11-Day Kenya Safari: Samburu, Mara and Diani Beach

The journey starts in Nairobi and heads north through the central highlands and Nanyuki area towards Samburu. The landscape changes from highland farmland to the drier country of northern Kenya. The afternoon game drive introduces Samburu’s riverine woodland and open dry-country habitats. The guide looks for elephants and the northern species associated with the reserve, including reticulated giraffe, Grevy’s zebra and gerenuk, with stops to observe and photograph wildlife encountered along the circuit.

Morning and afternoon game drives explore Samburu’s dry plains, scrub and Ewaso Nyiro River corridor. The programme looks for the northern species associated with the reserve, including reticulated giraffe, Grevy’s zebra, gerenuk, Beisa oryx and Somali ostrich. The riverine woodland provides a contrasting setting for looking for elephants, predators and birds. The full day allows time to explore both the river habitats and more open country, with observation stops following the wildlife encountered on the drives.

The Samburu stage ends with the scheduled morning game viewing before the transfer to the departure airstrip. The booked flight continues to the Maasai Mara, changing from Samburu’s dry northern landscape to the Mara’s grasslands. At the arrival airstrip, the Mara guide meets the party for the ground transfer and afternoon game drive. The first Mara circuit introduces the reserve’s open plains and wildlife habitats, beginning the three-night stay and the two full game-drive days that follow.

Morning and afternoon game drives provide a full day in the Maasai Mara. The morning circuit explores the grasslands and riverine habitats, with time to look for predators, grazing herds and the smaller animals and birds encountered along the way. The later drive continues through the reserve’s open plains, allowing time to follow wildlife behaviour and changing activity through the day. The guide’s stops focus on observation and photography rather than a promised checklist of sightings.

A second full day in the Maasai Mara provides further morning and afternoon game drives. The programme continues through the reserve’s grassland and riverine habitats, allowing time to explore beyond the previous day’s circuits and follow different wildlife activity. The guide looks for predators, elephants, grazing herds and birds, with observation stops based on what is encountered along the tracks. This final full Mara day completes the three-night reserve stay before the journey continues to Lake Naivasha.

The safari leaves the Maasai Mara and continues to Lake Naivasha, changing from savannah game drives to the Rift Valley lake programme. The included boat ride explores the lake and its waterbird habitats, while the guided Crescent Island walk provides time to observe wildlife in the sanctuary’s grassland on foot. The sequence follows lake and site-access conditions. The stage ends at Naivasha, providing the overnight lake break before the road journey continues to Amboseli.

The safari leaves Lake Naivasha for the road journey to Amboseli, moving from the Rift Valley lake landscape to the plains beneath Mount Kilimanjaro. Arrival introduces the Amboseli area and the first game-viewing circuit through its open country and wetland margins. The guide looks for wildlife along the park roads and stops for observation as animals are encountered. This is the transfer and arrival day; the itinerary’s following Amboseli stage provides the dedicated full game-drive day where listed.

Morning and afternoon game drives explore Amboseli’s open plains, acacia woodland and permanent swamp habitats. The wetland edges provide opportunities to look for elephants, hippos and waterbirds, while the open ground offers a different setting for observing the park’s other wildlife. The programme includes Observation Hill for a wider view across the Amboseli basin. Mount Kilimanjaro forms part of the landscape when visibility allows, and the day provides time to photograph both the wildlife and the changing mountain views.

The Amboseli stage concludes with the scheduled final game viewing before the road journey to Diani Beach. The day moves the safari from the southern plains to Kenya’s Indian Ocean coast. Arrival at Diani begins the beach stay, with the remainder of the day at leisure to settle into the coastal setting. The following full day is reserved for beach time, with optional water sports and marine excursions available separately from the included safari programme.

The day is at leisure at Diani Beach, providing a coastal contrast to the safari’s game drives. Time can be spent enjoying the beach and the facilities at the booked property. Scuba diving, water sports, reef excursions and dhow trips remain optional activities with separate charges and provider operating requirements. The day is not presented as an included marine excursion. It completes the two-night Diani stage before the final road return to Nairobi.

The final day leaves Diani for the road return to Nairobi. The journey runs from the south coast through the coastal and inland road corridor towards the capital, with stops during the overland transfer. This is the final travel stage of the Platinum programme after the Samburu, Maasai Mara, Naivasha, Amboseli and Diani stays. The eleven-day safari finishes at the agreed Nairobi drop-off point following its two-night beach stay.