6 Days Kenya Flying Safari | Naivasha and Masai Mara

Depart Nairobi for the 90-minute drive to the Great Rift Valley Lodge & Golf Resort, climbing to the lodge’s position at around 7,000 feet on the Eburru Escarpment. The views from here stretch across Lake Naivasha to the volcanic crater of Mount Longonot and on to the Aberdare Mountains. Arrive in time for lunch, then settle in with an afternoon at leisure: explore the grounds, walk the golf course, or simply take in the Rift Valley views from your private balcony before dinner.

A full day to enjoy Naivasha. Options include a round on the resort’s 18-hole championship golf course, laid out around the lodge with views over the Rift Valley on nearly every hole and known for its 598-metre 17th, one of the longest holes in Kenya. Alternatively, a boat trip on Lake Naivasha brings guests close to hippo pods and the lake’s rich birdlife, or a half-day excursion to Hell’s Gate National Park offers walking and cycling among its dramatic gorges and cliffs, one of the few Kenyan parks where this is possible on foot. Guests who prefer to stay at the lodge can simply relax by the pool with the Rift Valley laid out below.

A short scheduled flight from Naivasha airstrip carries the group directly to the Masai Mara, landing at Kichwa Tembo Airstrip in around 30 to 40 minutes and replacing what would otherwise be a five to six hour road transfer. Arrive at Mara Elatia Camp in time for lunch on the open deck, with the Mara Triangle plains below and the Oloololo Escarpment behind, the ridge used as the cinematic backdrop for Out of Africa. The afternoon programme covers the Partakilat Conservancy white rhino sanctuary, home to eight white rhinos managed within a private 3,000-hectare conservancy, at a conservation fee of USD 40 per person. The day closes with Maasai cultural storytelling at the campfire and sundowners on the deck as the first stars appear over the escarpment.

Up before dawn and inside the Masai Mara National Reserve through the Oloololo Gate, minutes from camp, by 6:30am. The Mara Triangle is managed independently by the Mara Conservancy with stricter vehicle limits than the reserve’s eastern sections, producing quieter sightings around kills and river crossings. Picnic lunch is served in the bush. The afternoon focuses on the Mara River crossing sites, active between July and October during the Great Wildebeest Migration, alongside hippo pods, Nile crocodiles and the birdlife of the riverine fig tree galleries. Return to camp at golden hour.

Optional upgrade: hot air balloon safari at sunrise over the Masai Mara, landing for a champagne bush breakfast. Book at the planning stage.

The second full game drive day pushes toward the Mara River corridor and the Talek River ecosystem on the reserve’s broader eastern edge, two zones with distinct wildlife patterns from the Mara Triangle plains covered on Day 4. Expect large elephant herds, big buffalo concentrations and open plains where cheetah range. Guides cross-reference sightings by radio throughout the day. An optional Maasai village visit works well on this day, including a traditional welcome and a guided tour of the manyatta, with the fee paid directly to the community fund.

A final very early morning sunrise drive in the Mara Triangle, when the light is best and predators are still active. Return to camp for breakfast, then transfer to Kichwa Tembo Airstrip for the scheduled flight back to Nairobi’s Wilson Airport, approximately 45 minutes to an hour. From Wilson, transfer directly to the Carnivore Restaurant on Langata Road, in operation since 1980 and Nairobi’s most recognisable dining institution, for an all-you-can-eat “Beast of a Feast” farewell lunch of meats roasted over central charcoal pits on Maasai swords. We book this stop for groups whose international flight departs from 6:00pm or later; guests with earlier flights are transferred directly to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.