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ULTIMATE KENYA SAFARI June 12-28, 2012
TUE, JUNE 12 - DEPART U.S. Your dream trip to Africa begins today as we board a KLM jet bound for Amsterdam. WED, JUNE 13 - AMSTERDAM-NAIROBI We arrive in Amsterdam this morning and connect with a flight to Nairobi, arriving this evening. Nairobi Hilton (B) THU, JUNE 14 - NAIROBI Today is full of interesting places: Kazuri Beads to tour the workshop; the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust facility to meet orphaned baby elephants; Utamaduni for shopping and lunch in the garden; the Karen Blixen Museum, former home of Isak Dinesen (author of Out of Africa); Matbronze for a look at some amazing wildlife art in bronze; and the Giraffe Center to feed and learn about Rothschild giraffes. In late afternoon we return to the Sheldrick orphanage to see the baby elephants put to bed. A special highlight today is that each of us will be adopting an orphan elephant. Nairobi Hilton (BL) FRI, JUNE 15 - NAIROBI-SWEETWATERS Today the excitement of our safari begins. We first stop at Ngandu School, in the Kenya highlands, where we're warmly welcomed by the children and teachers. We enjoy performances of song, dance, and poetry by the students, and donate books and school supplies. Then it's north across the equator to Sweetwaters, a sheltered oasis set in the pristine calm of the private Ol Pejeta Conservancy. Located on the plains of Mount Kenya, the camp features 39 luxury tents, each with its own private veranda overlooking a waterhole. The central Rhino Restaurant is housed in the former manager's house of this once colonial farm. Game drive this afternoon. Serena Sweetwaters (BLD) SAT, JUNE 16 - SWEETWATERS Host to all the members of the "Big Five" (elephant, rhino, lion, Cape buffalo, and leopard), the conservancy has a higher wildlife-to-area ratio than any Kenyan national park and is one of only four private game conservancies to have been founded in Kenya. At the forefront of the Kenyan conservancy program, Ol Pejeta boasts the largest black rhino sanctuary in East Africa, hosts the only chimpanzee sanctuary in Kenya, and shelters large numbers of rare and endangered species. We take morning and afternoon game drives today. Serena Sweetwaters (BLD) SUN, JUNE 17 - SWEETWATERS-SAMBURU After watching animals come to the waterhole, and a leisurely breakfast, we pass through lovely scenery dotted with native markets to Samburu Game Reserve, typical of Kenya's semi-arid regions. Though small in size, Samburu is rich in many species rarely seen elsewhere -- the Grevy's zebra, reticulated giraffe, oryx, gerenuk, Somali ostrich, and tiny dik-dik -- as well as baboons, warthogs, impala, and lots of elephants! We arrive in time for lunch, then take our first game drive in this animal-rich area. Larsens Camp (BLD) MON, JUNE 18-WED, JUNE 20 - SAMBURU Larsens Camp is named after Erik Ole Larsen, a legendary Dane credited with defining the luxury safari under canvas. The camp is bordered by the Uaso Nyiro River on one side; there is nothing but pristine nature on the other three sides. The river banks here boast a fantastic variety of bird life, and Samburu is where we have our best chance of spotting leopards. We may also see cheetahs and lions. Morning and afternoon game drives each day during our four days spent here give us an opportunity to view the abundant wildlife. If you're interested in the native culture, an optional visit to a nearby Samburu/Turkana village can be arranged. Larsens Camp (BLD) THU, JUNE 21 - SAMBURU-MASAI MARA This morning we fly to the Masai Mara Game Reserve on the Tanzanian border. Here, on the northern Serengeti, vast herds of zebra, wildebeest, and antelope roam the plains by the thousands. Our new home is one of Africa's most famous and luxurious tented camps, for a true safari experience under canvas. Outstanding cuisine and impeccable service are "de rigueur." We spend six nights at Governors' Camp, allowing ample time to spot those magnificent African animals in their natural environment. Governors' Camp (BLD) FRI, JUNE 22-TUE, JUNE 26 - MASAI MARA As we trundle cross-country in our open-top Land Rovers, the unending expanse of acacia-dotted grassland is what impresses us most. That and the great numbers of wildebeest, zebra, topi, hartebeest, and gazelle. We'll also see lions, cheetahs, giraffes, warthogs, spotted hyenas, and many other species of wild game here. Early-morning and late-afternoon game drives are standard at Governors' Camp, and those who just can't get their fill of this amazing place are welcome to take midday excursions as well -- perhaps a visit to a local Maasai village or to a prime spot on the river for watching hippos. One morning is set aside for an optional early-morning balloon flight, an experience not to be missed! When we arrive the balloons are just being inflated. Soon we're aloft, drifting gently above the great plains of the Masai Mara. From our lofty vantage point we watch the sun rise, see the morning mist swirling on the grasslands below, and photograph the game animals that dot the plains. After setdown we're served a wonderful champagne breakfast cooked over the balloon's burners, then take a short game drive on our way back to camp. For those who don't go ballooning, it's business as usual -- another thrilling early-morning game drive. Governors' Camp (BLD) WED, JUNE 27 - DEPART NAIROBI After one last game drive this morning, we bid a sad goodbye to our home in the bush and return by air to Nairobi, where we have individual day rooms at the Hilton. The afternoon is free for last-minute shopping and repacking before our late-evening flight to Amsterdam. Nairobi Hilton (B) THU, JUNE 28 - AMSTERDAM-U.S. We arrive in Amsterdam this morning and connect to our flights back to the U.S., arriving the same day.
Note: Departure from either New York/JFK or Los Angeles. Included meals are indicated by B, L, and D for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Game drives are three to a vehicle, with the tour leader rotating among vehicles on each game drive (so maximum four occasionally).
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