Spot big game on this safari over the open plains of Amboseli National Park, returning in the evenings to the comfort of your own luxury tent. With the cone of Kilimanjaro as your backdrop, head out in search of lions, elephants, rhino and other large animals, and meet the famous semi-nomadic Masai on a village visit. Enjoy Africa at its best, in one of Kenya's classic (and most breathtaking) parks.
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Day 1 Amboseli National Park (L,D)
The tour begins at 7:30am in the morning of Day 1 at your Nairobi hotel. Please be on time to meet your driver/guide at the front entrance of the hotel. A brief departure meeting will be held in the hotel reception area about general and specific aspects of the trip before setting off to Amboseli National Park.
Venture south to the famed Amboseli National Park located at the foot of Africa's highest mountain, Mount Kilimanjaro. The snow-capped peak of the mountain dominates every aspect of the park, providing the ultimate photo backdrop. Amboseli covers only 392 sq km, though despite its small size and its fragile ecosystem the park supports a wide range of mammals (well over 50 of the larger species) and birds (over 400 species). After lunch at your safari camp, spend the afternoon criss-crossing the park in seach of lions, buffaloes, elephants, rhino, cheetah, and of course the photo of a lifetime.
A part of the park is composed of a dried-up lake bed which in the shimmering heat produces mirages. Swamps and springs, fed by underground rivers from Kilimanjaro's melting snows, form permanent watering places for the wildlife through times of drought. The snows of Kilimanjaro form a majestic backdrop to one of Kenya's most spectacular displays of wildlife creating Kenya's most sought after photographer's paradise. The park's best game drives are around the swamps and there is a fine lookout on Observation Hill which offers views over the whole of the park and beyond.
Years ago this was the locale around which such famous writers as Ernest Hemingway and Robert Ruark spun their stories of big-game hunting in the wilds of Africa. In addition, the park that has been made famous by Cynthia Moss, the noted American naturalist and author who has one of the longest-running studies on elephants. You might even see some of the elephants that Cynthia has immortalized in her many books and award-winning film Echo of the Elephants.
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Day 2 Amboseli National Park (B,L,D)
This is your full day to enjoy Africa at its best - countless wildlife encounters through open plains spotted with flat-topped acacia trees. Before returning to your safari lodge in the evening, stop at a traditional "manyatta" (Masai village) for an optional visit to learn about the local Masai culture.
Part of Masailand, Amboseli National Park is thus the home of the Masai people, those tall, proud nomads whose legendary prowess in battle and single handed acts of bravery in fights with wild animals has spread across the globe. Perhaps more than any other community in Kenya, the Masai have learned to live in complete harmony with their environment, and coexist and thrive together with the wildlife that surrounds them. The park is surrounded by manyatta quickly built out of bent poles and sticks and plastered with cow dung and equally swiftly abandoned when the grazing is finished and the herds must move on.
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Day 3 Amboseli National Park (B)
Rise early for a final morning game drive, enjoying the African sun as it rises over the savannah of the Amboseli plain. Return to Nairobi in the afternoon, where your safari ends.
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USD40, usually included in most international air tickets.
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These meals are provided at the camps in which you are accommodated. All meals you have during your trip will be prepared from fresh local produce. All hotels cater to vegetarians; however, any other dietary requirements need to be specified prior to arrival. Lunch on day 3 is not included. You will make a stop en route back to Nairobi to allow you to pick up something light. Please note all bottled drinking water will be at your own expense.
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Optional activity prices are subject to change and can fluctuate in relation to the high/low season and the number of people on a specific excursion. Not all excursions listed here may be available, due to season, or weather conditions. As generally not a lot of time is spent in start/end cities, you may want to arrange to arrive early, or stay longer after the trip in order to allow sufficient time to participate in optional activities there.
All prices are listed in US dollar amounts, per person, and are examples of the entrances fees charged - this does not include hiring transport to/from the destination. And the majority of the activities should be paid in local currency.
Nairobi
Bomas of Kenya $9
Giraffe Centre $7
Karen Blixen Museum $12
Nairobi National Park $40
Nairobi Safari Walk, Animal Orphanage and Impala Sanctuary $10
National Archives F.O.C.
National Museum $3
Railway Museum $3
The Carnivore Restaurant $30 set meal
Outside Nairobi
Masai village tour $20 per village
All prices are per person (unless stated otherwise), and are subject to change as services are provided by third party operators.
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Entrance and game drives in Amboseli National Park
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enjoying the experience at a comfortable safari lodge, Looking for and snapping photos of extraordinary wildlife
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Luxury tented camp (2 nts).
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7-seat 4x4 safari vehicle.
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2 Breakfasts, 2 Lunches, 2 Dinners.
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With sliding windows and a large pop-up roofs, these vans are designed for game viewing. Road conditions can run the full range of conditions from new to very poor. This style of travel is the best under the local circumstances, as the seats are comfortable and having our own private vehicle allow us the flexibility of making stops when needed, and to stay and watch that crouching lion prepare for an attack.
Speed governors set to 80kph are used on all vehicles to ensure a safe driving speed. Please note for your own safety it is mandatory to wear your seat belt at all times when in a vehicle.
All G Adventure vehicles are regularly serviced and follow a strict maintenance schedule. However given the long travel days and rough conditions of many of the roads in Africa, vehicles can and do breakdown on occasion. If such situations occur all drivers are trained mechanics and any vehicle issues are rectified as quickly as possible so as to not disrupt your trip. Your patience is requested if the vehicle you are traveling in happens to encounter a mechanical fault.
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Your accommodation in Amboseli may be a luxury tented camp (as listed below) or could alternatively be a lodge. The following example of accommodation is used most often on this trip, but G Adventures reserves the right to change accommodation and provide something slightly different to what is described below, though it will always be of a similar or higher standard.
A luxurious tented camp with breathtaking views of Mount Kilimanjaro. Kilima Safari Camp is located in the Kimana area in Amboseli National Park, next to the Kimana Gate Park Entrance. The camp is set out on a 360 acre site with Spectacular views of Mount Kilimanjaro. The Kimana area of Amboseli is famous for its large elephant population. Clients can enjoy great viewing from their tents which face the Animal water pools and all public areas and guest rooms are set towards Mount Kilimanjaro
Please remember that lodge/luxury tented camp standards can be different from what you are used to in your home country, which is part of the appeal of adventure travel.
Note:
1) Lodges/luxury tented camps do not have 24hr electricity - they usually run on generators which are routinely shut off overnight from approximately 10pm to 5am.
2) Internet is not available at the lodges/luxury tented camps.
3) Lodges/luxury tented camps are NOT equipped with fans or air conditioning due to the electricity constraints listed above.
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