7 Days of Kenya’s Samburu & Masai Mara Family Safari
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Duration
Overview
Vacation villas are ideal for families since they provide the comforts of home while still providing solitude and space to unwind away from other safari-goers. You can stay in the middle of the bush without giving up any modern conveniences at one of the many lavishly furnished vacation villas spread out across East Africa.
Envision yourself in Saruni Samburu, in an eco-chic villa that looks out onto the vast, untamed landscape of the Samburu. Envision a family meal served on your private veranda as the stars above you reveal secrets of the warriors and guardians of the isolated Kalama Community Wildlife Conservancy. Elephants use Kalama as a major migratory corridor on their never-ending search for new grazing. You can relax in one of two infinity pools after a climb up Mount Ololokwe, the Samburu’s sacred mountain.
Next, you’ll accompany the wildebeest on their epic journey to the Masai Mara, where you’ll spend three nights in the luxurious Saruni Mara. Everything one might expect from a standard safari lodge is present in the villa, plus more. In addition to unparalleled game viewing, visitors may partake in a wide range of exciting activities, such as participating in the Warriors Academy, an interactive learning program tailored to families with young children, or even climbing the neighboring Kilelioni. After enjoying the Masaai Wellbeing Space’s calming facilities, you can head back to your safari villa for a home-cooked meal with your family.
Included/Exclude
- Airport transfers
- Park fees/charges
- Pick and drop services
- Drinking water during the safari/tour
- Outdoor activities (as per the itinerary)
- Accommodation (as per the itinerary)
- A professional driver/guide
- Transportation; 4*4 Jeep, Van, or by air (as per the itinerary)
- All Taxes/VAT
- Meals; full board or half-board (as per the itinerary)
- Any other inclusion as indicated in the itinerary
- Insurance (where applicable)
- International flights charges and fares
- Tips and gifts to service providers
- Any personal item that you may need during the tour
- Additional government imposed taxes and/or park fees
- Drinks and meals outside the tour package
- Visa charges
- Additional accommodation (as you may choose)
- Any other charges that may arise in due time
Tour Amenities
Tour Plan
Your brief flight to Samburu from Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta International Airport will begin after a short ride in a Saruni vehicle. Your home for the next three nights will be one of the stunning eco-chic luxury villas at Saruni Samburu. They are airy and large, and look out over the Kalama Community Wildlife Conservancy and all the way to Mount Kenya in the distance. Awe-inspiring long-necked gerenuks, which can survive without water for days and stand on their hind legs for minutes at a time while nibbling on fresh leaves, are just some of the animals that call the 800 square kilometer (497 square mile) wilderness around Saruni Samburu home. And you get to explore it all by yourself with the help of Samburu warriors who are experts on their homeland and way of life. Large herds of elephants use Kalama as a passageway between northern and southern protected zones.
There are a total of six cozy villas at this camp, four of which are reserved for your family. The family rooms have two bedrooms, each with its own bathroom, as well as a living room, dining area, and private terrace. Bathtubs and outdoor showers can be found in the bathrooms, and a fireplace warms the open veranda on chilly nights in Samburu. Take advantage of the Samburu Wellbeing Space's massage services and two infinity pools to unwind.
Day game drives in the conservancy and Samburu National Park will lead you to the Samburu Special 5: the reticulated giraffe, Grevy's zebra, beisa oryx, Somali ostrich, and gerenuk. In contrast to the national parks, the Kalama Conservancy allows night drives on certain occasions. Join a Samburu warrior for a bush walk or a cultural excursion to the nearby community of Kiltimany. The Warriors Academy offers family-friendly classes in bush skills and animal tracking, and neighboring caverns feature ancient rock painting. You can take a chopper or a biplane from Mount Kenya to Lake Turkana, or you can hike up Mount Ololokwe, a sacred mountain to the Samburu.
Take a short flight from Samburu to the Masai Mara. The Masai Mara's only boutique lodge, Saruni Mara, is your final destination. The resort is cozy with only five luxurious cottages, a family villa, and a private villa. The resort is situated in a private wildlife concession bordering the world-famous Masai Mara National Reserve, in a tranquil valley.
For the duration of your three nights in Saruni Mara, you will be accompanied by a group of Maasai warriors who will teach you about the area's wildlife and culture.
Game drives in the Mara North Conservancy, Masai Mara National Reserve, and neighboring conservancies, as well as night drives in the Mara North Conservancy; guided bush walks through the forest and valleys around Saruni Mara; bird watching; a Warriors Academy with lessons in animal tracking; trekking to the top of Kilelioni, the highest peak in the Mara-Serengeti ecosystem; cultural visits to the local Maasai Market; optional hot-air balloon flights at dawn; and The Maasai Wellbeing Space provides massage and other treatments, while starlit meals and sundowners in the midst of nature's beauty and wonder are available for those much-appreciated moments of relaxation.
Two bedrooms, each with its own bathroom, a large living room, and a terrace make the Natural History Suite ideal for families. You can learn more about the Mara's mammals, reptiles, trees, and birds by reading one of several available publications. The Samburu Mara is an exquisite slice of nature.
Stop by the rhino refuge on the way to the airport on your final morning in the Mara, and check out the crocodiles and hippos in the river before you leave. Get on another plane for the quick trip back to Nairobi.
