Kenya Coast & Safari Conservation Tour: Sea Turtles & Wildlife

Photo Gallery: Kenya Coast

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Itinerary

FEB 2: Arrive to Mombasa

Fly into Mombasa Airport (MBA) anytime this day and we will meet you at the airport to transfer you to your hotel to rest up from the long journey. No meals included today but the hotel has options if you arrive early enough and there are nearby restaurants. We can also help arrange travel to Mombasa from Nairobi at an extra cost. Overnight at Tamarind Tree Hotel or similar (1 night). No meals included today.

FEB 3: Mtwapa & Kuruwitu Marine Reserve

After breakfast at the hotel, we will drive north up the coast to Mtwapa Beach. This beach is home to the country’s largest nesting beach and we are supporting our partners at Olive Ridley Project for this work. We will meet their local team (it will be outside of nesting season) and learn about their work and visit the home of a local wildlife artist as well.

Next we head to the Kuruwitu Marine Park, created and run by Oceans Alive, a local community organization. This activity includes a presentation on the work of Oceans Alive, a tour of the coral nursery and discussion with the community coral gardening team, hands on preparation of a block artificial reef, planting of live juvenile corals onto a prepared artificial reef, and aquatic (snorkeling) tour of the coral restoration area. 

From there, it’s a short 30 minute drive to the beach town of Kilifi. For the rest of the day, we will have free time to relax and enjoy the area. At our hotel, Salty’s, you can enjoy the beautiful grounds, lounge on the beach, or rest up. Dinner will be on your own to eat at the hotel or check out one of the great local options. Overnight at Salty’s or similar (2 nights). (BL)

FEB 4: Kilifi Volunteer Day

After breakfast at Salty’s, we head to LEAF charity, a local mangrove restoration site and learn about the critical role mangroves play in coastal ecosystems. Roll up your sleeves and plant a few trees, leaving a lasting footprint in Kilifi’s green future. Lunch will be nearby at Distant Relatives with a diverse menu and fun atmosphere including a pool and great views.

That evening, we’ll head to a beautiful treehouse for a traditional Swahili dinner and storytelling to learn more about the local history and culture. Bushbabies often visit the treehouse after dark. After dinner is free to explore Kilifi. (BLD)

FEB 5: Watamu Sea Turtles & Snorkeling

This morning after breakfast, we will visit a local beach to do a beach cleanup with the Ocean Sole Mamaz, a local women’s group who collect the flip flops and other plastic waste to recycle. We will then have a presentation about Ocean Sole’s work at Salty’s, a beautiful beachfront restaurant, joined by one of their great local staff.

From there, we will take a 1 hour drive to the town of Watamu. We’ll have time to settle into our hotel and enjoy the pool or beach. Late afternoon, we will have a memorable sunset cruise with traditional Kenyan food and drinks on a dhow, the typical fishing boat of the region, out into Mida Creek, a beautiful body of water. There will be plenty of food on the boat but anyone who is still hungry can visit a local restaurant for more food. Overnight at Ocean Sports or similar (2 nights). (BL)

FEB 6: Turtles & More Turtles

Today after breakfast, we meet the Bahari Hai Team (one of our nonprofit marine conservation partners), to participate in their inspiring sea turtle conservation work. We will go out with their researchers into the Watamu Marine Reserve to look for green turtles. This will be a snorkeling activity and will require some ability to swim.

Lunch today will be at Lichthaus, a laid back restaurant overlooking the creek with unique meat and vegetarian food options. That afternoon, we’ll take a tour of the Local Ocean Turtle Rescue Center, a local nonprofit which receives turtles caught in fishing nets to care for and release to the ocean. From there, we next visit EcoWorld, a partner of our Sea Turtles & Plastic program, that collects plastic from communities along the coast to recycle. Dinner will be at Crab Shack, a beautiful community-run restaurant in the mangroves overlooking the creek. (BLD)

FEB 7: Robinson Island with Mariners For Action

Today we will leave the tourist circuit and head up a bit north to the Kinyaule Village, Robinson Island, about an hour drive. We will take a short boat ride through mangroves to the camp of Mariners For Action, another one of our local partners working on sea turtle conservation in the region.

Mariners is organizing a traditional lunch made by a local women’s group, followed by a short presentation from Mariners For Action. After that, we’ll enjoy a wonderful dance performance to traditional music. Feel free to get up a dance, the ladies will love it! Before we head back to Watamu, we will visit Mariners For Action’s recycling facility, another project that our Sea Turtles & Plastic program supports.

Dinner will be on your own to check out one of the town’s many great food options. (BL)

Photo Gallery - Wildlife Safari

FEB 8: Tsavo East National Park / Satao Camp

Today after breakfast, we head inland to start the second leg of our Kenya exploration, a 6 day wildlife safari. We first head to Tsavo East National Park, the country’s largest park at more than 11,000 square kilometers (2-3 hours).

En route, we will do a game drive and then arrive to Satao Camp in time for lunch. We’ll give an orientation and then you can have a relaxing afternoon observing the wildlife around the camp. A great variety of dishes will be served buffet-style at our lodge. Overnight in tents at Satao Camp or similar (2 nights). (BLD)

FEB 9: Tsavo East Game Drives

Today we will have tons of opportunities to see the parks’ extraordinary wildlife. We start with an early game drive before breakfast (coffee is available). Expect to see lots of elephants, giraffes, zebra, many species of antelope and birds, and potentially big cats including lions or cheetah, among others.

We will then have down time until lunch and a relaxing afternoon before a late afternoon game drive. Enjoy a delicious buffet meal and have a drink by the fire at sunset and get a good night’s sleep or check out the nocturnal wildlife from the viewing deck. (BLD)

FEB 10: Lumo Community Conservancy & Soroi Cheetah Camp

After breakfast at Satao, we board our safari vehicles to head west to the Soroi Cheetah Camp, looking for wildlife along the way. The camp is located in the Lumo Community Wildlife Conservancy, which stretches over 600 square kilometers, adjacent to the Taita Hills Wildlife Sanctuary and the Tsavo West National Park. This community-run sanctuary provides ecotourism services to protect the wildlife of the Tsavo Region, and is known for its big cat and elephant populations.

After time to rest up, we will have a late afternoon game drive. This will be a great opportunity to see big cats, especially lions which like to hang out on the appropriately named Lion Rock. Other wildlife here include elephants, giraffes, cheetahs, and more. We will have our fantastic meals (the best food of the trip) overlooking an incredible view across a broad plain; if clouds cooperate, we will see the majestic Mt. Kilimanjaro in the distance.

Tonight after dinner, we will have a night game drive to experience the reserve in the evening and look for nocturnal animals like big cats, pangolin, and others. Overnight at Soroi Cheetah Camp (2 nights). (BLD)

FEB 11: Lumo Conservancy Game Drives

Start your day with a stunning African sunrise and breakfast in the bush. Our early morning game drive will last around two hours and we’ll look for the abundant wildlife in the area. After lunch, there are a variety of optional activities that participants can opt for in place of one of the day’s game drives including a Bird & Bush Walk with local guides, a visit to a local community, a night game drive, and more (cost not included). (BLD)

FEB 12: Tsavo West National Park & Elerai Camp

Today after an early breakfast, we will traverse Tsavo West, doing a game drive looking for wildlife along the way. Tsavo West, the country’s second largest park at more than 9,000 sq kilometers, hosts spectacular natural scenery including volcanic cones, swamps, rocky outcrops and lava flows, mountains, river forests, plains, lakes, natural springs, and wooded grassland.

The other-worldly, black, layering Shetani Lava Flows, named after the devil, spreads over the savannah. We can visit Mzima Springs, which is home to several hippos that you can see from a safe viewing platform and take a short guided walk through the forest.

We will arrive after a picnic lunch to Elerai Camp, run by the local Masai community as a way to protect their private 5,000 acre reserve. Situated at the foot of Mt. Kilimanjaro, southeast of the Amboseli National Park in Kenya, Elerai has extraordinary views of the mountain (if weather cooperates) and great food. After lunch, enjoy the beautiful pool with a view of a watering hole or soak in the view from your tent.

Savor dinner outside overlooking the watering hole and get a drink in the bar and play a game by the fireplace (the altitude is almost 5,000 feet, so nights get chilly). Overnight at Elerai Camp (2 nights). (BLD)

FEB 13: Amboseli National Park & Return to Nairobi

Today after breakfast, we head to nearby Amboseli National Park, for an all day visit. This park isrenowned for its excellent variety of wildlife such as giraffe, elephant, lion, and cheetah. The landscape of Amboseli is dominated by the majestic snowcap of Mount Kilimanjaro, as well as open plains, acacia woodland, swamps and the massif of Ol Doinyo Orok. The wide open views allow for great wildlife watching. The birding is excellent, especially closer to the lakes and swamps.  

We will have lunch at a hotel in the park and spend a bit more time exploring the area. After some downtime at the hotel, we will have an optional bush walk with Masai guides to learn more about this unique habitat and how the Masai use local plants. (BLD)

FEB 14: Flight to Nairobi

We will have an early breakfast and then go to the local airport for the short flight to Nairobi. Lunch will be on your own account, there is a restaurant at the hotel and several options within a short taxi ride.

During the afternoon, you may choose from various optional excursions in Nairobi, which can be arranged locally and paid directly (we can help set these up if useful). Later, transfer to Tamarind Tree Hotel for your overnight stay (1 night). Take some time to rest and prepare for departure and then meet up for a final celebratory dinner in one of the city’s fine restaurants. (BD)

FEB 15: Depart for home or extend your stay

After breakfast at the hotel, catch the shuttle to the airport in time for your flight home or extend your stay to visit other parts of the country. Depending on your flight schedule, an optional morning activity may be arranged before your transfer to the airport.

Some of the optional activities include Nairobi National Park (just minutes from the hotel), Karen Blixen House, Sheldrick Elelphant Sanctuary, African Heritage House Museum, the Giraffe Centre, & more. (B)

Photo Gallery - Hotels & Safari Camps

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