Kenya - The Land of Safaris

When one thinks of a safari, one thinks of Africa, especially Kenya. Immediately, images of wildlife, the sun, endless golden terrain, exotic flora and fauna, tropical sandy beaches, strong smiling people with mystical lifestyles and traditions come to mind. The beauty of the bush and the excitement of a safari are what make an African safari such a magical experience.

Kenya is a land of dramatic contrasts where endless horizons, breathtaking scenery, snowcapped mountains, wondrous wildlife, sun-drenched beaches, and the azure waters of the Indian Ocean fulfill your every expectation. Kenya has some of the best National Parks and Game Reserves in Africa, and they host an incredible diversity of wildlife. Also, over 40 different tribes live side by side, each with its own culture and contributing to a kaleidoscope of tradition and folklore.

Our trip begins at DFW airport, where we will meet our group. The 3:35 PM British Airways flight #2192 provides dinner and breakfast as well as complimentary beverages and headsets. BON VOYAGE!

We arrive at London’s Gatwick airport at 6:40 AM, where our local representative will meet us. Then we travel by our private motor coach to our hotel, with the rest of the day free for us to acquaint ourselves with the neighborhood or just relax.

Vitality, history and friendliness—those are just three words we could use in describing London, Britain’s exciting capital city. By day, London buzzes with the frenetic pace of commerce that not even Dickens could have imagined. By night, the excitement and glitter of theaters, shops, and restaurants beckon throngs of delighted sightseers. But there is another side to London, too. There’s a peaceful London of cool museums, quiet tearooms, immaculate gardens, and hushed churches. Extraordinary London holds a stunning abundance of hidden, around-the-corner surprises. You owe it to yourself to explore them all.

This morning you will visit Buckingham Palace. The entrance ticket will be provided to you, and you will travel by bus or subway with your tour leader. Tourists were not allowed to visit the Queen's London home until 1993, when it was opened to provide funds for the repair of Windsor Castle after a fire in 1992. In late summer, when the Queen is not in residence, visitors can view the lavishly decorated staterooms and the garden and can inspect some of the masterpieces in the picture gallery. (The private apartments of the royal family are not included in the tour.) The palace was constructed in the early 19th century around the core of an earlier house; one of the architects was John Nash.

The remainder of the day is free for you to explore this lovely city on your own. London is like a collection of villages, each with its own charm and character, and you can discover them all as you visit Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus, Parliament, Kensington Palace, Buckingham Palace, Hyde Park, Westminster Abbey . . . all the names you have heard since you were children.

This evening, most of you will attend a theatre performance of “Lion King.”

Most of the day is for leisure. You will be checking out from your hotel by noon.

For shoppers, the excitement of spending money in London is something that you can't resist. Shopping is centered in two compact areas: one takes in Bond, Oxford, Regent, and Carnaby Streets. The other is focused in Knightsbridge. Knightsbridge is the home of Harrod’s, which is not so much a store as it is a legend. This exclusive department store can supply an almost limitless range of goods, and it has several restaurants.

Visit the incomparable British Museum, the Tate Gallery specializing in British paintings, or the wonderful National Portrait Gallery. Be tempted by a stop at Madame Tussaud's famous waxworks; ride atop a double-decker bus; people-watch as you stroll through one of London's great parks, including Regent's, St. James', Green, or Hyde Park; or visit Westminster Abbey, The Tower of London, Kensington Palace, or Churchill’s War Cabinet Rooms.

This evening we bid farewell to London, as our motor coach transports us to London’s Gatwick Airport to board our British Airways jet for Nairobi, Kenya.

We arrive in Nairobi this morning. Welcome to Nairobi, Kenya’s capital. Our African safari is about to begin! We will be met by our representative, who will assist and transfer us to the famous Norfolk Hotel. The remainder of the day is free for you to relax.

Only seventy years ago, Nairobi was a camping station for settlers and traders trekking westward to new lands and adventure. Situated in the highlands at 5400 feet, the city’s climate is ideal the year round.

After breakfast, we leave Nairobi and drive past the scenic Athi Plains and into the bush country of Amboseli National Park. The landscape is dominated by the glistening, majestic snowcap of the mighty Mount Kilimanjaro, which towers 19,430 feet above the plains, a fitting backdrop to the wild region. After lunch, we experience an afternoon game drive at the foot of Africa’s highest mountain. Dinner and overnight accommodations are at the Amboseli Serena Lodge, which is located in the very heart of the Amboseli National Park.

Amboseli is well known for its abundance of elephants as well as the hippopotamus, giraffe, lion, and black rhino. A dawn game drive gives us the best views of Mt. Kilimanjaro before the clouds build up over the summit. After game viewing and photographing, we return to our lodge for lunch and a midday siesta. In the evening, we set out on another exciting game drive. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and overnight accommodations take place at the Amboseli Serena Lodge.

This morning we depart Amboseli and travel back to Nairobi. Upon arrival in Nairobi, we will be transferred to the Norfolk Hotel and have some free time to freshen up. In the afternoon, our sightseeing tour takes us through Kenya’s modern, mile-high capital to the area of Karen Blixen’s farm at the foot of the Ngong Hills. We visit the home of Karen Blixen, the famous author whose memoirs were immortalized in the popular film, “Out of Africa.” Her home is now preserved as a museum where visitors can travel back in time and gain an insight into the life of this remarkable woman. Furniture, artifacts, and photographs from her days as a pioneer coffee farmer are on display.

Afterwards, we continue to the Giraffe Manor—a rare opportunity to come face to face with Africa’s tallest animal, the giraffe. Feed Daisy, the famous Rothschild giraffe, and her family and learn about the success story of the once endangered Rothschild Giraffe. We then return to our hotel, driving through the residential areas of Langata, in the suburbs of Nairobi. We stay overnight at Norfolk Hotel.

This morning we head north into the well-watered, fertile area where members of the Kikuyu tribe grow corn, bananas, pineapples, coffee, and tea. Continue by safari vehicle to the lush Aberdares National Park, and enjoy lunch at the Aberdares Country Club. The main house, a romantic stone building with a red-tiled roof, was built in 1937 by the Lyon Family from England. During the Second World War, this house was known to have hosted some particularly wild parties.

After lunch at the Club, pack an overnight bag. Our game watching starts at the Aberdares National Park at a tree hotel, The Ark, where we will spend the night. The unique architecture of The Ark, which has numerous viewing decks, balconies, and lounges overlooking the waterhole, allows us the pleasure of all-night game viewing. Elephant, rhino, leopard, and a host of colorful birds are attracted to the waterhole. Night illumination allows us to maintain an extended vigil long after the last glow of day.

After breakfast, we proceed towards Mount Kenya, Africa’s second highest mountain. We arrive in time for a massive lunch and a luxurious afternoon at the world-famous Mount Kenya Safari Club, a private resort that was co-founded by the late actor, William Holden. With its blend of romance, history, and scenery, visiting the club has become a Kenyan tradition. The Club is built right on the equator at the foot of Mount Kenya. You can look across sweeping lawns, past the idyllic swimming pool to the dark evergreens of the foothill forests, and further up to the clouds and peaks of Mt. Kenya. The Club faces its own private game reserve and offers the finest private bird sanctuary in all of East Africa. In the lengthening shadow of Mt. Kenya at sunset, you can luxuriate in the uncommon silence of the bush, which is broken only by the evening calls of birds.

This morning we depart Mount Kenya Safari Club and make our way down the eastern escarpment of the magnificent Rift Valley. We arrive at Lake Nakuru, famous for its pink flamingos, in time for lunch at the Lion Hill Lodge. Enjoy an afternoon game drive in Lake Nakuru National Park, which is considered one of the world’s finest places for bird watching. Admire the thousands of pink flamingos dancing along the lake’s shoreline. You’ll marvel at the diverse bird species— spoonbills, teals, pelicans, kingfishers, hornbills, and cormorants. Dinner and overnight accommodations are at the Lion Hill Lodge.

After breakfast, we leave Lake Nakuru for Masai Mara. We are now in Masai country, where sedentary crop farming gives way to nomadic cattle herding. Red-clad, spear-wielding Masai warriors tend their multi-colored herds among the wild animals of the Loita Plains, admirably unimpressed by the presence of large predators. After lunch, we embark on a game drive to get a closer look at the Mara, where we will view large concentrations of lion, giraffe, buffalo, and elephant. Return to the fabulous Mara Simba Lodge for sundowners, dinner, and overnight stay.

Today we will enjoy early morning and evening game drives to absorb the enormity of the Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya’s best and most scenic Game Park. The Mara is the last place in Kenya where great concentrations of game that existed in the last century can still be seen. It is a land of breathtaking vistas, a panorama of rolling grassland hills, and groves of acacia woodland. Millions of animals are supported by this undulating grassland, which lies 2000 meters above sea level near the Tanzania border. Permanent residents of the Mara include black rhino, elephant, buffalo, topi, giraffe, and, of course, the big cats—lion, cheetah, and leopard. In addition, huge herds of zebra and wildebeest lead an endlessly nomadic life, crisscrossing from the Serengeti Plains of Tanzania to the Masai Mara of Kenya. All meals and overnight stay take place at the Mara Simba Lodge.

Early this morning we leave Masai Mara for Nairobi, as we enjoy an enroute game drive to complete our list of sightings. We arrive in Nairobi in the early afternoon in time for lunch at the most famous of African restaurants, the Carnivore, where you will have the opportunity to sample some of their best cuisine. The Carnivore Restaurant offers a menu famous for exotic charcoal-grilled meat, including wild game such as crocodile, zebra, eland, and wildebeest, in addition to succulent lamb, beef, chicken, and pork dishes—all roasted on skewers over a huge wood fire.

Spend the remainder of the day at leisure for personal activities or shopping for a special item in the markets. Later this evening, we transfer to Nairobi airport to board our British Airways flight to London. Kwaheri!

Early this morning we arrive at London Gatwick airport and connect with our return flight to Dallas, arriving in the early afternoon.

WELCOME HOME!

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