Nairobi City Tour
So if travellers have a day or even just over 6 hours layover before their flight, which are the best places in Nairobi you should visit ? Well, this tailor made Nairobi City Tour offers you a chance to visit two of the best tourist attractions in Nairobi. Start your day with an 8am pickup from your Nairobi hotel. The first stop will be the Giraffe Center to get up close and personal with Rothschild giraffes, Africa’s tallest mammals. Here you will ascend up to an observation platform where you can see giraffes at their eye level. Next stop is the world famous David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage from 11am to 12pm to meet a herd of baby elephants and learn about the work done to rescue them from poachers. The orphanage successfully raises milk-dependent baby elephants and rhino orphans.
Hot Air Balloon
Hot Air Balloon over the Masai Mara plains is an evocative experience that you have the chance to enjoy during any safari you take to Maasai Mara. The balloon takes off at the break of dawn, around 6am, gliding silently during the ride over the savannah grasslands below where you may spot a variety of wildlife. The flight lasts an hour and concludes with a ”Champagne Bush Breakfast” at the balloon landing site in the wilderness. The balloon is flown by a fully qualified and experienced pilot.The basket sizes vary and it is best to book the ride in advance as space is typically limited to a maximum of 16 passengers per balloon, often less if flying with a smaller basket.
Maasai Village Visit
Maasai community, the most iconic tribal group in all of Africa, who populate vast areas of Southern areas of Kenya are the dominant ethnic group surrounding the Masai Mara. Till to date, the maasais still retain many of their traditions as they live largely untouched by modern day civilization, in areas surrounding Masai Mara. So why visit a Maasai village and what do you get to see? This one hour visit to a Maasai village is a chance to interact with the Maasai and get a glimpse into their culture, unique way of life and see first hand some of their customs and practices. The Maasai village visit is typically an excursion included into a longer multi day Masai Mara safari tour, and a couple of hours are set apart for this brief interactive visit to the village, which usually happens to be on the fringes of the main Mara game reserve boundaries. The price for a village visit which includes a contribution towards the village in form of a fee, as well as return road transfers from your lodge or camp in Masai Mara to the village, varies between USD 25 to 50 per person
Walking Safaris & Bush Walks
A bush walking safari is an adventure packed activity where participants embark on relaxed, guided walks in a wildlife conservation area with the objective of seeing wild animals in a more natural way without using vehicles.
There are two types of nature walks offered while at Masai Mara. Nature walks within the camp and one outside the main reserve. The duration for this walks within the camp is approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour and the rate ranges from USD 60 to USD 80 per person. The duration for walks outside the main reserve is approximately 2 1/2 to 3 hours covering a distance of 9 – 15 km and includes a packed breakfast/lunch depending on the timings and game drives en route to and from the walking safari location and the rate ranges from USD 90 to USD 150 per person. These nature walks are preferably done early mornings or late in the afternoon when the sun is not too hot.
Almost all national parks in Kenya, with the exception of Hell’s Gate National Park, prohibit walking inside national parks. However, private conservancies surrounding the main reserve may allow for well planned and supervised walking safaris, while camps and lodges even inside the main reserve offer shorter nature walks, often just an hour long, within the immediate vicinity of the safari property.
Bush Meals & Sundowners
Special meals are somewhat almost primal joy about eating a meal in the raw wilderness of the African savannah, for this reason a popular activity during a safari in Masai Mara and specific options are listed below.
Picnic Lunch
Usually arranged during a full day game outing in the reserve so that one does not have to go back to the lodge or camp for lunch, the meal itself is in the form of packed lunch boxes which are provided by your camp or lodge by prior arrangement the night before to allow them adequate time to prepare the meal boxes. Most properties in Masai Mara provide this meal at no extra cost
Bush Breakfast & Dinners
Bush meals are arranged at special designated sites within Masai Mara and these are generally located outside of but very near the respective Lodges or Camps. Bush meals can also be organised for a variety of group sizes including those planning on going for their Honeymoon in Masai Mara, and may also cater for certain special dietary requirements.
Sundowners
Ending your day on Safari with your favourite drink in hand, the company of friends or loved ones and a gorgeous sunset unfolding right before your eyes is a very special experience indeed and recognizing this, many upper end hotel properties in Masai Mara now offer sundowners.
The afternoon session starts at 3:00 pm and ends with a sundowner out on the plains of the Mara, hopefully surrounded by wildlife!
Horse Riding Safaris In Masai Mara
A horse riding safari in the Masai Mara is everything an adventure holiday should be – exhilarating riding, professional guides, wildlife encounters that will take your breath away and an authentic bush experience exploring the raw wilderness of Africa on horseback. This horseback adventure will have your heart racing as you encounter elephants, buffalos, giraffes and often big cats like lions and cheetahs on horseback. Horse riding Safaris in Masai Mara are not permitted right inside the main Reserve and are therefore only offered in surrounding areas of the larger Maasai Mara region which includes private conservancies and game ranches.
There are two sessions for the horse riding safari, each session is 2 hours. The morning session which starts at 7:00 am and ends with a bush breakfast out on the plains of the Mara, hopefully surrounded by wildlife! This means you will be collected from your camp/lodge 45 mins to 1 hour prior to start of the experience, depending on where your camp/lodge is located from the stables.