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Itinerary

FEB 1: Arrive to Nairobi

Fly into Kenyatta Airport (NBO) 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. Overnight at Tamarind Tree Hotel or similar (1 night).

FEB 2: Diani Beach

Eat breakfast at the hotel and then meet up for our first activity, a visit to the workshop of Ocean Sole to see how this innovative organization recycles fiip flops into beautiful animal art. Next we head nearby to the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust for a short visit to their elephant nursery. From a variety of viewing areas, you will see the orphaned elephants run out of the forest in groups for their much-loved bottles of specialist milk formula. One of the senior Keepers leads the public visit, introducing you to each orphan, sharing a bit about their stories and personalities.

Next we head to the domestic airport for our one-hour flight to Diani, a beautiful beach town on the southern Indian Ocean coast. We will have lunch at a restaurant in the airport. After settling into our hotel, we will have free time on a beautiful beach where you can swim, get a drink, soak in the sun, or catch up on rest. Time by the water is good for your brain and body and helpful for jet lag recovery.

We will also meet up with our friends from Olive Ridley Project to learn about local efforts and to study sea turtles. They will join for dinner for an informal discussion about conservation in this region. Dinner that night will be at the lovely Pallet Café, a project working with the hearing impaired to offer employment. Overnight at Bahari Dhow or similar (2 nights). (BLD)

FEB 3: Shimoni Marine Park

We start today with a visit to the Kenya Wildlife Service for a debrief from the rangers and conservation experts. Board your own exclusive ‘dhow’ (traditional fishing boat) and head out to sea, past Wasini and Mpunguti Islands and into Kisite Marine Park for a snorkel. Kisite is good spot to see dolphins and sea turtles. Lunch is served onboard or on the island, allowing us to have the whole day out.

If time allows, we will snorkel on one of REEFolution’s coral restoration areas and wonder at their coral trees, how they reuse wine bottles for reef growth and compare the diversity of life around these areas compared to where there is dead or no coral. That evening is free to grab a drink on the beach and enjoy dinner out on your own at one of the town’s local restaurants. (BL)

FEB 4: Mombasa & Kuruwitu Marine Reserve

After breakfast, we will load up on our vehicle and head to the major coastal town of Mombasa (1 hour drive). There we will explore the city’s vibrant historic Old Town and markets, getting a view into daily life in Kenya outside of the typical tourist circuit. Lunch will be at a local restaurant. Next we head to the Kuruwitu Marine Park, created and run by the local community. We will have a presentation about coral reef restoration, followed by a snorkel through the reefs and seagrass. Expect to see a variety of corals, lots of fish, and perhaps a sea turtle or two.

From there, it’s a short 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, Distant Relatives Ecolodge, you can enjoy the beautiful grounds, lounge by the pool, take advantage their beautiful outdoor showers in your room. Be sure to take the short walk down the hill to a lovely beach along a bay, a perfect spot for a refreshing swim and a sunset drink. Dinner will be on your own to eat at the hotel or a with a short ride town. Overnight at Distant Relatives or similar (2 nights). (BL)

FEB 5: Kilifi Volunteer Day

After breakfast, we will head to 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. This group was founded by our guide, Seas4life Founder - Julie Church. 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.

In the afternoon, 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. 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, you can visit the bay near the hotel to swim in the bioluminescence or rest up. (BLD)

FEB 6: Watamu Sea Turtles & Snorkeling

After breakfast, we’ll take a 1 hour drive to the coastal town of Watamu. There, 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. For lunch, we will take a boardwalk through the mangrove to a community-run seafood restaurant. The restaurant helps keep vigilance over a Mida Creek, a key hawksbill turtle habitat. While we wait for our food, the members of Bahari Hai, one of our sea turtle conservation partners in the area, will join us for a short presentation and informal discussion.

Late, we will head out by boat into the Watamu Marine Park, home to green and hawksbill turtles, corals, fish, and other ocean wildlife, for snorkeling and turtle photo ID. After a shower and rest, we will have a memorable sunset dinner eating traditional Kenyan food on a dhow, the typical fishing boat of the region. Overnight at Watamu Beach Cottages or similar (2 nights). (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.

First, we will help plant mangrove trees to help restore the local habitat. After, we will have 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! We then head back south, stopping for dinner and shopping in the town of Malindi, known for its Italian expatriate community. Linus and Nicholas from Mariners will join us for dinner and an informal discussion. (BLD)

Photo Gallery - Wildlife Safari

FEB 8: Tsavo East National Park / Ashnil Aruba Lodge

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 hour drive). En route, we will do a game drive and arrive to Ashnil Aruba in time for lunch. We’ll give an orientation and then you can have a relaxing afternoon observing the wildlife around the camp. Overnight in standard rooms at Ashnil Aruba Lodge 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, and many species of antelope and birds 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 pool or spa for a relaxing evening. (BLD)

FEB 10: Lumo Community Conservancy & Soroi Cheetah Camp

After breakfast at Ashnil, 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 a 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 we are lucky we will see the incredible Mt. Kilimanjaro in the distance.

Dinner tonight will be a special occasion with dinner in the bush to experience the reserve in the night. Overnight at Soroi Cheetah Camp or similar (2 nights). (BLD)

FEB 11: Lumo Conservancy Game Drives

Start your day with a stunning African sunrise and breakfast. Our early morning game drive will last around two hours and we’ll look for the abundant wildlife in the area. After lunch and rest at the camp, we’ll do a second game drive in the late afternoon in the conservancy. 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 home, night game drives, 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 includes 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 (f 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.

In the late afternoon, we will take a brief but informative bush walk with a Masai guide to learn about the traditional medicinal plants used by their tribe and learn more about the wildlife we are seeing and the ecology of this incredible region. Have dinner overlooking the watering hole and relax in your room or 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 or similar (1 night). (BLD)

FEB 13: Amboseli National Park & Return to Nairobi

Today after breakfast, we head to nearby Amboseli National Park, renowned 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’ll have lunch at a lodge in the park and then board our vehicles for the drive to Nairobi (3-4 hours). Take some time to rest prepare for departure and then meet up for a final celebratory dinner in one of the city’s fine restaurants. We will be staying again at the Tamarind Tree Hotel in Nairobi. (BLD)

FEB 14: 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. (B)

Photo Gallery - Hotels & Safari Camps

Learn More:

Blog Series From Our Scouting Trip

• Nairobi to Kilifi

• Watamu & Robinson Island

• Overland Safari

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