LAMU ISLAND
AND SAFARI IN KENYA

12 DAYS: LAMU ISLAND & SAFARI  IN KENYA

ABERDARES, MAASAI MARA, LAMU ISLAND
12 days - 1800 USD

The price includes all entrance fees into the natural reserves

Day 1-2: Nairobi - Maasai Mara
Pick up from the airport and transfer to an 3* hotel in the city center.
In the morning embarking on our 4x4 Safari cars (Safari means traveling in Swahili).
What you have seen so far at Discovery TV or Animal Planet, you will see now with your own eyes. Those natural parks are among the most famous in the world.
We will see elephants, hippos, rhinos, buffaloes, zebras, antelopes, giraffes, ostriches, eagles, lions, leopards, cheetahs, hyenas, crocodiles, monkeys and many other animals in their natural environment.
The first reservation is Maasai Mara. We have to drive about 250 km from Nairobi. The transfer takes 4-5 hours. On the way we'll have lunch picnic.
Accommodation at Lenchada Tented Camp (in a big tent with beds and private bathroom).

Day 3: Maasai Mara.
We will spend the day exploring the Maasai Mara Reserve, the most beautiful Kenyan sanctuary of wildlife (over 450 species of animals were recorded here). Masai Mara is a continuation of the Serengeti reservation in Tanzania. Named after the Maasai warriors and describing the area seen from the height Mara, which in Maa (Maasai language) means speckled, it is famous for its exceptional feline population and for Great Migration of the Wild Beasts from/to Serengeti.
Around July each year, these animals are migrating in a giant heard, toward the north of the Serengeti Plains in the search of fresh pasture, and return to the south around October.
The Great Migration is one of the most impressive phenomenon in the entire animal world, which involves an enormous number of herbivores, which attract many predators, especially lions and hyenas.
More than 450 species of birds were identified in the park, including eagles, marabou storks, secretary birds and ostriches.
Accommodation at Lenchada Tented Camp.

Day 4: Lake Naivasha.
After another morning visit of the reservation and an optional stop for visiting a Maasai village (costing 20 USD/person), we will head to the following destination: Lake Naivasha. Today we have to drive back about 180 km. Lake Naivasha, is a beautiful freshwater lake, where we can optionally take a boat ride among hippos and the many brightly colored birds.
We will spend the night at Naivasha west beach tented camp in the immediate vicinity of Crater Lake

Day 5: Aberdares
The next reserve is "Aberdares" National Park
Aberdares (Nyandarua in Kikuyu dialect) is a mountain range  that begins north of Nairobi.Crossing Aberdares Mountains will take us at over 3000 m above sea level, across near some gorgeous waterfalls. The highest peak is "Ol Donyo Satima" (3998 m).
We’ll overnight at the "Ark" lodge, near a small lake where many animals are coming to drink water.

Day 6: Return to Nairobi
Today we’ll leave the park and we’ll drive about 300km on asphalt road, crossing a beautiful mountain area.
Accommodation at an 3* Hotel in the city center.

Day 7: Lamu Island.
Flight Nairobi - Manda Island. From here, a boat will take us to Lamu Island.
Lamu Island is part of the Archipelago of the same name. Lamu Old Town, the main localitty on the island, is one of the oldest and best preserved Swahili settlements in East Africa. Built from coral stone and mangrove wood, the city is characterized by the simplicity of its structural shapes, enriched with nice features such as interior courtyards, porches and carved wood doors.
Lamu has hosted major religious Muslim festivals since the 19th century and has become an important center for the study of Islamic and Swahili cultures.
There are no roads, only alleys and walking paths and therefore there are only a few motorized vehicles on the island. Islanders are moving by foot or by boat and the donkeys are used to transport goods and materials. The first port was founded on the island by the arab merchants since the fourteenth century. The island thrived during the slave trade period. Lamu Old Town was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2001.
Accommodation in Shela, Janathan Hotel 3*** or Kijani House 4****
Shela is a village about 2 km from Lamu Town. In 1813, Pate's elite allied with Mazrui's Oman clan and tried to subdue Lamu into the Shela Battle. This attempt totally failed, Lamu becoming the main power in the archipelago. The Golden Age of Shela was between 1829 and 1857 when 5 of the 6 mosques were built.
Shela is now the tourist center of the island, with several guest houses built near the beaches. Shela benefits from the most spectacular beaches on Lamu Island.

Day 8-10: Relax on the island.
Various optional activities: diving, sailing, windsurfing, etc…

Day 11:  Return to Nairobi
After lunch, flight to Nairobi.
Accommodation 3* hotel in the city center.

Day 12: End of services.
Transfer to the airport.

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The price is including: • Entrance fees for reservations • Transfers and transport • Domestic flight tickets • English speaking guide in safari • Accommodation in double tents equipped  with beds and private bathroom, 3* hotel in Nairobi and Lamu (for a 4* hotel there is an extra fee) • Meals - full board (in safari), bed and breakfast (on the Island)

The price is not including: • Alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages • Single supplement 350 USD It is possible to upgrade the accomodation to lodge in Maasai Mara and Naivasha for an extra fee of 500 USD