Best Kenya Self Drive Safari-12 Days
12 Days Best Of Kenya Self Drive Safari. Enjoy the best self drive Kenya safari on this 12 days, 11 nights wildlife game viewing drives from Nairobi, through Samburu National Game Reserve, Ol Pejeta Conservancy, Aberdare National Park, Lake Nakuru National Park, Masai Mara Game Reserve, Lake Naivasha Area Attractions, Amboseli & Tsavo West National Parks. Rent a Car rental 4×4 Africa safari Land cruiser with/without rooftop tent or pop up roof.
This 12 days best of Kenya Self drive Safari offers a great deal of big 5 game viewing drives, coupled with splendid cultural encounter with the Maasai & Samburu tribe, as well as the upcountry waterfalls & Forests of Aberdare National Park. Nonetheless, the 12 day, 11 night excursion allover Kenya on self drive, also offers leisure activity, such as boat rides, hiking, bicycle riding and a walking safari, with an additional glimpse of minor game such as dik-dik and the black-backed jackal.
You will enjoy this safari in a 4×4 safari jeep, with first aid kit, fire extinguisher, spare wheel, car lift jack & a fridge.
Your 12 days Kenya self drive tour departs with a drive from Nairobi to Samburu National Reserve, to experience the Samburu people and their culture, in addition to the special 5, game viewing of orynx, gerenuk, Somali ostrich and reticulated giraffe, amidst hundreds of elephant, leopard, cheetah and 450 species of birds.
The drive then proceeds to Olpejeta Conservancy, where you will find 100+ Black Rhinos, with an exclusive opportunity to see chimpanzees, alongside exotics like the white-tailed mongoose, black-fronted duiker and elands.
Your next leg, will be at Aberdare National Park, to enjoy captivating moments in a tree house, whereby you will spot buffalos, black rhinos, spotted hyena and sometimes the rare black leopard.
Up next, is Lake Nakuru National Park, which protects one of the few lakes with extraordinary birdlife like flamingos, as well as the Rothchild’s giraffes.
You will then proceed to Kenya’s Masai Mara, which holds the greatest concentration of wildlife, along side the pristine acacia trees and the Savannah, as well as the scores of hippos and crocodiles. The peak months of the great migration from July to October, flows with great sights of the large herds of wildebeests.
While Lake Naivasha offers a boat safari to view hippo and the many exotic birds found here. A walking safari at nearby Crescent Island brings you closer to the small game. Whereas at Hell’s Gate National Park, you can safely hike or bike ride here passing grazing gazelle, impala, antelopes, zebras and giraffe.
Seamless game drives awaits you at Amboseli National Park, With an impressive spectacular backdrop of Mt. Kilimanjaro. You will enjoy viewing elephants, buffalo, hippo among other big game.
The last drive to Tsavo West National Park is the ideal finale to your expansive 12 days Kenya self drive safari tour of Kenya. Tsavo is breathtaking and wild, with remnants of recent volcanoes. You’ll visit Mzima springs and catch glimpse of hippos, crocodiles and many exotic fish. Then, hit wide open path back to Nairobi.
Day By Day Itinerary Of the 12 Days Best Of Kenya Self Drive Safari.
Day 1: Nairobi – Drive to Samburu National Game Reserve
We will deliver the car to you, early in the morning, at the hotel or upon arrival at the airport. Thereafter, you will set off with your scenic 5 hours drive for a distance of 320km, through various climatic & vegatations zones, to the highlands & semi-arid desert conditions, and reaching Samburu national game reserve at lunch time in the Northern part of Kenya. You will also enjoy driving past the, Kenya highlands with views of tea, coffee and subsistence farmlands.
Head for the afternoon game viewing drive, and retire at your booked accommodation for dinner & Overnight
Day 2: Samburu Game Reserve
On this days, you will choose between spending the entire day on a game drive, with picnic lunch, or having breakfast, lunch & Dinner at your accommodation. You will enjoy game drives, mainly along ewaso Nyiro River, where most of the animals converge, since it’s the lifeline of the semi desert environment.
You can also opt to combine Samburu, Buffalo springs and Shaba reserves on game viewing drives, and don’t miss out on the chance to visit the Samburu tribe for an amazing cultural experience.
Overnight at the same reserve.
Day 3: Samburu Game Reserve – Ol Pejeta (180 km – Approx. 3 Hrs)
Rise up early for your last game drive in Samburu National Reserve, return for breakfast, then proceed to Olpejeta Conservancy ,situated at the cooler footslopes of Mount Kenya in Laikipia region.
Lunch will be served, then later proceed for the afternoon game drive to see black Rhinos, and Chimpanzees.
Day 4: Mount Kenya –Aberdare National park (80 km – Approx. 1 Hr)
Your morning will start with a game drive, and chances are that, you might spot all the Big 5. The conservancy also offers opportunities for one to visit the last 2 remaining Northern white Rhinos, in the sanctuary.
Thereafter, continue with your drive for 1 hour to Aberdares National Park, where you will settle at the tree hotel, for dinner and overnight rest.
Day 5:Aberdare – Lake Nakuru National Park (180 km – Approx. 4 Hrs)
Have breakfast early, then embark on your drive around the northern part of the Aberdare ranges, then downwards into the Great Rift Valley, with a stopover at the Thompson Falls in Nyahururu. Continue with the drive to Lake Nakuru for an ultimate game drive that includes Flamingos as well as the rare white rhino in this world’s renown ornithological paradise with more than 450 species of bird life. This Lake is well known for over million plus flamingos, which migrate along the Great Rift Valley Lakes. Other birdlife including Pelicans, cormorants and Marabou storks also feed on the abundant algae in the warm, shallow alkaline water. Don’t forget, Lake Nakuru National Park, also hosts Black & White Rhino populations in the Sanctuary.
Accommodation Options at Chester hotel, Lake Nakuru lodge, Sarova Lion Hill Lodge, Ziwa Lodge etc
Day 6: Lake Nakuru – Drive to Masai Mara Game Reserve (290 km – Approx. 6 Hrs)
Depart Lake Nakuru National Park, after breakfast, ascending out of the Rift valley, to arrie in Masai Mara National game reserve, which forms an ecosystem with the Serengeti. You will arrive in time perfect for lunch, relax, then later continue for a scenic game drive, to view numerous game alongside more than 450 species of birds recorded in the reserve. During your drive, you will catch sight of lions, rhinos, hippos, crocodiles, giraffe, wildebeests, zebras, buffalo, warthogs, hyenas, jackals, wild dogs, buffalo, leopard, various species of antelopes and elephants.
Dinner and overnight at the Camp or Lodge.
Day 07: Entire day Masai Mara Game Drive
Enjoy a full day game drive or either morning & afternoon game drive to see lions, elephant, giraffe, buffalo, zebra, topi, hartebeest, cheetah, gazelle, warthog, and abundant bird life. You can also combine with some visits to one or two Maasai communities to experience a little pinch of their cultural history.
You can also enjoy a sun downer in these mystic plains, when the soft red hues of the sun adds blends your photographs, which brings out the clarity of the real African savannah.
You can also drive to the Mara River to watch Hippos & crocodiles , and sometimes the great Migration during the peak months of July, August, September, October.
Accommodation at the camp or lodge.
Day 08: Masai Mara – Lake Naivasha:
Morning game viewing drives before breakfast, then after drive back for 5 hrs to Lake Naivasha, where you will visit Hells Gate National Park, enroute, for a bicycle ride among resident animals like Buffaloes, Giraffes, Warthogs, Rock hyrax, Impalas, Gazelles.
Day 9:Lake Naivasha – Amboseli National Park (340 km – Approx. 6 hrs)
Wake up early for a visit to the crescent island game sanctuary, that protects rich birdlife like; pelicans, cormorants and fish eagles. You will also walk past wildebeest, waterbuck, zebra and gazelles, while on a guided walking safari.
Return to the 4×4 jeep, and depart for Amboseli National Park. Enroute, you can take break stops for breathtaking views, not forgetting lunch in Nairobi town, before you proceed to your overnight lodge/camp.
Amboseli, though small, yet offers very large wildlife population, against the spectacular backdrop of Mt. Kilimanjaro framing the park. Both attractions create unmatched feelings which cannot be found in other National Parks.
Day 10: Full Day Game Drive at Amboseli National Park
Begin your day an early morning game drive and proceed for a full day game viewing drive & photography moments in the endless savannah plains of Amboseli National park, which hosts large herds of elephants, cheetahs, zebras, Antelopes, Zebras, Lions, Leopards and several bird species.
Return in the evening for a bornfire connection at the lodge or camp
Day 11: Drive to Tsavo West National Park
This morning , you will leave Amboseli with enroute gamedrive , as you proceed on a 2 hour drive to Tsavo West National park. The park one among the oldest Kenya National parks, which offers a combination of hills, golden savannahs and luxuriant oases. Enjoy your final Moments on game drives, around giraffe, buffalo, hartebeest, dik-dik, monkeys and baboons, Lions, cheetahs, wild dogs, ongoose, hyrax, dik-dik.
You can also visit Mzima Springs, a verdant, lush watering hole, where you expect hippos, as well as the special underwater viewing platform where you’ll enjoy a different world of these aquatic creatures. You can also expect to see crocodiles and other wildlife along the shores.
Dinner & Overnight will be spent here.
Day 12: Proceed to Mombasa
Take more game drives in the morning, as you exit the park, enroute through Tsavo East, then proceed to catch up with the train at Mtito Andei to leave for Mombasa, otherwise, you can proceed to the coast with your self drive Kenya rental car.
Our Representative will be waiting at the agreed destination to pick up the car to return it to Nairobi, at an agreed one way car rental fee, that was discussed prior to arrival date.
