Lake Naivasha – Empakaai Cultural Safari

Book your safari: Wildlife of Kenya in 8 days

This exciting and diverse safari takes 8 days on the road – 8 days of getting to know Kenya and watching its amazing wildlife (but it’s guaranteed that you will feel like you’ve been away for longer!). In total you will be in Kenya for 10 days, including the day of your arrival to Kenya and the day of your departure back home.

We book your preferred type of accommodation for you:

Together we will make the right choice of accommodation for you, taking into account your budget and your preferences. Many options are possible in all locations of this trip (and pretty much everywhere in Kenya). You can choose between camping in self-raised tents with public facilities, or spending a night in simple cottages or bandas (traditional houses with a thatched roof), or using comfortable tented camps with private shower and sanitary facilities attached to your tent. Beautiful comfortable hotels are ready for you in Nairobi and top class safari lodges are available in all National Parks in Kenya.

Transport for small groups:

Our safari vehicles are very comfortable for groups of 4-6 friends or family. The cost of renting your safari vehicle, hiring the professional and experienced driver, fuel costs will be shared by all travellers in your group.

No set departure dates! Travel when it suits you best.

Contact us as early as you approximately know your plan: for how many days you are available, how many people you travel with and when you plan to come. The earlier we start planning together with you, the better for availability of any additional options, especially during the popular months of July, August and December.

Here is the trip itinerary day-by-day:

Arrival Day:

Your flight arrival to Kenya!
I meet you at Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. Welcome to Kenya!
Night in Nairobi (after maybe some sightseeing in the city, depending on your arrival time).

Day 1:

Nairobi: door to East African wildlife:

David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust: elephant orphanage
Karen Blixen House: Out of Africa
Afternoon game drive in Nairobi National Park
Dinner and night in Nairobi

David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust and their amazing elephant orphanage

It’s feeding time at Giraffe’s center in Nairobi

Traditional atmosphere of good old days at Karen Blixen’s

Touch the history in Nairobi’s Karen Blixen House

Day 2:

Nairobi – Maasai Mara:

Scenic drive through Great Rift Valley to the famous and beautiful Maasai Mara National Reserve
Photostops and lunch
Sunset dinner and night in Maasai Mara

Day 3:

Maasai Mara National Reserve:

Early morning start (optional – hot air balloon starting before sunrise)
Game drive: magnificent landscapes and surprising wildlife. Picnic lunch
Campfire dinner and night in Maasai Mara

Day 4:

Maasai Mara – Lake Naivasha:

Visit to Maasai village after breakfast
Drive to the highest lake of Great Rift Valley – beautiful Lake Naivasha
Dinner and night on Lake Naivasha shores.

Day 5:

Lake Naivasha and Mount Longonot:

Hike to Mount Longonot green crater
Lunch in Naivasha town
Boat trip to Crescent Island

Can’t miss majestic pelicans while birdwatching on Lake Naivasha

Day 6:

Lake Naivasha to Ol Pejeta:

Scenic drive towards Mount Kenya
Lunch next to Thomson Falls
Sunset dinner and night at Ol Pejeta Conservancy

Day 7:

Ol Pejeta Conservancy:

Game drive with Mount Kenya views
Rhino sanctuary visit and story of northern white rhinos
Chimpanzee center experience (or horseback riding)

Chimpanzees recover and learn to live in wilderness here

Day 8:

Ol Pejeta to Nairobi:

Goodbyes to Mount Kenya
Photostops and lunch with a view
Dinner in Nairobi

Departure day:

Depending on your flight departure time, there is maybe time to visit:

Nairobi National Park
Giraffe center
Nairobi National Museum

Narobi National Park lets you experience wildlife while you are close to the big city

Transfer to Nairobi International Airport and your flight back home. See you back soon in your new Africa home!

Drop us an email on Empakaai.cultural.safari@gmail.com – we always listen carefully to your wishes and make suggestions to create a perfect travel plan.

On our instagram page @empakaai_cultural_safari you will find further inspiration and information about places to visit in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.

Trip feedback: Kenya and Tanzania, 15 days

Happy to be back and let everyone know that our adventure in Kenya and Tanzania was excellent! And here is a letter from our friend Olena (instagram: @olena.oz) who was with us on the journey:

“A week ago we were in Nairobi, boarding our plane back to Amsterdam. They never ask at the customs if you are carrying some Africa back home with you (in your heart) – though I’m certain that everyone does.

If they asked, I’d tell them that my husband Henk has certainly kept some Lake Naivasha of Kenya, and some Karatu of Tanzania, in his heart and in his feelings. And maybe other places too, he just has not confessed yet. And that I am bringing back the bright buzz of Lake Victoria, the stunning calmness of Empakaai Crater, the “frozen-in-time” beauty of Amboseli crowned by Mount Kilimanjaro.

And then, our minds did not even start processing what had actually overcome us on this journey. Technically speaking, we did about 3,000 km in 2 weeks, including a couple of hundred km on “African massage” roads, 5 national parks, two country border crossings, one camping in the bush next to grazing wild buffalo, one dancing together with Maasai, and I can continue on and on for a long time….

A trip like this can only be enjoyable if someone is constantly working on the background to keep all things impeccably organized and delivered. Our luck is that we know Empakaai Cultural Safari run by the best trip leader in East Africa. He is very professional and he greatly enjoys his work. We can never thank you enough, Moses.

Ashe naleng for your friendship, positive mindset, sense of humor, for having friends in the most remote spots of Kenya and Tanzania, for your patience with us who were constantly showing up late for breakfast and (here comes the most challenging one!) for teaching Henk to embrace the concept of “pole pole” (“no hurry”).

Asante sana for your endless love for your land and culture. You know, those precious pieces of Africa that we took away in our hearts, they made us more enriched and wise people. They will also lead our paths back to your beautiful land very soon.

Still so many places in Africa waiting to be discovered with Empakaai Cultural Safari!”

NEW TRIP: Kenya, Tanzania North and Zanzibar, 15 days

We tried this intensive and exciting itinerary for the first time in September 2015. And the trip was really a success! Why? Because it provides an unforgettable combination of the best natural and cultural experiences of East Africa, that are almost never combined in one trip:

Two most famous National Parks of East Africa: Maasai Mara in Kenya and Serengeti in Tanzania
Maasai village in Maasai land, close to Maasai Mara National Park
Lake Naivasha, one of the most beautiful Great Rift Valley lakes in Kenya
Lake Victoria in Kenya
Ngorongoro crater
Visit to traditional Tanzanian village in Mto Wa Mbu
Usambara Mountains
Beach in Dar Es Salaam
Zanzibar island: Stone Town and North Zanzibar beaches in Nungwi.

For full and detailed itinerary please click here.

Prices starting from USD 2,500 per person, based on 4 persons traveling together and depends on accommodation level.

Included in the price:

Accommodation excluding North Zanzibar, two persons per room / per tent, breakfast included
Full board during camping days (breakfast, lunch cooked or packed, dinner)
Transport: vehicle, driver and fuel
Airport transfers
Transfers in Zanzibar
Experience English speaking tour leader / driver (Maasai from Kenya)
2 game drives in Maasai Mara National Park
Visits to Maasai village next to Maasai Mara NP
Boat trip in Lake Victoria
Visit to Maasai village of Mto Wa Mbu, including lunch in the village
Spice Tour in Stone Town, Zanzibar

National park entrance fees and service fees:

Maasai Mara NP entrance fee
Serengeti NP entrance fee
Ngorongoro conservation area entrance fee
Ngorongoro conservation area crater bottom fee

Excluded from the price:

Accommodation, food and expenses in North Zanzibar
International flight and insurance
Visa to Kenya
Visa to Tanzania
Return speed ferry tickets to and from Dar Es Salaam (depends on the airport of departure)
Meals not indicated above
Optional excursions and entry fees by own choice not listed above
Drinks, daily water intake and refreshments
Tips, personal expenses

Contact us through direct mail on Instagram or on empakaai.cultural.safari@gmail.com to discuss your preferences and book this exciting trip.

Best of Kenya and Tanzania – join us in September!

Are you dreaming about getting (back) in touch with African wildlife and culture? Let the Empakaai Cultural Safari team know, as we are planning a very intensive and exciting trip in Kenya, Tanzania and Zanzibar this September!

We are going to start this journey with three very enthusiastic travelers from Europe, who are very eager to make the best out of their time in East Africa. If you always wanted to hit the African road early and fill yourself with impressions and experiences of world famous highlights of Kenya and Tanzania every single day, you are very welcome to join us in Nairobi on 9th September 2015.

Our itinerary will be as follows:

We will depart from Nairobi early in the morning on 9th of September to reach the scenic Lake Naivasha later in the afternoon, where we have time to do a game walk and start getting close to the amazing wildlife of East Africa. The following morning we will start a drive to the Maasai Mara National Reserve, passing by beautiful and changing landscapes of Kenya.

Maasai Mara National Reserve will be our home for two nights. A full day game drive in this unique place is a wonderful eye opening experience! Chances are very high that we will see all of the Big 5 and impressive groups of zebra and wildebeest on that same day in Maasai Mara. We will also make sure to visit a Maasai village in this area.

From Maasai Mara we will proceed towards the magnificent Lake Victoria, and will cross the border with Tanzania there. After admiring Lake Victoria and doing a boat trip, we will drive towards the Ndabaka gate of Serengeti, where we will spend the night camping in open air under the starry sky of Tanzania.

The next day will be the Serengeti day. Waking up with sunrise, we will drive through the Serengeti National Park to reach the Ngorongoro crater in the evening.

The next morning the beautiful Ngorongoro crater will open itself in front of our eyes and camera lenses. After enjoying this breathtaking place thoroughly, we will drive to the picturesque village of Mto Wa Mbu. Here we will take an afternoon bicycle ride through the village to learn more about the local culture.

Our destination for the next day is the travel capital of Tanzania, Arusha. But before settling down for the day, we will drive to Moshi, a village famous around the world for its views of the gorgeous Mount Kilimanjaro.

After a relaxing night in Arusha, we will continue our journey. Our next big destination is Zanzibar. Before reaching this paradise on earth, we will make a drive through beautiful Tanzania and stop for the nights in comfortable and picturesque camps in Usambara Mountains and then in Dar Es Salaam.

Once the ferry will take us from the busy city of Dar Es Salaam to the island of Zanzibar, we will do no more long days driving! We will stop over for the night in exotic Stone Town, and then continue straight to the charming beaches of Nungwi in North Zanzibar. Four days of relaxation and processing of impressions from our busy trip will be a perfect ending of our East Africa adventure on 23rd of September!

Take your time to admire a beautiful sunset above the Indian Ocean

Contact us for further information about this trip by email info@empakaaiculturalsafari.com or through DM on Instagram empakaai_cultural_safari

First impressions Mount Kenya, Samburu and Maasai trip

In the last days of the year 2014, we finished a beautiful trip following our Mount Kenya, Samburu and Maasai itinerary. This time we took a slightly different route and went to see Kericho as well. All logistics with transportation, hotels and excursions went really well and our guests went back home fully satisfied and inspired!

This trip was an amazing, diverse and refreshing experience for everyone. You can really see and feel Kenya through the places we visited: her beauty, her challenges, her pain and her pride. It is an ideal route for someone who wants a short retreat from a hectic life and wants to stay truly inside Africa for a brief while.

Here are just some reasons why this trip might be an excellent choice just for you:

1. Short driving distances. On most days we could afford long relaxed afternoons, or extended times for breakfast with no hurry to start hitting the road. Even going back to bed after watching the sunrise was possible!

2. Different landscape every day. No endless desert, village or bush views day after day. How about green hills, followed by pineapple fields, then brown and green valleys dotted by rocks… and next day, soft mountain silhouettes carrying blue waters in their curves?

3. Good mix of bush, mountain forest and water wildlife. Take a good reference book with you, because the variety of animals, birds and plants is simply overwhelming. Kenya’s wildlife is so incredibly diverse, it will feel like you’ve seen wildlife of five countries instead of one.

4. All useful conveniences are nearby. Should you, in the midst of your relaxed time in the wild, suddenly start craving for a cup of good cappuccino, a pizza or a glossy magazine, you will be able to satisfy yourself within a day. Besides Nairobi, you will find that Nakuru, Nanyuki and Narok have nice and well run supermarkets, shops and restaurants.

Here are just some first impressions from the places we visited.

Day 1: Mount Kenya

Approaching Mau Mau caves during the walk in Mount Kenya forest — Approaching Mau Mau caves during the walk in the forest surrounding Mount Kenya

Day 2: Samburu National Reserve

We met this beautiful family of elephants during the evening drive, and then again during the morning drive in Samburu National Reserve — We met this beautiful family of elephants during the evening game drive, and then again next morning, during the morning game drive in the Samburu National Reserve

Day 3: Thomson Falls

It was very easy to relax and unwind while watching the Thomson Falls — It was very easy to relax and unwind while watching the fascinating waters of the Thomson Falls

Day 3: Lake Nakuru

We reached Lake Nakuru late in the afternoon and saw many of its residents catching the last rays of sun for the day. Wait until we show photos of a white rhino we were lucky to see!

Day 4: Lake Baringo

Rarely can you come as close to wildlife as when visiting Lake Baringo. A truly fascinating place.

Day 5: Kericho

Kericho is all about tea, with its green tea fields extending till the horizon, smells, hotel names, souvenirs, you name it – it will have something to do with tea!

Day 6 and Day 7: Maasai Mara National Park

Maasai Mara is simply overwhelming. We had many exciting encounters there! — Maasai Mara is simply overwhelming. It felt like there was nothing else on the planet Earth, but this fascinating space, where elephants, giraffes, zebras, wildebeest and lions are at home.

Day 8: Lake Naivasha

Lake Naivasha is nice to admire from a distance, and there are also places to hike very near (something to remember for a next trip!) — Lake Naivasha is nice to admire from a distance, and there are also places to hike very near the lake that give stunning views (something to remember for a next trip!)

Day 9: Nairobi and goodbyes

Nairobi was very hectic that afternoon with its heavy traffic, but we could catch a glimpse of a city center. — Nairobi was very hectic that afternoon with its heavy traffic, but we could catch a vibe of a city center before departing to the airport.

We will be adding photos, travel diaries and stories about the highlights of this trip, as we are digesting the impressions in our heads and sorting out the photo materials!

Contact us on info@empakaaiculturalsafari.com with any questions about the Mount Kenya, Samburu and Maasai trip and for any booking enquiries.