Itinerary Type - Budget Safaris
Destination - Kenya

Itinerary Summary

The Laikipia Group Ranches are your base for this fantastic adventure. Owned by the Laikipiak Maasai who go about their traditional lives, the grassland, plains, forests, steep rocky valleys and the Uaso Nyiro River makes these wilderness areas the place to be.

Day 1 : Depart Home

Day 2 : Arrive Nairobi & Mt. Kenya
You are met and collected by the Rift Valley Adventures team at JKI Airport Nairobi. Our journey from Nairobi to the William Holden Wildlife Foundation Centre, take us through central province where the Rift Valley walls of the Aberdare ranges can be viewed. Soon the imposing bulk of Mt. Kenya, an extinct volcano complete with equatorial glaciers, moor lands and huge tracts of forest, can be seen stretching up to 5199m. After a programme brief the evening is free to settle in and recover from your journey.

Day 3 : Mt. Kenya & Lekurruki Group Ranch
After a morning walk through the Mt. Kenya forest we board our vehicles for Il Ngwesi Group Ranch as we will be staying at their wonderful eco-lodge. To get to Il Ngwesi we drive through Lewa Wildlife Conservancy and we will definitely see more wildlife here than anywhere else! Elephant, cheetah, leopard, rhino and the list goes on. Upon arrival at Il Ngwesi you have time to relax and enjoy the sounds of the wilderness before a guided walk around the Group Ranch to meet the resident Laikipiak Maasai in all their splendour.

Day 4 : Exploration by Mountain Bike
Day spent exploring Il Ngwesi on mountain bikes, viewing game, visit a traditional manyatta, view everyday Laikipiak Maasai activities, view how honey is collected, bush skills, collecting water from dry river beds, general bush skills.

Day 5 : Community Interaction Project
Being motivated and full of enthusiasm is the key to interacting with local communities and helping in projects. Don’t worry if you think your skills are lacking, you will become a valuable member of the team and contribute greatly to the success of the project.

A selection of projects that you may be involved in:
1. Build, repair and paint the local school
2. Conservation of endangered species (such as Wild Dogs)
3. Water catchment surveying and construction
4. Wildlife counts with Group Ranch

Tonight we invite some of the Laikipiak Maasai school students who helped to our camp for a feast! A time to spend a little more time with your new found friends.

Day 6 : Rockclimbing & Abseiling
Laikipia has some of the best granite rock in the country perched on the edge of the Laikipia Plateau. For those that do not wish to participate there are numerous walking trails to lookout points with views over Northern Kenya.

Day 7 : Camel Safari
Lets pack up the camels and head down to the Sinyai Luggar for a two day trek with the Laikipiak Maasai. Here it is possible to witness Illaikipiak-Ndorobo indigenous skills such as hunting by disguising a donkey as an oryx, hut building, bee keeping, traditional dancing, medicinal plants, blood tapping from cows, milking, and branding all at first hand in their natural environment. We camp out underneath the stars complete with hot water bush showers!

Day 8 : Camel Safari
Following the Ngare Ndare river we head back to Il Ngwesi for a well earned swim and relaxing afternoon.

Day 9 : To Timau River Lodge
We leave the beautiful surroundings of Il Ngwesi, back tracking the route we came in on through Lewa Wildlife Conservancy. One last chance to view the amazing array of animals with Mt. Kenya as a backdrop.

We rest at Timau River Lodge for the night where the generous open fire and lounges are great for relaxing after fly fishing for trout in the afternoon.

Day 10 : To Nairobi
We head early to Nairobi and a visit to David Sheldrick’s Elephant and Rhino Orphanage, before your evening flight to home.

Day 11 : Arrive Home