8-Day Luxury Kenya Safari from Australia

Drive Time: 5-6 hours · Meals: Lunch & Dinner

Morning pickup from your Nairobi hotel or Jomo Kenyatta International Airport around 7:00 AM. Drive north through Nanyuki town with views of Mount Kenya before descending into the semi-arid scenery of Samburu. The change in terrain is noticeable as you head north, the vegetation becoming drier and more rugged.

Arrive at Samburu Sopa Lodge in time for lunch. The lodge sits on the banks of the Ewaso Ng’iro River with good views of the surrounding reserve. After check-in and lunch, afternoon game drive along the river and surrounding bush.

Samburu’s dry terrain concentrates wildlife around the river year-round. Elephants, buffalo, and various predators use the water, and the riverine forest holds different species from the open bush. Keep an eye out for the Samburu special five: reticulated giraffe, Grevy’s zebra, Somali ostrich, gerenuk, and Beisa oryx. You won’t see these in the Mara.

Dinner and overnight at Samburu Sopa Lodge.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Full day in Samburu with morning and afternoon game drives. Early start around 6:30 AM when animals are most active along the river. Lions are present in good numbers and leopard sightings happen regularly, often in the riverine trees. Cheetahs hunt on the open plains away from the river.

Samburu gets fewer visitors than the Mara, which means you’ll often have sightings to yourself. The guiding tends to be unhurried, with more time spent watching animal behavior rather than moving between locations. Crocodiles are common along the riverbanks, and hippos occupy the deeper pools.

Birdlife is excellent, particularly for dry-country species not found further south. Vulturine guineafowl, martial eagle, and various hornbills are common. The Samburu people have lived alongside this wildlife for generations and your guide can explain the relationship between the community and the reserve.

Dinner and overnight at Samburu Sopa Lodge.

Drive Time: 6-7 hours · Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Early morning game drive before breakfast, last chance for Samburu’s northern species. Check out and drive southwest toward Lake Nakuru via Nyahururu, passing Thomson’s Falls en route. This road avoids Nairobi entirely and takes you through highland farming country before descending into the Rift Valley.

Lunch stop at Thomson’s Falls, then on to Sarova Lion Hill Game Lodge, arriving mid-afternoon. The lodge sits on a raised ridge inside the park with sweeping views over Lake Nakuru below. After check-in, late afternoon game drive around the lake.

Lake Nakuru is compact at 188 square kilometers and fully fenced, which has helped both black and white rhino populations recover significantly. Sightings of both species are reliable. Flamingo numbers fluctuate with the lake’s alkalinity but can be impressive when conditions are right. Leopards are frequently seen here, often resting in trees around the lodge area.

Dinner and overnight at Sarova Lion Hill Game Lodge.

Drive Time: 1.5 hours · Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Early morning game drive in Lake Nakuru, best time for predators and rhino activity. Return to lodge for breakfast, check out, then short drive south to Lake Naivasha arriving late morning.

Great Rift Valley Lodge sits on a hillside above the lake with good views across the water and the Rift Valley escarpment. After check-in and lunch, afternoon at leisure or optional activities around the lake. The lodge grounds have wildlife moving through regularly.

Lake Naivasha is a freshwater lake, different from the alkaline soda lakes you’ve already visited. Large hippo populations use the lake, along with fish eagles, pelicans, cormorants, and various other water birds. The papyrus edges are productive for birds. Buffalos, zebra, and giraffe graze the shores in the evenings.

Dinner and overnight at Great Rift Valley Lodge.

Drive Time: 5 hours · Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Early breakfast then drive west to the Masai Mara through Narok town. Roads improve as you approach the reserve, with the scenery opening into Maasai grazing land before the reserve boundary.

Arrive at Mara Serena Safari Lodge for lunch. The lodge is the only property inside the Mara Triangle, a well-managed section of the reserve on the western side of the Mara River. It sits on a hill with panoramic views over the savannah and river below. After settling in, late afternoon game drive into the Mara Triangle.

The Mara Triangle tends to have fewer vehicles than the main reserve, and wildlife density is high. Within the first couple of hours you’ll likely encounter lions, elephants, buffalo, and various plains game. The Mara River runs through this section, attracting hippos, crocodiles, and predators year-round.

Dinner and overnight at Mara Serena Safari Lodge.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Full day exploring the Mara with morning and afternoon game drives. The Mara Triangle’s Big Five populations are all healthy. Lions in large prides are almost guaranteed. Leopards are regularly seen in the riverine vegetation. Buffalo herds can number several hundred. Rhinos are present, particularly in the Triangle where conservation efforts have been strong. Elephants are everywhere.

Between July and October the wildebeest migration dominates. Over a million animals from the Serengeti cross into the Mara, and the Triangle’s section of the Mara River sees some of the most dramatic crossings. Timing is unpredictable but your guide maintains radio contact and will position you when activity is building.

Optional hot air balloon safari in the morning (AUD $650 per person, booked in advance) or optional Maasai village visit.

Dinner and overnight at Mara Serena Safari Lodge.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Second full day in the Mara. Good opportunity for a full-day drive with picnic lunch if you want to cover more ground or follow wildlife activity without the constraint of returning to camp at midday. By now your guide knows your interests and will focus accordingly.

The Mara Triangle borders the Serengeti habitat to the south, and the transition zone between the two sees high predator activity year-round. Cheetahs hunt on the open plains in the early morning, wild dogs occasionally pass through, and the river forest holds a different range of species from the grassland.

Spend time at the Mara River even if nothing is crossing. Hippo pods, large crocodiles on the banks, and the riverine forest birds make it worthwhile on its own. The light along the river in the late afternoon is excellent for photography.

Dinner and overnight at Mara Serena Safari Lodge.

Drive Time: 5 hours · Meals: Breakfast & Lunch

Final early morning game drive before breakfast. Last chance to make the most of the Mara Triangle at dawn. Return to camp for breakfast and check out, then drive back to Nairobi arriving mid to late afternoon.

Drop off at your Nairobi hotel or Jomo Kenyatta International Airport depending on your onward plans. Most Australian travelers use Emirates via Dubai, Qatar via Doha, or Kenya Airways via Bangkok. Evening departures work well with morning drives from the Mara. If time allows before your flight, the Maasai Market near the city center is worth a quick stop for souvenirs.