4-Day Kisumu to Masai Mara Safari

Expect the day to center on Kericho tea highlands and First Mara game drive. Set out from Kisumu in the early morning and drive south through the scenic tea-growing highlands of Kericho — endless rolling hills carpeted in bright green tea bushes — and continue through Bomet town. Enter the Masai Mara via the Sekenani Gate arriving by lunchtime. Settle into your lodge and enjoy a welcome lunch. After settling in, set off for your first afternoon game drive on the legendary Mara plains. The Big Five search begins immediately as lions rest under acacia trees, elephants move in family herds, and vast herds of wildebeest and zebra stretch across the golden grasslands as far as the eye can see.

• Kericho tea highlands
• First Mara game drive
• Big Five search begins

Day 2 is built around Predator tracking and Mara River. Spend the day focused on morning and afternoon game drives exploring different sectors of the Masai Mara. The sunrise game drive departs at 6:30 AM when predators are most active — track lions on the hunt, cheetahs scanning for prey from termite mounds, and the elusive leopard draped in riverside trees. Stop at the Mara River for hippos, massive Nile crocodiles, and during migration season the dramatic wildebeest crossings. Bush picnic lunch surrounded by grazing wildlife. Afternoon drive through the Mara Triangle or Paradise Plains with your guide using expert knowledge to locate the most spectacular sightings. Optional Maasai village cultural visit ($25).

• Predator tracking
• Mara River
• Bush picnic lunch
• Optional Maasai village

The focus today is Big cat focus and Sundowner cocktails. Discover different sectors of the reserve for new wildlife encounters. Morning drive focusing on big cats — the Mara supports one of Africa's healthiest lion populations with over 850 individuals. Keep watch for cheetah families with cubs and leopards in their favored fig trees. Afternoon drive targeting elephants, buffalo herds, and the incredible diversity of antelope species from tiny dik-dik to massive eland. Watch a spectacular African sunset with sundowner cocktails as the sky turns orange and purple over the endless plains. Bush dinner under the stars.

• Big cat focus
• Sundowner cocktails
• Bush dinner under stars

Today's route brings together Final dawn game drive and Scenic return to Kisumu. Final early morning game drive for last memorable wildlife encounters. The dawn light creates memorable photography conditions as the Mara's animals are silhouetted against the golden sky. Following breakfast, pack up and drive back to Kisumu arriving by late afternoon. Safari ends with incredible memories of Africa's greatest wildlife spectacle.

• Final dawn game drive
• Scenic return to Kisumu