Kenya · 7 day trip · from $2,350 pp
The Mara & the Rift
A soft start on the Rift lakes, then four nights in big-cat country. Walk with wildlife, float above it at dawn, and fly back to the city in time for dinner.
Route
Nairobi · Naivasha · Mara
Best months
Jan to Mar, Jul to Oct
Pace
Three bases, one flight
Travelers
Couples, families, first safari
The idea
Two ecosystems, a short flight apart, that feel like different continents.
Lake Naivasha is where you stretch your legs: a boat across the water, a walk among grazing animals, fish eagles overhead. Then the Mara, where the grassland opens up and the days belong to game drives. We add a balloon to give you the scale of it all from above.
This is a first time visitor's safari, but it is also a strong canvas. Swap Naivasha for Nakuru if rhinos matter most, extend with Amboseli for elephants, or add Diani or Zanzibar for a beach finale.
Day by day
Met at the airport and transferred to your hotel in Nairobi. The evening is free to recover from the flight, with dinner at the hotel.
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Travel
A relaxed day in Nairobi. Visit the Giraffe Centre, the Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage and the Karen Blixen Museum, or simply rest by the pool before the safari begins.
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Travel
Drive north over the escarpment into the Rift Valley. After lunch, take a boat across the lake to Crescent Island and walk among zebra, giraffe and antelope.
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Travel
A short flight from Wilson to the Mara. Your guide meets the plane and you head straight out for an afternoon game drive on the open plains.
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Travel
Choose two shorter drives or one full day with a packed lunch. The Mara is big-cat country, and this is the day to let a sighting unfold without rushing.
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Rise before dawn for a hot air balloon over the plains, landing to a champagne bush breakfast. In the afternoon, game drive towards the Mara River.
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Travel
A final morning drive to the airstrip and the flight to Wilson. We hold a day room near the airport for you to freshen up before your evening departure.
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Travel
Where you sleep
Sarova Pan Afric Hotel
Lake Naivasha Resort
Mara Serena Safari Lodge
When to go
July to October is the migration and the busiest window. Late January to March gives you green grass, calving in the south, fewer vehicles and lower rates.