Day 1- Nairobi – Masai Mara National Reserve
Your safari driver / guide will pick you up from your Nairobi Hotel at 0715 hrs. Board your safari jeep and go through some pre safari orientation. Depart for the world famous Masai Mara National Reserve. A short drive from Nairobi, you will begin your descent down the floor of the Great Rift Valley. You will have a short photographic stop over at the view point of this geographical phenomenon that stretches all the way from Lebanon to Mozambique, and which divides Kenya into two segments; East and West. You will get a few minutes to stretch your legs at the Masai town of Narok before driving further into Masai Mara. Check in and lunch. This evening, you will enjoy your first game drive in this vast reserve. Wildlife, both predator and prey abound here, and depending on your luck, you will see some of the BIG 5 this evening. Dinner and Overnight stay at Mara Serena Safari Lodge / Base Camp Masai Mara / similar. Meals: Lunch, Dinner.
Day 2- Masai Mara
This day will be spent exploring various habitat in the vast Mara reserve. Your expert guide who has in-depth knowledge of the reserve and all areas where great sightings can be spotted will be on the look out for Lions, Leopards, Cheetahs, Buffalo, Elephants and Rhinos, among several other mammal and bird species. Masai Mara boasts of a high wildlife density, meaning that you don’t have to drive for long distances from one sighting to another. The 1,510 square Kilometers reserve is home to over 95 mammal and 450 bird species and the ease of spotting animals in their natural habitat makes it one of the most popular reserves in the world, not just for tourists but also wildlife researchers, wildlife documentary producers and professional photographers.
From June to October, the Mara is the theatre of the world’s greatest wildlife spectacle- The wildebeest migration. From June, the migrant herds which are over 1.2 million, accompanied by Zebras and other antelopes begin arriving in Masai Mara from northern Serengeti. More numbers continue arriving over the following weeks, with August being the month when the mottled plains of the Mara are flooded with marauding Gnus and the banks of the crocodile infested Mara River become the scene where dramatic crossings from one side of the reserve to the other take place regularly. Overnight stay at Mara Serena Safari Lodge / Base Camp Masai Mara / similar. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
Day 3- Masai Mara
You will have another day to enjoy in the Masai Mara. You will continue on your migration trail both in the reserve and along the banks of the Mara River as you also look for more Big Cat sightings. You may come across new prides of Lions, Elephant herds and Cheetahs or sight the ones you had seen before in a different part of the Reserve. This day, you can opt for a cultural experience by visiting an authentic Masai Homestead in a village bordering the Masai Mara. It is always enriching to learn about the fascinating culture of the Masai, and how them and their livestock have co-existed with wildlife over the years. Overnight stay at Mara Serena Safari Lodge / Base Camp Masai Mara / similar. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
Day 4- Masai Mara – Nairobi
This day, you drive back to Nairobi after breakfast. Time allowing, you can enjoy one more game drive. (You have an optional flight back to Nairobi’s Wilson airport, lasting 50 minutes instead of a drive that lasts 5+ hours). On arrival in Nairobi, you may enjoy a farewell lunch at the world-famous Carnivore Restaurant, followed by transfer to the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport on time for your evening departure flight, having experienced the annual wildebeest migration with Essenia Safari Experts. End of Services! Meals: Breakfast
NB: With our extensive practical knowledge of East Africa, tailor making is our forte and we are always ready to listen to you. We customize safaris to suit your interests, pace and budget. All you need to do is to share your safari dream with us, and we will expertly craft it to reality
