Compare Intergenerational Kenya: Big Cats, Baby Elephants & Maasai Warriors by Road Scholar vs Premium Kenya by Intrepid Travel

Day 1: Depart the U.S. on Overnight Flights.

Depart From: Overnight flights from the U.S. to Nairobi, Kenya.

Day 2: Arrivals to Nairobi, Kenya.      

Accommodation: Sarova Panafric

Evening: Arrival at Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.

Proceed through Immigrations, Baggage Claim and Customs before exiting the secured area of the airport. If getting your visa upon arrival, please submit your completed visa application form, fee and valid passport at the visa booth before proceeding nearby to the Immigration counter.

The Road Scholar representative will be waiting outside the Customs exit door, in the arrivals hall, with a Road Scholar sign (only applies to Road Scholar group flights).

Transfer to the hotel and check-in.

Note: This is an international travel day. No meals are included, other than those provided on the international flights. Hotel rooms available for check-in starting at 3 p.m.

Day 3: Nairobi - Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage/Kenya Wil...            

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Sarova Panafric

Note: Please be aware that program activities and scheduled times could change due to local circumstances. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding.

Breakfast: In the hotel restaurant.

Morning: After breakfast, enjoy a short program orientation with your group leader.

Get to know your group leader and fellow Road Scholar participants during a welcome and introduction session at the hotel. We will review the up-to-date daily schedule and any changes, discuss responsibilities, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer any questions you may have.

An introductory talk ('Saving Orphaned Elephants, Why Bother?') will prepare us for our morning field trip to the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust- Orphan Project.

The David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage, located near Nairobi National Park, raises elephant calves and rhinos orphaned by poaching. The center was established by Daphne Sheldrick, widow of famed Tsavo game warden David Sheldrick. The orphanage is regularly open to the public in the mornings. At that time, visitors get to watch the playful calves being fed, exercised, and bathed. Once the animals are ready to be returned to the wild, they are transported to Tsavo National Park and reintroduced to resident herds.

Lunch: At a local restaurant.

Afternoon: Transfer to the Kenya Wildlife Headquarters and the animal orphanage.

While at the Kenya Wildlife Headquarters' animal orphanage watch the animals being fed, especially the big cats--lions and cheetahs. Learn how animals' teeth provide clues to the type of food they eat and where they live.

Return to the hotel. Before dinner, join in a group discussion about the wildlife seen during the day's activities. Children will be invited to select a specific animal to study throughout the program.

Following the wildlife discussion, enjoy a lesson on the basics of Swahili.

Dinner: At the hotel restaurant.

Evening: Free time.

Day 4: Lake Elementaita - National Museum/Excursion to ...               

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Lake Elementaita Lodge

Lake Elementaita - National Museum/Excursion to Giraffe Center/Meeting a Maasai.

Breakfast: At the hotel restaurant.

Morning: Depart for the National Museum for a follow-up on animal studies and an introduction to the early inhabitants of Kenya--some of the oldest on Earth.

Excursion to the Giraffe Center where you will have the chance to feed these gracious animals and learn about their extraordinary physiology.

The Giraffe Center is a not-for-profit organization founded in 1979 with the purpose of saving Kenya's endangered Rothschild Giraffe, indigenous to the Lake Nakuru area. In the late 1970s, only 130 Rothschild Giraffes existed in the wild, displaced by encroaching agriculture. Since its founding, the Giraffe Center has been able to increase the giraffe population by raising and relocating the giraffes to protected wildlife parks and reserves. The center welcomes visitors of all ages to enjoy a close encounter with these gentle giants for a unique hands-on learning experience.

Lunch: At a local restaurant.

Afternoon: Depart for Lake Elementaita with an introduction to the Great African Rift Valley from a lookout point en route.

Arrive at your lodge and enjoy some free time to explore the lodge grounds or simply relax before your evening activities.

Before dinner, meet your first Maasai for a talk about the significance of Lake Elementaita in the history of the Maasai people.

Dinner: At the lodge.

Evening: Free time.

Day 5: Lake Nakuru - Nature Walk with a Maasai/Mwariki ...               

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Lake Nakuru Lodge

Lake Nakuru - Nature Walk with a Maasai/Mwariki Village Visit/Game Drive in Lake Nakuru National Park.

Breakfast: At the lodge restaurant.

Morning: After breakfast, join a Maasai naturalist on a nature walk from the lodge to the shore of the lake. Enjoy an introduction to the bush lore of the Masai, observe flamingoes and discuss their migratory patterns in the Rift Valley.

Return to the lodge and free time until lunch.

Lunch: At the lodge restaurant.

Afternoon: Depart for the Mwariki Village, located at the entrance to the Lake Nakuru National Park. Learn about life in a rural village and participate in a bead making session organized by the ladies of this community.

Continue into the Lake Nakuru National Park for our first game drive and an introduction to the animals of the park.

Return to the lodge late in the afternoon. Review the day's activities with your group leader, followed by a discussion on Lake Nakuru's successful rhino breeding project--the most effective project of its kind in Kenya.

Dinner: At the lodge.

Evening: Local entertainment provided by the lodge.

Day 6: Lake Nakuru - Rhino Base/Game Drives.             

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Lake Nakuru Lodge

Breakfast: At the lodge restaurant.

Morning: Early morning game drive to the Rhino Base for further discussion on the rhino followed by an intense search for these tank-like animals. Return to the lake shore for a discussion of the different eating habits of the Greater and Lesser Flamingo and find out how the food they eat affects their color. Search for the elusive leopard and study a large troop of baboons to learn about their social habits. Continue to the lookout point for a "spot the animal" competition.

Return to the lodge.

Lunch: At the lodge.

Afternoon: After lunch, take advantage of your free time to enjoy the pool, catch-up on your reading, or get some rest before resuming activities later in the day.

Get together for tea and cookies, then embark on an afternoon game drive to observe how animals prepare for the night.

Return to the lodge for a review of the day's activities and an orientation session in preparation for your up and coming visit to the Kariandusi archaeological site.

Karibu! Gather around for another Swahili lesson.

Dinner: At the lodge.

Evening: Free time.

Day 7: Crater Lake - Kariandusi Pre-historic Site/Lake

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Crater Lake Tented Camp

Breakfast: At the lodge.

Morning: Depart for the Kariandusi pre-historic site for a presentation on the Stone Age community that inhabited that location. Learn how they made their hand axes and watch one being made.

Dr. Louis Leakey, famed archaeologist and naturalist, discovered Kariandusi (an Acheulean site) near Lake Elementaita in 1928. Excavations (1929-1947) conducted at this location uncovered many Stone-Age implements including knives and hand axes. Interesting on-site exhibits showcase the archaeological finds.

Depart for Lake Naivasha with a short presentation on the different activities associated with the lake such as fishing and flower growing.

Lunch: At a local restaurant on the shores of Lake Naivasha.

Afternoon: Embark on a scenic boat ride on Lake Naivasha, skirting the shores of Crescent Island in search of animals that have the been the "stars" of many nature movies. Also, be on the look-out for African Fish Eagles as you cross the lake. These endangered raptors can sometimes be spotted snatching up unsuspecting fish out of the lake waters and carrying them away in their strong tallons.

Upon entering the Crater Lake Sanctuary, enjoy a short game drive looking for zebras, giraffes, warthogs, elands, and monkeys.

Arrive at the camp overlooking the crater lake. Free time to settle-in and relax.

As the last rays of sun slip below the horizon, we will gather around the camp fire for a story telling session.

Dinner: At the camp.

Evening: Free time.

Day 8: Crater Lake - Nature Walks at Crater Lake and Ga...   

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Crater Lake Tented Camp

Breakfast: Enjoy some early morning coffee and cookies at the camp while the local guide provides an enlightening introduction to the sounds of the morning.

Breakfast to follow.

Morning: On a guided nature walk around Crater Lake, search for monkeys and learn to identify the prints left behind by animals that visit the lake during the night. A short hike to the rim of the crater provides the opportunity to discuss the formation of the crater from a geological perspective.

Continue to the wildlife sanctuary with the naturalist guide for a rare opportunity to walk amongst the animals. To quietly stalk a browsing giraffe or a grazing eland gives a realistic perspective of the size and the beauty of these large animals.

Lunch: BBQ at the camp.

Afternoon: After lunch, meet in the conference room to watch a video presentation. An afternoon walk in the vicinity of the lake will focus on animal tracks and how to identify them.

Dinner: At the camp.

Evening: A night game drive in the sanctuary will introduce us to the eyes and sounds of the night.

Day 9: Masai Mara - Nature Walk with a Maasai Warrior/C...             

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Nyumbu Camp

Breakfast: At the camp.

Morning: Depart for the Masai Mara.

Lunch: Box lunch en route.

Afternoon: Orientation to the camp and presentation on the Masai Mara, Kenya's most famous reserve, by the resident Maasai naturalist.

A nature walk with a Maasai warrior will address the dos and don'ts when encountering wild animals.

Camp fire stories with a Maasai warrior.

Dinner: At the camp.

Evening: After dinner, learn about the Great Migration during a video presentation.

Day 10: Masai Mara - Game Drives in the Mara.            

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Nyumbu Camp

Breakfast: Early breakfast at the camp.

Morning: Depart for a game drive in the Masai Mara. The focus will be on bit cats--lion, leopard, and cheetah--with discussions and observation of their different hunting strategies and social structure. Also, expect to see your first elephants in the wild and learn how members of a family of elephants help each other.

As we approach the Mara River, the focus turns to the Great Migration. Marvel at the long lines of wildebeest and zebra moving through the rolling savannah grasslands on their annual 800 mile journey in search of food.

Lunch: Picnic lunch in the Mara.

Afternoon: After lunch, continue with your game drive in the Masai Mara.

Return to the camp. Before dinner, enjoy a camp fire orientation with a Maasai warrior in preparation for your up and coming visit to a Maasai village.

Swahili lessons before dinner.

Dinner: At the camp.

Evening: Free time.

Day 11: Masai Mara - Learning the Ways of the Maasai/Vis...           

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Nyumbu Camp

Breakfast: At the camp.

Morning: Walk with a Maasai warrior to understand the movements of the wild animals by studying their hoof prints and droppings. Learn how the Maasai protect themselves from a wild animal attack by using their fighting sticks, spears, and bows and arrows. Practice the same drills that warriors do to become proficient with their weapons. Learn how to make fire by creating friction with a stick and piece of wood and make a toothbrush from a tree branch--the Maasai way.

Meet local teachers and school children during a visit to a rural school (if in session). ***Although not required, previous participants have enjoyed taking basic school supplies to donate to the school.***

Lunch: At the camp.

Afternoon: Take part in a Maasai ritual in preparation for the farewell dinner.

During a visit to a local Maasai village, mingle with the young children as they herd the calves and goats back to the village for the night. Count the cows as they return to the village and participate in their milking. Help to settle the calves into the huts and spend time in the hut learning about the Maasai way of life.

Return to the camp.

Dinner: Farewell dinner at the camp with a Maasai celebration.

Evening: Continue dancing with the Masai, learning about the meaning of their different dances.

Day 12: Return to Nairobi and International Departures.   

Meals: Lunch

Accommodation: Panari Hotel

Arrive To: At the camp.

Morning: Begin transfer to Nairobi.

Lunch: In Nairobi at a local hotel.

Afternoon: Participants will be accommodated at the Panari Hotel until it is time to depart for the airport (check-out at 6 p.m.). Enjoy time at leisure to finish packing, make use of hotel amenities, or simply relax before your international flights.

Enjoy some snacks at the hotel before leaving for the airport.

Transfer to the airport and check-in for international overnight flights.

This concludes the program. We hope you enjoyed your Road Scholar adventure! When you get home, remember to stay in touch via the Road Scholar Social Network; share memories, pictures, and comments about your recent travels.

Day 13: Arrive in the U.S.               

Arrive To: International flight arrivals to the U.S.

Day 1 Nairobi

Welcome to Kenya! Your adventure begins in the capital city, Nairobi. You will be collected from the airport for a short transfer to your hotel, where you will meet your local leader and small group for a 6pm welcome meeting. If you arrive before this time, you could spend the afternoon browsing the artistic and cultural displays at Nairobi Gallery, or lounging by the pool at your home for the night – a swish central hotel complete with bold pan-African art, a sauna and steam room, and super friendly staff. After your meeting, head out with your leader and fellow travellers to a colourful local restaurant offering traditional favourites with a modern touch. Sharing food is a big part of the culture here and a great way to get to know your new travel companions – enjoy sharing platters and tasty sides like samosas, fried plantains and tilapia.

Day 2 Lake Naivasha / Lake Nakuru

After Breakfast, we pack our bags and head off to Great Rift Valley of East Africa where our first stop will be at the Eden Project. Eden Reforestation Projects is a nonprofit NGO that works in developing countries to rebuild natural landscapes destroyed by deforestation. Eden works directly with communities experiencing extreme poverty resulting from the deforestation and destruction of the land that sustains them – Intrepid is a proud sponsor of this project and we help raise funds for this organization. Spend an hour at this site and learn how they work alongside the community to produce, plant, and protect tens of millions of trees every month, creating jobs to support them in restoring their local environment and economy long-term. Then depart for Elsamere, the former home of the writer Joy Adamson, whose 1960 book 'Born Free' helped bring wildlife conservation into the mainstream. The house is a veritable museum dedicated to the works of Joy and George Adamson, with many photos of Elsa, the lioness that started it all. Embark on a boat trip on Lake Naivasha, the highest of all lakes in the Great Rift Valley and home to many a hippopotamus. Later, enjoy a high tea lunch on the very grounds Joy cherished for so many years, with the lake as a serene backdrop. After lunch, continue to your Lake Nakuru lodge, arriving in the early evening. From your lodge you’ll enjoy remarkable views of Lake Nakuru and the surrounding national park, alive with the call of birds and rich in wildlife. What better way to take it all in than from your lodge’s infinity pool.

Day 3 Lake Nakuru National Park

This morning you will visit Lake Nakuru National Park by four-wheel drive vehicle (4x4) – the park’s lake is its stunning centrepiece. Mornings can be cold here so it's important to bring warm clothes. You might see why this great soda lake has been described as the world's greatest ornithological spectacle; great seas of flamingos often turn the landscape a sweeping shade of pink. Flooding in recent years has unfortunately caused a decline in birdlife, however the park boasts substantial numbers of other species, including waterbuck, reedbuck and gazelle. Leopards are also to be found here, and the chances of sighting one are significant. Return to the lodge and take some time out for lunch, then head back out for another afternoon game drive. Keep your eyes peeled for one of Africa's most endangered creatures, the elusive black rhinoceros. While white rhino sightings are fairly common, spotting a black rhinoceros is a real treat.

Day 4 Masai Mara National Reserve

Head southwest to the Masai Mara, one of the finest game reserves in Africa. Cross the Great Rift Valley and pass by the remote region of Loita Hills, home of the Maasai people. This is one of the few places where they still practice their traditional way of life with little influence from the western world. Stop at Tepesua Village where you’ll be welcomed by Maasai Warriors through traditional song and dance. Meet your Maasai hosts, take a walk to the community village and enjoy a fascinating talk full of insights into this ancient culture. The village offers support, safety and economic growth through the ‘Tepesua Widows Income Project’, where widowed women sew eco-friendly handicrafts to sell to visitors and locals. Learn about village life and be shown around a traditional Maasai home and cattle enclosure. Move on to Zebra River Camp, your Feature Stay accommodation for the next three nights. Here, you can watch blazing sunsets and share stories over the bonfire – or cocktails in the plush lounge area – before retiring to your luxury digs. Tented rooms feature ensuite bathrooms, large, comfortable beds and private verandas offering fabulous views of the surrounding wilderness.

Day 5 Masai Mara National Reserve

Explore more of the park by 4x4 today with further game drives from morning to the afternoon. We depart for an early morning game drive with our packed lunch at hand since we will drive to the furthest part of the park. Witness the wonderful procession of wildlife that inhabits the area. Wildebeest, zebra and gazelle are plentiful, and you might even spot predators keeping a casual eye on their movements. Elephants, giraffes and elands are also commonly sighted, along with plenty of bird life. The area is known for its rolling green plains and riverine woodlands, and amongst the many species of game, a black-maned lion, leopard or cheetah might appear, with some luck. As the sun starts to set, stop and take a moment to soak it all in with a drink in hand – there’s few better ways to wrap up a day of wildlife spotting in one of the world’s most magical places. As dusk falls, a variety of animals might be visible in the vicinity of your camp also. We return to camp late in the evening and freshen up before settling in for dinner.

Day 6 Masai Mara National Reserve

The morning is yours to do as you wish. You may like to sit back with a cup of coffee on your private deck, keeping an eye out for animals in the reserve, or forgo a sleep-in in favour of an early morning game drive or walking safari. If you’d like to see the Masai Mara from a different perspective, a sunrise hot air balloon ride is a truly memorable experience. Balloon rides can be booked ahead of time or on the ground (subject to availability) and the suppliers are committed conservationists, with a portion of the profits from every flight going straight to worthy conservation projects within the park. You will be collected before dawn and glide through the sunrise, sometimes at tree height, making the most of the amazing photo opportunities. Sometimes you'll ascend to get an overview of the enormity of the Masai Mara plains and the early-morning movements of the teeming herds. In the afternoon, regroup for another exciting 4x4 game drive in the park.

Day 7 Nairobi

Say goodbye to the Masai Mara and return to Nairobi. You can expect to arrive in the late afternoon, at which point your adventure will come to an end. Please do not book any international flights departing from Nairobi International Airport before 8pm this evening to allow for any unexpected delays. If you would like to extend your stay in Nairobi, additional accommodation can be booked in advance (subject to availability).