5 Days Northern Circuit Safari

Aberdares - Samburu - Meru National Park

Safari Highlights

Aberdares:
- Spectacular Scenery: Aberdare National Park boasts breathtaking landscapes, from dense forests to rolling hills and valleys, offering stunning views at every turn.
- Iconic Waterfalls: The park is dotted with picturesque waterfalls, with the most famous being the 272-foot high Karuru Falls, offering a mesmerizing sight and great photo opportunities.
- Treetop Adventures: Experience the thrill of staying in tree lodges like The Ark or Treetops, where you can observe wildlife up close as they come to drink at nearby waterholes.
- Scenic Drives and Hikes: Explore the park’s beauty through scenic drives along winding roads or embark on hiking trails that offer varying levels of difficulty, rewarding adventurers with breathtaking vistas and wildlife sightings.</>
Samburu National Reserve:
- Samburu National Reserve is one of the major highlights, offering stunning landscapes and diverse wildlife, including elephants, lions, giraffes, and rare species like Grevy’s zebra and reticulated giraffe
- The Ewaso Ng’iro River runs through the reserve, providing a vital water source for both wildlife and the local communities.
- Samburu offers unique safari experiences, including game drives, nature walks, and birdwatching, with the chance to spot endemic species adapted to the arid environment.
- The region’s stunning scenery, including rugged mountains and acacia-dotted plains, provides a picturesque backdrop for wildlife viewing and photography.
Meru National Park:
- Untouched Wilderness: Immerse yourself in one of Kenya’s best-kept secrets, Meru National Park, where expansive plains, riverine forests, and rugged landscapes remain untouched by mass tourism
- Legendary Landscapes: Follow in the footsteps of Joy and George Adamson as you explore the park’s diverse terrain, from the iconic Bisandi and Mughwango Hills to the meandering rivers and verdant grasslands.
- Abundant Wildlife: Encounter a stunning array of wildlife, including the Big Five (lion, elephant, buffalo, leopard, and rhino), as well as rare species such as Grevy’s zebra, reticulated giraffe, and lesser kudu.
- Adventurous Activities: Embark on thrilling game drives, guided bush walks, and night safaris, offering unique opportunities to witness the park’s nocturnal inhabitants and breathtaking landscapes under the African sky.

Safari Itinerary

0800 Hours: This morning we depart Nairobi and proceed north, driving through lush tea and coffee estates to The Ark forest Lodge, Treetops Lodge or Serena Mountain Lodge.

Nestled in the foothills between Aberdare and Mount Kenya National Park, the lodges are famous for high perches and balconies, overlooking a salt lick and waterhole.

Aberdare National Park is home to the second largest population of black rhinos, which are an endangered species.

Other animals that may be observed in the park include African lions, leopards, baboons, and black and white Colobus monkeys and Sykes monkeys.

There are also over 250 species of birds, including hawks, goshawks, eagles, sunbirds and plovers.
Overnight at the Ark forest Lodge or Serena Mountain Lodge or Treetops Lodge.

Meal Plan {Lunch & Dinner}

Day 2: Tree Hotel - Samburu

0900 Hours: After breakfast drive north to Samburu National Reserve – a rugged and semi-desert park located in Samburu district in the Rift Valley Province of Kenya.

The park neighbors the homes of the Samburu tribe of Kenya, a tribe known for their remote culture, pastoral and nomadic way of life.

1200 Hours: We arrive in time for lunch at our lodge/ camp. Enjoy some rest time before the afternoon game drive.

1530 Hours: An afternoon game drive will introduce you to the animals which are found in the park.
These include cheetahs, lions, leopards, impalas, buffalo, hippos, and dik-diks, as well as the native gerenuk, Grevy’s zebra, reticulated giraffe, Beisa Oryx, Elephants and Nile crocodiles in the river.
1830 Hours: Return back to the camp or lodge before sunset.

Meal Plan {Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner}

Day 3: Explore Samburu National Reserve

This full day in the Samburu Game Reserve will be spent searching for the big five, the Samburu five and observing the vast unspoiled scenery during morning and afternoon game viewing drives.
The park is plentiful with crocodiles that bask on muddy riverbanks and velvet monkeys that frolic in the late afternoon sun.

Samburu is renowned for its rare species of fauna known as the ‘Samburu five’. These five particular animals are usually only found north of the equator – the long necked gerenuk, the reticulated giraffe, Grevy’s zebra, beisa oryx and the Somali ostrich.

A camel-back safari is a specialty in Samburu, as well as a cultural visit to the Samburu people who depend on their cattle, goat, sheep and donkey can be arranged.

Meal Plan {Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner}

Day 4: Samburu - Meru National Park

0630 Hours: A morning game drive in this wild but splendid reserve.

1000 Hours: Continue to Meru National Park arriving in time for lunch followed by an afternoon game drive. Meru National Park achieved worldwide fame with its association to Joy Adamson’s Born Free.
Meru National Park has a wide range of wildlife including elephant, rhinos, hippopotamus, lion, leopard, cheetah, reticulated giraffe, and zebra.

The bird life is also impressive and there are roughly 280 recorded species.

Meal Plan {Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner}

Day 5: Meru National Park - Nairobi

0630 Hours – 0830 Hours: Enjoy an early morning Game-drive. Return back to your lodge/ hotel for a proper sit down English breakfast.

1000 Hours: Check-out of the lodge and depart by road back to Nairobi arriving late afternoon.

Meal Plan {Breakfast}