I have promised Micah for weeks that I would post his travel log of our trip to Kenya. This is very helpful information for anyone planning to take a trip to Kenya or just do a Safari in general. Hope you enjoy.
Micah & Stephanie's Kenya Safari
September 2010
Day 1
• Arrived at NBO at 12:30 pm, purchased visas for $25 each and met Mike, Roger, and Douglas.
• Drove through Nairobi to Fairview Hotel and checked in around 2:00 pm.
• Very nice hotel. Most of the guests were on business and the others looked like they were about to start their safaris.
• The weather was almost cold...at least compared to Saudi! We needed to wear jackets.
Day 2
• Breakfast at 6:00 am and checked out of The Fairview Hotel at 7:00 am
• Roger and Douglas picked us up and we Began drive from Nairobi to Samburu National Park
• Stopped between Sagana and Karatina at a shop for souvenirs. Bought two pictures made from banana leaves and a wooden bowl with animal statues
• Drove through the Kenyan Central Highlands and by Mt. Kenya but we couldn't see Mt. Kenya because of clouds. There were many coffee and pineapple plantations. The weather there was cool and cloudy. As we left the highlands, the temperature increased and the clouds gave way to blue skies with scattered clouds. There were wheat fields and flower plantations on the way.
• We arrived at Ashnil Samburu Lodge at 2:00 pm. On the way in we saw ostrich, gazelle, antelope, oryx, and giraffe. We checked in to room 4 and ate lunch before it ended at 2:30 pm. As soon as we arrived in our room we saw a Reticulated Giraffe across the river. During lunch we saw more giraffes, monkeys, gazelle, and birds.
• The Ashnil Samburu lodge is very nice. We were in tent #4. The tents are built on raised wooden decks and have a king sized bed on one side of a wall and the bathroom on the other. We learned that these tents had been wiped out or damaged during a flood early this year (2010), so everything looked like new. Apparently other tent camps along the river and a bridge separating the north and south parts of the park had washed away in the floods. Our lodge was very nice with great views of the valley and mountains and a great staff.
• At 4:00 we went on our first game drive. We saw Reticulated Giraffe, Common and Grevy Zebras, Elephants, Oryx, Giraffe Antelope, Gazelle (Grant Gazelle or Antelope), Waterbucks, Warthogs, the biggest flying birds (kuri bustard). The reticulated giraffe is only found here, north of the equator. Also the giraffe antelope is only found here. It walks like a giraffe while both legs on the same side of the body moving together. It will also stand on it's hind legs to reach up to tall plants like a giraffe. The Grevy Zebra is also only found here. It has stripes that are closer together than the common zebra and they do not connect across their belly. The closeness of the stripes makes it more difficult for the lion to focus in on them. Because of this, less become prey to lions than the common zebra.
• Back to the hotel to shower and dinner at 7:30 pm.
• The landscape at Samburu looks like the savannah that you imagine from nature documentaries and from the Lion King. There is a combination of tall brown grass, trees, small shrubs, and hills. In the backdrop there are beautiful mountains and some have cliffs. The view from the restaurant and from the back porch of the tents is overlooking a river and mountains in the background. Occasional animals walk by just on the other side of the river for viewing.
Day 3
• First game drive starts at 6:30 am. This time we headed west from the lodge. At first there were not very many animals out...mostly antelopes. After a while our guides saw footprints and talked in Swahili about it. We never found it and didn't ask until later what it was. Turns out it was Hippo tracks. Later, we saw a huge bird's nest made by the hammerkop, a Zazu bird, Dik-Dik Antelope (the smallest antelope), 3-4 big herds of elephants, and some giraffe. We also could tell our guides were looking hard for lions...we drove through many grass fields looking, but didn't have any luck.
• Breakfast at 8:30 am. The monkeys at the camp were very active and the monkey-guards were constantly shooing them away. They would "fly" off of the roof and chase each other.
• Second game drive at 9:30 am. We headed back east and did not travel with other vehicles. Right away we saw 4 hippos in the river. This is when our guides told us that the prints from the morning were hippos. And these were probably the hippos that made them. Right behind them was an old male reticulated giraffe, a large pack of baboons, and some antelope. Just after that we saw 2 crocodiles soaking up the sun on a bank in the river. We then drove next to a stream for a good while. We first saw some waterbucks and then a large group of Impala. One dominant male stays with a large group of females (up to 30). Two brothers will live together but keep their distance from the herd until they are old enough, then they fight and the winner goes and fights off the dad to be the dominant male. The dad is exiled and is quickly taken by a predator (leopard or cheetah). We drove over to a tree that our guides said sometimes bas a leopard in it who is hunting the impala, but the leopard was not there. Later we saw some elephants drinking and eating by the stream. We also saw a large group of oryx and a herd of common and Grevy zebras. There was a group of reticulated giraffe. Our guides talked to one of the other drivers and we could tell that the other driver had seen something cool and our guides took off to try to find it. On our way up the stream, it dried out and we saw many animals in packs heading toward the water. We saw elephants, baboons (some young ones were riding on their parent's backs and a baby was even holding on underneath one mother), Dik-Diks, other antelopes, and birds. After searching for a while up the stream and in the grass fields we learned that we were searching for lions that the other group had claimed to see. (we think our guides knew that we really wanted to see some big cats so they were looking very hard)...but we did not find them this day. We did see 3 ostriches (2 male and 1 female) and an eagle owl on the way back down the other side of the stream. The hippos were still there on the way back in. The giraffe and baboons were still on the other side of the river and now a large group of zebras was also there. We also saw 3 more (or maybe the same 3) ostriches right before entering the camp.
• Lunch at 1:00 pm and hung out in the tent until the next game drive.
• Third game drive of the day started at 4:00 pm. We headed back east. The hippos and baboons were still on the other side of the river. We saw giraffe, many types of antelope, and elephants, but we were mainly on a hunt for lions. One of the other groups had spotted a lion so we went searching for them. We got there and there were 5 other vehicles there. There were three lionesses laying down in tall grass about 30 yards in front of us. When we first got there, a large herd of elephants were close. The guides were hoping that the elephants would cause the lions to get up, but the elephants just moved on and the cats stayed asleep. We waited for about 20 more minutes until it was close to sunset because the guides thought that the lions may get up right before sunset to go hunt for another kill. However the lions did not cooperate and proved that they were cats...sleeping and not doing what humans want them to do. Info from the guides...the lionesses had probably had a kill early in the day and then slept the rest of the day. Lionesses do most of the hunting, but if they kill then a male lion must eat first...now this is how it should be...women preparing the food and the man eating!! After we left the lions we saw some more animals on the way back to the lodge. The hippos were still in the same place that they had been all day.
• We hung out at the bar before dinner and met some folks from England and another couple from Michigan. Both, of course were old enough to be our parents (or maybe even grandparents)! Apparently while we were at the bar a lion roared and people at the restaurant could hear it...but of course, we did not.
• Dinner was good, then back to the tent for sleep.
Day 4
• After waking up and eating breakfast at 6:00 am, we checked out at 6:30 am and did a short game drive on our way out of Samburu. We didn't see too much on the way out.
• We drove back on the same road we came in on and passed by Mt. Kenya. This time the weather cooperated and we could see the mountain. It has some snow on the top, but not much. The guides said that years ago it had more snow and said climate change was to blame for the current lack of snow.
• We stopped at another "Curio Shop," which had exactly the same souvenir stuff as the last place we stopped. We then headed onto Ol Pejeta Conservancy, where we checked into Sweet Waters Luxury Tented Camp which was a Serena hotel.
• At 11:00 am, just after checking in, we headed to the Chimpanzee Sanctuary because the guides said it was open from 11:00-12:30. However, it is actually open from 3:00-4:30 pm, so we went on a game drive instead. There was a marshland that had 2 very large bush elephants. The elephants get very large here because they have plenty of food to eat. We also saw waterbucks and warthogs in the marsh. There was a dad, mom, and baby waterbuck. The warthogs appeared to pose for the camera, because one-by-one they would stop in Stephanie's view until the camera snapped a photo and then they would run off. We then made it to an open field were a group of 75+ Water Buffaloes were grazing. They were joined by zebra, warthogs, baboons, and antelope. We drove further and saw some Hartebeests which were surrounded by impalas, zebras, and a reticulated giraffe. Driving further we saw a herd of water buffaloes numbering around 200. Baboons were close and we even saw a male "mount" a female that was carrying a baby on her belly. It didn't last long...a quickie. Then we came to a fenced area that held southern white rhinoceros. These had been imported from South Africa and are not native to Kenya. We then came to a conservancy building and a worker took us to see Baraka the blind black rhino that was in a fence. Baraka had lost one eye in a fight with another rhino and the second eye to cataracts. The worker told us that they brought the Southern White Rhinos here because they are endangered. They are trying to cross-breed them with the Northern White Rhinos to increase their population. They cannot cross-breed them with Black Rhinos because they do not have the same gestation periods. The major difference between the black and white rhino is that the black rhino has a pointed mouth used for eating plants and shrubs, while the white rhino has a big, flat mouth more suitable for grazing on grass. The horns also have slight differences. After finishing with Baraka, we headed toward the lodge. On the way, we saw some Elant (the largest antelope) along with warthogs, mongoose, and a vulture. Then, Stephanie spotted 2 black rhino in the wild. This was a mother and a daughter and made for a good photo op.
• We arrived at the lodge at 1:45 and ate lunch. It was good, but not quite as good as Ashnil Samburu.
• At 2:45 pm, we loaded up and headed for the Chimpanzee Sanctuary. Chimps are not indigenous to Kenya. All of these chimps have been saved from being in captivity. They live in groups of 28 and 14. They are fed fruits and vegetables because they do not know how to get meat or use reeds to fish for termites. The chimps would pick their noses and eat the boogers! This is essentially a zoo exhibit. We had a guide show us around and tell us the history of the sanctuary. Stephanie was a sucker and adopted a chimp named Tess.
• After the Chimp Sanctuary we went back to the lodge. We wanted to go on another game drive but could tell that it wasn't in the plans according to the guides. So instead we went back to the lodge. This was a little disappointing but I guess our guides needed a break. And if we were going to take one, this would be the place.
• There is a watering hole just outside the camp close to our tent and the restaurant. During dinner, two rhinos and two water buffalo came up for a drink, along with waterbucks, impala, and other animals.
• Since the weather here was cold, they put sealed pouches of hot water under our covers to warm the bed. At night, it was about 50°F at Sweet Waters compared to 75-80°F at Samburu.
• There were some crazy bird noises at night that sounded like a loud mixture of snoring and squawking.
• Although not too far from Samburu, the landscape and climate of Ol Pejeta is worlds different. It has a much higher elevation so the temperature is much cooler. At night it got as low as 50°F and only up to about 80-85°F during the day. The landscape in some places looks like Oklahoma, with rolling hills covered with grass. There were also some marshlands and a river that provided water for the wildlife. This park was much smaller than Samburu and is managed by a private group, not by the Kenya Wildlife Service. The Sweetwaters resort is older and seemed to be bigger and more popular. It had more large groups but just didn't have the same feeling that Ashnil Samburu had. It was still good, but only worth a one-night stay at most.
• In all honesty, although we got to see some cool things here I would probably pass on this place if we had it to do over again. While Samburu made us feel that we were in the wild, Ol Pejeta felt like a cross between a yellowstone-type national park and a zoo.
Day 5
• We ate breakfast and checked out of Sweet Waters at 7:00 am and headed back in the direction toward Nairobi. Our destination was Lake Nakuru National Park.
• On the way we made three stops. The first was at the equator where a guy demonstrated the Coriolis effect. To do this he had a hole cut in the bottom of a bowl. Ten meters north of the equator caused the match in the bowl to spin clockwise, whereas ten meters south of the equator caused the match to spin counter-clockwise. At the equator it did not spin. The next stop was at Thompqson Falls. The final stop was at a lookout point for the Great Rift Valley. This begins in Israel and extends to Mozambique. Kenya has the lowest and the widest parts of the rift valley. Stephanie bought a painting on wood of the Great Rift Valley while we were there. We arrived at Sarova Lion Hill at Lake Nakuru National Park at 1:00 pm. On the way in there was a young python crossing the road in front of us. It took it's sweet time while we waited for it to move.
• Sarova Lion Hill is also an older lodge. It has cabins instead of tents and is on a hill overlooking Lake Nakuru. The restaurant and bar area are nice and there is plenty of green grass and landscaping. The rooms are a bit dated and small. They have mosquito nets and there are plenty of mosquitoes. They told us that these mosquitoes do not carry malaria, but we still layered up in bug spray.
• We ate lunch and then went on a game drive at 3:00 pm. We drove around to the SW side of the lake and saw many water buffaloes, waterbucks, and antelope. We also saw several small groups of white and black rhinos. Lake Nakuru is known for it's pink flamingos. There were literally thousands of flamingos. The real treat of this drive was seeing a pride of 4 lionesses and one young lion. All but one of the lionesses was young and the other was the mother. The young lions have spots similar to those of a cheetah. Our guides said this means they are likely around 2 years old. They hung out for a while on a fallen tree. Later, they moved off of the tree and climbed other trees apparently looking for dinner, but we were not do lucky. Other groups went off of the path and said they saw a leopard, but no one could confirm it. It looked like there were just 2 male impala. Some claimed a leopard was hunting an impala, but it was likely just the other impala. After we left the lions it began to rain. This was the first time that Micah had seen rain since May in Houston (4 months!). A black rhino momma and her baby were spotted on the way in. A jackal was taking refuge on the dry-ish road and reluctantly moved for us to pass. Baboons were even more stubborn to leave their spots on the road.
• Dinner and hanging out at the lodge to end the night.
• Lake Nakuru National Park almost had the look of the jungle that Simba goes to with Timon and Pumba in the Lion King. There is a small saltwater lake in the middle and it is surrounded on three sides by mountains and many trees. On the SW side of the lake there is an open marshland and a forest. This is the area where most of the wildlife can be spotted. This park is managed by the Kenya Wildlife Service and has well-maintained roads. The park is bigger than Ol Pejeta, but smaller than Samburu. The park was worth the trip. The lions and the black and white rhinos, along with large herds of water buffalo and flocks of flamingos made it worthwhile. Sarova Lion Hill seemed to be a popular place (it was fully booked). Some of the lodge could have been updated, but it was still nice. This park is worth a 1.5 to 2 day stay.
Day 6
• At 6:30 am we went on a game drive through Lake Nakuru National Park. As soon as we started another guide said over the radio that they spotted a leopard. We drove quickly to get there, but it was gone by the time we arrived. These leopards are sneaky. We continued to search for leopards on the ground and in the trees, but to no avail. We did see many flamingo, usually being guarded by a few water buffalo. We also saw large herds of water buffalo and even some groups of white and black rhinos. One more difference between the white and black rhino is that the baby black rhino always stays behind the mother while the baby white rhino stays in front of the mother. We drove to Baboon Cliff which is a 100 m high lookout point that is inhabited by baboons and rock ______ (they look like a small beaver without the tail). We the drive out close to the lake to look at the flamingos and got the van stuck in the mud. The guides got it out without our help, but shortly after, when we were driving the undercarriage of the van came loose and we had to stop and temporarily fix it. After it was fixed with some wire we drove, somewhat slowly, back to Sarova Lion Hill Lodge. During breakfast the guides fixed the van in a more permanent fashion.
• At 10:00 am we checked out of Sarova Lion Hill and checked into Flamingo Hill Lodge (still in Lake Nakuru National Park). Sarova Lion Hill was fully booked for this night.
• After quickly checking in we got back in the van with packed lunches and drove to Lake Bogoria.
• We arrived at Lake Bogoria around 1:00 pm, stopped to get a coke at a resort, and then entered the park. This is a small park and it's only attractions are a lake, hot springs, and birds. The setting is in between some beautiful green mountains, The lake was flooded while we were there, so most of the hot springs were not visible. When the water is down some of the springs shoot as high as 7m constantly. With lake water covering them, they only looked like jets in a hot tub boiling up. The temperature of the water from the springs is 115°C and smells of sulfur. The only thing we really were able to see was one hot spring and thousands of greater and lesser flamingos. The greater flamingos are bigger and white, while the lesser are smaller and pink. We ate a packed lunch and got a short tour from a local guide before traveling back to Flamingo Hill Tented Camp and Lake Nakuru. This site might be cool if the lake isn't flooded so you can see the hot springs, but this trip can definitely be missed. The bottom line is that there are many other places in Kenya that are better worth your day.
• As for Flamingo Hill Tented camp, it is definitely a step down from Sarova Lion Hill Lodge, but is still nice. Flamingo Hill is outside of the gate for Lake Nakuru National Park, but is very close to the entrance. We were originally supposed to have 2 nights at Sarova Lion Hill, but the tour guide said he was unable to get the reservation for the second night. The tents are about the same quality as Sweetwaters, but the grounds needed some tending to. It was livable, but since we got this camp instead of Sarova and still paid the same price, we probably lost out on a little bit of money.
Day 7
• Checked out of Flamingo Hill at 7:00 am and headed to Masai Mara. The distance from Lake Nakuru to Masai Mara is between 300 and 400 km and the total trip time was between 5 and 6 hours. For half of the time the roads were in great condition. There were even climbing lanes for the bigger hills. However, the last ~100 km has the worst roads I've ever seen. The parts that are paved are actually worse than the parts that are not because of the millions of potholes. This is a very rough trip and although the minivan was great for the rest of the trip, a 4-wheel drive vehicle would make this trip much better. The same goes for the roads within Masai Mara National Park. On the way we passed by the only freshwater lake in Kenya and also Hell's Gate National Park. This is the only park where you can go on a walking safari (aside from climbing Mt. Kenya) or ride your bike. We also passed by an active volcano that is within another national park. Along the roads close to Masai Mara there were many herds of wildebeests.
• Upon arriving to Masai Mara National Park at 12:30 pm we were bombarded by Masai locals wanting to sell us things. Stephanie bought 2 giraffe statues. After pulling in we went on a short game drive. We did not go very far or see very much. There was a black rhino in some bushes, a lot of warthogs, a hartebeest, and two types of gazelle that we had not yet seen. And as on every safari we've been on, there were plenty of impala and Grant and Thompson gazelle. It rained on our way back to the lodge.
• We checked into Mara Sentrim at 2:00 pm and ate lunch.
• The afternoon game drive started at 4:00 pm. The drive from Mara Sentrim to the good parts of the park is pretty long. The rain caused the roads to be a little more difficult to manage. We saw several other vans and even 4-wheel drive SUVs get stuck. Thankfully, we did not get stuck. We saw a big group of elephants first. We then joined a large group of vehicles and looked at a male lion who was sleeping. We left him and joined another large group to see a pride of at least 8 lionesses and one young male lion. As we were there the male that we had been watching got up and walked in the distance. We never got very close to see him because we were blocked in for a while and then he went to an area where others had gotten stuck. After that we saw a group of 18 elephants. On the way back to the hotel we first saw a black rhino and then a spotted hyena scavenging off an old wildebeest carcass.
• Dinner at Mara Sentrim was not good at all. Fatty meats and everything had way too much onion. This is the first place that has not had good food.
Day 8
• Breakfast first then left at 7:30 am for an all-day game drive on Masai with a packed lunch. An all-day game drive is necessary at Masai Mara, especially if you are staying close to the gate. We started with spotting a mother cheetah and her cub. The cub kept running by the mom and playing. After that, we saw 2 lionesses hunting a warthog. When one lion was about 10 yards from the warthog, the warthog ran off and the lion gave up. They don't typically work hard for their food. We then saw some water buffalo and then stopped at Keekrok lodge to use the restroom. This lodge is located at the center of Masai Mara and is very nice. We then made it to the areas with tens of thousands of zebras. Some hartebeests were mixed in occasionally. We saw a secretary bird and then a mother cheetah with 6 cubs. The cubs were eating on a Thompson gazelle. The mother lets the cubs eat first before she eats. We then saw fields of tens of thousands of wildebeests and more zebras. The estimated population of wildebeests that make the Great Migration from the Serengeti to the Masai Mara is 1.5 million. They, along with the zebras, come into the Masai Mara beginning in early July and begin leaving in September. When they arrive at Masai Mara the grass is as much as the 6 feet tall, but within a matter of weeks the wildebeests and zebras graze it down. Once the food runs out is when they begin to migrate back to the Serengeti. They must cross the Masai River to get to the Serengeti. This is where many wildebeest become prey to crocodiles and to the forces of the river. On our way to the river we came to a monument that marks border between Kenya and Tanzania. We saw some Elant antelopes and a reedbuck in the river. We then came to a place on the Masai River where some Game Rangers walk you down the river to see the hippos and crocodiles. We only saw one croc, but many families of hippos. We the drove over a bridge and attempted to enter another part of the park that is managed by a different group, but they would not allow us in. Along the bridge there were many carcasses of wildebeests. The Kori Bustards were scavenging them. We the at lunch at the part of the river near the hippos. After lunch we drove back towards our lodge. On the way we saw more of the wildebeests and zebras. We also saw a family of Masai giraffes, a Lilac Roller bird, and two Bohor Reedbucks. Elephants and water buffalo were also spotted. We even managed to get our van stuck in the mud in the elephant territory. We had to radio for others to come and pull us out. In the process another van got stuck in the same place. We headed back to the camp, arriving around 4:45 pm.
• The all-day drives are tiresome, but worthwhile. They allow you to see more of the park. You actually need more than one all-day trip to see the entire Masai Mara. Because of this, it would be good to spend at least 3 days there.
Day 9
• We ate breakfast and checked out of Mara Sentrim at 6:30 am. We went on a game drive before leaving Masai Mara. Right away we spotted a hyena eating on an old wildebeest carcass. Then we saw a group of 6 lionesses and cubs. Right after that we found two male lions asleep near the road. They didn't seem to mind all of the people staring at them. Only occasionally would they raise their heads. Most of the time they were passed out. Seeing the male lions made our trip feel complete.
• We then made the long ride back to Nairobi. We ate lunch at Carnivore when we arrived to Nairobi. The cost of the meal was included with our safari. The meal was good, especially compared to the food at Mara Sentrim. They had ostrich, ostrich meatballs, crocodile, pork leg, honey-glazed pork ribs, beef, chicken, chicken liver, and beef sausage. We liked the ostrich the best, closely followed by the beef. After lunch we checked back into the Fairview Hotel were we spent the first night. We had to spend another night because there was no way to make it back from Masai Mara to Nairobi in time for a 10:00 am flight to Zanzibar.
Animals seen
We saw many amazing animals on this trip. The only one of the Big 5 (lion, leopard, rhino [black and white], elephant, and buffalo) that we did not see was the leopard. There were a few times that other groups claimed to have spotted one, but by the time we arrived the leopard was gone. We also saw all of the other major animals such as cheetah, hyena, hippo, crocodiles, all 3 types of giraffe (reticulated, Roth's, and Masai), zebra (common and Grevy), wildebeests, hartebeests, and many types of antelope (Thompson gazelle, Grant gazelle, giraffe gazelle, impala, Tope antelope, Dikdik, Elant, waterbuck, reedbuck, bushbuck, and oryx). We also saw many birds such as ostrich, red-billed hornbill, hammerkop, helmeted guineafowl, flamingo (greater and lesser), secretary, kori bustard, crowned cranes, black headed glover, Goshawk, lilac breasted roller, marabou stork, Verraux's eagle owl, superb starling, and the vulture.
Guides
Overall the trip was fantastic. Our guides Douglas and Roger were very good and accommodating. We brought our itinerary that was emailed from the travel agent in case there was any debate over what the plan was and what had already been paid for. We rarely had to show them the itinerary. However, we did have to miss out of 2.5 of the safaris listed on the itinerary. There was supposed to be one at Samburu when we arrived in the morning, but we didn't get there until 1:30 pm because of the long drive. We also arrived to Lake Nakuru at the end of lunch so we didn't get a morning game drive. These drives were not possible given the long car trips between the parks. The guides knew the wildlife well and helped us spot them. Most other groups only had one guide, but we had two.
Vehicles
As for the vehicles...We had a minivan with a roof that popped up and 3 rows of bucket seats and a bench seat in back. The roof could be raised which allowed us to stand and see better during game drives. This was perfect for us since there was plenty of room for the two of us to move around and get a good view of the wildlife. Due to the limited space, the biggest group that I would recommend for using these vans is 4. Anything more than that and people would not be able to see well. And actually, a group of 3 would be the biggest if you want a lot of room to move around and see. However, the vans can theoretically seat a total of 9, meaning that a group of 8 plus a guide can fit in a van. But you would have to pack very light so the bags could be stored behind the bench seat. We had plenty of room and our luggage road on the bench seat while traveling from one park to another. The major drawback of the vans is that they make for a very rough ride over rough terrain. This makes it take longer to get from one place to another. This wasn't really a problem at Samburu, Ol Pejeta, or Lake Nakuru, but was at Masai Mara. Also, a 4x4 Landcruiser has less of a chance of getting stuck in the mud and allows for better viewing when sitting down as the windows are bigger. They also provide a more comfortable ride. Standing throughout the safari was tiresome, but doable for us. However, if you do not want to stand for the majority of the trip then a SUV with big windows may be the way to go. Our van had windows, but they didn't make for very good viewing. If going in a group of more than 4 I would insist on using a 4x4 SUV. I would also strongly consider it for a group of 4. But it does cost more than using the vans. And not all of these SUVs are the same. I would request to see a picture of the vehicle to see how good of windows it has. Some of them have soft sides that can roll up during game drives, while others have hard sides with windows and a top that comes up to allow people to stand. Each has their own advantage.
Driving vs Flying
It is a long haul by road to get from park to park. The roads in some places are great, while in others they are the worst we've ever seen. The main advantage of driving is getting to see how diverse the landscape and climate of Kenya is. Driving a distance of less than 60 miles the temperature can increase by 20+°F and the terrain change from green mountains to desert/Savannah. You are also able to see the towns and more of how the people live. You make frequent stops at tourist attractions like "Curio shops" to buy souvenirs or to see demonstrations at the equator or to see sights like mountaintop roads overlooking the Great Rift Valley. If you flew from park to park the you would miss out on this. But as stated before, the roads are rough (in addition to potholes, there are speed bumps at every town) and the trips are long. You can probably get more game drives in if you go by plane from park to park. You will likely also have different guides if you fly. This could be good or bad. The advantage to having the same guides throughout would be that they already know which animals you have seen and can make more efforts to see the animals that you have not seen. Starting again with a new guide might mean more time spent looking at the common animals while you are wanting to search for lions or leopards. We are glad that we drove from park to park because we were able to see more of Kenya. We also liked having the same guides with us for the entire trip. As with most things, there are advantages and disadvantages to either selection.
Where (and when) to go
The places we went are Samburu, Sweetwaters (Ol Pejeta), Lake Nakuru, Lake Bogoria, and Masai Mara. There are many other places to go like Tsavo, Ambasoli, Hell's Gate, and many others.
The first thing to do is to know when you are going and do research on animal migrations/activity for that time. The high season in Kenya is during the time the Great Migration of wildebeests, zebras, and other animals come. This runs from July through early October with the highest month being August. During this time (except maybe the very beginning or very end) you would not want to go to Tanzania because the majority of the animals have left the Serengeti. This is the most important thing for deciding not only where to go, but also when to go.
The months of July and August in Kenya can be pretty cold. Even in September it was cold to peak your head out of the van while it was moving in the morning (except Samburu). In the midmorning to afternoon it heated up, but was still comfortable.
If I had the chance to plan our trip again, I would do one of the following options.
Option 1
Day 1 - drive to Samburu, afternoon game drive
Day 2 - Full day of game drives at Samburu
Day 3 - Check out and drive to Lake Nakuru, check in and do a late afternoon game drive if possible.
Day 4 - Full day of game drives at Lake Nakuru
Day 5 - Check out; drive to Masai Mara, check in; afternoon game drive
Day 6 - Full day game drive with packed lunch
Day 7 - Full day game drive with packed lunch
Day 8 - Full day game drive with packed lunch
Day 9 - Check out, drive to Nairobi, eat at Carnivore
Where to stay
Samburu
Ashnil Samburu Luxury Tented Camp was our favorite of any place we stayed. Great accommodations, great views, great food, and great staff.
Sweetwaters/Ol Pejeta
Serena Sweetwaters is the major lodge. It was nice, but again, I would probably still avoid this park.
Lake Nakuru
Sarova Lion Hill had older cabins, but the restaurant and common areas were very nice and the grounds were kept up with well.
Flamingo Hill Tented Camp was not that bad either. It looked cheaper, so this may be a way to save some money. It is located just outside the gate to Lake Nakuru National Park, but the park is not that big, so this wouldn't cut down on much time for game drives. I would recommend finding the price difference between the two and making a choice based on that.
Masai Mara
I would not recommend staying at Mara Sentrim. The food was not good at all and the location was not good for game drives. You had a long drive just to get into the main part of the park. The only other lodge we saw was Keekrok, which looked amazing. It is in the center of Masai Mara and had very nice grounds and a great restaurant. We were told it is a bit pricey, but if you can afford it go for it. The most important thing to consider for a lodge in Masai Mara is location because it is so big. Animals stay at different parts of the park at different times of the year (especially the wildebeests and zebras from the migration). You would like to be close to where the good game drives are to maximize the time you have to look for lions, leopards, cheetahs, and rhino.
Nairobi
We requested to stay at Fairview Hotel because of good reviews. We weren't there very long but we wanted to stay in a place that we knew would be nice. This hotel is very nice. The rooms are very good and the food is great. There are several selections for restaurants (even with good sushi). Depending on your safari, when you arrive, and when you leave will determine how long and how many nights you stay in Nairobi. For safari purposes it would be better to not stay any nights in Nairobi because you miss out on some potential game drives. However, if you have a long flight or you arrive late in the day then you may want to stay the first night in Nairobi to recuperate before the long safari. Also, if you have an early flight out of Nairobi like we did because we went to Zanzibar then you will probably have to stay a night in Nairobi, especially if you are coming back from Masai Mara.
Tipping
We were told that the minimum tipping amount was 500 Kenyan Shillings a day per guide. There are 80 shillings per US dollar, so that means $6.25 per day. As long as the guides are making effort to help you see the harder to find animals and are nice, I would say they deserve much more than this amount.
