Kenya Safaris

 


Gorilla Nest Lodge







Enjoy great food
while on your
safari throughout
Kenya and Rwanda







Since the 1950's the
lions population in
Africa has reduced to
half







Lilac-breasted Roller







Gorillas, after chimps, are
our closest relatives,
sharing 98 % of
our genes


The Discovery Journey to

Kenya & Rwanda

Discover the safari life that you’ve only heard about through books and movies. Roam the African bush where much of the film ‘Out of Africa’ was set and trek for mountain gorillas in the volcanic hills of Rwanda, in the footsteps of Dian Fossey. Nothing will prepare you for your first glimpse of a rare black rhino or a face-to-face meeting with the giant, but gentle, mountain gorilla. Relive the treasured moments of each day while relaxing in luxurious lodges, private cottages and intimate tented camps, some lit only by kerosene lamp or candlelight.

Days 1/2 - New York/Nairobi
Board your flight to Kenya, via London, arriving the next day in Nairobi. Fifty years ago, your impressive accommodations – complete with exotic plants, birds and a 2,000 square-meter tropical swimming pool – were a British Officer’s retreat. NAIROBI SAFARI PARK HOTEL. (Meals Aloft)

Day 3 - Nairobi
Learn from Daphne Sheldrick, or one of her staff, how she mastered the art of raising orphaned elephants at her Elephant Orphanage, while interacting with the baby elephants as their keepers teach them how to socialize around the waterhole. Enjoy lunch at the home where Karen Blixen, author of Out of Africa, lived from 1914-1931, then hand-feed the Rothschild giraffe that live on the grounds of the elegant Giraffe Manor. Enjoy a welcome dinner at the Nyama Choma Ranch Restaurant. NAIROBI SAFARI PARK HOTEL. (B,D)

Days 4/5 - Lewa Wildlife Conservancy
Fly to Lewa, a family-owned Wildlife Conservancy of open plains, swamps and rolling hills.  See the rare greater kudu, Gunther’s dik dik, the giraffe-necked gerenuk, Grevy’s zebra, the blue-legged Somali Ostrich and the semi-aquatic Sitatunga antelope. At night, you may encounter a prowling leopard and bush baby, aardvark, bat-eared fox and caracal. Lewa manages ten percent of Kenya’s black rhino population at the largest sanctuary in the country. Your private cottages are situated in the eastern corner on the Craig family homestead, beautifully decorated with fireplaces and verandahs. Day and night wildlife drives, bush walks with a professional tracker, horse and camel back rides, and visits to a Maasai cultural boma complete this one-of-a kind African experience. LEWA WILDERNESS TRAILS. (B,L,D Daily)

Days 6/7/8 - Maasai Mara/Northern Serengeti
Your spectacular secluded tented camp situated in the heart of Kenya’s most famous wildlife reserve, the Maasai Mara, is just a short flight away.  Spend three full days searching for lion, cheetah, elephant, leopard, black rhino, giraffe, zebra, hippo, and over 500 resident bird species, including the brilliant colors of the Lilac-breasted Roller. Enjoy a lecture by a Mara ranger (duties permitting). Exciting optional activities (at additional cost) abound, including witnessing dawn over the Serengeti from a hot air balloon, flying to Lake Victoria to fish for giant Nile perch or visiting a Maasai village to experience this nomadic tribe’s way of life.  Surrounding a waterhole where lion, giraffe, elephant and warthog come to drink, relax at your camp lit by lamps and candles around a blazing fire after an exciting day in the Mara. LITTLE GOVERNORS’ CAMP (no electricity with 220 volt plugs only at reception). (B,L,D Daily)

Day 9 - Nairobi
Enjoy one last morning basking in the sunrise over the Mara before flying back to Nairobi, where the remainder of your day is at leisure.  Your hotel encapsulates a legendary past hosting such storied guests as former President Theodore Roosevelt and Ernest Hemingway. NORFOLK HOTEL. (B)

Days 10/11 - Volcano National Park/Rwanda
Often called the ‘land of a thousand hills,’ you will fly to Rwanda, a mountainous country with a tropical climate. Drive to the Volcano National Park, the site of Dian Fossey’s celebrated gorilla habituation and anti-poaching project, and the location for the film Gorillas in the Mist.  In the free-standing volcanic mountains swathed in giant bamboo clumps and montane forest is your comfortable lodge with spectacular views. Next day, local guides and porters will carry your personal items and assist you on your trek up the slopes of these ancient volcanoes to see the mountain gorillas. Your group will have the opportunity for one trek per person to view these gentle giants. A second trek is possible at additional cost, based on availability of permits. Trek through fairyland forest to encounter the gorillas. Once sighted, they will capture your heart with their acrobatic antics and beauty. GORILLA NEST LODGE. (B,L, D Daily)

Day 12 - Kigali
Those who wish to trek twice will do so this morning. After breakfast, take a short drive back to the Park Headquarters and meet with local guides and trackers. This afternoon, drive to Kigali. Your luxury hotel is situated atop a hill amidst a botanical garden. HOTEL NOVOTEL KIGALI. (B, L)

Days 13/14 - Nairobi/London/USA
Tour the Jenocide Museum to learn about and remember one of the most brutal episodes in African history. Then fly to Nairobi and enjoy a farewell dinner at the Tamarind Restaurant. Afterwards, you are transferred to the airport for your flight home, via London, arriving the next day. (B, D; Meals Aloft)

Discover more of the African bush with an optional extension to Tanzania, Zanzibar or the Kenyan Coast.  Contact Classic Escapes for suggested itineraries.

Your Safari Includes:

  • Superior accommodations throughout as indicated or similar.
  • American breakfast in Nairobi; all meals while on safari and farewell dinner at Carnivore Restaurant. All other meals as specified.
  • All wildlife viewing by 4x4 vehicles, driven by a naturalist driver/guide. A window seat is guaranteed.
  • Complimentary bottled water in vehicles and at meals.
  • Lecture by a Mara ranger (duties permitting).
  • One permit to see mountain gorillas in Rwanda. A second permit may be purchased dependent upon availability at additional cost.
  • Professional naturalist will accompany the group with a minimum of ten travelers.
  • All applicable hotel/lodge taxes and gratuities for baggage handling.
  • All park entry fees.
  • Complimentary backpack, baggage tags and passport wallet. 

Call Today to begin planning your journey of a lifetime
(800) 627-1244