Kenya Safari Recomendations Please
 

Hi,

I'm planning a trip to Kenya for 8-10 days for safari in August 2007. The main goal is going to be seeing the wildlife, and especially the migration. I have a tentative itinerary with lodges.

2 nights in Amboseli (Serena)
2 nights in Samburu (Intrepids)
4 nights in Mara (2 nights Intrepids, 2 nights Serena)

I am wondering if anybody would recommend any other lodges over the ones mentioned above, while staying in the same price range (or less). Also, wondering if there is somewhere else in Kenya that I might be missing. I have never been before.

Thank you.

tacos10:

I much prefer Ol Tukai Lodge at Amboseli. You can see pictures of it on my Kodak Gallery site:

http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=...1&y=trmdvt

It is cheaper and in a much nicer area than the Serena. The rooms are also larger and brighter. Food is great, landscaping is lovely and there is a pool.

At Samburu, Intrepids and Larsens are both good. I have stayed at Elephant Watch Camp on three occasions and it is marvelous, but the rates have gone up again and it is pricey. If you are elephant lovers it is the place to be. The guides get you up much closer to the elephants than the guides from other camps, and they can identify each family and member. They were trained by Iain Douglas-Hamilton, one of the original elephant experts.

I will defer to others on places to stay in the Mara.

Tsavo East is my favorite park. It is a little out of the way but is worth the trip. Very few people take advantage of this lovely park. Were you to safari Tsavo you would be close enough to Mombasa to spend a day or two at a beach hotel also. I think you would need more than 10 days to include Tsavo and Mombasa beaches though.

Enjoy your planning.

Jan

I dont hv a comment on your choices in the Mara, however do recommend you stay put in either choice for the 4 nights.

Hari

My guess is that you are flying from Amboseli to Samburu and then to the Mara and back. Driving would eatup too much of your time.

With short time, I wouldn't recommend both Amboseli and Samburu. If elephants are of interest, both will provide these, but Samburu the advantagous of species not seen elsewhere - reticulated giraffe, Grevy's zebra, gerenuk antelope.

By doing Samburu, you can eliminate distances and some flights with a combo drive/fly safari.

Day 1 - Arv. NBO - o/n
Day 2 - Visit Sheldrick Elephant Orhanage, lunch at Carnivore, drive to Mt. Kenya - o/n Serena Mountain Lodge
Day 3 - Drive to Samburu - o/n Serena, Sopa or Intrepids
Day 4 - Samburu
Day 5 - Drive to Sweetwater's o/n (they have night game drives here)
Day 6 - Fly from Nanyuki to Masai Mara - o/n
Day 7, 8, 9 - Masai Mara
Day 10 - Fly from Mara to NBO

In the Mara, the Serena has best position, but Intrepid's will be quite a bit more costly. If you want a lodge and camp combo here, consider Main Governor's Camp (about same price as Intrepid's), but there will probably be a transfer fee between Serena and the camp.

Advantage of Intrepid's properties is that they are all due to be refurbished by next year in time for the season.

Great recommendations so far, thanks. Any others?

Jan,

Those are great pictures, I especially like the stuck in the mud series. (Didn't need to the hemorrhoids though)

That lodge looks great, if it is less than Amboseli Serena, I think I am going to make that switch to my itinerary.

Also, I do plan on flying between Amboseli and Samburu and Samburu and Mara and Mara back to Nairobi, just to save time.

I like your itinerary for 10 nights.

I'd do Ol Tukai instead of Serena also, though I've never been to either.

I'll do Elephant Camp in Samburu next time. It is more expensive though. If tracking eles is not of great interest to you, then Intrepids is fine.

I agree with the 4 nights in the Mara, especially in August.

Last month we went and did the following:

1 night Nairobi
Flew to Samburu,
3 nights Larsen's
Flew to Mara, 4 nights Little Governor's
Flew to Lamu Island via Nairobi, 3 nights on beach at Kizingo (wonderful),
flew back to Nairobi and then back to Los Angeles.
Seven days of game drives was enough for us. Lamu was a nice diversion (thanks Sandi)

My humble opinion,

Kevin from California

tacos10:

When you go to Wilson Airport to fly to Amboseli be sure to remind them that on your way back you are transferring directly to the Samburu flight. You will get back from Amboseli to Wilson at about 9 a.m. and the Samburu flight leaves at 9:15. If you remind them they'll hold the flight for you should you be a little late. (You will have left Amboseli at 8:30 - arrived Wilson 9 - boarded Samburu plane and be at the Samburu airstrip around 10 a.m.).

You'll have a wonderful time I'm sure.

Jan