10-Days Western Kenya

Upon arrival at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, you will be met by our representative for transfer to your city hotel. Meals at own cost. Overnight at Trademark Hotel

After an early breakfast we travel to Maasai Mara Game Reserve, so named to mean the “spotted plains” in Maa language. This is home to the greatest concentration of large mammals and is widely recognized as Africa’s ultimate wildlife reserve. The park is the northern extension to the vast Serengeti-Mara ecosystem, famous for its annual migration of wildebeest. Transfer to the lodge with a game drive en route and after check-in enjoy hot lunch. Later in the evening enjoy a game viewing drive in this spectacular place of breathtaking sceneries, never-ending plains and the most abundant variety of wildlife remaining anywhere in the world. The landscape is made up of rolling savannahs dotted with patchy shrubs and bush thickets. All meals and overnight at Ilkeliani Camp

During your stay, you have the opportunity to explore this great reserve in depth. You may see elephant, giraffe, prides of lion, and thousands of impala, topi, grants and Thomson’s gazelle. Birds are prolific including immigrants, 450 bird species have been recorded among them 57 birds of prey. The Mara is the scene of annual migration of millions of wildebeest up from the Serengeti plains in search of water and grasses. All meals and overnight at Ilkeliani Camp.

Depart after early breakfast for a long drive via Bomet/Sotik to Mbita on Lake Victoria. This drive will take you across the floor of the Rift Valley and over the Ololoolo escarpment into the fertile Western highlands rich with tea and coffee plantations. Enjoy your picnic lunch en-route.Check in and spend the rest of the evening at leisure within the lodge grounds enjoying the beautiful sundowner over Africa’s largest fresh water lake. All meals and overnight at Victoria Sands Lodge.

Enjoy a sumptuous breakfast followed by a drive to the nearby Ruma national Park, for a half day of game viewing. The park was created for purposes of conserving and protecting the endangered Roan antelope that is endemic to the area. After your lunch in the park, you can opt to have a boat transfer on the lake back to your lodge. Rest of the evening at leisure or fishing from the pier. Dinner and overnight at Lake Victoria Village

After breakfast you continue to Lake Simbi. Lake Simbi Nyaima offers a breathtaking legendary tale, Simbi Nyaima” means the village that sank; it is a seasonal home of migrating flamingos. They arrive from lakes in the Rift Valley region, such as Nakuru, Baringo, Natron and Elementaita every year. You will arrive for lunch at Kiboko Bay and check in your room. After some rest the Kenyan National Museum awaits you for Kenyan cultural experiences. In the evening you will enjoy a boat ride and unique sunset at Lake Victoria. Return for dinner to Sovereign Hotel

Today we will drive an hour away from Kisumu to the last remaining rain forest in Kenya, Kakamega Forest. There are hiking trails in the forest that allow for forest walking, camping, hiking, primate watching, bird and butterfly watching, game watching and village walks. In the Afternoon you return to Kisumu and can have optional a sunset cruise at the lake. All meals and overnight at Sovereign Hotel

Maragoli Hills is the unofficial boundary between Kisumu & Vihiga County. The hills are located just adjacent to the Mungoma caves and offer panoramic scenic views and are great for bird watching adventures & hiking. It is rocky and steep but the viewpoint is rewarding when you reach the summit. From the top of the hill, one is able to see the Nandi Hills, Miwani Plains, Ndere & Maboko Islands on Lake Victoria. Enjoy the distant view of Lake Victoria as it stretches out into the horizon, expansive vegetation, and a lovely skyline. The view at the top is worth all the sweat broken while climbing.

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Kapsimotwa Gardens is a serene and secluded site located in the picturesque Nandi Hills, a highland area of lush green rolling hills at the edge of the Great Rift Valley. At about 2000m above sea level, the gardens are part of the Kapsimotwa farm – a huge Tea plantation that dominate the landscape. The farm was established in the 1930s by a British settler called Bushwell. From Kisumu you go to Awasi and turn off to Chemeli, a pictures road framed by lots of Jacaranda trees. Drive up the Nandi Hills to Kapsabet and turn in Kapsabet at the High school to the tea factory. Through all the tea plantations you will reach the garden on an easy drive way. Visitors can also tour the tea farms which were planted in the 1950s. They can also visit tea factories nearby and buy the processed leaves to carry home. The huge green tea fields are already so beautiful but the garden is a jewel.
This garden has survived many generations from 1955 when it was started by an Australian white settler named Roy Mayer. She loved nature so much that she planted over 100 different flower species such as the Star of Bethlehem, English Blue bell, African daisy, jasmine, honesty, cardinal flower, Peruvian lily, hibiscus, granny’s bonnet, urn plant, African lilies, red roses and climbing orchids.

The gardens also boosts of a number of both exotic and indigenous trees such as wild bananas, fountain, Nandi Flame, Nandi gold, Coco palm, Royal palm and bamboo trees. Over the years, the garden has remained intact. In the middle, there are two ponds which are shaped like Australia and Africa continents. The water naturally seeps from a swampy ground and collects in the ponds.
If you are lucky, you will see monkeys like Colobus monkeys at the gardens either at the trees or sometimes even on top of the cars. You should take care of your food because they might snatch it! The Garden is a birding paradise too. At the highest point of the resort, one can view the breathtaking Lake Victoria in the neighbouring Kisumu county as well as the Kisii hills. All meals and overnight at Sovereign Hotel

After an early breakfast it´s time to depart to Nairobi. Your Safari ends here.

INCLUSIONS
 Accommodation and meals as stipulated in the itinerary.
 Transport in a chauffeur driven minivan with pop-up roof for easy game viewing & photography.
 Services of an English speaking driver-guide.
 Game viewing drives and parks entrance fees as indicated in the itinerary.
 Activities and entrance fees as indicated in the itinerary.
 All Government taxes and levies.
 Free mineral water during game drives only.
 All arrival and departure transfers.

EXCLUSIONS
 Visa fees and travel insurance.
 All items of personal nature e.g. telephone call bills, fax/email bills etc.
 Tips and gratuities to hotel, lodges, camp staff and driver- guide(s)
 Alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.
 Any local or international flight and departure taxes.
 Holiday supplements over Easter, Christmas and New Year.
 Laundry services.
 Any other item(s) not included in our itinerary.

NOTE
At this tour you can add our 3 days Mt. Elgon package and return from Kitale to Nairobi

Please note: the proposal is subject to availability of hotels, transport and other services. Prices will be confirmed only once all the role- players have confirmed their contracted rates (seasonality and other factors out of our control might have an impact). Bookings or part thereof, falling outside of the indicated validity period, will be subject to price adjustments. Inquisitive Africa, general terms and conditions (available on request), including deposit dates and cancellation fees, are automatically deemed accepted by you as soon as a booking request resulting from this or a subsequent proposal is received in writing.