The Gems of Kenya's Wildlife Treasure
 
"Lord Delamere had two great loves - East Africa and the Masai People. To the country he gave his genius, most of his substance and all his energy. To the Masai he gave the help and understanding of a mind unhampered by the smug belief that the white man's civilization has nothing to learn from the black man's preferred lack of it."
    -- West With The Night, Beryl Markham (1942)
 
2004 Departure Dates:
January 18 - 31, February 15 - 28, July 12 - July 25, August 9 - August 22, October 11 - October 24, December 20 - January 2*
 
Cost of Adventure Per Person
Safari Program: $4395 double occupancy Low Season (April 1-May 31)
Single Supplement: $295
Safari Program:  $4995 double occupancy High Season (Rest of year)
Single Supplement: $795
Optional Hot Air Ballooning - Masai Mara: $425
Optional Lake Victoria Fishing - Masai Mara: $425
Optional night game drive at Sweetwaters: $60
Airfare from New York:  from $1495 pp (economy class)
Christmas Supplement May Apply.
 
* Rates quoted are per person and based on double occupancy. Holiday supplements apply.
* International airfares quoted are based on current tariffs and are subject to change prior to ticketing. Fares are available from other Gateway cities, or in business or first class upon request.
 
A la Carte Extensions Available to: Tanzania, Kenya Coast, Southern Africa
 
F.Y.I. - IMPORTANT SAFARI POINTS
 
TRANSPORTATION: Transport is by custom-designed Toyota or Nissan minibuses and 4X4 Toyota Land Cruisers or Land Rovers. Guaranteed window seat.
 
ACCOMMODATIONS: A combination of permanent canvas-tented camps and safari lodges are utilized. All are 5-star deluxe properties.
 
GAME VIEWING: While on safari, all game drives are included in private vehicle with English-speaking driver/ guide. In general there are two game drives per day; one in the morning and one in the late afternoon. Game Walks with armed professional guides are available in some camps.
 
MEALS: Kenya - in Nairobi, full English breakfast is included and lunch at the Carnivore Restaurant. On safari, all meals are included.
 
Terms and Conditions

 

Day 1: Fly New York/Amsterdam

En Route

Depart New York aboard KLM Royal Dutch Airlines 747 overnight service to Amsterdam.

 

Day 2: Amsterdam/Nairobi

Norfolk Hotel

Morning arrival in Amsterdam connecting with the flight to Nairobi. Upon arrival this evening, we are welcomed and escorted to our hotel. The historic Norfolk Hotel, famed as the safari headquarters for Theodore Roosevelt and Ernest Hemingway, is also well known for its lovely gardens and aviaries filled with brilliantly colored birds.

 

Day 3: Nairobi

Norfolk Hotel

Morning at leisure. Today we have lunch at the famous Carnivore, an open air restaurant specializing in all types of meat, including game, roasted on traditional Maasai swords over a spectacular charcoal pit. Afterwards we depart on a tour of Nairobi, including a visit to Karen Blixen's home, now a museum, and Giraffe Center where we can hand feed the endangered Rothschild Giraffe. This evening we enjoy a welcome reception and safari briefing. (B,L)

 

Day 4: Nairobi/Amboseli

Tortilis Camp

After a delicious full English-breakfast, we meet our driver/guides and depart Nairobi. Our first stop is the A.I.C. Girls Boarding School, where we observe the educational system of Kenya. After visiting with the children, we continue on to Amboseli National Park. This park is justly famous for its large population of elephants and its stunning views of Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest mountain. Our first two nights in the African bush are spent in grand "Hemingway style" in a luxury-tented camp with spectacular views of the snows of Kilimanjaro. Our luxury-tented camp is small, accommodating a maximum of 30 guests, and is a delightful blend of rustic style and modern comfort. After we settle in, we depart on a late afternoon game drive. (B,L,D)

 

Day 5: Amboseli National Park

Tortilis Camp

Morning game drive with Kilimanjaro providing a superb backdrop for our photos. This afternoon we take a nature walk with Maasai Warriors ending with "sundowners" on a hill facing the rooftop of Africa. (B,L,D)

 

Day 6: Amboseli/Ol Pejeta

Sweetwaters

This morning we fly to Nairobi. Here we meet our drivers and proceed north, through Kenya's scenic central highlands, to Ol Pejeta Ranch. Wildlife is abundant here and it is one of the few places in Africa where the "Big Five", elephant, rhinoceros, lion, buffalo and leopard, can be seen. Our luxury-tented camp is situated next to a water hole where we watch the game come and go. After lunch, we visit Kenya's only chimpanzee sanctuary, created by Dr. Jane Goodall and other conservationists. An optional evening game drive introduces us to the nocturnal animals of the area. (B,L,D)

 

Day 7: Ol Pejeta/Samburu Game Reserve

Samburu Intrepids

We depart after breakfast for Samburu Game Reserve, situated in the semi-arid bush country of Kenya's northern frontier district. Our permanent luxury tented camp sits on the shores of the Uaso Nyiro River in this beautiful park. The riverbanks, clustered with doum palms, provide a lifeline for the abundant wildlife found here. We arrive in time for lunch and a chance to relax before departing on a late afternoon game drive. The proud nomadic Samburu tribe populates this arid land of scrub and semi-desert. It is home to lion, leopard, buffalo, and elephant, as well as cheetah, greater kudu, Grevy zebra, gerenuk, reticulated giraffe and the Somali ostrich. We return to camp for cold drinks and delicious cuisine, then retire to our luxurious tents along the river's edge where the sounds of the African night lull us to sleep. (B,L,D)

 

Day 8: Samburu Game Reserve

Samburu Intrepids

Experience an early morning game drive returning to camp for breakfast and lunch. Then it is off for another game drive in the reserve; or we may just want to sit and watch the wildlife from our private verandah, leisurely savoring the natural beauty of East Africa. (B,L,D)

 

Day 9: Samburu /Nanyuki (Mt. Kenya)

Mt. Kenya Safari Club

Today we continue our safari, past snow capped Mt. Kenya, Kenya's highest mountain. We arrive in time for lunch at the world famous Mount Kenya Safari Club, co-founded by the late William Holden. The afternoon is at leisure to relax and enjoy the Club's beautiful gardens and grounds. Activities include a golf course, heated swimming pool, horseback riding, and tennis courts. A visit to the Animal Orphanage is highly recommended. This evening there is a delicious eight-course gourmet dinner. (B,L,D)

 

Days 10-12: Nanyuki/Masai Mara

Kichwa Tembo

Following breakfast, we transfer to the airstrip for the short flight over the Rift Valley to Kenya's premier game reserve, the Masai Mara. Our specially equipped Land Rovers allow us to drive off road in search of wildlife. Our deluxe tented camp is located where the highest concentration of plains game in Africa is found. We see elephant, giraffe, prides of lion and thousands of impala, topi and gazelle. We have the opportunity to visit a Maasai village and also have the option to float above the Mara-Serengeti ecosystem on board a hot air balloon followed by a gourmet champagne breakfast. There is also the optional day trip to Lake Victoria where we can visit a village and fish for giant Nile perch. (B,L,D)

 

Day 13: Masai Mara/Nairobi/Depart

Norfolk Hotel (dayroom)

Following breakfast and an early morning game drive, we bid "Kwaheri" to the Masai Mara and depart on the scheduled Air Kenya flight to Nairobi. Upon arrival, we are transferred to the Norfolk Hotel where a dayroom has been reserved for our use. The balance of the day is at leisure. This evening we are transferred to the airport for our departure flight. (B)

 

Day 14: Amsterdam/New York

En Route

Arrive Amsterdam this morning where we connect with our trans-Atlantic KLM flight to New York

 

INCLUDED IN YOUR PROGRAM

• Deluxe accommodations, with private bath, as shown in the itinerary, or similar.
• Meals -- B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner.
• All transfers and game viewing as specified in the itinerary in specially fitted minibuses or 4X4 vehicles with photographic roof hatches.
• Superior room at the Mt. Kenya Safari Club.
• Three safari flights.
• Park fees for game viewing as specified.
• Professional English-speaking driver/guides.
• Membership in the Flying Doctors Service.

 

SORRY, NOT INCLUDED IN YOUR PROGRAM

• Travel and Trip cancellation insurance.
• Personal expenses such as room service, laundry, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, mineral water, telephone calls, hotel incidental expenses, etc.
• Gratuities for guides, drivers, hotel/lodge staff.
• Excess luggage fees.
• Passport and visa fees.
• Airport departure taxes.
• International airline tickets (priced separately)