Maasai Mara – Lake Nakuru – Amboseli | 7 Nights / 8 Days Luxury Safari

Your exclusive luxury Kenya safari begins with pickup from your Nairobi hotel or Jomo Kenyatta International Airport at 7:00 AM. Enjoy the scenic 5-6 hour drive to the Maasai Mara region, traveling through the Great Rift Valley with a stopover at the spectacular viewpoint for photos and refreshments. Arrive at the prestigious 5-star Olare Mara Kempinski in time for a gourmet lunch (around 1:00 PM). Check into your luxurious tented suite with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Olare Motorogi Conservancy. The Olare Mara Kempinski is one of the most exclusive properties in Kenya, featuring just 10 opulent tents with private decks, outdoor bathtubs, and personalized butler service. After settling in and a brief rest, embark on your first afternoon game drive (4:00 PM - 7:00 PM) in the private Olare Motorogi Conservancy - an exclusive 33,000-acre wildlife haven adjacent to the Maasai Mara Reserve with just 6 camps and limited vehicle access, ensuring uncrowded, intimate wildlife encounters. Your expert guide will help spot the Big Five, massive elephant herds, graceful giraffes, and various antelope species. The conservancy offers walking safaris and off-road driving privileges not permitted in the main reserve. Enjoy sundowner cocktails at a scenic spot as the sun sets over the endless savanna. Return to camp for your first bush dinner under the African stars, followed by an evening around the campfire. Overnight in supreme luxury.

Rise early for an optional sunrise game drive (6:30 AM - 10:00 AM) when predators are most active and the savanna comes alive with golden morning light. The private conservancy offers exceptional predator sightings with resident lion prides, leopards often spotted in acacia trees, and the occasional cheetah. Return to camp for a sumptuous brunch and leisure time to relax, enjoy your complimentary bespoke massage at the spa, read by the pool, or simply watch wildlife from your private deck. After lunch and a siesta, head out for an extensive afternoon game drive (4:00 PM - 7:00 PM) exploring different areas of the conservancy. Your guide uses radio communication with other guides to locate special sightings - perhaps a leopard with cubs or a pride of lions on the hunt. The conservancy's exclusive nature means you'll often have sightings to yourselves. Enjoy sundowner drinks and canapés at a scenic location before returning for dinner. Optional: Arrange a romantic private bush dinner setup just for your party. Overnight at Olare Mara Kempinski.

Today offers a mix of activities showcasing the conservancy's diversity. Begin with a guided bush walk (7:00 AM - 9:00 AM) accompanied by an armed ranger and expert naturalist. Walking in the African bush provides an entirely different perspective - tracking animals on foot, learning about smaller creatures, insects, plants, and medicinal uses of vegetation. You'll gain appreciation for the intricate ecosystem beyond the big game. Return to camp for breakfast and relaxation. Optional: Take another game drive OR enjoy a leisurely morning at camp with its infinity pool, library, and wildlife viewing from the comfort of your tent. After lunch, visit a traditional Maasai village (3:00 PM - 5:00 PM) to learn about their fascinating semi-nomadic culture, witness traditional jumping dances (adumu), see inside a manyatta (traditional house made of cow dung and mud), and purchase authentic handcrafted beadwork directly from Maasai women artisans. The Maasai have coexisted with wildlife for centuries, and your visit supports community development. Evening game drive (5:30 PM - 7:30 PM) for any species you may have missed. Tonight enjoy a special bush dinner setup with lanterns, gourmet cuisine, and the sounds of the African night. Overnight at Olare Mara Kempinski.

After a leisurely breakfast and a final morning at this extraordinary camp (optional short game drive 7:00-9:00 AM), check out around 10:00 AM and begin the journey to Lake Nakuru National Park (approximately 5-6 hours drive, 280km). Travel through the scenic Great Rift Valley, passing rural Maasai villages and agricultural lands. Stop for lunch at a local restaurant en route. Arrive at Lake Nakuru and check into The Cliff Nakuru, a luxury lodge perched dramatically on a cliff with sweeping views over Lake Nakuru below (around 4:00 PM). Enjoy welcome drinks and settle into your comfortable room. Late afternoon (5:00 PM - 6:30 PM), enter Lake Nakuru National Park for your first game drive. The park is famous for its incredible birdlife, particularly the massive flocks of lesser flamingos that sometimes number over a million, creating a stunning pink shoreline (best November-March when water alkalinity is optimal). Even when flamingo numbers are lower, the park hosts over 400 other bird species including pelicans, cormorants, and marabou storks. Lake Nakuru is also a rhino sanctuary with one of Kenya's highest concentrations of both black and white rhinos - sightings are almost guaranteed. Also spot Rothschild giraffes (rare subspecies), waterbucks, zebras, and if lucky, leopards in the acacia forests. Return to The Cliff for dinner with panoramic views. Overnight at The Cliff.

After early breakfast (7:00 AM), enjoy a final morning game drive in Lake Nakuru (7:30 AM - 10:00 AM) to spot any species missed yesterday and capture beautiful morning photographs of the lake and wildlife. Visit Baboon Cliff for spectacular panoramic views over the entire lake and surrounding landscape. Exit the park around 10:30 AM and begin the journey to Amboseli National Park (approximately 6-7 hours, 400km via Nairobi). Stop in Nairobi for lunch at a nice restaurant (around 1:00 PM). Continue the drive south toward the Tanzania border and Amboseli. As you approach, the landscape transforms into open savanna with the magnificent snow-capped peak of Mount Kilimanjaro dominating the horizon (weather permitting - best views early morning and late evening before clouds obscure it). Arrive at Ol Tukai Lodge in Amboseli around 5:00 PM for check-in. Ol Tukai is Amboseli's premier lodge, located in the heart of the park with rooms offering direct views of Kilimanjaro and wildlife roaming the grounds. Quick freshen-up before an evening game drive (5:30 PM - 7:00 PM). Amboseli is famous for its massive elephant herds - some of the largest bulls in Kenya with impressively long tusks. Watch herds of 50+ elephants moving across the plains with Kilimanjaro as backdrop - one of Africa's most iconic safari scenes. Return to lodge for dinner. Overnight at Ol Tukai Lodge.

Wake before sunrise (5:30 AM) for the best time to see Mount Kilimanjaro clearly - early morning before clouds gather around the summit. Depart for sunrise game drive (6:00 AM - 10:00 AM) positioning yourselves for stunning photographs of elephants with Kilimanjaro in background. Amboseli offers some of the world's best elephant photography opportunities. The park's five distinct habitats - open plains, acacia woodland, swamps, marshland, and Lake Amboseli - support diverse wildlife including large buffalo herds, wildebeest, zebras, gazelles, and predators. Drive to the park's swamps fed by underground springs from Kilimanjaro's melting snow - these permanent water sources attract concentrations of wildlife even in dry season. Watch hippos wallowing and elephants bathing. Return to lodge for breakfast around 10:30 AM. Midday at leisure - relax by the pool, enjoy the lodge's facilities, or simply watch wildlife from your room or the viewing deck. After lunch and siesta, another game drive (4:00 PM - 7:00 PM) exploring different areas. Optional: hike Observation Hill (short 30-minute walk) for 360-degree panoramic views of the entire park, lake, swamps, and of course Kilimanjaro. Sundowner drinks at a scenic spot before returning to lodge. Farewell dinner tonight. Overnight at Ol Tukai Lodge.

One final early morning game drive (6:00 AM - 9:00 AM) to bid farewell to Amboseli and its magnificent elephants, and hopefully catch one last clear view of Kilimanjaro at sunrise. This morning offers final opportunities for any photographs you may have missed. Return to lodge for hearty breakfast (9:30 AM) and pack up. Check out around 10:30 AM and begin the drive back to Nairobi (approximately 4 hours, 240km). Stop en route at Emali or similar for lunch and restrooms. Arrive in Nairobi by mid-afternoon (2:30-3:00 PM). Depending on your onward plans: Drop-off at your Nairobi hotel for those extending stay, OR transfer to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport for evening/night departures (flights after 6:00 PM recommended). If you have a late evening flight, optional activities include visiting the Giraffe Centre, Karen Blixen Museum, or lunch at the famous Carnivore Restaurant. Overnight at Nairobi hotel if continuing.

If you overnight in Nairobi, enjoy a leisurely breakfast and final morning in Kenya's capital. Depending on your flight schedule, optional morning activities include last-minute shopping at Kazuri Beads, Maasai Market (if it's a market day), or Village Market shopping mall. Airport transfer for your international departure flight. Your luxury 8-day Kenya safari concludes with unforgettable memories of the Big Five, magnificent elephants, Kilimanjaro's majesty, and the exclusive luxury of Olare Mara Kempinski. Kwaheri (goodbye) and karibu tena (welcome again)!