DAY 1 NAIROBI – AMBOSELI

Pickup from Nairobi at 9am and transfer by safari minibus to Porini Amboseli Camp (a 5 hour journey of 128 miles), arriving at camp before lunch. (Note: optional flight upgrade at addition cost). Following afternoon tea, you will be escorted on a walk by Maasai warriors to a village to get an insight into their fascinating culture and way of life. Then take a game drive in the conservancy stopping for a sundowner at a scenic spot overlooking Kilimanjaro, followed by a night game drive to look for nocturnal animals such as aardvarks, serval cats, caracals, bat- eared foxes, African wild cats, and other species. Return to camp for dinner and overnight.

Selenkay Conservancy shares the same eco-system as Amboseli and is established on lands leased from the local Maasai by Porini with the aim of protecting the wildlife habitat and encouraging wildlife conservation as an alternative to farming as a means for the local population to earn a living. Migrating species from Amboseli previously killed or driven off land set aside for farming are now encouraged to make the conservancy their home. Recent years have witnessed a significant increase in wildlife numbers with elephants returning to make the land their own after a 20 year absence. Porini Amboseli Safari Camp is small – with just 9 spacious guest tents – and retains all the charm and feel of the traditional mobile safari camps of days gone by. Tents are tastefully furnished and have solar powered electric lighting with en suite bathrooms including shower, wash basin and flush toilet. The camp provides an exclusive yet friendly experience with a maximum of 18 guests at a time and it is fully-inclusive of all meals, drinks (wine, gin & tonics, beer, sodas and mineral water) and activities (including day and night shared game drives, guided walks and sundowners). Game drives are in specially-designed, open-sided off-road (4×4) safari vehicles with expert safari guides.

DAY 2 AMBOSELI

Awake to the noisy calls of the birds. After an early breakfast, we drive through the bush on our private track into Amboseli National Park, for a full morning of game viewing. Following a picnic lunch in the park, we return to camp later in the afternoon. In the evening you will have a sundowner on an observation platform overlooking a waterhole by the camp, where elephants and other animals often come to drink. Return to camp for dinner and overnight.

The location of Amboseli National Park is probably its biggest attraction. The whole park is overlooked by the world famous views of Mount Kilimanjaro. Kilimanjaro is undoubtedly best seen at dusk or dawn when low hanging clouds thin out to reveal the iced summit of this continent’s highest mountain. This backdrop has contributed to this park being amongst the most visited in Kenya, which has brought its own drawbacks. Years of tourism and off-road excursions have impacted on the park making it appear rather dusty, overused and eroded. A program to improve access with new roads and a much tougher stance taken against off-roading are gradually remedying the situation. Lake Amboseli, after which the park is named, is usually a dull looking crusted stretch of volcanic soil. Even during the wettest years its depth rarely exceeds 50cms and would not merit a mention were it not for the spectacular mirage of a shimmering ghost lake it creates making the horizon appear fluid. The parched dry lake bed is offset by the contrasting lush green vegetation in the marsh and swamp areas which are created by underground springs rising to the surface through the porous soil. High doses of toxic salts from a raised water table are partially responsible for the decline in the number of acacias that used to tower around the marsh area, a decline that had previously been totally blamed on Elephants stripping the bark for food. The park’s open landscape is home to large herds of elephants whose population is one of the few in Africa that has been spared the butchery of poachers. Elephant numbers are now well over 1000 and they live in their natural social structures of matriarchal families and bull elephant groups. Predators in the park include hyenas, jackals; lions, leopards and cheetahs. Birdlife in abundance flourishes particularly in the marshes and swamps. Over
420 species have been counted within the park as a whole including 6 species of vulture, 12 species of heron and 10 varieties of eagle.

DAY 3 AMBOSELI – NAIROBI – OL PEJETA

Early breakfast and then drive through Amboseli park to the airstrip for the 9am flight to Wilson, connecting onto the 10.20h flight to Nanyuki (arriving at 11.30h). You will be met at the airstrip and transferred to Porini Rhino Camp, located in the Ol Pejeta Conservancy, in the foothills of Mount Kenya. Lunch and afternoon tea in camp and then head off on a game drive with your driver-guide in the camp’s 4×4 safari vehicle. Return to Porini Rhino Camp for dinner and overnight.

Ol Pejeta Conservancy is a 364sq km wildlife conservancy situated between the foothills of Mount Kenya and the Aberdares and its game-to-area ratio tops the Kenyan park and reserve league. Ol Pejeta has over 10000 large mammals and it is the only park where the big 5 and chimpanzees can be seen. It is also where the fastest growing population of rhino in Africa can be found. There are southern white rhino, about 80 endangered black rhino and in a special sanctuary there are three of the world’s last four remaining northern white rhino. Porini Rhino Camp is in a secluded valley, on the banks of a seasonal river and under the shade of acacia trees. The camp consists of just seven spacious and comfortable guest tents, each having been carefully sited to take advantage of the wonderful surrounding views. Each tent is tastefully furnished and has solar-power lighting and ensuite hot shower and flush toilet. The camp is specially designed to have minimum environmental impact (with no permanent structures and using eco-friendly fuel). The camp is fully inclusive of meals, drinks (gin & tonics, beer, wine, sodas and mineral water) as well as day and night shared game drives, escorted walks, sundowners, a visit to Baraka the Black Rhino & Information Center and a visit to the Chimpanzee Sanctuary. The Conservancy ensures excellent game-viewing and game drives – with “proper” open-sided, off-road (4×4) safari vehicles and expert safari guides.

DAY 4 OL PEJETA

Full day in Ol Pejeta with game drives and walking activities from camp. Dinner and overnight at
Porini Rhino Camp.

DAY 5 OL PEJETA – MASAI MARA

Depart Porini Rhino Camp and fly from Nanyuki on the 09.45 Safarilink flight to Mara arriving at
11.00.You’ll be met at the Naboisho Ol Seki airstrip by Porini Mara Camp staff and transferred
to camp. Settle into your tent and enjoy lunch prepared by the camp chef. Afternoon game drive in the Ol Kinyei Conservancy, with a sundowner at a scenic spot followed by a night game drive with spotlights to search for nocturnal animals, including the elusive leopards which are resident in Ol Kinyei, before heading back to camp for dinner. Overnight at Porini Mara Camp.

Located within the Serengeti-Mara eco-system, Ol Kinyei is renowned for its unspoilt and breathtaking scenery with diverse terrain offering on one hand open savannah plains and rolling hills on the other. The land, with its abundance of water sources in the form of springs, streams and rivers, coupled with spectacular views across the Mara plains, is home to a wide variety of animal species. There is a resident lion pride of over 20 animals and several leopards also have their territories within the conservancy and are often sighted by guests from Porini Mara Camp on evening or early morning drives. Cheetahs are frequently seen and it is not rare to come across large numbers of giraffe as well as Cape buffalo and elephants.

DAY 6 MASAI MARA

Awake to the natural sounds of the Mara’s birdlife. Leave camp soon after dawn to explore the Ol Kinyei Conservancy on the lookout for elephants, buffalo, giraffe, plains game and the big cats. You will have a bush breakfast out in the wilds and then return to camp for lunch. In the afternoon you will have a further game drive in Ol Kinyei and Naboisho Conservancies with a sundowner at a scenic spot before heading back to camp for dinner. Overnight at Porini Mara Camp.

DAY 7 MASAI MARA

After breakfast leave camp and drive through Ol Kinyei and Naboisho Conservancies, game- viewing as you go, and on to Olare Motorogi Conservancy arriving at Porini Lion Camp for lunch. Afternoon game drive in the exclusive Olare Motorogi Conservancy, away from the minibuses and tourist vehicles seen in the reserve, and with an excellent chance of sighting lions, cheetahs and leopards all of which are found in the conservancy. Sundowner and night game drive. Overnight Porini Lion Camp.

The Olare Motorogi Conservancy (comprised of the former Olare Orok Conservancy and Motorogi Conservancy) is 33000 acres of outstanding natural beauty and ecological importance. The conservancy directly borders the Maasai Mara National Reserve and it contains the lower valleys of the Olare Orok and Ntiakitiak rivers, riverine forest, the Ntiakitiak Gorge and a 12km escarpment below which are large areas of acacia woodland. The conservancy ensures a true wilderness experience with one of the lowest tourist densities in the Mara region. The only safari vehicles on the land are the few 4x4s related to the handful of small camps within this vast area and there is a rich and diverse wildlife population with good numbers of predators and herbivores. The eco-friendly Porini Lion Camp has no permanent construction and is situated along the Ntiakatiak River, a seasonal river with permanent hippo pools near camp. With ten guest tents the camp is small and exclusive, giving you a real “in the bush” safari camping experience. The tents are very spacious and have private verandas along the length of the tent, providing a secluded and quiet place for you to relax and enjoy the beauty of this African wilderness. Each tent has en-suite bathrooms with flush toilets and hot showers. Food is excellent with fresh baked bread and high quality meals prepared by the camp Chef.

DAY 8 MASAI MARA

A full day spent on a game drive in the famous Masai Mara Reserve with a picnic lunch in the park and then return to Porini Lion Camp in the late afternoon. Dinner and overnight at Porini Lion Camp.

Kenya’s Maasai Mara is one of the greatest wildlife destinations on Earth and its profusion of plains game and stealthy predators has made it synonymous with the safari. For decades it has been a favourite location for film-makers producing nature documentaries as well as feature films. This is a diverse landscape harbouring varied habitats within its majestic plains, rocky outcrops, ancient woodland and life-giving rivers. It adjoins the northern sweep of neighbouring Tanzania’s Serengeti plains thus forming one huge ecosystem. The Mara lands are famous for the annual Wildebeest Migration (one of the Natural Wonders of the World) which occurs from June to October when the Mara becomes host to an almost unimaginable half a million wildebeest seeking the grasses raised by the Spring rains of April and May. Having exhausted the grazing in the northern Serengeti the wildebeest head north en masse. This is an awesome sight in the true meaning of the word which, when coupled with the sound of thousands upon thousands of hooves pounding the earth, makes it an unforgettable spectacle. The Wildebeest are not the only tenants of the land. The Mara is also the home to among others, zebra, elephants, and to the big cats; cheetahs, lions and leopards. Hyena, jackal, buffalo, eland, topi, impala, gazelle, warthog add to this huge diversity of wildlife.

DAY 9 MASAI MARA – NAIROBI

Early morning game drive in the conservancy returning for breakfast. Mid-morning transfer to the airstrip for the 11am flight back to Nairobi’s Wilson airport (arriving 12.15h).