Bush and Beach Safari

Day 1: Departure

Early morning you’ll be picked from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and we’ll drive to Amazing Kenya Retreat just outside Nairobi. On the way to the lodge you already might spot some animals. After checking-in you’ll have some time to relax and freshen up. Later in the day we’ll go for a walk and come up close with giraffes, antelopes, and wildebeests.

Day 2

We’ll drive to Amboseli National Park in about 4 hours drive. If the skies will be clear you might see Mount Kilimanjaro on the way. Upon arrival in Amboseli we’ll check-in at Kibo Safari Camp, freshen up and have lunch. After lunch you’ll have some time to relax. Later in the afternoon we’ll go for our first game drive in Amboseli National Park.

Amboseli is famous for its large herd of Elephants that roam the savannah and the swamp. During your gamedrives the animals you are likely to see includes elephants, lions, buffaloes, different species of antelopes, Maasai giraffes, cheetahs, some water birds and dry land bird species. Amboseli National park covers an area of 392sq km and the name Amboseli is actually Empusel. In Maasai language this means place of salt and dust. In the park there is a swamp which provides the water to the animals in the park, an observation hill with a beautiful view to watch the wildlife and Mount Kilimanjaro on a clear day.

Day 3

Today we’ll head out for morning gamedrive with a cup of tea or coffee and return to the camp for breakfast after which you will have some relaxing time in your tent or at the swimming pool, and head out for an afternoon gamedrive or visit a Maasai village where you can learn more about the rich culture of the Maasai people .

Day 4

Early morning you can do a last game drive in Amboseli and try to spot some animals that we haven’t seen yet! After breakfast we’ll start our journey to Tsavo West, one of the biggest game parks in kenya.

Tsavo West is a popular destination on account of its magnificent scenery, Mzima Springs, rich and varied wildlife. We’ll do a gamedrive all the way to Ngulia Safari Lodge which is located in the park. After checking into the lodge we’ll have our lunch. In the afternoon we’ll explore National Park. We’ll visit the famous Mzima Springs where you can see watch the hippos and fish from a glass boat. In Tsavo West you can also see lava fields where it feels like you’re walking on the moon! And of course with its 9.065 sq km surface there are also plenty of animals to be spotted. These include: Leopard, Cheetah, Buffalo, Elephant, Giraffe, Zebra, Lion, Crocodile, Mongoose, Hyrax, Dik- Dik and more. Prolific birdlife features 600 species including migrants. We will head back to the lodge for lunch and relaxing.

Day 5

After an early breakfast we’ll start our drive towards coast. But not to worry, all the way we’ll be on game drive. Our destination is not too far today as we’re heading to Lion’s Bluff Lodge in Lumo Conservancy, close to Tsavo West. This community managed lodge is perched on a hill with amazing views of the savannah down below. After lunch you’ll have some time to relax before we head out for a nature walk. Late in the afternoon we’ll go for a game drive while the sun is setting in the surrounding hills.

Day 6

Today we’ll leave the “bush” behind us and start our final journey to the Kenyan Coast. The drive will take about 4 hours before your feet touch the magnificent white sands and the clear blue Indian Ocean. Severin Sea Lodge will be your home for the next few days.

Day 7 & Day 8

Today is a day to relax and wash off the dust from our safari. Just enjoy the tropical garden of the lodge and the swimming pool as well the beach and the ocean.

Day 9

This is the last day of our safari. You’ll fly back to Nairobi in the afternoon. Upon arrival in Nairobi you’ll be picked by the Dawn 2 Dusk safaris team. We’ll go to Carnivore restaurant for an early dinner. Carnivore restaurant is famous for its selection of meats, but vegetarians can also eat well here. After dinner you’ll be dropped at the Jomo Kenyatta International airport in time for your flight home.

Day 1: Nairobi – Maanzoni

Day 2: Maanzoni- Amboseli NP

Day 3: Amboseli NP

Day 4: Amboseli NP- Tsavo West NP

Day 5: Tsavo West NP- Lumo Conservancy

Day 6: Lumo Conservancy – Bamburi Beach

Day 7: Bamburi Beach

Day 8: Bamburi Beach

Day 9: Bamburi Beach- Nairobi

Amazing Kenya Retreat

is located in the heart of Maanzoni, which is a beautiful savannah Grassland estate in the Lukenya. Amazing Kenya Retreat is a small scale lodge where you’ll stay in private cottages. Sitting on your verandah you can enjoy the spectacular view. And when the sky is clear you can see Mount Kenya, 150 km to the North. Here you can come up close to the animals while walking in Maanzoni.

 

Kibo Safari Camp

offers you the real safari experience while sleeping in self-contained tents The beds have been custom designed and locally made using bush logs and will ensure a good night’s sleep! All tents have flush toilets, showers, and wash basins. You can enjoy your shower as you like: bubbling hot or refreshing cold. Also you can relax by the poolside after gamedrive in Amboseli National Park. For the duration of your stay in the African bush, Kibo Safari Camp will be your home away from home!

Ngulia Safari Lodge,

built in 1969, is located in Tsavo West National Park. The Lodge is perched on the Ndawe Escarpment just below Ngulia Hills, overlooking the Rhino Sanctuary surrounded by scenic Hills. All rooms are en-suite with a balcony with a view of the vast wilderness and floodlit waterholes. Guests can enjoy their meals as they watch the leopard feast, other animals drink water from the waterhole, and the birds compete in their melodies.

Lions Bluff Lodge

Secluded and exclusive, Lions Bluff is suspended above an ancient elephant migratory corridor, with stunning panoramic views extending across the Lumo Community Sanctuary and  the Tsavo eco-system to the majestic Mt Kilimanjaro. Stay in a small, unique lodge of sustainable timber, canvas and traditional coconut thatch. Sleep in a hand-made four poster bed in crisp cotton sheets and awake to Africa’s incredible sunrise ready to enjoy a game drive or bush walk before a hearty breakfast ..perhaps in the bush.. and you have begun to conjure up the magic that is Lions Bluff.

Severin Sea Lodge

has been designed in a traditional African style with attention to detail: The round bungalows, the main building and the two swimming pools are harmoniously located within a vast grove of palms. The rooms are equipped with handmade wooden furniture and designed in a classic natural style. In our restaurants, amongst them the award-winning Imani Dhow, culinary highlights for every taste are waiting for you. The Lodge offers diverse animation and sports facilities

Comfort and Intensity of the safari; Comfort     Intensity

This safari is suitable for healthy persons with an interest in nature and wildlife. Mostly we search for wildlife during gamedrives from the comfort of the vehicle. When you or the guide spots an animal we stop the vehicle so that we can view the animals from up close . Sometimes the best way to spot animals is to stand up in the vehicle. There are also some walks planned during the safari. The paths might be sandy, muddy and narrow, uphill or downhill. Sometimes the walks might be harder than you initially think because of the altitude and climate. In case you experience difficulties, discuss this with your guide and the pace will be adjusted to your speed or alternative walks might be proposed

The roads that we’ll drive on during this safari are mostly tarmacked, but there might be potholes in the road. We’ll also use some rough roads, especially interior roads and roads in the parks. Sometimes the drives can be slow because of the roads. Also there are some days that large distance needs to be covered, meaning a long drive. Use this time to relax and enjoy the sceneries and birds.

The accommodation chosen for this safari are comfortable-luxury. The accommodation can be in cottages, furnished tents or double rooms. All cottages/tents/ rooms have double or twin beds, mosquito nets, and en-suite toilet and bathrooms.

Best time for this safari

Kenya boasts one of the best climates on the continent. It is comfortable and pleasant during the day, with variations in temperature due to altitude and terrain.

We offer safaris year round, and travellers who make their safari during the rains of November, April or May will almost certainly be treated to unexpected and exciting wildlife experiences, un-crowded game reserves and probably a good deal of sunshine. It can rain during any month. In recent times, changing weather patterns make transitions between rainy and dry seasons come and go unpredictably. The following are the typical seasonal highlights:

January – February

This is the hot dry season. Excellent for birds and animal viewing, although long grass may make some smaller species hard to see in some wildlife destinations. January & Feb is the calving season for wildebeest, zebra, and some hoofed species.

March- May

Sometime in March intermittent rains start. Game viewing is excellent over short new grass of the plains. Spring-like conditions are moderated by cool nights. In the months of April and May the rainy season is heavier, and road conditions can become difficult. There’s great biological activity in the national parks and reserves, beautiful green landscapes and panoramas.

June – October

This is the cooler dry season with some occasional showers. Peak tourist season is July-October. During this period there are excellent viewing conditions, though many roads are dusty. Wildebeest are normally encountered in the Maasai Mara in large numbers in late July through October as the great migration from Tanzania to Kenya takes place.

November – December

Here begin the short rains. There’s nice greening of plants, and birds begin arriving from Europe and Asia. Expect intermittent showers during these months. Wildebeest are migrating south out of the Maasai Mara at this time, but there are still plenty of animals to be spotted since not all wildebeests migrate back.

Tourguide

You’ll be accompanied by an English speaking driver-guide. Your driver-guide has many years experience in the spotting of wildlife and is able to give you more information on what you see around you. In some areas we’ll use a local community guide to show us the best areas for birding and sightseeing.

Transport

We’ll use a safari van during this safari. The vehicle has a pop-up roof that makes it easy to wildlife from the comfort of the car. The roof will be opened only while on gamedrive in the parks, and not while driving on the main roads. As mentioned, sometimes the roads are bad and therefore sometimes the vehicle that we use can have a breakdown. If this happens we’ll try to repair the vehicle on site or at the nearest service station. In case the vehicle is not able to be prepared we’ll arrange alternative transport.

Baggage

We would like to advise you to carry your baggage in a soft-shell suitcase because of luggage space in the vehicle that is used. If you have a hard-shell suitcase, please contact us and we’ll see how we can carry your suitcase in the vehicle.

As we’ll be doing lots of walking during this safari it would be good if you carry a backpack that can carry your binoculars, bird book, camera, drinking water and a snack.

International flights

This safari starts and ends at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi. International flights are not included in the price of the safari. When booking your flights it is recommended for your incoming flight to arrive in the morning of day 1 and the outgoing flight to depart in the evening. In case your flight arrives at a different time, please let us know. In that case we can assist you with booking of accommodation in Nairobi.

Passport and Visa requirements

Visitors are required to carry a passport that is valid for at least six months beyond the intended length of stay. Visas are required, depending on the passport you carry. Please check the web site for the Embassy of Kenya in your home country.

Vaccinations and Malaria Prophylaxis

As the advice on vaccinations and Malaria Prophylaxis changes regularly we recommend that you contact your health provider in your home country.

Meals

All meals are included in this safari, unless indicated otherwise. The accommodation and restaurants chosen for this safari provide you with an assortment of choices and usually comprises of Kenyan and Western food. The meals are served buffet-style or a la-carte. In case you have any dietary restrictions, please let us know so that it can be accommodated.

Drinking water

Dawn 2 Dusk safaris recommend bottled or filtered water only. All the lodges provide you with water in your room (bottled or in a flask). During the drives we also provide you with drinking water. We recommend that you drink at least 2 litres a day

Clothes

A safari is a very casual experience. Neutral colours are most suitable when near wildlife. We recommend a mix of short- and long sleeved shirts, shorts and long trousers, casual skirts for women, and comfortable walking shoes. Prepare to dress in layers, adding or removing outer garments as the weather changes throughout the day.

Currency

In Kenya the currency used is the Kenyan Shilling. Your local bank can give you the current exchange rates. It’s good to have a small amount of Kenyan Shillings upon arrival that you can use to buy a drink, snack or for tipping the hotel staff. You can either carry some Kenyan Shillings from your home country or you can exchange euros or US dollars upon arrival.

You’ll also have the possibility to use the ATMs to get Kenyan Shillings. The most accepted credit cards are Mastercard and Visa. Some ATMs also accept debit cards with Maestro.

Traveller cheques are not widely accepted by banks and we do not recommend you travel with them.

Photography

Africa, and particularly Kenya is a photographer’s dream! A camera will record all those unbelievable and spectacular sights you’ll want to share with your friends. Although you can use any type of camera we would like to recommend that the camera has a good zoom so that you can bring the birds and animals close and have that perfect picture.

NOTE: Taking photographs at airports, policemen in uniforms, state houses, embassies, shopping malls, harbours and military installations are STRICTLY prohibited. If you would like to photograph people, please ask and be willing to pay them if they ask you to do so.

Reservation

A deposit of 50% is required at the time of booking and the balance is due 1 month before the start of the safari

Cancellation

You can cancel your trip in writing (by email) and any cancellation or no-show is subject to cancellation charges as per following schedule:

For bookings cancelled between 75 and 35 days before date of arrival, 25% of the applicable rate will be charged

For bookings cancelled between 34 days and 22 days before the date of arrival, 50% of the applicable rate will be charged

For bookings cancelled within 21 days before arrival or No Show, 100% of the applicable rate will be charged

 

HighlightsThis safari is a private safari so you’ll have the vehicle and a driver-guide to yourselves Visit some of the most renowned National Parks in Kenya  Chance to see some of the Big-5 and many other animals and birds This safari includes gamedrives and nature walks  You’ll see the diverse habitats in Kenya from Savannah, lava flow, springs to white sandy beaches of the Kenyan coast  You’ll fly back to Nairobi from coast