Kenya: Cultural Connections, Mt Kenya & Maasai Mara

From culture to wildlife to active adventures, Kenya has it all and has well-earned its reputation as one of the best places for safari in Africa. But this adventure goes way beyond that, bringing you a step further off the beaten path. Welcome to Nairobi and to Kenya, where we invite you to leave your hesitations behind and dive straight into the most exhilarating ten days you'll ever have.

Join your CEO and fellow travellers for a welcome briefing. Afterwards, head out for a delicious welcome dinner.

TRANSPORT: You will be met at the airport and transferred to the hotel to start your adventure.

ACTIVITY: Your opportunity to meet your CEO and fellow travellers, and learn more about your tour. Opt to join the group for a local meal afterwards. Don't forget to see the notice in the lobby (or ask reception) for the official time and place to meet up with the group.

Without a doubt the Maasai people have become the symbol of East Africa in many ways. North of Nairobi, south of Samburu, sits a very special lodge with a very special story. Il Ngwesi is owned and operated by the local Maasai community. The aim is to invite travelers to meet the community and feel completely immersed into your surroundings. It can be hard to really understand a culture when you are limited to a quick hour-long visit, and this experience at Il Ngwesi is the exact opposite. Spend plenty of time with your hosts, asking questions and discussing life. Join them on a bush walk to learn local techniques, or visit the village to learn how to craft some beautiful beadwork. With a laid back pace and a completely private experience, your stay at Il Ngwesi is completely worthy of its OMG status.After a short flight from Nairobi to Laikipia, transfer to a vehicle to make your way north to Il Ngwesi. Keep your eyes peeled as you will be on safari some of the way to the lodge. Stretch your legs this afternoon and join your Maasai guides on a bush walk as they teach you different bird calls and how to spot elephant tracks in the bush.TRANSPORT: Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's... yup, it is a plane, actually.TRANSPORT: Get a better view and take better snapshots aboard this off-road ride with a pop-up top.ACTIVITY: A highlight of your stay at Il Ngwesi is the bush walk. Walking with the Maasai guides, the stories on the tracks and trails unfold around you as you learn to spot the different calls and habitats of the birds and animals. As you walk, you will hear the ancient tales as told by the Maasai people to explain the world around you.ACTIVITY: Enjoy a truly unique stay at Il Ngwesi, an eco-lodge owned and operated by the Maasai community. Become immersed in the resident wildlife and Maasai culture, join your host on bush walks, learn more about traditional ways of hunting, watch the watering hole from a unique perch, and join in on some dancing to local music. The best part? Your stay is helping to support the nearby community while offering guests no barrier between each room and the vast savannah. Plus, the conservation efforts here have been instrumental in protecting a number of species only found in northern Kenya.

Awake this morning at Il Ngwesi and with no front wall whatsoever, the fresh air wafts in as the sun rises. Rooms are built in the traditional style using wood and earth to afford travelers the opportunity to feel connected to traditional Maasai life in a very unique way. The lodge has an incredible location, set away from other tourist spots, and your hosts and guides are the Maasai men and women from the nearby community. Though not quite as modern as other facilities in Kenya, Il Ngwesi brings you straight into the heart of a Maasai community who are keen to welcome you and engage with you from the moment you arrive. Head out on safari to start the day.Begin the day with a safari drive led by your local guides. You can spot wildlife out at the watering hole directly from the main area of the lodge, but getting out in a safari vehicle brings you much closer to the action. The afternoon includes a visit to the Maasai village with your local hosts.ACTIVITY: A safari game drive in the company of extremely knowledgeable Maasai guides, away from the tourist crowds and in some of Kenya´s most spectacular scenery, is the perfect time to grab your camera and ask plenty of questions of the knowledgeable staff.ACTIVITY: Admire the exquisite beaded necklaces, bracelets and earrings worn by both the men and women, and watch expert bead makers in action. Learn about the traditions that have been passed down from generation to generation.ACTIVITY: Enjoy a truly unique stay at Il Ngwesi, an eco-lodge owned and operated by the Maasai community. Become immersed in the resident wildlife and Maasai culture, join your host on bush walks, learn more about traditional ways of hunting, watch the watering hole from a unique perch, and join in on some dancing to local music. The best part? Your stay is helping to support the nearby community while offering guests no barrier between each room and the vast savannah. Plus, the conservation efforts here have been instrumental in protecting a number of species only found in northern Kenya.

Bid farewell to your Maasai hosts after an incredible two days of cultural discovery. Head south to Nanyuki where you will meet with 35 of your new best friends. While chimpanzees may not originate from Kenya, the Ol Pejeta Conservancy opened to ensure a safe, peaceful and lifelong refuge for orphaned and abused rescued chimpanzees. Habitat loss, disease and hunting are among the main reasons chimpanzees are endangered and why Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary opened their doors. Today you have a special opportunity to visit the furry residents here at Sweetwater and take a tour of the sanctuary.

Today we have the opportunity to visit The Sweetwater Chimpanzee Sanctuary supported by the Jane Goodall Institute. While visiting with the over 30 rescued Chimpanzees, discover how Ol Pejeta Conservancy is working to not only provide a safe place for these animals in need, but also to reduce the harm caused to primates across central and western Africa. In the afternoon, join a safari drive in the Ol Pejeta Conservancy.

TRANSPORT: Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.

ACTIVITY: The Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary aims to provide a refuge for chimpanzees rescued from the black market and is the only place in Kenya where our closest living relatives can be seen. The Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary was established in 1993, with an agreement between the Ol Pejeta Conservancy, the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) and the Jane Goodall Institute. The Sanctuary is now home to 35 chimps, divided into two large groups. These groups live in vast natural enclosures separated by the Ewaso Nyiro River.

ACTIVITY: Choose to go on an included but optional afternoon Game Drive through Ol Pejeta Conservancy.

Covered in afro-alpine flora and capped with glacier, Mt Kenya is undoubtedly one of the most spectacular landscapes in Africa. Experience another side of all that Kenya has to offer by hiking a portion of this impressive mountain. Starting from Sirimon Gate and trekking through 12 km of forested slopes, crossing rivers and enjoying wildlife filled panoramic views. Though you wont summit Mt Kenya, the views from the final viewpoint on the Sirimon route are undeniably breathtaking.

Mt Kenya is the second tallest peak in Africa and today is your chance to climb part of it. Channel your inner mountaineer as you hike 12 kilometers across this extinct volcano. We'll take the Sirimon Route, popular for its unique forest and wildlife viewing. Keep an eye out for zebras as your trek this gentle hike.

ACTIVITY: Hike through the moorland vegetation on the track crossing Ontulilli River before turning right, contouring through the Moorland and crossing Liki North River. Continue uphill to Mackinders Valley with panoramic views up the valleys. Here we stop for lunch before making our way back to the Old Moses camp. Packed Lunch en route.

Hosting the safari Big Five, the Great Migration and offering unparalleled wildlife encounters, the Mara is a destination you could easily spend weeks discovering. With some of the largest populations of lions, leopards and cheetahs in the world, Maasai Mara is one of the most legendary safari destinations. After your flight, waste no time before your first unforgettable safari out in its rugged grasslands.

If safari is what brought you to Africa, then get your binoculars ready. After a flight to Maasai Mara, we'll head out on safari in the national park renowned for having the highest concentration of big cats in the world. You'll be amazed how these giant cats are still master disguisers.

ACTIVITY: Maasai Mara is one of the world’s top safari destinations, known for its abundance of big cats – cheetahs, leopards and lions – as well as the two million wildebeest, Thomson’s gazelles and zebra that migrate annually across the vast grasslands in search of water. Set off on safari with our driver/guide and keep your eyes and ears peeled for movement and memories. Watch elephants and giraffe grazing, photograph zebras and wildebeest and, with a little luck, you'll even spot animals feasting on a recent kill.

TRANSPORT: Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's... yup, it is a plane, actually.

Today you get to choose! Do you want to hike or do you want to ride? If hiking sounds right for you, you'll head off to the Oloololo Escarpment for a hike along the granite plateau. The escarpment receives more rain than any other place in the Mara triangle so picture thick, green vegetation and full watering holes that attracts thirsty wildlife. The hike takes around 3.5 hours and has an elevation gain of around 300 metres. If you're looking for something a little less green or less physical, choose to join your local guide on a morning safari drive. Both options allow for amazing safari time out on the grasslands. At night we continue our adventure in the wild savannah with a dinner in the bush.

Today might just be the best day of your trip. For your OMG Day, stay active on a 3 hour hike along the Oloololo Escarpment, or join your local guide on a safari drive. In the afternoon, you'll head out on an afternoon safari drive that concludes with dinner in the bush under the stars.

ACTIVITY: Option 1: Oloololo escarpment forms the western boundary of the Mara triangle running along a geological fault line forming the edge of a granite plateau that rises to a height of 400 metres from the bottom. The escarpment receives more rain than the rest of the Mara triangle and lots of fresh water streams radiate from its face, disappearing into the ground only to reappear in swamps lower down. As a result of the rains, a growth of thick vegetation is found to be growing along the escarpment. This terrain ranges from rocky crags, boulders strewn slopes and well-watered wetlands. The icing on the cake has to be the ability to enjoy endless plains of grass of the Mara Plains which are a site to see from atop the escarpment. There are several tracks here used by the Germans during WW1.

Option 2: Join a local Maasai Safari Guide on a morning drive. This area is famous for its high population of big cats and is also home to the Great Migration. Climb aboard your safari vehicle and head out in search of wildlife!

ACTIVITY: Maasai Mara is one of the world’s top safari destinations, known for its abundance of big cats – cheetahs, leopards and lions – as well as the two million wildebeest, Thomson’s gazelles and zebra that migrate annually across the vast grasslands in search of water. Set off on safari with our driver/guide and keep your eyes and ears peeled for movement and memories. Watch elephants and giraffe grazing, photograph zebras and wildebeest and, with a little luck, you'll even spot animals feasting on a recent kill.

ACTIVITY: Dinner in the savannah is one of those meals that is much less about what you eat, and more about where you eat. The food will be delicious, without question, but it's eating in the open air with the sights, smells and sounds of Africa all around that make this experience unforgettable. From the bush kitchen straight to your outdoor table, bon appetit!

You start to recognize familiar sounds of wildlife at dawn, the smell of the fire in the evenings after a day on safari and the feel of the vehicle as it treads through the bush. The exhilaration of spotting something new, witnessing some incredible display of Earth's diversity, is hard to give up once you've felt it. Luckily one final day of safari awaits. You can choose to begin at sunrise with an optional hot air balloon ride over the Mara.

After a morning on safari, we'll join a local reforestation project to plant native Acacia trees. This small exercise affords G Adventures travellers an opportunity to ensure the land and wildlife of the Mara is vibrant for years to come. While trees are planted on your behalf when you book an adventure with G, this morning you plant an extra special one in Kenya with your fellow travellers. Take a well-deserved break after lunch at the lodge before a final afternoon safari drive.

ACTIVITY: Spend the morning out on safari in Maasai Mara National Park. The dawn hours present optimal conditions for observing active and vibrant animal behavior, giving us a prime opportunity to witness the untamed beauty of the wilderness awakening to a new day.

ACTIVITY: Support a local reforestation project by planting acacia trees with your fellow travellers.

ACTIVITY: In the afternoon, head out on another safari in the Maasai Mara. As the setting sun casts mesmerizing, warm hues across the landscape, it creates stunning silhouettes whcih enhance the photographic allure of the wildlife. During the afternoon, many animals can become more active, engaging in their daily rituals and increasing the chances of encounters.

A final morning in the Maasai Mara brings the opportunity to capture a few final mental snapshots of your time on safari. Making your way north towards Nairobi, stop for a delicious lunch at Cafe Ubuntu, a social enterprise empowering women and families to provide for their communities through both the cafe and a crafts shop.Once in Nairobi, join your CEO and fellow travellers for a final farewell meal.TRANSPORT: Get a better view and take better snapshots aboard this off-road ride.ACTIVITY: In the rural settlement of Maai Mahiu is the very special G Adventures for Good supported project, Ubuntu Café. A true social enterprise in the heart of Kenya, this initiative empowers the community, creating over 400 sustainable local jobs for mothers of children with disabilities, and supporting pediatric health and education programs in the region. Enjoy a delicious, organic farm-to-table lunch with tastes of quality coffee, breakfast tacos, soup, salad, freshly made pizzas, curry dishes and burritos.ACTIVITY: Join your group for one last dinner together

Your adventure comes to an end, and you can depart at any time today.



Departure transfers to Jomo Kenyatta airport are included.

ACTIVITY: Not ready to leave? Your CEO can help with any onward travel arrangements you require.

TRANSPORT: You will be met at your hotel and transferred to the airport at the end of your adventure.