Kenya 8 Days 7 Nights Safari Travel Diary

Listen to my ramblings about the trip 📅 8-Day 7-Night Itinerary: Day 1: Arrive in Nairobi. If arriving late, stay overnight in the city. If arriving early, head straight to Amboseli. ~ Day 2: Amboseli National Park - photographing elephants and the snow-capped Mount Kilimanjaro. Stay at Amboseli Oltukai Lodge (located within the park, convenient for birdwatching, stargazing at night, and spotting fireflies). ~ Day 3: Full day in Amboseli, continue staying at Oltukai. Staying inside the park saves travel time for animal viewing but is more expensive. ~ Day 4: Head to Lake Naivasha, passing through the Great Rift Valley. Take a boat ride to see fish eagles. Stay at Lake Naivasha Sopa Lodge (close to the lake, convenient, and with a nice environment). ~ Day 5: Visit Lake Nakuru National Park - birdwatching and spotting rhinos. Stay at Lake Nakuru Sopa Lodge (located on a hillside with great views and incredibly spacious rooms). ~ Day 6: Enter Maasai Mara, stay at Mara Keekorok Lodge (inside the park, reasonably priced, saving time on travel and park entry queues. You can see many animals right from the lodge). ~ Day 7: Full day safari in Maasai Mara, continue staying at Keekorok. Spending two full days in Maasai Mara increases the chances of spotting the Big Five. ~ Day 8: Return to Nairobi and take a late flight out. - 🦁 Went in May. Although I missed the Great Migration, I managed to spot almost all the smaller animals, including elephants, lions, cheetahs, leopards, hippos, jackals, hyenas, black rhinos, white rhinos, giraffes, zebras, wildebeests, various gazelles, mongooses, and marabou storks. - 🕊️ Birdwatching was particularly enjoyable, especially around Lake Naivasha and Lake Nakuru, a paradise for Nikon enthusiasts. Birds spotted include (most featured in separate posts): Yellow-billed stork, Great cormorant, Superb starling, Speke's weaver, Red-cheeked cordon-bleu, Long-tailed widowbird, Lilac-breasted roller, Secretary bird, African wattled lapwing, Pied kingfisher, Long-tailed cormorant, Fish eagle, Hadada ibis, Little bee-eater, Blacksmith lapwing, Black-headed heron, Chestnut-backed sparrow-lark, Black-headed ibis, Yellow-necked spurfowl, Grey crowned crane, Speckled mousebird, Helmeted guineafowl, African spoonbill, Pelican, African pied wagtail, White-bellied bustard. - 🧑‍✈️ Our guide was very professional, sharp-eyed, and skilled at finding animals and birds, as well as positioning us for the best lighting and angles (e.g., classic shots of elephants with Mount Kilimanjaro). He quickly responded to radio updates about sightings (e.g., cheetah hunting, leopard, lion) and secured prime viewing spots. Impressively, he knew the Chinese names of almost all the animals. The vehicle was equipped with a Chinese-language animal guidebook, which was very thoughtful.