Amboseli National Park and Maasai Mara Safari – 8 days

This safari through Amboseli and the Masai Mara begins in Nairobi, where one of our drivers will pick us up and take us to our first stop: Amboseli. Depending on our arrival time, we may have the chance to explore the park’s surroundings, from visiting a foundation that supports the education of Maasai girls to taking a short walking excursion around the park.

Today, we will have the entire day to enjoy an unforgettable safari in Amboseli National Park. Amboseli is a border park with Tanzania, home to the famous giant-tusked elephants and hundreds of bird species. We will explore its permanent swamps, which host the highest concentration of wildlife. Elephants love to play in these muddy areas, but we will also encounter groups of hippos, lions, zebras, giraffes, hyenas, and many more.

The journey takes about 7 to 8 hours, with stops for photos at the valley viewpoint and a lunch break. Today is the longest day on the road, but the landscapes along the way are beautiful.

Today, we will spend the entire day on safari in the Maasai Mara National Reserve, one of the most famous parks in the world. If we coincide with the Great Migration (from July to October), we will see the park teeming with wildlife and witness one of the greatest natural spectacles on Earth. We can take the opportunity to try and see the famous wildebeest crossing at the Mara or Talek River. In the afternoon, we will return to our accommodation.

Today, we will move within the Maasai Mara and head to a conservation area—a much quieter place with only 15 vehicles allowed in the entire zone.

We will wake up, hop into the 4x4, and set off with the Maasai, who will guide us through their land and introduce us to the incredible wildlife that inhabits it. We’ll encounter lions, giraffes, elephants, cheetahs, hyenas, zebras, wildebeests, and more. It’s important to note that this area is a Conservation Area within the Maasai Mara ecosystem but outside the National Reserve. Here, you’ll find even more wildlife than in the reserve itself, as there is far less tourism, making the animals more relaxed. Additionally, the local community manages this area and benefits directly from each traveler who chooses to do a safari here—meaning your experience also supports the local people.

We will stop for lunch at the best restaurant in the world: beneath the shade of an acacia tree, overlooking the vast Mara plains. Our chefs will prepare a delicious meal, allowing us to enjoy the breathtaking scenery as we dine. This special moment, far from the crowds, allows us to connect deeply with nature.

After lunch, we will continue our safari through the Maasai Mara.

On our sixth day of safari in the Maasai Mara, we will visit one of the NGO’s community projects: the women’s village. This village is home to women who have been expelled from their families for various reasons. The NGO provides them and their children with a safe place to live, as well as tools to help them earn a living through handicrafts and other initiatives. During our visit, we will see how they live and have the opportunity to purchase Maasai crafts handmade by the women themselves.

Important note: The money from each purchase goes directly to the woman who made the craft, and prices are non-negotiable. This is crucial because, in many places in Kenya and Tanzania, money from similar visits is often divided among multiple people, with the women receiving very little or nothing at all. Here, every craft sold directly benefits the woman who created it.

After lunch, we will experience one of the highlights of our entire safari: camping by the Mara River. We will go on a game drive before heading to the river, a favorite spot of our guide. As the sun begins to set, we will witness hippos emerging from the water in a perfectly organized line, one after the other.

As night falls, we will head to our campsite, where the rest of the Maasai will be waiting for us with a campfire and our tents ready. We will enjoy a delicious dinner in this unique setting, surrounded by nature and accompanied by the best Maasai warriors.

We wake up in the heart of the Maasai Mara and enjoy breakfast before setting off on a guided walking safari along the river with William. This hike through the savanna will allow us to experience the wilderness up close. Since we’ll be heading out early, there’s a high chance of spotting predators in action. We’ll spend the entire morning on safari before returning to the lodge for lunch.

In the afternoon, we’ll visit a Rhino Sanctuary, home to endangered rhinos that are under constant threat from poachers. Due to the high risk of extinction, these rhinos are protected 24/7 by dedicated rangers.

Later, we’ll witness one of the most breathtaking sunsets in the world—right in the middle of the Maasai Mara. Just us, the Maasai, and the wildlife around us, in complete tranquility.

On our last day of the Safari in Amboseli and the Maasai Mara, we’ll have the opportunity to do a walking safari before heading back to Nairobi. We’ll have breakfast in the heart of nature, and then return to our room to gather our belongings before making our way back to Nairobi.