Kenya. Maasailand Safari: Living Among the Maasai

Day 1: Arrive in Nairobi

You are met upon arrival and transferred to your hotel for a good night’s sleep after your long flight. Overnight Macushla House.

Accomodations: Macushla House

Day 2: Nairobi

Settling into Africa, your morning begins with a short city orientation on our way to visit the Giraffe Center, an educational facility aimed toward educating Kenyan schoolchildren and visitors about conservation in Kenya, focusing primarily on the endangered Rothschild Giraffe. Watch giraffes and feed them from a raised platform, a great spot to take pictures. Also visit the David Sheldrick Animal Orphanage, adjacent to Nairobi National Park, which cares for orphaned elephants and rhinos that have been rescued from poachers or found abandoned. Every morning at 11 AM the elephant babies are bottle fed in an area open to visitors. You’ll have the opportunity to learn about these huge infants up close and how they will one day be reintroduced to the wild. Overnight Macushla House.

Accomodations: Macushla House

Meals Included: Breakfast

Day 3: Merrueshi Village

Shortly after breakfast depart Nairobi on a 3 hour drive east to the Merrueshi community (the Maasai Village) located in the Chyulu Hills, bordering the Amboseli National Park. Upon our arrival, meet your Maasai hosts and other members of the community as you settle into your accommodation at Maasai Simba Camp and the rhythm of life in a Maasai community. The camp has permanent cabins/cottages made of volcanic rocks; they are spacious and enjoy total privacy. Overnight Maasai Simba Camp.

Accomodations: Maasai Simba Camp

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Days 4-6: Merrueshi Village

While at the Merrueshi community the schedule is rather free form and you’ll have the opportunity to participate in various village activities. The typical morning starts with a cup of tea and coffee, followed by a bush walk led by Maasai warriors. Learn how to track wildlife in the African savanna as Maasai do, as well as about wildlife conservation, poaching issues, and strategies for how humans and wildlife have survived and co-existed in this semi-arid habitat. The surrounding environment is a living pharmacy for natural medicine; traditional Maasai healers demystify this realm of ancient medicine by explaining their use of different plants and herbs to treat various illnesses. In addition, we have the opportunity to participate in bead-making facilitated by the Maasai Women Cooperative, storytelling sessions by elders around the bonfire, a visit to a local school, Maasai songs and dance, and a visit to the Maasai Association’s development projects. Oftentimes there are ongoing projects you may want to volunteer to assist like adobe brick making, painting the school, or other optional activities. Overnights Maasai Simba Camp.

Accomodations: Maasai Simba Camp

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 7: Maasai Mara Game Reserve

Shortly after breakfast we’ll depart for Nairobi (3 hours) stopping for lunch and then continuing on to Maasai Mara Game Reserve (4 hours) in southwestern Kenya. We’ll drive through Kenya highlands and stop midway to get a glimpse of the Great Rift Valley – a magnificent natural trench stretching approximately 3,700 mi from Lebanon into Mozambique in East Africa. Overnight Sarova Mara Tented Camp.

Accomodations: Mara Sarova

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Days 8 & 9: Maasai Mara Game Reserve

The Maasai Mara is made of vast open rolling plains, and grasslands with seasonal river ways. The entire area of the park is situated within the enormous Great Rift Valley. The reserve is famous for its annual wildlife migration of over 1 million wildebeest and thousands of zebras crossing from the Serengeti plains in Tanzania from August through November. The reserve is home to hundreds of elephants, hippos, lions, hyenas, Cape buffalo and thousands of other ungulate species such as gazelle, topi, eland, reedbuck, zebra and giraffe. Over 500 species of birds including ostrich, larks, sunbirds, weavers as well as the lilac-breasted roller are abundant in the reserve. Your Maasai warriors will really brandish their skills in this environment and provide exhilarating morning and afternoon game drives each day. Overnights Sarova Mara Tented Camp.

Note: Hot air ballooning is available to glide silently over the Mara with the rising sun (at additional cost).

Accomodations: Mara Sarova

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 10: Depart For Home

Depart the Maasai Mara today for Nairobi (4 hours), bidding your local Maasai guides farewell as you depart in the evening from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.