2023 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 26–August 5, 2023 (main trip); August 4–7, 2023 (post-tour program)
•    Trip 2: August 4–14, 2023 (main trip); August 13–16 (post-tour program)
• Trip Capacity: Maximum of 30 guests per trip
• Registration Deadline: March 30, 2023
• Final Payment Deadline: April 27, 2023 for Trip 1 and May 6, 2023 for Trip 2  
• Costs: Starting at $6,995 per person for main trip and $2,495 per person for post- tour program
• Vaccination Requirements: None

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).

What is Included

Main Program

• 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
• Daily game drives in open-air vehicles with filtered 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 the suggested times

Optional Amboseli Post-Tour

• 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 transfer for guests departing at the suggested time

Accommodations are subject to change. Should specific accommodations be unavailable, Orbridge will seek alternative accommodations of an equal or higher standard.

What is Not Included

• Trip cancellation insurance and passenger travel protection plan
• Airfare and any checked luggage fees charged by the airline
• Transfers except in connection with scheduled group flights
• Meals and beverages other than those specified as included in the itinerary
• Items of a personal nature such as communication charges, sundries and laundry
• Any necessary COVID-19 testing required for entry to destinations or upon return home
• Any items not on the “included” list

Meet Your Trip Scholar

Renee Bumpus is the Chief Animal Conservation Officer at the Palm Beach Zoo & Conservation Center and serves as a board member for conservation peacebuilding and conservation leadership organizations. For over 2 decades, Renee has worked in wildlife conservation around the world participating in field research on African carnivores and other species. She has worked with Dr. Jane Goodall and National Geographic on wildlife projects and sits on the advisory board for the Somali Giraffe and Hirola Conservation Program in Kenya. Renee joined PLL travelers in summer of 2022 as trip scholar for the two Kenya trips. PLL is delighted to welcome her back in this role for the 2023 trips. 

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.