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East Africa

East Africa: Maasai Mara, Loita & Tana Delta

Within the Mara North Conservancy, an unparalleled opportunity to view, track and understand East Africa’s iconic lions awaits beyond the tented walls of this classic camp.  The Tana River Delta, where the bush meets the beach, is a remote, unexploited and wild panorama with the river winding along one side and an endless stretch of deserted beach on the other.

THE ITINERARY

Within the Mara North Conservancy, an unparalleled opportunity to view, track and understand East Africa’s iconic lions awaits beyond the tented walls of this classic camp.  The Tana River Delta, where the bush meets the beach, is a remote, unexploited and wild panorama with the river winding along one side and an endless stretch of deserted beach on the other.

 

DAY ONE

Following a 40 minute flight from Nairobi, you will be met by Ngare Serian Camp staff at the Mara North airstrip from where you will set out on your first game drive en route to camp.

Serian (meaning peaceful, calm or serene in Maa, the local language) is the charismatic bush camp and home of Alex Walker, filmmaker and guide in the Maasai Mara. With just four tented suites set beside the Mara River in the 4,000 acre private Pusinkariak Conservancy, Ngare Serian is exclusive and intimate. Access to Ngare Serian is by rope-bridge, and is perfect for those who value their privacy.

Stretching across the open grasslands of southwestern Kenya, the Maasai Mara is home to some of the world’s most fascinating wildlife. Here, vast herds of elephant, wildebeest and zebra share open stretches of plains and watercourses with Africa’s great cats – leopard, lion and cheetah – as well as with graceful gazelle and charming giraffe.

Serian provides exclusive use of vehicles for game drives, and may arrange helicopter flights, fly-camping and hot air balloon safaris.

This afternoon, settle into your accommodation and get to know your immediate surroundings with a guided walk. Animal tracking, bird watching, and a passionate and profound introduction to the sights and sounds of the landscape awaits.

Enjoy a cocktail as the sun goes down before dinner this evening.

 

DAY TWO

Rise early this morning for a dawn game drive, followed by a full breakfast on your return to camp.

When ready, join your guide for a full day exploring — walking with Maasai warriors, river fishing, picnicking under a shady tree.

This evening, return to Serian for supper. You may overnight in the Nest this evening, Serian’s new tree house overlooking the Mara River.

 

DAY THREE

After an early breakfast this morning, you will be transferred to meet the Maasai Trails vehicle, for a spectacular game drive to enjoy on your way to Jan’s Camp.

Maasai Trails prides itself on offering a completely authentic experience, tailor-made to suit your interests. Maasai guides from the local area passionately share with you their lives and traditional knowledge of their surroundings, the Loita hills and forest.

The end of your first day with Maasai Trails will be all about planning and preparation for the next few days.

 

DAYS FOUR & FIVE

Continue on the trail early this morning. Due to the altitude of the Loita and the terrain you traverse, walking is limited to approximately 4-6 hours a day. You will walk through wildly different ecosystems and habitats, breaking in the afternoon for a leisurely lunch.

The camp will be ready for your arrival each afternoon, giving you a chance to kick off your shoes and relax around the campfire in the evening.

By the end of Day Five you will be back at Jan’s Camp.

 

DAY SIX

Depart Jan’s Camp early this morning in time to meet your flight to Wilson.  Connect with your flight to Malindi.  Please get yourselves something simple to eat at Dormans Coffee House at Wilson prior to your Malindi flight (on your own account).

On arrival at Malindi Airport, you will be met by the Delta Dunes team.

The Tana River Delta, where the bush meets the beach, is a wetland home to incredible birdlife and aquatic life with large numbers of hippos and crocodiles basking in plain view.

At the old mouth of Kenya’s mighty Tana River, your lodge sits high atop windswept dunes. Nestled among the palms, the lodge overlooks a lush and wild landscape. Each of the seven open-front dune cottages (made of driftwood) has a private view of this striking landscape.

Explore your surroundings this afternoon on a guided walk, or simply relax by the pool. Tea and freshly baked pastries are served every afternoon.

Enjoy a sunset river cruise early this evening, followed by cocktails and a candlelit dinner of freshly caught seafood.

 

DAY SEVEN

Rise early this morning and begin your day with guided game tracking through the sand. The Tana Delta is the only wetland of its type in Eastern Africa, a playground for wildlife that includes hippo, buffalo, crocodile, and over 400 species of birds. The river teems with fish, while the endemic Tana River bushbuck and elusive lions melt into the brush.

Return to the lodge for a gourmet breakfast, and plan your day with the help of the lodge staff. You may explore the creeks by kayak or patrol with the Rangers on the conservancy, learning some of their skills in tracking and bush craft.

This evening, follow a trail of lanterns down to the beach, where you’ll find a dinner of fresh local ingredients.

 

DAY EIGHT

The Delta Dunes Lodge works closely with the local community, and together they have formed the Lower Tana Delta Conservation Trust, which supports schools, game scout projects and conservation. Your visit helps to support a community-run lodge on the main Tana River, which you may visit by boat. A cultural center is in the works to share information about the fascinating cultures of the two unique tribes in the area—the Pokomo and the Orma.

Since the 17th century, the Pokomo people have planted and fished along the Tana’s fertile banks, using the river’s flooding cycles to irrigate their maize fields and mango trees. The pastoralist Orma, Ethiopian by origin, arrived in the late 19th century. The semi-nomadic herders move their beehive-shaped dwellings across the floodplains to graze their cattle.

Visit a local school today, or you may visit a women’s group willing to share their knowledge of design and weaving, local handicrafts, beekeeping and honey production.

Enjoy a dinner this evening of local seafood.

 

DAY NINE

Spend your final full day on the river, with a morning of gentle tubing. Keep an eye out for wildlife – reedbuck, topi, buffalo, bushbuck and even elephants in the grassy clearings on the river’s edge. Most impressive is the delta’s prolific birdlife — colorful bee-eaters, kingfishers and hornbills brighten every turn, while impressive flocks of storks, egrets, pelicans and ibis dot the sandbanks.

Return to the lodge for lunch this afternoon, after which you may spend the remainder of the day channel fishing or crab catching along the endless miles of vast uninhabited beach. If you are up for something more fast-paced, race sand yachts along the shore. With strong ocean winds, the yachts can reach up to 90 kph!

In the evening, enjoy a final dinner of seafood caught earlier in the day.

 

DAY TEN

Rise early for a walk along the dunes, followed by a hearty breakfast, and then prepare for your departure.

Transfer to Malindi for some of the best shopping in Kenya. This Swahili town is home to a number of colorful markets: a trade street full of fabrics; locally produced brass lamps; art; antiques; a halva maker.

Following lunch this afternoon, transfer to Malindi Airport in time to meet your return flight to Nairobi, from where you will connect with your international flight home.

 

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