$5,712 to $5,824 pp (USD)
2 travelers on Start dateArrival
Arrival
Day 1
Nairobi to Amboseli – Elephants, Kilimanjaro and Massive Swamps
Nairobi to Amboseli – Elephants, Kilimanjaro and Massive Swamps
Morning: Depart Nairobi early, driving south along the Mombasa Road. The city falls away, replaced by open savannah and the gradual rise of the Chyulu Hills on the horizon. Continue through duka moja to Kimana, the air growing drier and dustier, the mountain growing larger with every kilometer.
Afternoon: Arrive at Amboseli Sopa Lodge, a sprawling thatched oasis set in acacia woodland. Check in and enjoy a proper lunch. After lunch, set out on an afternoon game drive. Amboseli is the land of giants—huge-tusked elephants marching in single file, their grey bodies contrasting against the marshland greens and the white dome of Kilimanjaro. Look for zebra, wildebeest, and the ever-present buffalo.
Evening: Return to the lodge as the mountain turns pink with sunset. Dinner is served under a ceiling of stars, with the distant rumble of elephants feeding nearby. Fall asleep knowing the mountain will greet you again at dawn.
- Main Destination:
- Amboseli National Park
- Accommodation:
- Amboseli Sopa Lodge
Wildlife in Amboseli NP
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 2
Amboseli to Tsavo West – Leopard Feed & The Waterhole Vigil
Amboseli to Tsavo West – Leopard Feed & The Waterhole Vigil
Morning: Wake before sunrise for an early morning game drive. This is the golden hour—lions may still be hunting, hyenas loping back to their dens, and the marshland alive with birds. Drive through the dry lake beds, and through the swamps as Elephants by the hundred dot the plains.
Afternoon: Return for an early lunch, then check out and begin the long drive to Tsavo West National Park. Enter Tsavo West and wind through the volcanic landscape until you reach Ngulia Safari Lodge, perched dramatically on a ridge overlooking the Rhino Valley. Check in and rest before the evening's spectacle.
Evening: As darkness falls, make your way to the Leopard View Bar. The lodge has a famous tradition—each night, leopards come to a bait nearby, and from the safety of the bar's balcony, you watch these ghost cats materialise out of the blackness. At the waterhole, wildlife gather to drink under floodlights. Have dinner with the sounds of splashing and rumbling just metres away.
- Main Destination:
- Tsavo West National Park
- Accommodation:
- Ngulia Safari Lodge
Wildlife in Tsavo West NP
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 3
Roaring Rocks, Chaimu Crater & The Search for Black Rhino
Roaring Rocks, Chaimu Crater & The Search for Black Rhino
Morning: Start with a morning hike to Roaring Rocks, a vantage point atop the Ngulia Hills. The trail climbs steadily, and the reward is a stunning, plains stretch to the horizon, the Chyulu Hills in the distance, and on a clear day, Kilimanjaro peek above the clouds. Continue to Chaimu Crater, a volcanic cinder cone covered in black lava scree. Scramble to the rim for a different perspective—looking down into the heart of an ancient eruption.
Afternoon: After lunch, drive into the Rhino Valley area, a fenced sanctuary where black rhinos are protected by armed rangers. This is your best chance to see these critically endangered creatures in the wild. Cruise slowly through the valley, scanning the dense bush for the unmistakable shape of a rhino. With patience and luck, you may find one grazing.
Evening: Return to Ngulia Lodge for another night. The leopard feed and waterhole await again, but now you know the rhythm of this wild place. Dinner and rest.
- Main Destination:
- Tsavo West National Park
- Accommodation:
- Ngulia Safari Lodge
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 4
Shetani Lava, Mzima Springs & The Tsavo River
Shetani Lava, Mzima Springs & The Tsavo River
Morning: Depart early with packed breakfast and lunch. Drive to Shetani Lava Flows. This is a sea of black, twisted volcanic rock—a relatively recent eruption that buried everything in its path. Hike across the sharp-edged lava while the temperatures are still cool, walking on the frozen fury of the earth.
Afternoon: Next, descend into the lava caves, formed by ancient molten rivers. Explore their echoing chambers. Then drive to Mzima Springs, one of Tsavo's most magical places. Two hundred million liters of crystal-clear water gush from the volcanic rocks each day, creating pools so clear you can see hippos gliding underwater. Descend into the submarine drum observation chamber, watch hippos, crocodiles, and enormous fish swimming inches from your face. Have a picnic lunch beside the springs.
Evening: Drive slowly along the Tsavo River, exploring the wildlife that depends on this lifeline—elephants drinking, crocodiles basking, birds of every description. Return to Ngulia Lodge.
- Main Destination:
- Tsavo West National Park
- Accommodation:
- Ngulia Safari Lodge
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 5
Taita Hills – Salt Lick, Lions Rock & A Night Game Drive
Taita Hills – Salt Lick, Lions Rock & A Night Game Drive
Morning: Drive to Salt Lick Safari Lodge, in the Taita Hills Conservancy. The lodge is famous for its elevated rooms connected by raised walkways, with a waterhole directly below. Spend some time familiarising yourself with the conservancy—a private, protected haven where wildlife thrives without the crowds of the national parks.
Afternoon: Afternoon game drive to Lions Rock. Look for the resident lion prides that give the rocks their name. Elephants, buffalo, giraffe, and zebra are all common here.
Evening: After dinner, embark on a night game drive—a rare privilege in most parks but permitted here. With a powerful spotlight, you will search for the creatures of the night: leopards slipping through the bush, genets hunting in the trees, bat-eared foxes darting across the tracks. If you are lucky, you might witness big cats on the move—a lioness stalking, or a leopard dragging its kill into cover. Return to Salt Lick late, the night alive with sounds. Overnight at the lodge.
- Main Destination:
- Taita Hills Wildlife Sanctuary
- Accommodation:
- Salt Lick Safari Lodge
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 6
Lake Jipe – Hippos, Crocodiles & Kilimanjaro at Sunset
Lake Jipe – Hippos, Crocodiles & Kilimanjaro at Sunset
Morning: Drive from Salt Lick to Lake Jipe, crossing the southern reaches of Tsavo West National Park. The road winds through changing landscapes—acacia woodland, open plains, then the first papyrus swamps that signal the lake's approach. Lake Jipe straddles the Kenya-Tanzania border.
Afternoon: Settle into your camp by the lake. Then take a guided boat tour onto the water. Hippos snort and submerge as you approach, crocodiles lie like logs on the muddy banks. The birdlife is extraordinary—African fish eagles, jacanas, herons, and if you are exceptionally lucky, the rare shoebill.
Evening: As the sun begins to set, find a spot on the western shore to photograph Kilimanjaro's Kibo Peak. The mountain rises across the lake, its snows turning gold then pink then deep purple. The lake reflects the whole scene—a double mountain against a double sunset. One camp night at Lake Jipe, falling asleep to the grunt of hippos.
- Main Destination:
- Lake Jipe
- Accommodation:
- Budget camping
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 7
Lake Jipe to Taita Rocks – Sunrise & A Cross-Park Wildlife Safari
Lake Jipe to Taita Rocks – Sunrise & A Cross-Park Wildlife Safari
Morning: Wake early to watch the morning sunrise. After breakfast, pack up and embark towards Taita Rocks, driving back through Tsavo West National Park. This is not a direct transit; it’s a full morning of wildlife exploration. Take slow game drives along the Maktau road, through open plains dotted with termite mounds. Watch for cheetahs on the horizon or herds of eland (the largest antelope).
Afternoon: Continue exploring as you approach the Tsavo West Southern Maktau Gate. Exit the park here and drive to Taita Rocks. Arrive in time for a late lunch. Spend the rest of the evening relaxing after long game drive.
Evening: Overnight at a simple camp or guesthouse near Taita Rocks. The evening is spent listening to stories from the Taita people. Hear them narrate earn about their history—how they built fortified villages on rocky hills to defend against Maasai raids and later slave traders.
- Main Destination:
- Taita Hills
- Accommodation:
- Taita Rocks Hotel
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 8
Ngangao Forest, Vuria Peak & Taita Culture at Mwanda
Ngangao Forest, Vuria Peak & Taita Culture at Mwanda
Morning: A morning nature walk through Ngangao Forest, one of the last remnants of the indigenous cloud forest that once covered the Taita Hills. This forest is a biodiversity hotspot, home to endemic birds (Taita apalis, Taita thrush, Taita white-eye) and rare plants. Walk beneath giant ancient trees draped in moss and orchids.
Afternoon: Drive to Vuria, and hike the highest peak in the coast region at 2,200 meters. Have a picnic lunch at the peak, surrounded by montane grassland and giant lobelias. After lunch, proceed down and drive to the Mwanda camping area. Here, you will experience Taita culture up close. Local elders will share their traditions, stories, and how their way of life has been shaped by the environment—the forests for medicine and the hills for defense.
Evening: Camp at Mwanda. Around the fire, listen to more stories, maybe even a traditional song or dance. Enjoy dinner as you connect with the people.
- Main Destination:
- Taita Hills
- Accommodation:
- Budget camping
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 9
Mboghonyi Rocks – Hiking & Sunset on the Edge
Mboghonyi Rocks – Hiking & Sunset on the Edge
Morning: Hike to Mboghonyi Rocks, a massive granite outcrop jutting out of the Taita Hills. The trail climbs through grasslands and patches of forest. As you gain elevation, the views expand: the Tsavo plains spread out below like a wrinkled red blanket, dotted with the dark green of palm-fringed streams.
Afternoon: Reach the far head of the Mboghonyi Rocks by midday. Have a picnic lunch here, savoring the silence and the wind. After lunch, begin hiking back, taking a different route to see new angles of the landscape. The afternoon light turns the rocks gold, and the shadows of clouds race across the plains below. Start hiking back to your campsite in the late afternoon.
Evening: Arrive back at the Mwanda campsite just in time to catch the sunset from a nearby ridge. The sun drops below the Tsavo horizon, setting the sky on fire. Dinner is another community meal, filled with laughter and the day’s adventures. Fall asleep exhausted, satisfied, and deeply connected to the land.
- Main Destination:
- Taita Hills
- Accommodation:
- Budget camping
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 10
Tsavo East – Galana River, Lugards Falls & The Rarely Visited Hideout
Tsavo East – Galana River, Lugards Falls & The Rarely Visited Hideout
Morning: Wake up very early to be at KWS Tsavo East National Park – Voi Gate by 6:30 AM. Drive to the Ruba Lodge area, then turn north towards the Galana River. This is Tsavo East at its wildest—vast, open plains that seem to stretch forever, dotted with red termite mounds. Drive along the lifeline of Tsavo East, following the river as it cuts through the landscape.
Afternoon: Reach Lugards Falls, walk along the rocks to see the water churning through narrow gorges. Then drive to Mudanda Rock, climb onto the rock for a panoramic view. Afterwards, exit via Manyani Gate and drive to Kamungi Bandas, a rarely visited hideout on the edge of the park. These simple bandas (basic huts) are off the tourist trail—no crowds, no noise, just you and the wild.
Evening: Dinner at Kamungi is simple but satisfying. The night is pitch black, the silence absolute except for the distant roar of a lion. You are truly hidden away, a forgotten corner of Tsavo.
- Main Destination:
- Tsavo East National Park
- Accommodation:
- Kamungi Banda
Wildlife in Tsavo East NP
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 11
Northern Tsavo Wilderness – Elephants and the Red cobra
Northern Tsavo Wilderness – Elephants and the Red cobra
Morning: Drive to KWS Roka Campsite via the Ithumba Entrance Gate. This road takes you deep into the completely untouched northern wilderness of Tsavo, an area that sees very few visitors. Pass by Ithumba Hill. Here, in this remote northern sector, you experience elephants in a way you have never encountered elsewhere.
Afternoon: Set up camp at Roka Campsite, a basic KWS site with no fences. The afternoon sun is fierce, so you’ll shield from the heat under a canvas shade. Rest as you watch the wildlife that wanders past.
Evening: After dinner, embark on a rare night game drive in this very virgin wilderness. With a spotlight and a knowledgeable guide. The night here is alive: lions may be hunting, leopards patrolling their territories, hyenas calling back and forth. You are one of the very few people to ever see this area after dark. Return to camp late, your heart racing from the encounters. Sleep in your tent, listening to the sounds of a truly wild Africa.
- Main Destination:
- Tsavo East National Park
- Accommodation:
- Budget camping
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 12
Armed Hike, Yatta Plateau & The Spitting Cobra
Armed Hike, Yatta Plateau & The Spitting Cobra
Morning: Wake early. You will be joined by armed KWS rangers and experienced natives of the land, the Kamba people, for a morning hike looking for rare residents of the park. This is not a casual walk—it’s an exploration of a near-pristine wilderness. Search for the Red Spitting Cobra, baboon spiders, and other rare species like the Hunters hartebeest and lesser kudu.
Noon: Return to camp to shield from the sun—the heat here is intense. Rest in the shade, eat lunch, and hydrate. In the late afternoon, drive to the Yatta Plateau, the largest continuous lava flow on earth. Stand on this ancient lava bank, which was once the edge of a prehistoric river. Below you, the entire ecosystem of Tsavo spreads out: red plains, winding rivers, distant hills. The view is humbling, timeless. Then drive back to Kamungi for the night.
Evening: Dinner at Kamungi. The day’s hikes and the vastness of Yatta are all anyone can talk about. Tomorrow, you leave the wilderness behind. Tonight, you savor it.
- Main Destination:
- Tsavo East National Park
- Accommodation:
- Kamungi Banda
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 13
Kamungi to Nairobi – Farewell at Safari Park Hotel
Kamungi to Nairobi – Farewell at Safari Park Hotel
Morning: Late breakfast, then explore Kamungi one last time—walk, birdwatch, soak in the silence. Pack and bid farewell to this hidden gem.
Afternoon: Drive 6–7 hours north to Nairobi. Scenery shifts from Tsavo’s red plains to Taita’s green hills, Kapiti Plains, then city outskirts. Stop for lunch. Mount Kenya appears, then fades. Traffic thickens. Civilisation returns.
Evening: Arrive late afternoon. Farewell dinner at Kasarani Safari Park Hotel—lush gardens, themed restaurants, live entertainment. Celebrate 13 days, countless animals, unforgettable landscapes. Raise a glass to Amboseli’s elephants, Ngulia’s leopards, Rhino Valley’s black rhinos, Mzima’s hippos, Ngangao’s colobus, northern Tsavo’s cobras, and Yatta’s ancient lava. An ending worthy of the adventure.
- Main Destination:
- No major destination visited
- Accommodation:
- No accommodation (End of tour)
- Meals & Drinks:
