Kenya Safari: The Big 5

• Locations: Nairobi, Kenya; Ol Pejeta Conservancy; Lake Nakuru National Park; Maasai Mara National Reserve; and Amboseli National Park (post-tour program)
• Dates: Two travel dates are being offered:
• Trip 1: July 20–30, 2022 (main trip); July 29–August 1 (post-tour program)
• Trip 2: July 30–August 9, 2022 (main trip); August 8–11 (post-tour program)
• Trip Capacity: Maximum of 30 guests per trip
• Registration Deadline: January 19, 2022
• Final Payment Deadline: April 19, 2022
• Costs: Starting at $6,995 per person for main trip and $2,495 per person for post- tour program
• Requirements: vaccination

Trip Overview and Highlights

Spot for the "Big 5" during this 11-day journey featuring unparalleled access to Kenya's national parks, reserves, and conservancies. Along with the guidance of an Orbridge Expedition Leader and remarkable accommodations, this adventure provides a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to witness the spectacular array of wildlife in one of the most unspoiled places on earth.

• Explore extraordinary national parks and reserves in Kenya—each featuring unrivaled wildlife and habitat diversity—with opportunities to observe the "Big 5" (endangered black rhino, leopard, elephant, buffalo, and lion)
• Retreat to luxurious lodges and tented camps, each uniquely beautiful and authentic in décor
• Enjoy daily game drives—accompanied by an Orbridge Expedition Leader and expert naturalist safari guides—aboard customized 4x4 vehicles
• Visit the Ol Pejeta Conservancy, an organization dedicated to wildlife preservation and the economic growth and improvement of surrounding rural communities. Ol Pejeta is home to the largest black rhino sanctuary in East Africa, which also houses the only two remaining northern white rhinos in the world.
• Observe land and avian wildlife during game drives through Lake Nakuru National Park, described as the greatest ornithological spectacle in the world
• Discover the Maasai Mara National Reserve, where approximately 95 species of mammals, amphibians, reptiles, and over 400 bird species have been recorded
• Take an optional hot air balloon safari over the Maasai Mara (additional fee).

The main trip includes the following:

• 8 nights’ accommodations at deluxe lodges and tented camps
• 8 breakfasts, 8 lunches, and 7 dinners, including a special farewell dinner
• Expert naturalist guides throughout trip
• Daily game drives in open-air vehicles with bottles water provided
• All main program gratuities, as well as taxes, service charges, and park fees
• Internal airfare from Maasai Mara to Nairobi on Day 10
• A day room on departure day
• Airport transfers for guests arriving and departing during suggested times

Amboseli post-tour program includes the following:

• Internal airfare from Maasai Mara to Amboseli
• 2 nights’ accommodations at Ol Tukai Lodge
• 2 breakfasts, 2 lunches, and 2 dinners
• Admission to Amboseli National Park
• 3 guided game drives
• All excursion transportation
• A day room on departure day
• Airport transfers for guests departing at the suggested time

The following are not included in main trip or post-tour program:

• International airfare
• Trip cancellation insurance and passenger travel protection plan*
• Costs associated with obtaining passports or entry visas
• Excess baggage charges
• Meals and beverages other than those specified as being included in  itinerary
• Personal expenses such as laundry, communication charges, and optional activities

* Principia will purchase evacuation insurance for all participants. If you are interested in adding additional travel insurance, please contact the Travel Insurance Center at 877.645.2090 or via email at orbridge@travelinsurancecenter.com.

Meet Your Trip Lecturer

Dr. Laurance Doyle is director of the Quantum Astrophysics Group at SETI Institute and principal investigator for its Humpback Whale project. Dr. Doyle previously served as director of the Institute for the Metaphysics of Physics at Principia College. He is a frequent lecturer on Principia Lifelong Learning trips.

Dr. Doyle will lecture on the following topics:

• Namoratunga: An Ancient Astronomical Site in Northwest Kenya
• The Borana Calendar: A Lunar-Stellar Calendar of East Africa
• Elephant and Other Non-Human Communication Systems

Trip Activity Level: Moderate

This trip requires an ability to walk safely over uneven and slippery ground without assistance, transport luggage a short distance, get in and out of a 4x4 vehicle, and physically tolerate vehicle motion on sometimes bumpy roads.

Trip Costs

• $6,995 per person, standard double
• $8,995 per person, deluxe double
• $9,995 per person, standard single
• $11,995 per person deluxe single
• $2,495 per person, standard double
• $3,495 per person, standard single (post-tour program)