This is one of those trips you don’t want to miss.
You start by visiting one of Kenya’s often overlooked national parks: Nairobi National Park. Here, you get to start the safari part of your trip from day one, and it’s even a place where you have really good opportunities to see the rare rhino.
The journey continues to the stunning Amboseli National Park. Amboseli may be one of Kenya’s smallest national parks, but the sight of the elephants – slightly dusty due to the dry landscape – with Kilimanjaro in the background is very moving.
Where Amboseli is small, Tsavo is big. In fact, it is Kenya’s largest national park. It consists of parts, Tsavo East and Tsavo West, and you will visit both of them on this tour. Look forward to experiencing reddish elephants in the arid Tsavo East and lush landscapes and springs in Tsavo West.
The tour continues to the island state of Mauritius. Most people go to Mauritius to relax on the chalk-white sandy beaches, but the island also has a lot to offer for those who are looking for a different kind of travel experience. You will be able to do so on this tour, where you stay in two (very different) places on the island.
Today is your departure day from your chosen airport, and the tour goes to Kenya in East Africa with connecting flight(s) along the way.
On arriving in Kenya, you will be greeted by our local guide and driven to your hotel. You have one night in Nairobi, but if you arrive in the morning, you may decide to purchase an excursion and see something of the city. Your room will not be ready until after noon, but it is possible to have your luggage stored while you go on a tour.
You can also just choose to relax at the hotel – and if you don’t arrive until the evening, you may just want to go to bed so that you’re fresh and ready to start your tour tomorrow.
After breakfast, you check out and depart from the hotel. You start the Kenya part of this tour with a safari in one of the country’s most famous and smallest national parks, Nairobi National Park. This is one of the only national parks in the world that is located in a capital city, and it is also rather special seeing lions and giraffes with skyscrapers in the background – without being in a zoo, mind you.
The national park has a rich wildlife, but it is not big enough for elephants, so you won’t find them in the park. What you are almost guaranteed to see, however, is rhinos. The park contains a large number of both white and black rhinos, and you would have to be unusually unlucky not to see a rhino on today’s safari.
After spending the morning in the national park, you will have a good lunch in Nairobi, before the journey continues towards another of Kenya’s smallest national parks, Amboseli National Park.
Here, you check in at your lodge, where you will be spending two nights, and you can enjoy a sunset drink with a view of the mighty mountain, Kilimanjaro.
The whole day is devoted to being on safari in Amboseli National Park.
Almost everywhere you go you will have a view of Kilimanjaro, which is located in Tanzania, but which is probably more often photographed from the Kenya side. It is here in Amboseli that you can be lucky enough to get the perfect shot of the elephants, which stroll across the pancake-flat landscape as the sun sets before entering the forests at the foot of Kilimanjaro where they spend the night. The elephant herds are large, and many of the animals have gigantic tusks!
The sparse vegetation in Amboseli makes it easier to locate the wild animals, and in addition to elephants, you will see lots of zebras, antelopes, giraffes – and probably lions as well.
If you are interested in birds, you will not be disappointed in Amboseli, as parts of the park are swampy almost all year round, which attracts many different bird species.
You have a packed lunch today, so you can spend the entire day on safari in Amboseli National Park.
If you like, you can start the day in the most magical way – with a balloon ride at sunrise with views of Kilimanjaro.
If you are not keen on heights, you can enjoy a quiet morning at the lodge before departing for Tsavo East, which is one of Kenya’s oldest and largest national parks. On the way from Amboseli to Tsavo East, you follow the paved main road, but soon you hit Tsavo East, and the drive turns into a game drive.
In Tsavo East, the soil is bright red, which gives the wild animals a slightly distinctive reddish appearance. It’s a bit weird the first time you see a reddish elephant!
The landscape is flat, and it’s easy to spot the animals. Here you have the opportunity to see lions, cheetahs, zebras, giraffes, the special jet-black serval, antelopes, kudus, oryxes, hyenas, ostriches, gazelles, buffaloes and elephants and many others. And this is probably where you have the best chance to spot the shy leopard! Tsavo East is also a paradise for bird enthusiasts, particularly from late October to early January, when many migratory birds live in Tsavo.
You have a single night in Tvaso East.
Today, the tour continues from Tsavo East to Tsavo West.
The landscape in Tsavo West takes most people’s breath away. The dramatic landscape with dense vegetation and lava fields stands in stark contrast to the flat, red Tsavo East which you experienced yesterday.
On the drive today, you will stop at Mzima Springs – a series of natural springs lined with palms and acacia trees that produce enough water to meet most of the city of Mombasa’s fresh water needs. Here, you do a little tour accompanied by a ranger. Keep an eye out for the crocodiles that lie on the shore as well as the hippos in the water. It is also a very good place to spot birds, such as kingfishers.
The dense bushes in Tsavo West often make it more difficult to spot the animals. However, the unique nature is reward enough in itself – together with the beautiful view of Kilimanjaro.
You have a single night in Tvaso West.
There is time for a morning game drive today – and perhaps also lunch at the lodge before the journey back to Nairobi. It is also possible that your guide will arrange a packed lunch for the car which you can eat during the drive. The trip to Nairobi takes somewhere between 5 to 7 hours, depending on the traffic. Sit back and enjoy the beautiful scenery that glides past outside. During the first few hours, you may be lucky enough to spot more wild animals as you drive through the national park. Later, the surroundings become more rural, and it might be a good idea to have an audiobook ready – or perhaps just spend the time digesting all that you have experienced the past few days.
You spend one night in Nairobi before you fly on to Mauritius tomorrow.
From the hotel in Nairobi, you will be driven to the airport, where you check in for your flight to Mauritius. The flight takes approx. 5 hours.
Once in Mauritius, you will find our local guide, and be driven to your hotel where you will be spending the next three nights.
You will spend the night in the south-western part of the island, where you will find some of Mauritius’s most beautiful beaches, such as Le Morne, Tamarin and Flic en Flac.
In addition, you are also close to, for example, the Black River Gorges National Park, which has some fantastic hiking routes. In this part of Mauritius, you also have the opportunity to go hiking to Le Morne – the iconic mountain you almost always see in photos from Mauritius.
Set off on your own or take a look at our optional tours below.
The days are at your leisure to enjoy the wonderful beach or perhaps to visit the southern part of Mauritius. You can explore this part of Mauritius on your own, or you can go on one the optional tours we offer below.
After breakfast, it’s time to say goodbye to this part of Mauritius and head north. This because you will spend the last few days on the island at one of its most popular seaside resorts – Grand Baie.
It might feel like a bit of a culture shock to come here after the quiet days in the south-western part of the island. In Grand Baie there are restaurants, bars, shops, rows of hotels and tour boats lying side by side with fishing boats, surfers and kayaks.
You have three nights at Grand Baie.
The days are at your leisure. Perhaps you just want to relax at the hotel and experience the area, but it is obviously also possible to arrange excursions if you wish.
It’s time to say goodbye to Mauritius.
Well in advance of your return journey, you will be picked up at the hotel and driven to the airport.
You land at your chosen airport after an adventurous tour to Kenya and Mauritius.
Children under 12 years from £3299
Single room supplement from £889
Catriona is passionate about helping other people fulfill their travel dreams, as she knows how much travel has only improved her life for the better!
