Magical Kenya & Sensual Zanzibar

After a wonderful breakfast, it’s time to depart for the David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage. The respected magazine National Geographic brilliantly describes the meeting with the elephant orphanage; You will have the opportunity to get up close to the elephants, watch them eat and play, while a zookeeper will tell you more about their lives, how they cope and their future opportunities.

You will then visit the Karen Blixen Museum. Karen Blixen moved to Kenya in 1914 to marry and become Baroness Blixen, you will get a guided tour. A beautiful garden has been laid out around the house and the view of the Ngong mountains in the distance is still as beautiful as when the baroness herself lived in the house.

After lunch, you drive to the cultural centre Bomas of Kenya, which is almost a miniature version of Kenya. Here you will have the opportunity to experience the diversity of cultures that make up this fascinating country. You will, among other things, see traditional ways of living, and witness traditional dance and music. 

After a wonderful night’s sleep, you continue your journey further north when you drive to the Samburu National Reserve. The reserve is named after the Samburu tribe, which is closely related to the Maasai tribe. Where the Maasai continued their migration further south, the Samburu stayed in the northern part of Kenya. They are seminomadic and live by herding cattle. 

In addition, the reserve is also famous for another and even more curious story about the lioness Kamunyak, who adopted 6 oryx antelope calves, which under normal circumstances would be her prey. This fantastic story can be seen in the documentary ”Heart of a Lioness” from 2003. 

This morning you have to get up early to go on a game drive. The reserve is dominated by dry savanna and rocky scrub areas, broken by the beautiful acacia trees, with their characteristic umbrella-shaped crowns, along the river. 

In the Samburu National Reserve, you will also visit a local village. The Samburu are descended from the same lineage as the Masai people, but they are poorer and not nearly as proud. Like the Maasai, the Samburu live off cattle, and their meals consist of goat or sheep meat and cow’s milk mixed with ox blood. Nothing else. In the bright sun, their red cloaks burn through the brown-yellow landscape. 

After breakfast, it is time to drive to the Ol Pejeta private nature reserve, still called Sweetwaters by many after the original and smaller part of the reserve, which is located at the foot of Mount Kenya. In clear weather there is a spectacular view towards the regularly snow-covered peak, which with its 5,199 meters is Africa’s second highest mountain. 

You will arrive at lunchtime at Serena Sweetwaters, one of the most exclusive safari tented camps in Kenya. A protected oasis that is surrounded by a watering hole, where you are in the first row to experience the wild animals drinking. The rest of the day is at your leisure, where you can relax and enjoy the surroundings. 

Today you have to get up early to go on a game drive and see the animals when they are most active. Ol Pejeta contains all the classic savanna game you can think of, and on top of this a number of specialities/rarities. All the big predators also thrive in Ol Pejeta: lions, leopards, cheetahs, spotted hyenas and striped hyenas, while the rare African wild dog can also be seen with some luck. 

Finally, you will also visit the Rhino Sanctuary, which was home to the world’s last 3 northern white rhinos. Unfortunately, the last male – Sudan – has passed away, and thus there are only 2 females left. You will hear more about the work to protect the endangered rhinoceros from poachers. 

After breakfast it is time to drive to Nakuru. It is Kenya’s 4th largest city and the provincial capital of the Great Rift Valley. The drive takes approx. 6 hours and along the way there will be an opportunity to stop so you can take pictures of the fantastic view over parts of the valley. The Great Rift Valley is an almost 6,000-kilometer-long valley that runs all the way from northern Syria down to Mozambique. 

In Nakuru it is possible to go on a bit of sightseeing in the city or take a trip up to Menengai Crater (at your own expense). The crater is the largest volcanic caldera in Kenya (second largest in Africa) and offers stunning views over the area. 

After a good night’s sleep, it’s time for an experience out of the ordinary, when you go out to visit a primary school and a high school and experience a completely ordinary school day. 

Oterit Primary & Secondary Schools are located in Baringo County well over 1 hour Distance northwest of Nakuru. The schools have students aged 3-24 divided into Nursery School (1-3 years), Primary School (8 years of schooling) and Secondary School (4 years of schooling) and are financially supported by the Danish NGO Periamma (www.periamma.org). 

You will participate in the classes so that you can get an idea of how classes are conducted in Kenya. It is also possible to participate in various play activities with the children. You eat lunch together with the teachers, where you can exchange experiences with the school system in Denmark. With your visit, you also help to ensure that all the school children get lunch this day. 

After breakfast, drive to the Masai Mara National Reserve. Masai Mara National Reserve is probably the best-known national park in Kenya, partly because of the unique wildlife and the chances to see the animals in their natural environment, and partly because of the name that covers the colourful tribe, the Masai. 

After lunch, you will spend the afternoon in a village with the Maasai tribe, participating in their normal daily activities. You hear them talk about their lives and traditions, and you also participate in the preparations for the cooking, where goats are to be slaughtered for the famous barbecue “Nyama Choma”. By the glow of the fire, stories and anecdotes are exchanged. After an eventful afternoon with many memorable experiences, you drive back to your lodge. 

You leave early from your lodge to go on a full-day game drive in what is probably the most beautiful safari park in Kenya in search of The Big Five – the rhinoceros, the lion, the leopard, the elephant, and the buffalo. The term dates back to the 1800s, when big game was hunted on foot. The hunters judged that these five animals were the most difficult and dangerous to kill. So even though the term originates from a bygone era, nothing has changed in that it is still an achievement and requires a lot of luck to spot these five animals. 

The day is devoted to another all-day game drive. The Masai Mara is particularly known for its population of big cats: lions, cheetahs, and leopards. In fact, the area is the place in Africa with the most lions. 

You have a picnic basket with you so you can have lunch somewhere along the Mara River and enjoy the view of the hippos relaxing on the surface of the water. The Mara River is also home to the largest Nile crocodiles in Africa. 

You say goodbye to the mighty Masai Mara after breakfast and drive to the airport in Nairobi to continue your journey to Zanzibar in the Indian Ocean. 

Upon arrival at Abeid Amani Karume International Airport you will be met by our local guide who will arrange for you to be driven to your hotel in Stone Town. 

Stone Town is the heart of Zanzibar and is part of the main town of Zanzibar City. In the year 2000, the district was added to UNESCO’s world heritage list, as the area is of particular importance as a Swahili port, which has made it important to preserve the district as shared cultural heritage. Throughout the last 1000 years, Stone Town has been under cultural influence from several different sides, which has marked the district significantly. In particular, Arab culture has left its mark, but also African, European, Indian, and Persian culture has left its mark on the district. 

Today therefore gives you a unique opportunity to spend a few hours walking around the narrow, winding alleys, where you can enjoy the sight of bazaars, mosques and architectural gems inspired by the different cultures. A very special feature of the houses is the brass-mounted and carved wooden doors, which you will find around the district. 

After a delicious breakfast, it’s time to go on a spice safari. Zanzibar stores a lot of the spices that you find on the shelves of the supermarkets at home. In Day you get the opportunity to touch, smell, taste and guess which spices you are presented with. It is not always easy to see or know which spices grow on bushes, trees and in the ground. 

Late in the afternoon you will go on a sunset cruise, so you can experience the very special African sunset, where the sky is lit up in the most fantastic burnt orange-red colours. 

After breakfast has been digested to the sound of crashing waves, it’s time to get out and sail the Indian Ocean. The destination of today’s sailing trip is Mnemba Island, which is surrounded by the most beautiful corals, white sandy beaches and inviting turquoise seas. You will spend the day relaxing, enjoying the sun’s rays, swimming, snorkelling, and swimming with dolphins. 

After a nice breakfast, it’s time to say goodbye to Stone Town and head north to Nungwi. The beach at Nungwi is everything you associate with an exotic island: the swaying palm trees that provide some shelter from the sun on the pearly white sandy beaches. The turquoise blue sea, where traditional wooden boats – dhows – gently rock past over beautiful coral reefs with a myriad of colourful life. It is the garden of paradise on earth, and the most obvious place to find time and space for contemplation and rest. 

After a nice breakfast, it’s time to say goodbye to Stone Town and head north to Nungwi. The beach at Nungwi is everything you associate with an exotic island: the swaying palm trees that provide some shelter from the sun on the pearly white sandy beaches. The turquoise blue sea, where traditional wooden boats – dhows – gently rock past over beautiful coral reefs with a myriad of colourful life. It is the garden of paradise on earth, and the most obvious place to find time and space for contemplation and rest.

After a nice breakfast, it’s time to say goodbye to Stone Town and head north to Nungwi. The beach at Nungwi is everything you associate with an exotic island: the swaying palm trees that provide some shelter from the sun on the pearly white sandy beaches. The turquoise blue sea, where traditional wooden boats – dhows – gently rock past over beautiful coral reefs with a myriad of colourful life. It is the garden of paradise on earth, and the most obvious place to find time and space for contemplation and rest.

After a nice breakfast, it’s time to say goodbye to Stone Town and head north to Nungwi. The beach at Nungwi is everything you associate with an exotic island: the swaying palm trees that provide some shelter from the sun on the pearly white sandy beaches. The turquoise blue sea, where traditional wooden boats – dhows – gently rock past over beautiful coral reefs with a myriad of colourful life. It is the garden of paradise on earth, and the most obvious place to find time and space for contemplation and rest.

In the morning you leave your hotel to drive to the airport in Stone Town to fly home. Tired, but filled with lots of lovely holiday memories and, of course, unique spots.