Travel to four of Kenya's best game parks in this value-packed 11-day overland trip. You'll see an incredible range of habitat from highland rain forest to desert, and of course Kenya's finest reserve, the Maasai Mara. The safari includes stopovers at excellent lodges, which are memorable in themselves, with the last three nights in special splendor at one of Kenya's most famous camps in the Mara. (See also our Kenya: Traditional 8-day Safari.)

The prices include: ** Guaranteed window seats in specially outfitted Safari Landrovers with pop-top roofs ensuring sun protection; ** Meals as detailed in brackets following each day's description below; ** One local flight: the Mara to Nairobi; ** All park entrance fees, VAT and other government taxes; ** Comprehensive pre-trip material with discount coupons for travel gear and equipment. Additional expenses not included: - Meals not included; - All beverages; - Requisite visas and other travel preparations like inoculations; - Tipping.

Contact EWT for the best international air fares and for recommendations on how to use your frequent flyer miles.

On arrival you'll be personally met and taken to the city's legendary Norfolk Hotel. For those arriving earlier, a variety of local sightseeing attractions can be pre-booked.  [no meals]

This morning you'll enjoy a guided walking tour of Nairobi. Starting at Parliament, you'll learn of the country's rich history and current politics. Continue past the Kenyatta Memorial and Square of Churches to the famous Thorntree Cafe for tea. Here you'll have an opportunity to see the recreated colonial bar used at the turn of the last century. From there you continue to the impressive National Museum where Ahmed, the world's largest elephant, has been preserved, together with many other newly refurbished exhibits. At the end of the tour you'll be at the new museum deli, where you can enjoy lunch and take in the neighboring shops, before the afternoon drive north into the Kikuyu highlands. You'll have time to visit Kenya's most colorful open-air market at Karatina before arriving Aberdare Country Club in the Aberdare mountains for dinner and overnight.  [b- -d]

Today is spent exploring the great Aberdare National Park, Kenya's only highland rain forest national park. It's also one of the country's biggest. Most visitors to the park only see it from the very edges where the tree hotels are located, and you end at one this evening. But for the rest of the day you explore this vast wilderness starting at the thick forests around 7000' up to the beautiful water falls above 11000'. The game is concentrated in the forest, and you can expect to see elephant, buffalo, bushbuck and with luck, the prize of the park, the rare colobus monkey. You continue through the bamboo forests to the water falls for your picnic lunch, before descending to The Ark tree hotel for dinner and overnight. Tree hotels are built on stilts over natural water holes and salt licks. Flood lights come on at night which don't seem to bother the animals, and a never-ending parade of Africa unfolds.  [b-l-d]

Leave the Aberdare after breakfast and continue north. First stop is the Equatorial Line, where you'll have a chance to place both feet in different hemispheres! Continue around the lush farmland of Mt. Kenya before plunging down into the Great Northern Frontier. This is semi-arid country, much like America's great southwest. Game view to Samburu Lodge for lunch. In the afternoon take a traditional game drive in Samburu National Park and expect lots of animals and some rarer game, too, like the world's most beautiful giraffe, the reticulated, and the Grevy's zebra. The birdlife is outstanding. Dinner and overnight at the lodge.  [b-l-d]

A second day exploring this beautiful park. The area reminds many of America's southwest. The otherwise expansive desert blooms at Samburu, because of the Ewaso Nyrio River, and this is what draws so much game to the area. Samburu is famous for its elephant, impala, zebra, gerenuk and oryx. Meals and overnight at Samburu Lodge.  [b-l-d]

Leave the lowland desert and return up Mt. Kenya past colorful traditional villages and desert towns. This morning you were in a desert; by lunch you'll be surrounded by highland forests! First stop at the Mt. Kenya town of Nanyuki is the Nanyuki Weavers, a benevolent womens' organization that teaches area single moms the skills to weave beautiful items from the area's prime wool. Arrive the famous Mt. Kenya Safari Club for lunch. The afternoon is free for a variety of activities, including a visit to the famous William Holden Wildlife Oprhanage. Dinner and overnight at the club.  [b-l-d]

Leave the highlands for a beautiful morning drive that crosses the Equatorial Line and arrives at Lake Nakuru National Park for lunch at Lion Hill Sarova Lodge. In the afternoon enjoy a game drive in this amazing park famous for its tens of thousands of flamingoes and other shore birds. But there is much more here than birds, as this is Kenya's only totally fenced in national park. The added protection has eliminated poaching altogether, and here are found large numbers of both white and black rhino, as well as the endangered Rothschild giraffe. Dinner and overnight at the lodge..  [b-l-d]

This morning's drive is a beautiful one, through Kenya's tea farming areas. You'll arrive Kenya's best game park, the Maasai Mara Game Reserve in time for lunch at the Mara Safari Club, and in the afternoon you begin your game viewing. The club is a Fairmont Hotel property, one of the few nonhotels in this luxury worldwide chain, and the caliber of the accommodations is hard to beat anywhere in Kenya. And the game in the Mara is hard to beat anywhere else in Kenya! This is Kenya's best wilderness, endless rolling grassland plains packed with game. Dinner and overnight at the club..  [b-l-d]

Today you move deep into the Mara and cross the Talek Gate into the Mara National Reserve. You'll be seeing game all the way through this beautiful country along the Mara River. Arrive Governor's Camp for lunch, and in the afternoon you begin further game viewing in the Mara Reserve. Expect to see a lot of animals, and especially the cats that are so famous in this "triangle" area of the reserve. Dinner and overnight in camp.  [b-l-d]

A final climatic day in the Mara from one of Kenya's most famous camps. Named after British colonial governors who took their holiday here, you'll experience outstanding service and be in the best area in the Mara for game viewing. In addition to the three drives included, today, you can opt instead of one of them to book a hot air balloon ride over the herds. And you can also fit in a village visit. Certainly as with most visitors to Kenya, you'll consider the Mara your favorite park! Meals and overnight at Governor's Camp.  [b-l-d]

After a final morning of game viewing you fly back to Nairobi, arriving around noon. You'll be personally met and privately transferred to the Norfolk Hotel where your private room is available until later this evening when you're transferred to the airport for the overnight departures to Europe.  [b- - ]

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