Day 1    Nairobi

Day 2    Nairobi - Mount Kenya

At the end of the 19th century Nairobi was merely a poor encampment for construction workers of the “crazy railroad” from Mombasa to the heart of Africa. Despite the unhygienic circumstances in the camp due to drainage problems, the administrative machinery was quickly moved to Nairobi and the commercial sector followed soon after. The Nairobi of today with more than a million inhabitants is an administrative, cultural and commercial center unequaled in Africa. The Somalia’s, Arabs, Nubians, Indians, Pakistani, Japanese and Westerners live together relatively trouble-free among the African majority. The presence of mosques, temples, synagogues and churches are proof of the cosmopolitan character of Nairobi. Around 1890, when the first travelers returned from this region, they were laughed at when they talked about the eternal snow on the equator. The top of Mount Kenya was not reached until 1930. The region around Mount Kenya consists of several mountain ranges, snowfields, glaciers, ponds, lakes, waterfalls and gigantic rubble slopes. Extensive dense rainforests at the bottom of the mountains host a large variety of wildlife. The vegetation on the slopes is very exceptional, especially the large ragwort and the numerous heather plants. The surroundings of Mount Kenya consist of grassy plains and farmlands of the Kikuyu, the largest agricultural community of Kenya. Most of the food supply of Nairobi comes from this region. During our stay you are free to explore the broad-leaved forest of Mount Kenya by foot, by mountain bike or on horseback.

Day 3    Mount Kenya - Lake Nakuru National Park

Day 4    Lake Nakuru NP - Lake Baringo

Day 5    Lake Baringo

On the way to Lake Baringo we will stop at the Nyahururu Waterfalls. Local women to their souvenir shops will guarantee you an invitation. Lake Baringo is the absolute highlight for bird lovers. Birdwatchers from all over of the world come here to catch sight of the more than 450 kinds of birds around the lake. You will have the option to visit the crocodiles and the hippos in the lake by boat. By the way, hippos are good-natured animals that leave the water at night to graze their daily quantity of 132 pounds of grass, at times going a distance of 24 miles Chances are they choose to graze around your tent. We will also look for the impressive fish hawks that are common here. In the evening we may pay a visit to the village of Kampi ya Samaki where people usually have a good time into the early morning hours.

Day 6    Lake Baringo - Lake Naivasha

Day 7    Lake Naivasha

The following day we drive  to the highest lake in the Rift Valley, Lake Navaisha. In the afternoon you may take an optional boat ride on the lake and be sure to encounter some of the many hippos that live in the lake. The lake also has a great diversity of birds. At the shore of this lake, we might visit Villa Elsamere, the residence of the Adamson family, famous for the book ”Born Free”, where a number of black and white (colobus) monkeys live in the yard, who are easy to photograph.

Day 8      Lake Naivasha – Masai Mara National Park

Day 9      Masai Mara NP

Day 10    Masai Mara NP - Nairobi, night train to Mombasa

From Lake Navaisha we drive to Masai Mara, where we will set up camp just in front of the park’s main entrance on a private site. During our two-day stay you will have ample time to observe the great variety of fauna up close. Almost every traveler through Kenya visits this extensive region bordering Tanzania, and rightfully so, because the number of wildlife varieties is gigantic. It is not rare to see lions hunting. The huge migration of wildebeest from the south in July/August and back in October is quite an adventure. Characteristic for the ‘“Mara” are the sloping grasslands with the typical African acacias. The ‘Mara’ is the residential area of the Masai. Masai Mara has the status of National Reserve, different from the National Parks, where human population is not permitted. The Masai let their cattle graze in the reserve and if wild animals become life threatening to them, they have the right to kill the animals. You may exit the bus here and explore the surroundings of the park by foot and meet the Masai in their own habitat. Unfortunately it is forbidden to walk into the park itself; imagine you run into a hungry lion. From Nairobi,  we will take the night train to Mombasa.

Day 11     Arrival Mombasa - Nyali Beach

Day 12     Nyali Beach

Day 13     Nyali Beach

Day 14     Nyali Beach - Mombasa 

We spend the night on the train, four persons per berth. The train ride takes about 14 hours. Bed linens are provided. Dinner and breakfast are included. The population of Kenya’s shore region is known for their easygoing lifestyle. Nyali Beach is about 3 miles north of Mombasa.  Here we spend the night in a pleasant hotel at the beach. The complex has a swimming pool and a nice yard. The fine sandy beaches are protected by the coral reefs, where you can observe many varieties of tiny fish in the clear and warm seawater. From Nyali Beach you are able to visit the port Mombasa with an interesting mixture of eastern character, narrow streets and the bustle of a large seaport. Mombasa has a rich colonial past and an unusual mix of the Swahili and Arab cultures. The narrow streets of the old town’s center form a true labyrinth. Fort Jesus, built by the Portuguese, is definitely worth a visit. Our land program ends in Mombasa.The Dutch participants will fly back to Nairobi at this time. The Mombosa-Nairobi flight is not included in the price of the land program, therefore you will book the  Mombasa/Nairobi leg of your flight.