White-tipped tails hang from the branches above, when suddenly they become animated, leaping from branch to branch of the ancient baobab. They belong to the troop of black and white monkeys searching for a shadier spot to rest and munch on the nutrious leaves of the baobab that on reading The African Baobab by Rupert Watson, I’m excited to realize that the baobab is Africa’s oldest living monument, some going back to the time of the pharaohs some 5,000 years ago although the quintessential tree is not found in Egypt.
A pair of bull elephants takes refuge in the water hole in Tsavo West. The colours are vivid – red elephants in the red-earth water, the thick green scrub on red soil with the acacias and baobabs offering precious shade to the wildlife.
Afternoon heat is intense. A pair of bull elephants in the waterpan to cool off. Image Rupi Mangat
The two red giants are in no hurry to move away from the waterhole. It’s hot and they have to cool themselves, entertaining us with a mock fight by pushing each other around, hosing themselves with their trunks and trumpeting. Done with cooling their large bodies, they step out, their wet bodies glistening in the midday sun.
The black road cuts a narrow strip through the endless green fields of Kericho, the legendary home of Kenya’s best tea growing area. The green meets the blue of the sky in the horizon. On the southern scape, the Mau range fringes the green carpet with its ancient forest and on the western sky, it’s the massif of Tinderet that’s an extension of the Nandi Hills.
Lions, Rhinos, Elephants and Mountains on a Wildlife Safari
November 16-23, 2026
7 nights, 8 days
Game drives in customized safari cruisers
Overview:
Rejuvenate with a safari to discover Kenya’s rich wildlife and its diverse cultures in this tropical paradise on the Equator, the denizen of big game – elephants and rhino; lions, leopards and cheetahs; rhinos and mighty raptors that soar the skies.
The Kenya classic safari takes you through the tapestry of sweeping grasslands, and lush swamps with snow-topped mountains that is home to this spectacular wildlife.
Lesser flamingoes in the Amboseli wetland
Highlights
Experience the thrill of a Luxury Safari across three breathtaking game parks, where every moment is a captivating nature’s finest!
Watching Africa’s big game in the wild has a different vibe than a zoo!
Stay in two unique tented camps
See the Samburu 5, rare endemic animals only found in the arid north region
Stay in a beautiful Nairobi hotel
See Africa’s two highest mountains – Kilimanjaro and Kenya
Check out the elephant research camp in Amboseli to hear about the longest-studied elephants in the wild!
Dive into a culinary adventure on safari!
Imagine watching elephants beneath the magnificent snow-capped Kilimanjaro, then ending your day with an exciting game drive in the warmth of the ‘golden light’.
Amboseli elephants on the plains of Mount Kilimanjaro
Meet your safari host, Rupi Mangat founder of Moonlion Safaris
Rupi is a travel writer with a penchant for wildlife conservation and sustainability. A third-generation Kenyan, she’s been on safari more times than she can count since she started writing profesionally in 1998. She teams up with the Wildlife Clubs of Kenya as the editor of Komba, which is all about getting kids excited about saving wildlife. With her awesome connections to groups like Action for Cheetahs in Kenya, Nature Kenya, and the Mara Meru Cheetah Project, she gives you a behind-the-scenes look at their incredible and sometimes tough world.
Day 1 Monday November 16
Fly into Nairobi the capital city of Kenya. You will be met at the airport by our representative who will guide you through arrival. You will then be driven by your driver-guide to your hotel, the Villa Rosa Kempinski.
The Villa Rosa Kempinski is one of Nairobi’s finest hotels that has played host to world leaders like former U.S. president Barack Obama and famous artists like Lupita An’yong. It boasts a beautiful spa to pamper yourself.
The day is at leisure. Villa Rosa is a few minutes’ drive to the central business district. Nairobi is a fast-paced city. The core of the city centre boasts early colonial architecture and modern high-rise towers. Day excursions can be booked at the reception.
Day at leisure
Dinner – the hotel boasts a variety of restaurants to choose from or we can suggest restaurants in the city.
It’s an early start to the day. After a hearty breakfast we will fly to Amboseli National Park 250 kms southeast of Nairobi, under the Snows of Kilimanjaro. It’s a 45-minute flight over Karen Blixen’s (Out of Africa) famed Ngong Hills and Nairobi National Park, the only wildlife park in a capital city that today it is still home to black rhinos, the big cats and more.
You will be collected from the airstrip and driven to Ol Tukai Lodge at the foot of Mt. Kilimanjaro in Amboseli with a game drive en route in our custom-made safari cruisers driven by expert driver/guides.
The 392-square-kilometer Amboseli sits on the border with Tanzania where Kilimanjaro looms. The park is spectacular for its wildlife and tapestry of grassland, forest and swamps fed by the snows of Kilimanjaro which at 19,340 feet is the roof of Africa. Amboseli comes from the Maasai word ‘empusal’ meaning salty dust because of the dry lake bed from where plumes of dust rise.
By now it’s lunch time.
Enjoy your gourmet lunch buffet under the gaze of Kilimanjaro and in the company of elephants that linger in the wetland.
Iced tea at lunch at Ol Tukai Lodge watching elephants and zebra in the swamp
Amboseli is home to the longest studied elephant population in the wild, a research pioneered in 1972 by Dr Cynthia Moss of the Amboseli Trust for Elephants. All the elephants in the park are known to the research team with files on individuals dating from the first elephants in the study dating back 50 years.
3 p.m. – Leave for an exciting talk on elephant research at the Amboseli Trust for Elephants research centre in the park.
After the talk proceed for an afternoon game drive in search of big game like lions and elephants plus we’ll enjoy the rich birdlife with a short climb up the ancient hill by to have a sweeping view the vast Amboseli lands before returning to camp at sunset.
7.30 p.m. Meet for a cocktail at the bar and then dine on delicious foods with Kilimanjaro in a blanket of darkness. We’ll exchange the day’s highlights and later be entertained by the local Maasai performing traditional dances with their signature high leaps and throaty chants celebrating love, lion hunts, war and happiness. You may want to join in.
Elephant Bar at Ol Tukai Lodge
The Maasai have co-existed for many years with African wildlife because both the wildlife and the large herds of cattle owned by the Masai need wide spaces to survive.
6 a.m. – It’s an early start to the day at Wake up calls can be arranged. Enjoy a cuppa coffee or tea and biscuits.
6.30 a.m. Leave for an early morning game drive. This is the best time to enjoy wildlife as well as late afternoons before the sun goes down. It’s the time when the animals are most active before the sun becomes too hot for them and lethargy sets in. The lionesses would rather hunt when it’s cooler but being opportunistic the hunt is on if the quarry is easy. Lions do not have sweat glands and you’ll hear them panting a lot.
Lioness in Amboseli
9 a.m. Return to the lodge for breakfast.
Take time to relax, swim, read a book and enjoy the grounds.
Ol Tukai Lodge – cool off in the swimming pool
1 p.m. – Lunch
4 p.m. – Depart for an exciting afternoon game drive
6.30 p.m. – Return to the lodge.
Take some time to refresh with a cold beer at the bar or a cool shower.
7.30 p.m. Enjoy another gourmet feast while entertained by the local Maasai or with a talk on amazing Amboseli by the resident naturalist before retiring to bed. Having a nightcap by the fire pit is a nice way to end the day.
8 a.m. After breakfast depart to the airstrip for a 90-minute flight to Samburu National Reserve in the arid lands, north of the equator with a short stopover in Nairobi and a light lunch at the in-house restaurant. Be assured the menu serves sumptuous meals and great Kenyan coffee.
Elephant Bedroom Camp on the banks of the Uaso Nyiro River – image courtesy
Have your cameras ready. If it’s clear you will see Mount Kenya on the equator. This volcanic mountain at 17,057 feet (5,199 meters) is Kenya’s tallest. When the first explorers reported of the snow-capped mountains on and near the equator, they were ridiculed – for who had ever heard of snow on the equator?
Samburu is the land of the Samburu Special, wildlife only found north of the equator and adapted to life in the arid lands such as: the Reticulated giraffe, Grevy’s zebra, Beisa oryx, gerenuk and Somali ostrich. These species have adapted to life without water, surviving just on morning dew. The life-lung of the land is the Ewaso Nyiro River that is to this region what the Nile is to Egypt.
The rarest zebra on earth – Grevy’s in Samburu
On arrival early afternoon at Samburu National Reserve we will be transferred from the airstrip to the camp with a game drive en route before checking in and enjoying time at the camp by the River.
3.30 p.m. Embark on another exciting game drive through the arid bush and the lush oasis by the river. Look out for leopard, lions and elephants and raptors before returning to camp at sunset.
Relax at Elephant Bedroom Camp
6.30 p.m. Return in time for a sumptuous dinner freshly prepared under the stars of the northern hemisphere. If you’re a star gazer, this is the perfect spot close to the equator to see the constellations straddling the two hemispheres.
You might be entertained by local Samburu dancers with the songs and dances of their ancestors.
The Samburu like the Maasai belong to the Nilotic ethnic group that came into present day Kenya from the north along the Nile some five centuries ago. Interestingly, in addition, the Samburu believe that they hail from Venus the planet.
Enjoy your evening and a good night’s sleep in your luxurious tent.
6.15 a.m. Another glorious morning in Africa. Rise and shine for an early morning game drive after a cuppa. The landscape is surreal with mountains and rocky insets.
9 a.m. Return for breakfast and then enjoy your morning watching the local wildlife or treat yourself to a spa treatment in the wild.
1 p.m. – Lunch.
4 p.m. – Samburu is also part of the lion project pioneered by Ewaso Lions. The driver-guides will point out to some on the game drives.
Return for a starlit dinner followed by a night cap by the campfire and finally to a peaceful slumber in your ‘tent’.
A 90-minute flight from Samburu via Nairobi, and you will land in the Maasai Mara, after flying over the Great Rift Valley. It is the planet’s longest valley on land stretching 6,000km from Lebanon in the Middle East to Mozambique in South-eastern Africa and best seen in Kenya. The flight then enters the savanna grassland in the mighty Mara that is home to the Big 5 – elephant, rhino, buffalo, lion and leopard (and cheetah). This is lion country famous for its black manned lions and it is possible to see all the three big cats – lion, leopard and cheetah – in a day.
King of Beast – the famous black maned lion of the Mara – courtesy of camp
You will be collected from the airstrip and driven to the glam canvas camp with a short game drive en route. After check-in, relax and enjoy an exquisite lunch.
The spotted sphinx in the Mara with wildebeest in the background – image courtesy of camp
3.30 p.m. Leave for the afternoon game drive at to return at sunset to the camp.
Take a few minutes to refresh before dinner will be under the stars with lots of lively exchanges on your first night in the Mara, dubbed one of the seven natural wonders of the modern world.
Mara Ngench Tented Camp aerial view on the banks of the mighty Mara River – image courtesy
Finally it’s lala salama, ‘a peaceful sleep’ in Kiswahili.
5 a.m. – After a cuppa tea/coffee, OPTIONAL AT EXTRA COST depart for a thrilling balloon safari (Please wear long pants and warm jacket, a hat and shoes) at sunrise with a champagne breakfast on landing. It’s a novel way of game watching catching an eagle’s eye view of the land and life below.
Sunrise over Africa with a balloon safari in Maasai Mara. Image by Inderjit Singh Mangat
6.30 a.m. OR enjoy a morning game drive followed by breakfast.
The morning is at leisure.
1 p.m. – lunch by the river.
Lunch by the Mara River with hippos in the river – courtesy
4 p.m. – Depart for a game drive in search of the spotted cat whose global population in the wild is less than 10,000 today compared to 100,000 a century ago. Kenya is a stronghold for these cheetahs.
7.30 p.m. – It’s your last night in the African bush with dinner under the stars before we wish you ‘lala salaama’.
After a sumtuous breakfast in the Mara, fly back to Nairobi to arrive by midday and head to the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport for your flights the next day or that night.
As Karen Blixen, the author of ‘Out of Africa’ said: “If there were one more thing I could do, it would be to go on safari once again.”
NOTE:Ms. Mangat reserves the right to alter the itinerary based on weather, availability as well as exciting opportunities that might crop up!
*You have an option at the Four Points at Sheraton at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport hotel. Because you might be flying back that evening you can book your room as a day room or for the whole night depending on when your flights are. For this reason we didn’t include this night in our overall price. The hotel will transfer you to the airport terminal.
Prices range from $128 – $171 and include a transfer to the airport. Lunch or dinner at the buffet at the hotel is around $30.
Not to worry – Vegetarians will be well fed in all camps as well as those on wheat intolerant diet or others. Just let us know in advance.
What’s Included?
Everything stated in itinerary above including all meals. Meals on the first day in Nairobi are not included as people will be arriving at different times.
All entry fees and all transport including transfers to and from the airport on safari.
What’s Not Included?
Roundtrip airfare to Kenya. Any additional spa treatments desired beyond what is described. Last day accommodation at Nairobi Airport hotel. Any personal souvenirs or purchases. Wine, beer or spirits. Travel insurance (very highly recommended) and trip medical coverage (required for travelers over 50 years of age).
Tips for the driver-guides and lodging staff.
Next steps?
I’m interested so what do I do next?
Whatsapp on an agreed time with Rupi on +254 791 401 490 to ask any questions or voice any concerns you may have. This will give you a better understanding of your African safari.
Or email: rupi.mangat@yahoo.com
Quick reads:
Cheetahs in Meru and Maasai Mara – Action for Cheetahs in Kenya and The Mara-Meru Cheetah project with fascinating insights into the spotted cat whose global population in the wild is less than 10,000 today compared to 100,000 a century ago. Kenya is a stronghold for these cats.
SAFARI COST
USD 9,500 per person in single room
USD 8,900 per person sharing
The rate includes:
Everything stated in the safari itinerary
Game drives with professional driver-guides in safari cruisers with window seats
Above image: Lesser flamingoes and Great white pelicans fying overhead in Lake Nakuru National Park. Credit Inderjit Singh Mangat
Published: Saturday Nation magazine 17 Feb 2024
The lake is white-laced as we drive into the 100-year old farm house that morphed into Lake Nakuru Lodge. It sets the stage for the following events on a two-night stay.
Great white pelicans at dawn with water vapor rising Lake Nakuru national park. Picture R.Mangat Feb 2024
Checked in, we’re looking the iconic lake best known for its pretty pink flamingos, the acacia woodland and the grass plains – a perfect world for all the wildlife we are about to see over a two night stay. The lake edge is laced with the Great white pelicans taking supreme advantage of the alkaline lake now turned fresh since the phenomenal rise of the Great Rift Valley lakes since 2012.
Scene one: The leopard in the tree. “You will see everything,” states Mr Muya of Lake Nakuru Lodge, who has grown up around it. The ‘everything’ includes four of the Big 5 except the elephant that is not found in the park.
Leopard lounging on acacaia in Lake Nakuru National Park Feb 2024. Credit Inderjit Mangat
Ten minutes from the lodge of day one, the leopard lounges on a thick branch of a yellow-bark acacia tree in a forested grove. The feline holds us spell-bound, stretching, yawning, turning, sitting, lying with all four limbs dangling and after an hour of suspense – will it or will it not climb down, it’s time to leave.
Scene two: After the leopard, same day, driving into the plains, it’s the strangest scene – a lion stuck in the tree! It’s spread-eagle with four legs apart and the tail dangling in the fork of the tree. Above it, on the higher branches are five other lions watching their mate – and on the ground, another waiting for this one to climb higher. But the poor lion can’t go any higher because the forked branches are too far apart. Is it a young dare-devil modern kid trying out new moves?
Comedy in the making – lion stuck in the fork of an acacia tree in Lake Nakuru National Park Feb 2024. Credit Inderjit Mangat
It’s straining, muscles taut. Finally some thirty minutes later, with the greatest of effort it manages to leap down safely to everyone’s relief. “The lions of Lake Nakuru climb the trees to see the best hunting ground,” tells Mr Muya. “And this pride is resident here.”
Scene three: At day break, with the piercing signature call of the African fish eagle, the family of five white rhino (the southern white which is the most common subspecies of rhino unlike the northern white that is now extinct in the wild with the last two females at Ol Pejeta Conservancy). It’s the two big females and two calves with the big male still snoozing on the ground. It’s the funniest scene. The calf decides dad has to get up. The miniature rhino bounds against the giant boulder. Dad doesn’t budge. He runs again to nudge dad up again – no luck and again – but still nothing.
White rhino family in L.Nakuru National Park. Feb 2024. Picture by Inderjit Mangat
All this would be ideal for another episode of Lion King – the real life comedy of life in the wild.
With all the drama on land, there’s more in the iconic lake that is home to over a million lesser flamingos when there is enough algae – their favourite food in the alkaline lake.
However, at this point the lake is almost fresh. Driving across Muya’s Causeway, the golden light of the morning sun fires the crimson hues of the Lesser flamingos by the salt-crusted shores, their stalky pink legs moving like ballerinas tiptoeing, busy dipping their long necks in the water to siphon the microscopic algae and plankton. It’s an engineering feat. The head in the water is upside-down, the water is sucked in, with the bird swallowing only the algae and plankton and siphoning out the salty water. For their fresh water drink, the flamingos fly a short distance to Lake Naivasha or Lake Baringo that are strung along the Great Rift.
Its colour-scope is fascinating – the pink of the flamingos the white of the pelicans, the Yellow-billed storks and African spoon bills and so many more waders while the Long-crested eagle once so common in the country finds space in the wide open plains .
Driving through the glades, herds of buffalo move like soft black waves, the gazelles and impalas gambolling, the giraffes gracefully browsing on the acacias while the baboons add more comic relief with their antics.
Lake Nakuru and its water, grasslands and open skies are home to this fascinating life on earth but for only as long as we can offer the space for the wildlife to live in and move along the migratory corridors to find new mates and breed for the next generation of healthy offspring’s.
Bachelor herd of impalas at a salt lick in Lake Nakuru National Park. Pic Rupi Mangat
For now, back at the lodge, it’s time to dust off and enjoy the aromatherapy massage to rejuvenate the body and soul.
More on Lake Nakuru
Pay by e-Citizen. It can be cumbersome – it took an hour. The system needs to be more user-friendly. Once done, it’s a breeze into the parks.
Lake Nakuru Lodge and the park. Image: Rupi Mangat
Moonlion Safaris 