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Parks & reserves: Safari itineraries
In this section you will find some suggested safari itineraries for stays of different lengths. These itineraries are just my preferred personal choices, so there are other possibilities not listed here. The trips cover only the most popular safari regions which are considered relatively safe for self travelling. All of them are commented including suggestions for lodging, camping and a list with the most important wildlife that is likely to be seen, but bear in mind that animals are not glued down to the ground and thus these are only reasonable estimations.
Please note that these are only suggested trips for you to make on your own or through a travel agency or safari operator. Kenyalogy does not sell or organize these trips, and we do not make any recommendations concerning travel agencies or safari operators, so please don't ask.
Weekend (1 to 3 days)
If unfortunately you are only staying in Kenya for a weekend, or any period from one to three days, you can still enjoy a short safari. These options may be suitable for passengers on transit or business travellers. Choose a visit to Nairobi National Park if you can only dedicate one day, or combine it with a short trip to Lake Nakuru or Amboseli National Park if you have up to three days to spare.
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If you have a free morning or afternoon, you can make a visit to Nairobi National Park, only 5 miles (8 km) away from the city center, while staying overnight at your downtown hotel. If you are not driving on your own, you can hire a taxi from your hotel.
Nairobi National Park can be visited within a morning or an afternoon, but for exploring the whole park you will need a full day. You will find plenty of plains game specially in the dry season, including buffalo, zebra, wildebeest, giraffe, kongoni, gazelles and other antelopes. You will have a good chance of seeing lions, mainly early in the morning or when the sun is setting. They can be frequently seen on top of the park's stone signposts. In the streams and pools you might find hippos and crocodiles, but this is not a sure bet. Black rhinos are also present, though they are an uncommon sight, as are other big cats. Elephants are absent.
DAY 1: Nairobi NP
Lodging: Fairview Hotel
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If you can spend a full weekend, you can devote a day to Nairobi National Park (see itinerary 1) and make a visit to Lake Nakuru National Park, just by the city of Nakuru which is easily accessible from Nairobi.
Along your route you will enjoy the Kenyan landscape, from the fertile highlands and the forested slopes of the Kikuyu Escarpment to the wide panoramas of the Rift Valley, which you will have the chance to see from the lookouts along the road dropping down to the bed of Kedong Valley. You will pass by lakes Naivasha and Elmenteita to finally reach Nakuru town and Lake Nakuru National Park. Here you can enjoy an evening game drive and make an overnight stop. The following day you will have time for another game drive before heading back to Nairobi.
Lake Nakuru will grant you the magnificent views of what has been called "the greatest bird show on Earth", with thousands of flamingos fringing the soda shallow waters. At the swamps and grasslands by the lake you will find lots of plains animals, with an almost sure bet of spotting white rhinos and maybe even their more elusive black cousins. Bird life is also plentiful at the lake. In the wooded areas, specially west and south of the lake, there is abundant forest wildlife. Leopards are present, though they are not a common sight. Only elephants are missing.
DAY 1: Nairobi NP
Lodging: Fairview Hotel
DAY 2: Nairobi - Lake Nakuru NP
Lodging: Lake Nakuru Lodge
Camping: Makalia Falls
DAY 3: Lake Nakuru NP - Nairobi
Lodging: Fairview Hotel
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If you can spend a full weekend, you can devote a day to Nairobi National Park (see itinerary 1) and make a visit to Amboseli National Park. There is a good tarmac highway down to Namanga, right on the border with Tanzania, though from here to Amboseli the road turns rougher.
Amboseli lies on Maasai country. Along your route you will spot the traditional Maasai villages or enkang (also called manyattas). If you start off early in the morning, you will have time for a game drive through the park before your overnight stop. The following day you will have time for another game drive before heading back to Nairobi.
Amboseli harbors a dramatic contrast between dry dusty lands and ample swamps fed by the waters flowing underground from Mount Kilimanjaro. For this reason, a huge variety of wildlife can be found, but arguably it is elephants that most visitors come looking for. There are many of them in Amboseli and they can be easily seen marching through the plains. There is also a good chance of spotting lions, and hippos are a sure sighting at the flooded areas. Pictures at Amboseli have Kilimanjaro as a majestic backdrop, but bear in mind that a thick cloud cover usually grows around the summit along the morning, so the best time to see it is right at dawn.
DAY 1: Nairobi NP
Lodging: Fairview Hotel
DAY 2: Nairobi - Amboseli NP
Lodging: Ol Tukai Lodge
Camping: Group Ranch
DAY 3: Amboseli NP - Nairobi
Lodging: Fairview Hotel
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