This City Tour of Nairobi brings you up close with Kenya’s economic and political capital. A massive and modern metropolis of 4m with modern roads, world class hotels and restaurants, an international airport, tens of foreign missions and some of the UN’s most significant offices including the UNEP and HABITAT, the city has been at the center of Kenya’s agenda since 1906. The tour begins at the Nairobi National Museum which depicts Kenya’s national heritage in nature, culture, history and art under own roof; it also houses the oldest human fossils in the world. After stopping at the adjacent Snake Park, tour around Nairobi’s major landmarks including the iconic Kenyatta International Conference Centre, Parliament Buildings, the Jomo Kenyatta Mausoleum and Uhuru Park as well as the colorful City Market and the adjacent local nyama-choma food coat; bargain with local merchants for discounts on some uniquely Kenyan curios, crafts and souvenirs. Other major outlets which also provide shipping are available in the heart of the city but prices may differ. If time allows, you may also stop at the Railway Museum and the Kenya National Archives where there are very interesting depictions of Kenya in the last 100yrs. But a tour of Nairobi cannot be complete without sampling some of the interesting local and international restaurants so please ask. Other interesting spots include the Kenya National Theatre and the University of Nairobi.

10.30hrs: transfer to the David Sheldrick’s Elephant Orphanage famous for rescuing orphaned and/or at risk baby elephants and raising them until they are old enough to be reintroduced into the wild. You will have an opportunity to meet with the elephant babies as they come for their mud-bathe and feeding time between 11.00am and 12.00pm). The late David Sheldrick and his widow Dame Daphne Sheldrick are celebrated conservation icons who have dedicated their lives to the conservation of the endangered African elephant especially now when the majestic tuskers are so threatened by poaching. Over the years, the center has been visited by international personalities including Bill Clinton, the current Japanese first lady, John Kerry and so many more. All proceeds go to conservation. There is also an opportunity to adopt a baby elephant for just $50 more and become a continuous foster parent.

Tour the Karen Blixen Museum (former home of Baroness Karen Blixen who lived in colonial Kenya in the early 1900s. Both the house, which depicts colonial Kenya at the turn of the century and Karen’s life and romantic escapades were immortalized in the movie ‘Out of Africa’.

Proceed to the Giraffe Centre, the African Fund for Endangered Wildlife (AFEW)’s center for the conservation of the endangered Rothschild Giraffe. It is a popular spot where visitors get the literal opportunity to hand-feed real giraffes. All proceeds go to the conservation of this endangered species.

Nairobi National Park and the adjacent Animal Orphanage and Safari Walk lie on the southern outskirts of the city depicting raw nature and tranquility just minutes away from the hustle and bustle of the Nairobi metropolis making it ideal for short excursions. It is a unique concept, the only wildlife national park located within a city in the world. The 117km² grass plains are Kenya’s oldest national park and home to over 100 species of wildlife mammals including elephants, buffaloes, zebras, wildebeest, giraffes, hyenas, elands, gazelles, leopards, cheetahs, lions, antelopes, hippos, and milliard other wild species including rhinoceros as well as over 400 recorded species of birds.

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The Carnivore Restaurant is one of Nairobi’s most famous and popular eating joints and completely an experience on its own. It serves a fun-filled, sumptuous and definitely one of the best barbeque cuts in Kenya – in beautiful south American style and ambience for either lunch or dinner. Large chunks of a wide variety of succulent meats are roasted over large pits/hearth and brought around on giant skewers (actually spears) and pieces sliced off onto your steaming hot platter to eat with a variety sauces, a starch accompaniment and mouth-watering desserts; beef, mutton, chicken, sausages, crocodile, ostrich and others are common offerings. A vegetarian option is provided on request. A combination of alcoholic and non-alcoholic cocktails is also offered at extra charge including the very popular “dawa” punch. ‘Carni” as it is popularly known by the locals, is a popular food and entertainment spot for international clients, diplomats and upwardly mobile local Kenyans and always worth a visit.

Amboseli National Park is land of the giants. Sitting at the foothills of the majestic Mount Kilimanjaro 250kms/4hrs south west of Nairobi on the Kenya/Tanzania border, the park is most famous for the large herds of gigantic elephants that roam her dusty pans as well as the splendid views of the snow-capped “rooftop of Africa” which it overlooks. Her 390km² of lowland savannah plains are also home to buffalo, zebra, wildebeest, topi, giraffes, elands, hyenas, wild dogs, leopard, lions, lesser kudu and many others as well as over 600 species of birds!!.It is also second home of the proud and aloof Maasai tribe whose enigmatic people, culture and traditions are the fascination of many around the world. Popular activities include regular game viewing drives, nature/bush walks and Maasai village/manyatta visits (outside the park), unforgettable sundowners and hot air ballooning. It is also base of the long running Amboseli (Cynthia Moss) Elephant Research Project that has been studying the elephants and their behavior for almost three decades now and is a treasure trove of scientific knowledge critical for their conservation.

Aberdares National Park encompassing the upper echelons of the Aberdare Mountains range and the adjacent grassy pans of the Aberdares Salient, in central Kenya from 2100 to 4300m. Situated 170kms/2hrs drive north of Nairobi the capital, her 765km² of forested terrain constitute sharp ridges and steep valleys with beautiful waterfalls and is habitat to many species of wild mammals including elephants, buffalos, zebra, eland, bushbucks, waterbuck, reedbuck, warthogs, leopards, jackals, hyenas, wild dogs, baboons, black and white colobus monkeys and black rhinoceros as well as over 250 bird species including the regionally endemic Jackson's Francolin, Sparrow hawks, Eagles and the critically endangered Aberdare Cisticola. The African wild cat, the rare golden cat, serval cat, civet cat, giant forest hog, the blue duiker and the Bongo are also known to be present but rarer to find. NB: all lions were trans-located from Aberdares to other national parks to protect the bongo. Activities in the park include the unique all night game viewing experience from the balconies and viewing decks of tree-house style lodging built high up in the mountains next to watering holes. Trout fishing is also quite popular.

Mount Kenya encompassing the upper echelons of the Aberdare Mountains range and the adjacent grassy pans of the Aberdares Salient, in central Kenya from 2100 to 4300m. Situated 170kms/2hrs drive north of Nairobi the capital, her 765km² of forested terrain constitute sharp ridges and steep valleys with beautiful waterfalls and is habitat to many species of wild mammals including elephants, buffalos, zebra, eland, bushbucks, waterbuck, reedbuck, warthogs, leopards, jackals, hyenas, wild dogs, baboons, black and white colobus monkeys and black rhinoceros as well as over 250 bird species including the regionally endemic Jackson's Francolin, Sparrow hawks, Eagles and the critically endangered Aberdare Cisticola. The African wild cat, the rare golden cat, serval cat, civet cat, giant forest hog, the blue duiker and the Bongo are also known to be present but rarer to find. NB: all lions were trans-located from Aberdares to other national parks to protect the bongo. Activities in the park include the unique all night game viewing experience from the balconies and viewing decks of tree-house style lodging built high up in the mountains next to watering holes. Trout fishing is also quite popular.

In the afternoon visit Hell’s Gate National Park where you enjoy hiking and trekking to and around the Njorowa Gorge. The area is famous for its many hot springs and breathtaking landscapes. After lunch, visit the Olkaria Geothermal Power Station. You will also have an opportunity to swim at the naturally heated thermal swimming pool, right inside the park.

Samburu National Reserve is one of Kenya’s most beautiful and romantic wildlife havens. Situated 350kms north of Nairobi in the semi-arid northern frontier district, her 165km² of acacia, riverine forest and grasslands dominated by the Koitogor and Ololokwe mountains are home to a wide variety of wild mammals; Lions, Elephants, Leopard, Buffalo, Hippos and Crocodiles in the Ewaso Nyiro River, Cheetah, Jackals, Greater Kudu, Lesser Kudu, Hyenas, the endangered Wild Dogs, the Pancake Tortoise, many species of antelopes including the iconic Eland, over 450 species of birds as well as some unique species only found north of the equator like the Beisa Oryx, Reticulated Giraffe, Somali Ostrich, the beautiful Grevy’s Zebra and the long-necked Gerenuk. It is also home to the Samburu tribes-people, cultural cousins of the Maasai. It was also one of the ‘homes’ of Joy and George Adamson who raised Elsa the lioness and was immortalized in their book, and the movie, ‘Born Free’. Samburu is a photographers’ paradise with amazing contrasts as well as unforgettable sunrises and sunsets. Activities in the reserve include regular game viewing drives, cultural visit to a Samburu Manyatta to see and experience their unique culture and traditions as well as traditional music and dance, Nature/bush walks with Samburu morans, Camel riding as well as bush breakfasts and bush dinners.

The picturesque Lake Nakuru National Park encompasses the savannah grasslands and euphorbia as well as yellow acacia woodlands surrounding Lake Nakuru, a shallow algae-filled lake, world renowned for the millions of lesser and greater flamingos that paint her surface pink; but the park has so much more to offer. Situated on the floor of the Great Rift Valley, 180kms/2½hrs drive west of Nairobi, the 188km² park is home to many species of wild mammals including probably the biggest buffaloes seen anywhere in East Africa as well as elephant, lion, cheetahs, zebra, giraffes, waterbucks, troops of baboons, warthogs, many species of antelopes, the elusive leopard and other large mammals. It is also arguably the easiest place to see rhino in a natural setting in East Africa, and pythons as well as a magnet for birders who come to sample her white pelicans that go rib-to-rib with the flamingos on lake.

The Rift Valley is the greatest valley in the world, a continental fault system that stretches from the Dead Sea all the way to Mozambique. In Kenya, the valley forms a great rift through the middle of the country beginning from Lake Turkana in the north to Lake Magadi in the south. In between are a series of other lakes; Baringo, Bogoria, Nakuru, Elementaita and Naivasha. Only two of these lakes (Naivasha and Baringo) are fresh water lakes. The others are shallow soda lakes. Dozens of volcanoes erupted in and around the Rift Valley. Most of them are now extinct, but have left their mark on the landscape in the form of half submerged islands, giant calderas, and the distinctive cone shapes which dot the landscape. The Rift Valley evokes a sense of immense mystery and the power of time.

Lake Naivasha is a beautiful fresh water lake near Naivasha town, 80km west of Nairobi, surrounded by 64km² of swamps studded with yellow-barked acacias. Sitting on the floor of the great Rift Valled and ccupying a 139km² surface area with an average depth of 6m (her deepest, 30m, point is around Crescent Island) it is home to hippos and crocodiles as well as over 400 different species of birds including flamingoes, pelicans and fish eagles. The surrounding swampland, and Crescent Island in its interior, provides habitat for various species of wildlife including gazelles, wildebeest, buffaloes and giraffes.Together her stunning surrounding including the nearby Hell’s Gate National Park and Crater Lake Game Sanctuary, they are a popular tourism destination with hiking, game drives and leisurely boat cruises on the lake to enjoy the sun, sunrises and sunsets as well as encounter the hippos and the birds being the most popular. The lake has alsfair share of history; in the late 1930s and the 40s, she was a landing site for flying boats and gaining notoriety in the Happy Valley days until the mid-40s. Joy Adamson, author of Born Free, lived on her shores in the 1960s and recently, the lake captured world attention when Mark Zuckerberg of FaceBook, channeled it on his wall after visiting Kenya in 2016.

Naivasha sits on the base of the Great Rift Valley on the shores of the beautiful Lake Naivasha, the only fresh water lake on the rift valley. The lake is popular for leisurely boat ride where you may encounter hippos and water birds as well as other mammals that graze by her shores including the Kongoni.

Maasai Mara Game Reserve is one Kenya’s most iconic and arguably the most beautiful wildlife reserves in Africa. Her 1,510km² of grassland and acacia studded plains are home to the Big-5 (lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino) as well as many other species of wild mammals. It is also home to the famous and majestic Maasai people who can often be seen herding their cattle on the periphery of the park or in their cultural manyattas (boma) just outside. Their age old culture, customs, traditions and demeanor are a marvel for locals and visitors alike. The Mara is an all year destination where the wildlife drama never ends; multitudes of resident game including elephants, prides of lions, cheetahs, hyenas, giraffes, warthogs, large herds of buffalo, rhinos, an occasional leopard, warthogs, several species of antelopes including eland and wildebeest and many other species of mammals as well as birds (the secretary birds, ostrich, Kori bustard and many others) can be seen all year round; it never gets dull. Between July and October, it is scene of the phenomenal annual wildebeest migration, considered the 8th wonder of the natural world, when over 2 million wildebeest and 200 thousand Zebra and opportunistic predators make their yearly sojourn from southern Serengeti in Tanzania to Maasai Mara in search of food. When they scatter all over the plains in an endless rib to rib push and shove; galloping, grazing and galloping further north again, it is the most amazing wildlife spectacle ever seen. But their most incredible moments remain the Mara river crossings where columns upon columns scamper into the river to satisfy this genetic hibernation; and massive crocodiles lie in their wait craving a feast; and many do fall victim, and others drown, but the population never seems to wane. It is a magical time to be there.

The annual wildebeest migration is a natural phenomenon where over two million wildebeest, two hundred thousand Zebra, thousands of eland and Thompson’s gazelle’s as well as opportunistic predators make a yearly sojourn from southern Serengeti in Tanzania to Maasai Mara in search of food. The trek begins when incredible herds of wildebeest gather in the southern Serengeti Ndutu area between December and March where there are nutritious and mineral rich grasses for their annual bathing ritual. Having exhausted the short grasses, they embark on a natural, instinct guided movement due northwest to reach western Serengeti/grumeti area in June then further north to enter Kenya’s Maasai Mara from mid-July where they stay until September. Depending on the rains and grasses the animals scatter and start their southerly return journey any time from mid-September to mid-October. They may be seen in the Serengeti’s Mara and Seronera area between October and November before congregating again in the southern Serengeti Ndutu area from December to March for a repeat performance. NB: it is not a strictly predictable path and minor or substantial variations may be experienced every year but not the drama; their most incredible moments remain the Mara river crossings where columns upon columns scamper into the river to satisfy this genetically controlled hibernation. Massive Nile crocodiles lie in their wait craving a feast felling many a victim, and others drown. It is a magical time to be there, one of the most amazing wildlife spectacles on earth and considered the 8th wonder of the natural world.

Mombasa is Kenya’s second largest and oldest city, marked on maps as long ago as the 2nd century by Greek cartographer Claudius Ptolemy. With its deep natural harbor ideally situated for the lucrative Indian Ocean trading routes, the city has long been a coveted prize of men and many wars have been fought for its possession, right until Kenya achieved independence in 1963.Today, Today, it is one of Kenya’s major tourism destinations with many coming to enjoy the sun, sea, Swahili culture and white sandy beaches in her north and south coast.

Malindi, one of Kenya’s best kept secrets and Watamu village to its south sit on the Kenya coast between Mombasa to and Lamu are at the centre of a strip of idyllic tropical white sandy beaches on the Indian Ocean which are mostly free from seaweed all year round. Dating back to the 15century AD when it welcomed Vasco Dagama in 1498 during his celebrated sojourn into the east coast of Africa some of her features date back to the 16th century during the Portuguese occupation. It is home to a wide selection of world class hotels, resorts and quiet, relaxing hideaways. Tourist attractions include the 213km² Malindi Marine National Park and Watamu Marine National Park both of which can be visited with glass bottomed boats to see the spectacular coral reefs and are ideal for divers and snorkelers alike. Other activities include exploration of the mangroves by boat, snorkeling, diving off the reef and big game fishing. Malindi is also one of Kenya’s principal deep-sea fishing spots the best times being during the drier seasons as silt from the rivers limits visibility during rains.The spectacular Marafa Depression, locally known as Nyari or Hell's Kitchen, sandstone gorges and gullies, walking through the ArabukoSokoke Forest Reserve’s winding paths with rare endemic birds and mammals and herds of elephants; touring the Gedi ruins, the ruins of a deserted trading Swahili town hidden deep in the ArabukoSokoke Forest, are a replica of the rich cultural history of Africa’s northern coastal region. Believed to have been a thriving city between the 13th and 17th centuries AD, its winding passages and crumbling walls, tombs, a mosque, houses and remains of a palace are preserved as a major historical monument in the coastal region. A small whitewashed chapel to the south of town is believed to have been the first Christian church in East Africa while the original Vasco Da Gama cross commemorating the explorer’s arrival in Malindi still stands at the entrance to the bay.

Bisected into Tsavo East and Tsavo West National Park by the Nairobi/Mombasa highway Tsavo was aptly immortalized by the movie The Ghost and the Darkness that depicts the famed turn of the century man-eater lions of Tsavo. Today, the park is most famous for the large herds of dirt-red elephants and the authentic African wilderness from which to hike the Mutanda rock, marvel at the lava outflows from Mt. Kilimanjaro and enjoy game viewing drives in Kenya’s largest national parks in search of plains game, birds and a million secrets of the African pori in a setting reminiscent of a bygone era. Situated 235kms south of Nairobi, the 13,747km² Tsavo East National Park is home of the Galana river, the 300km Yatta Plateau, the world’s longest lava flow as well as many species of African wild mammals including elephants, lions, leopard, cheetah, buffalo, rhino, hippo, crocodile, antelopes as well as over 500 species of birds. Tsavo West National Park is wild nature and scenery as it was at the turn of the century. Situated 240km south of Nairobi close-by Amboseli National Park her 7,000km² of open savannah grasslands dotted with acacia is home of Mzima Springs, the Sheitani Lava, the Ngulia Rhino Sanctuary, Lake Jipe and numerous species of African wild mammals including lions, leopard, cheetah, wild dogs, elephant, rhino, buffalo, hippos, crocodiles, zebra, giraffe, antelopes as well as reptiles and birds.