and overnight at the camp site.

After breakfast walk across this expansive ranch with a picnic lunch en route to your next camp site. Arrive in the evening at the next camp site for shower, dinner and overnight. Overnight at the camp site.

After breakfast break up your camp and proceed on foot to the Mukogo Forest. Picnic lunches en route. Arrive at the next camp site by late evening. Dinner and overnight at the camp site. Mukogodo Forest is one of the largest indigenous forests in Eastern Africa that is protected by the community with minimum government involvement. Covering a total of 74,000 acres, the forest was initially the home of Yiaku speaking minority group, a Cushitic group that has over the years been assimilated into the Maasai culture. The forest is to date a no go zone during the wet seasons, while during drought, a council of elders sits to decide where and when the animals should be grazed. Two major rivers and four springs from the forest are a reliable source of water for residents and their livestock.

Early morning breakfast. Depart for morning game drive in the private Borana Ranch. Return to the camp site and break up camp. Depart and drive to a picnic in the forest. After lunch proceed by foot to the next camp site. Dinner and overnight at the camp site. Borana ranch is a 35,000-acre ranch located within the vast area of the Ewaso ecosystem on the Laikipia Plateau: snow-tipped peaks and the glaciers of Mount Kenya to the south; a panorama of mountains and desert to the north, Borana provides an idyllic setting for any African experience. The ranch – 17 miles north of the equator and 6,000 feet above sea level – is free from the malarial mosquito and the nights are cool. Laikipia is an area of exceptional beauty; and enjoys some of Kenya’s most prolific wildlife (second only to the world famous Maasai Mara) as well as the highest populations of endangered species in the country. The area is a haven for a wide diversity of wildlife, including lion, elephant, Jackson’s hartebeest, buffalo, reticulated giraffe, Patas monkeys and great herds of antelope roaming the plains, while the cool forest shelters bushbuck, colobus monkeys and leopard. Borana is a working ranch, named after the doe-eyed Borana cattle.

Breakfast and break up camp. Drive to Samburu Game Reserve for lunch on arrival at the camp. Afternoon game drives till evening. Dinner and overnight at the Tented Camp/lodge.

Full day in the reserve with morning and afternoon game drives. Dinner and overnight at the camp/lodge. Samburu National Reserve forms a unit with Buffalo Springs and Shaba National Reserve. They are all three on the Ewaso Nyiro River. In the north the landscape is dry and the savanna broken by low mountain slopes. In this area lives the Samburu, a nomadic people that is related to the Maasai. The area around the banks of the Ewaso Nyiro River (Samburu name for “brown water”) is much greener on the other hand and here you’ll also find many different species. The reserve is known for rare species such as the reticulated giraffe, Grevy’s zebra, giraffe gazelle and Beisa oryx. The reserve is also home to four of the big five-Elephant, buffalo, lion and leopards .Over 400 species of birds including the Somali ostrich, are found in this reserve.

Breakfast then depart and drive to Aberdare slopes. Lunch on arrival at the lodge. Afternoon free with optional excursions (weather permitting) Dinner and overnight at Rhino Watch Lodge.

Early breakfast then drive to Solio Ranch. Full day game drives with picnic lunches. Return to the lodge in the evening. Dinner and overnight at Rhino Watch Lodge. Solio Ranch or Solio Game Reserve is a privately owned wildlife conservancy. The ranch is a fenced and protected area geared toward rhino conservation. The 17,500-acre reserve, 22 km north of Nyeri Town, plays a major part in the protection and breeding black rhinos in Kenya. The rhino is a member of the ‘Big-Five’, which are a key tourist attraction. Solio Ranch is recognized as one of the most successful private rhino breeding reserves in Kenya. The animals live in harmony with other wildlife, including the buffalo, zebra, and giraffe and plains game such as eland, oryx, impala, waterbuck, Thompson’s gazelle and warthog. Solio Game Reserve is physically diverse, scenically spectacular, covered by open grass lands, wooded ravines. It is internationally recognized as the most successful rhino breeding reserve in Africa. Other animals to be found include lion, leopard and cheetah as well as felines and creatures of the night.

Depart after breakfast and drive to Aberdare National Park. Picnic lunch at one of the sites. After lunch drive across the mountains and down into the Great Rift Valley lakes. Dinner and over night at Lake Naivasha lodge/camp. The Aberdare National Park is part of the Aberdare Mountain Range, a fascinating region of Kenya. According to traditional Kikuyu folklore they are one of the homes of Ngai (God). Mountain ranges and peaks soar to around 12,900ft (3,930m) giving way to deep V-shaped valleys with streams and rivers cascading over spectacular waterfalls – this area is a must for landscape lovers. From its vital catchment area the Aberdare Rainforest feeds the entire local and Nairobi water supply. Above the forest is a belt of bamboo, a favourite haunt of the Bongo, a rare and elusive forest antelope. At 10,000ft (3,000m), the bamboo gives way to moorland, home to eland, spotted and melanistic serval cats. Other features are the giant alpine varieties of lobelia, groundsel and heather. Ideal for walking, picnics, camping and trout fishing in the rivers, the moorlands are reminiscent of the European highlands. Above the forest stretch miles of open moorlands, broken by lichen – covered rocky outcrops, hills and crags, thickets of giant heath and tussock-grass bogs. Some forest dwellers include red duiker, suni, bushbuck – some of the old males are nearly black – elephant, buffalo, giant forest hog, leopard- all black examples have been recorded – and colobus monkey. Game birds include Jackson’s and scaly francolins in the forest and the very local montane francolin on the moorlands. Birds of prey are specially interesting and crowned and Ayres’ hawk eagles, mountain buzzard, rufous-breasted sparrow hawk and African goshawk are usually to be seen. Birds in the higher moorland are the scarlet-tufted malachite Sunbird – but rare here than in Mount Kenya – The tame and confiding mountain or hill chat, augur buzzard, slender-billed chestnut-wing starling and white-naped raven.

Breakfast followed by a boat trip and a walk on the Crescent Island. Return to the camp for early lunch. Lake Naivasha is a beautiful freshwater lake, fringed by thick papyrus. 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 Colombus monkeys call from the treetops while the Lakes large hippo populations sleep the day out in the shallows. Crescent Island is a private Wildlife Sanctuary on the eastern side of Lake Naivasha. The island is a submerged rim of a volcanic crater and here, you can walk among the yellow barked “fever trees” with the possibility of seeing various animals. Crescent Island has an abundance of animal and plant species. Whether an avid animal or plant lover or just an interested novice you will find something to excite you. Crescent Island also has wonderful views of the surrounding Naivasha Lake, Mt Longonot, Hells Gate and the distance peaks of the Aberdares. Visitors can enjoy the wildlife and tranquil environment. Animals you may see are giraffe, zebra, Thompson’s and Grant’s gazelles, waterbuck, eland, and a great many bird species. The huge fish eagle with it’s distinctive cry is common to the area. After lunch drive to Nairobi/airport.