Itinerary week one



Itinerary Week one Day 1: Arrival in Nairobi, KENYA On arrival at Jomo Kenyatta Int. Airport in Nairobi, you will get a typical Kenyan "Meet and Greet". Thereafter you will be transferred to the Stanley Hotel in the city centre for a welcome dinner before having a programme briefing. You will be spending the night at this luxurious five star hotel. Day 2: Nairobi - Masai Mara We pick you from the Stanley Hotel and then depart for the Masai Mara Game Reserve. There will be a stopover at the viewpoint of the Great Rift Valley whose perspective on the valley below is splendidly panoramic. We descend into the Valley bottom and have our next stop in Narok town for lunch. Thereafter we continue our journey to the Masai Mara. Upon arrival proceed on an evening game drive. This reserve is world-famous, due to its high animal concentration, abundance and it's yearly seasonal migration of wildebeest and zebra. In the shimmering light of the African sun we will head for the Campsite, where a Mara welcome awaits! Introduction to Maasai In the warmth of the campfire you shall have an introductory talk on the Maasai, their culture, tribe and way of life. Day 3: Masai Mara After breakfast proceed for a day of tracking game with your guide. All the big five may be seen in this park namely; elephant, buffalo and lion. The sighting of rhino and leopard that make the total five cannot be guaranteed, as they are few in number, very shy and elusive. Break for your leisurely picnic lunch at the hippo pool where you can watch the Mara Rivers Hippos and crocodiles. Towards the day's end, return to the campsite for dinner and an overnight stay. Introduction to Nilotes The second night in the Mara will allow you a chance to know about the Nilotes, the different divisions, their locations and lifestyle. Day 4: Masai Mara - Nakuru Start the day with an early morning pre-breakfast game drive. This game drive is very important as it allows you to see most of the Mara wildlife just before they retire for the day. After breakfast depart to Nakuru with lunch in Narok. While on the highway to Nakuru, Mt. Longonot (which is of volcanic origin) and Lake Naivasha can be seen from afar. In the afternoon we arrive in Nakuru national park for an evening game drive. Accommodation is at the Lake Nakuru Lodge, one of the exotic lodges in the Rift Valley, where you have your dinner and overnight stay. Introduction to Kikuyu (Bantu) MTK promises a cultural experience. On this day you shall get information on the Kikuyu, the largest tribe in the country, their origins and cultures. Day 5: Lake Nakuru - Kisumu After breakfast precede on a game drive in the nearby Lake Nakuru National Park, which has a fantastic array of bird life including flamingos, white pelicans and the marabou stork, all water birds, that breed in the lake's alkaline waters. You may spot white rhino and the rare Rothschild's giraffe that has five horns instead of the usual three and clear instead of spotted shanks (legs). A visit to the baboon cliff offers a scenic panorama of the lake below, surrounded by a vast tract of euphorbia and acacia forest. Makalia falls within the park are an additional attraction. You leave the park in the late morning hours and drive to Kericho where lunch will be at the Kericho Tea Hotel. Kericho is famous for its tea plantations, on your therefore you have a splendid view of the tea farms that are spread out in brilliant green as far as the horizon. After roaming through the plantations with a guide to see the tea pickers at work, a visit to a tea factory is next on the agenda. Thereafter proceed onto the Sunset Hotel in Kisumu, where you will have your dinner and overnight. Introduction to Luo Day five will enable you experience the life of the dominant lake tribe, the Luo and their close neighbours the Luhya. Day 6: Kisumu - Kakamega forestAfter an early breakfast we head for the impala sanctuary and to Dunga beach, known as the hippo point with a chance to have a boat ride in the source of River Nile and largest fresh water lake in the world. We also visit the Kisumu museum where displays are well presented. There's a very good collection of everyday items from the various peoples of the area including agricultural implements, birds and insect traps (including a white ant trap), food utensils, clothing, furniture, weapons, musical instruments, and a fairly motley collection of stuffed birds and animals including an amazing centre piece of a lion riding on a wildebeest. Outside there is a traditional Luo homestead consisting of the husband's mud and thatch house and separate houses for each wife. Also visit the bird sanctuary before exploring the big magnificent market in Kisumu town. After lunch, depart for Kakamega Forest, where your drive takes you over the Tugen hills, through the beautiful Kerio valley and Sirikwa plateau into the Kakamega Forest Reserve which is a superb slab of virgin tropical rainforest in the heart of an intensively cultivated agricultural area. This forest is a home to a huge variety of birds and animals and is well worth the minimal effort required to get to it. Some parts of the forest are very dense and for a greater appreciation of the flora and fauna A guide with extensive knowledge on the trees and birds will accompany you and show you around. Binoculars and wet-weather gear are essential as it usually rains heavily every afternoon for a couple of hours. Dinner and overnight at the campsite. Introduction to Kalenjin The evening will be spent learning about the Kalenjin. This tribe came to be well known especially with the corruption of the past government. Day 7: Kakamega forest - Kitale After an early breakfast, have a morning nature walk taking you into the forest thicket for a real Kenyan adventure. The experience is breathtaking as one sees the forests inhabitants as they go through their morning activities; the monkeys and birds are quite active at these times. Hereafter depart for Ndalu, to be in time for lunch in the village. After lunch the Chief will give a presentation on Ndalu and the Luyha-culture. Hereafter you will visit the Primary school, which will be the project location for the on-coming week before being introduced to your host family with whom you will spend the following evenings with	Useful information about some of the terms in the texts The Stanley The Stanley recalls the graceful era of fine furnishings and cool Victorian elegance. It features the famous Thorn Tree Coffee Shop and the Zen gourmet restaurant with unique fusion cuisine. Read more...... The Maasai This warrior tribe of nomadic pastrolists are descendants of Nilotic and Cushitic people originally from north of Lake Turkana over 10 centuries ago. Their life is dominated by their herds of their cattle and livestock. Read more... Kericho This is tea country! Kenya is the world's third largest producer of tea after India and Sri Lanka and Kericho is in the heart of Kenya's tea plantations. Read more... Kericho Thea Hotel Kericho tea hotel is easily accessible as it is only 266 km from Nairobi on a good tarmac road through the panoramic view of the Great Rift Valley. Read more...... Kisumu This pleasant, sleepy town on the shores of the lake is the main town in the Western Highlands and the third biggest town in the country. Read more.... Kisumu Sunset Hotel Sunset hotel is located in an attractive landscape garden with uninterrupted view of Lake Victoria, just 5 minutes from the city centre and 15 minutes from Kisumu Airport. Read more....