SAFARI IN KENYA
ITINERARY
21st & 22nd Oct: Laikipia
Arrive at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, where you will be met by a Tradewinds representative to help you through customs and find your bags. Trasnfer to a Tropic Air charter plane to fly to Laikipia. Fly to the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, home to a number of endangered species including the Grevy's zebra, and the black and white rhino. Enjoy time out in the bush on game drives or guided walks.
On the second morning, Jamie will arrive with the helicopter to take you around Mount Kenya. Land at one of the lakes for fly fishing and breakfast.
Sirikoi Luxury Tent, 2 nights.
23rd, 24th & 25th Oct: Lake Turkana
An early morning departure from Sirikoi, we head north to the deserts of Turkana, through the Suguta Valley, over soda lakes and crocodile pools. Next fly over the sand dunes and Lake Lopipi, often full of flamingos, before reaching Lake Turkana.
Arrive at Koros in time for lunch. Settle into camp before heading out on the quadbikes to a sundowner location.
Fly to the Chalbi desert, landing at an Oasis - here you await the Sand Grouse collecting water. On to Kargi to visit the Gabra people, and a stop at the Karole Springs where the Rendille people water their livestock. Fly over Mount Kulal, stop for lunch at South Island where you will meet the fishing boat. A night under the stars on the edge of Lake Turkana.
The following morning explore the west side of the Lake, visiting Lothagam, the Nabuyatom Crater and rock art sites.
Return to Koros for lunch. Sundowners around the fire joined by the Samburu.
Koros Camp, 3 nights.
26th & 27th Oct: Maasai Mara
Fly down south through the Mathews and Ndotos into Nanyuki Airstrip. Here you will meet a charter flight to the Mara.
Spend the last nights out on safari and enjoying sundowners in the bush.
Richard's River Camp, 2 nights.
A charter flight from the Mara to Jomo Kenyatta international Airport for your flight home.
End of Safari
DAY 1 - 2
LEWA WILDLIFE CONSERVANCY
There is no landscape in Kenya, outside of National Parks, more crucial for the future of elephants than Laikipia. 7,000 elephants are protected by private and communal landowners and a network of inspiring conservation organizations.
MOUNT KENYA
Iconic in shape and size, Mount Kenya is situated in the heart of Kenya, on the equator - its highest point ‘Batian’ reaches 5,199 meters. The snowy peaks can be seen on clear days from as far as Mt Kilimanjaro some 300 kilometers away. As you spend time at Arijiju, Mount Kenya will become a daily view, which makes it even more exciting to explore.
We will fly around the peaks of the mountain and land at Lake Alice or Lake Michaelson for a picnic breakfast. Almost inaccessible and well off the beaten track, they offer an exciting morning of fly fishing.
SIRIKOI LUXURY TENT
There are four Sirikoi Luxury tents, each tented room sits on its own private deck overlooking the natural watering hole. The fire is lit each evening. Lunch and dinner is served at the main deck close to the swimming pool, with much of the produce coming from the organic vegetable garden.
There are two resident giraffes who walk around the property and are always interested in a tasty orange.
DAY 3 - 5
SUGUTA VALLEY
The flight up to the north starts with flying over the plains of Laikipia, spot wildlife from above as you cruise over these open plains.
The first stop is the Silale Crater, a vast caldera carpeted by grasses and shrubs, located at the southern tip of the Suguta Valley. Here we stop for a picnic breakfast before flying to the west of the crater to meet the Pokot Tribe.
Fly through the Hoodoo and Painted Valleys. Geologists have long been fascinated with this part of the Great Rift Valley. They have studied ancient sediments and fossil remains, and pieced together the history of a lake that rose and fell multiple times over the past 18,000 years.
Next we fly over the extensive and empty Suguta sand dunes, which add to the incredible diversity of the landscape. Spectacular and constantly changing with strong winds, they lend themselves to a perfect helicopter landing pad. Touch down to jump down the sand dunes.
LAKE LOGIPI
Continuing on fly over Lake Logipi a seasonal saline lake, often full of flamingo. The lake lies at the southern end of Lake Turkana. Stretching 6 kilometers wide by 3 kilometers long, and very shallow.
LAKE TURKANA & NABUYATOM CRATER
Finally reach the largest desert lake in the world. One of the most remote and hostile places on Earth, with black volcanic rocks and soaring daytime temperatures, yet so scenically spectacular.
Touch down on the edge of the Nabuyatom Crater or at one of the shore beaches. The collapsed volcano of Nabuyatom lies at the southern end of Lake Turkana. It is surrounded by jade waters and is the most iconic feature on the lake’s shore.
KOROS CAMP
What started as a simple family base, has evolved into a unique 6 bed camp for the ultimate private retreat. In a remote and unspoilt spot, Koros Camp is nestled away amongst acacia trees and semi arid scrubland at the northern end of the South Horr valley. An ideal base to explore the shores of Lake Turkana, the Chalbi Desert and the wilds of the north.
Each thatched cottage has an en suite bathroom, with flush loos and luxury bucket showers. The open aired mess tent has ample seating area for everyone to gather round under the fans for lunch and dinner.
At the far end of the camp, a plunge pool invites guests to cool off in the heat of the day.
After lunch set off on the quad bikes through dried up river beds to a sundowner location. You might even be lucky enough to spot an elephant or other smaller plains game on your journey.
CHALBI DESERT
Chalbi means bare and salty, believed to be a dried up lake. The hottest and most arid place in Kenya. This desert stretches 100,000 kilometers to the Ethiopian boarder.
On the northern edge of the desert lies an area of oases with groves of palm trees that attract sand grouse and other birds looking for food and water. We land here to watch these birds fly in. Next we move to the Karoli Springs.
KAROLI SPRINGS
Karoli Springs are a lifeline for the Rendille people who roam the Kaisut Desert. The water is slightly sailine, and only livestock can drink here. The Rendille are semi-nomadic camel herders that traditionally live in the deserts of northern Kenya. Strikingly colourful with traditional fabrics, beaded jewellery and immaculate head-dresses, the lives of the Rendille revolve around the natural cycle of the seasons, traveling en-masse with their enormous herds of livestock, following the rain in search of new pasture and water.
FISHING ON LAKE TURKANA
Flying over Mount Kulal, a serious contrast with a forest in this desert area, we reach Lake Turkana and land at South Island. Here we meet the fishing boat. The lake sustains multiple species of fish, including Nile Perch - much sought after by avid anglers. Spend the night under the stars at a fly camp.
DAY 6 - 7
MATHEWS & NDOTOS
Fly down the iconic landmarks of the Ndotos and Mathews. Their remote location has kept them secret and inaccessible to most. The range, separated by the Milgis river lugga, has montane forests, dramatic cliff faces, grassy glades and captivating views.
Known as a ‘sky island’, the 150 kilometer long Mathews Range rises from the dry desolate country, exposing lush forested hills and craggy peaks. Untouched, a pristine ancient cycad forest grows here in abundance.
MAASAI MARA
The Maasai Mara is one of Kenya’s most acclaimed wildlife reserves, renowned for its open savannahs, wildebeest migration, prides of lion and vast herds of plains game. Game viewing in the Mara is unrivaled. Your day can be as active or relaxing as you please. Game drives - day and night, bush walks, cultural visits, and picnic lunches are just some of the activities.
No where in the world is there a movement of animals as immense or impressive as the wildebeest migration. Over two million animals migrate from the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania to the greener pastures of the Maasai Mara National Reserve in Kenya between July and October.
The Mara is home to one of the world’s highest densities of lion, with 15 lions per 100 kilometers squared– and some impressive black manned male specimens!
RICHARD'S RIVER CAMP
Richard's River Camp offers a luxury tented camp in the very heart of the Masai Mara. Designed with privacy, exclusivity as well as adventure in mind ensuring a warm and memorable safari.
The camp is perfectly situated on the banks of the Njageteck River in the private Mara North Conservancy, the camp allows for total privacy and exclusivity. The Ngoyanai springs provide permanent water, drawing in large numbers of animals to the area around camp. This camp is also particularly known for its resident lion pride which can often been seen hunting right in front of the camp, and almost always can be heard roaring during the night.
Tropic Air is based in Kenya, and offers a broad range of professional air services using helicopters and fixed wing aircraft, throughout sub-Saharan Africa.
Areas of operation: 16 African countries, covering more than 10 million square kilometers: Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Congo, Chad, South Sudan, Somalia, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Madagascar, Mozambique, Zambia, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia.