Tsavo East, Chyulu Hills and Amboseli Photographic safari

Day 02    Nairobi – Tsavo East National Park

After an early breakfast you will be driven to Nairobi’s Wilson airport for your scheduled flight to Tsavo East, where your driver-guide will meet you. Start exploring Tsavo East National Park, famous for its endemic and almost extinct hirola. These are also called Hunter’s hartebeest or ‘four-eyed’ antelope because of the prominent glands below the eyes.

There are believed to be no more than a few hundred individuals left in the extreme north-east of Tsavo East. Those who take the time to explore this vast terrain are rewarded with an intriguing mix of habitats from dust-strewn arid plains and thick scrubland to volcanic lava fields.

Overnight at Galdessa Camp on the banks of the Galana River, with your meals, drinks and game activities included.

Day 03        Tsavo East National Park

Go on a game drive in vast, rugged Tsavo East on the lookout for herds of elephant. There are more of them here than in Tsavo West. Although the herds aren’t as big as in Botswana, these animals really are massive, the largest in Africa, thanks to their nutritious diet of Commiphera africana.

Apart from the endangered hirola, other uncommon species regularly spotted here include lesser kudu, gerenuk, fringed-eared oryx and Peter’s gazelle. Endangered black rhino also roam the area around Galdessa.

Overnight at Galdessa Camp, with your meals, drinks and activities included.

Day 04        Tsavo East – Chyulu Hills and Amboseli National Park

You will be transferred to Chyulu Hills, just north of Tsavo West and Amboseli National Park, to stay at Ol Donyo Lodge, which offers good views of Mount Kilimanjaro and the plains. There’s also excellent game viewing on early morning and late afternoon/early evening 4×4 game drives.

Other activities to choose from include bush walks with armed guides, half and full-day horseback safaris, guided mountain bike safaris, visits to the open-air hide, romantic roof-top ‘star-bed’ sleep-out experiences and authentic Maasai cultural visits. Overnight at Ol Donyo Lodge with your meals, drinks and game activities included.

Day 05    Chyulu Hills

You have a good chance of seeing species like fringed-eared oryx, gerenuk, lion, cheetah and huge elephant herds on your game activities. Chyulu Hills is the perfect combination of Tsavo West and Amboseli National Park but without the crowds and in very comfortable surroundings. Overnight at Ol Donyo Lodge, with meals, drinks and activities included.

Day 06   Amboseli and its elephant

Chyulu Hills is such a spectacular setting that you don’t have to go far to find attractive views or good game. You do, however, have the option to go down to the Amboseli swamps, which is recommended in dry season (July to end October) to see huge elephant herds gathering at the swamps. The clear mornings are wonderful  for photographing Mount Kilimanjaro with Amboseli elephants in the foreground.

Overnight at Ol Donyo Lodge, with meals, drinks and activities included.

Day 07    Departure

Transfer to the airstrip for your scheduled flight back to Wilson airport, from where you will be transferred to Jomo Kenyatta International to connect with your flight home.

*Masai Mara extension
Fly to the Masai Mara to add the world’s most famous reserve to your safari. Spend three full days at Mara Toto Camp on the edge of the Masai Mara, with access to both Mara North (Leopard Gorge) and Olare Orok conservancies.