Tour Gallery
Overview
This 8-day budget camping safari offers an extensive exploration of Kenya's most iconic wildlife parks: Masai Mara, Lake Naivasha, Lake Nakuru, and Amboseli. It's tailored for adventurous travelers seeking an affordable yet comprehensive Kenyan wildlife experience, including the Big Five and views of Mount Kilimanjaro, while staying in basic but clean budget camps and hotels with experienced local guides.
Tour Suitability:
- Traveler Profile: Ideal for budget-conscious explorers, solo travelers, students, and groups wanting an in-depth Kenyan safari without a high price tag, comfortable with basic accommodations.
- Pace of Travel: Action-Packed, covering significant ground across four major wildlife and scenic areas.
- Interests: Extensive Big Five viewing in Masai Mara, boat trips and Hell's Gate exploration at Lake Naivasha, rhino and birdlife at Lake Nakuru, elephant herds and Kilimanjaro views in Amboseli, and authentic African bush camping.
- Comfort Level: Budget Camping/Hotel, utilizing basic tented camps like Miti Mingi Eco Camp and Nyati Safari Camp, and budget hotels like Newstead Hotel and Hotel CityMax.
- Focus: A value-driven, comprehensive safari hitting Kenya's classic wildlife circuit with an emphasis on maximizing wildlife encounters and diverse activities on a budget.
Key Tour Highlights
- Extended Masai Mara Adventure: Multiple full-day game drives in the world-renowned Masai Mara, famous for its abundant predators and the Great Migration.
- Lake Naivasha & Hell's Gate: Enjoy a boat trip on Lake Naivasha and explore Hell’s Gate National Park, with options for cycling or walking.
- Lake Nakuru's Rhinos & Birds: Discover Lake Nakuru National Park, a sanctuary for rhinos and known for its (seasonal) flamingo flocks.
- Amboseli's Elephants & Kilimanjaro: Witness large elephant herds with the iconic Mount Kilimanjaro as a backdrop in Amboseli National Park.
- Affordable Accommodations: Stays in budget-friendly tented camps and hotels, providing essential comforts.
Accommodation Style
Accommodation includes stays at budget tented camps such as Miti Mingi Eco Camp (Masai Mara) and Nyati Safari Camp (Amboseli), offering basic but clean walk-in tents. Budget hotels like Newstead Hotel (Naivasha) and Hotel CityMax (Nakuru) provide essential room facilities. This approach ensures an affordable yet fulfilling safari experience, focusing on the adventure and wildlife.
Featured Destinations & Attractions
- Masai Mara National Reserve: Kenya's premier park for Big Five sightings, cheetahs, and the Great Wildebeest Migration. The Mara River is a key feature.
- Lake Naivasha & Hell's Gate National Park: Offers boat trips, bird watching, hippo sightings, and unique opportunities for cycling and walking safaris.
- Lake Nakuru National Park: A rhino sanctuary also known for Rothschild's giraffes, (seasonal) flamingos, and diverse birdlife.
- Amboseli National Park: Famous for its large elephant herds, stunning views of Mount Kilimanjaro, and rich birdlife.
- Great Rift Valley Viewpoint: Scenic stop for photography.
Itinerary
Your local guide will pick you up from your Nairobi hotel or Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO). Begin your journey to the Masai Mara Game Reserve, passing the Great Rift Valley Escarpment with a stop for scenic photos. Continue through Narok town for lunch, then proceed to the Masai Mara. Check into your budget camp before a late afternoon game drive. (Meals: Lunch & Dinner, Drinking water)
Accommodation: Miti Mingi Eco Camp or similar budget tented camp.
After an early breakfast (around 7:30 AM), depart for a full-day game drive with a packed lunch. Search for the Big Five (elephant, leopard, rhino, buffalo, lion), predators like cheetahs and hyenas, and their prey. Visit the Mara River, the migration point, for your picnic lunch. Continue with game viewing until sunset, then return to camp. (Meals: All meals included, Drinking water)
Accommodation: Miti Mingi Eco Camp or similar budget tented camp.
After breakfast, enjoy another full-day game drive with a packed lunch. The reserve is known for its black-maned lions and abundant resident wildlife. Many cheetahs are habituated, and the park boasts nearly 500 bird species. Explore different areas of the Mara for diverse sightings. (Meals: All meals included, Drinking water)
Accommodation: Miti Mingi Eco Camp or similar budget tented camp.
Enjoy an early morning game drive until 9:30 AM, searching for animals hunting or feeding. Return for a full breakfast, then you'll have time to visit a Maasai Village (optional, extra cost). Depart for Lake Naivasha, with lunch in Narok. Arrive at Naivasha late in the afternoon for a boat trip to see birds and hippos. (Meals: All meals included, Drinking water)
Accommodation: Newstead Hotel Naivasha or similar budget hotel.
After an early breakfast, proceed to Hell’s Gate National Park for a morning of exploration (cycling or walking, activities at own cost). This is a unique park where such activities are permitted among wildlife. After Hell's Gate, return for breakfast/check-out and leave for Lake Nakuru National Park, arriving for lunch. Enjoy an afternoon game drive en route to your hotel and within the park, seeking out leopards, rhinos, and flamingos. (Meals: All meals included, Drinking water)
Accommodation: Hotel CityMax Nakuru or similar budget hotel.
Enjoy an early morning game drive in Lake Nakuru until 10:00 AM. After breakfast, leave for Amboseli National Park, with a hot lunch stop in Nairobi. Arrive at Amboseli late in the evening. If time permits, a brief late evening game drive may be possible. Amboseli is famous for its scenery with Mount Kilimanjaro as a backdrop. (Meals: All meals included, Drinking water)
Accommodation: Nyati Safari Camp or similar budget tented camp.
Have an early breakfast at 6:30 AM, then leave the lodge with a packed lunch for a full-day game drive in Amboseli. Spend time searching for popular residents like well-known predators and their prey, large elephant herds, and hippos, all while enjoying potential views of Mount Kilimanjaro. (Meals: All meals included, Drinking water)
Accommodation: Nyati Safari Camp or similar budget tented camp.
Embark on an early morning game drive. Return to the lodge for a full breakfast, then check out. Leave for Nairobi with a picnic lunch en route, arriving late in the evening. You will be dropped off at your preferred location in Nairobi or at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO). (Meals: Breakfast & Lunch, Drinking water)
Accommodation: No accommodation (End of tour).
Inclusions and Exclusions
Inclusions
- Professional guide
- Activities (as written in the itinerary)
- Entry fee
- Taxes
- A bottle of drinking water
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
Exclusions
- Meals and drinks
- Personal expenses
- Tips and gratuities
- Visas