Destinations

A Day Excursion in Nairobi

What is there to do in Nairobi if you have just a one day layover? When visiting Kenya, proceeding on safari to the famous Masai Mara, Amboseli, Lake Nakuru or even Ol Pejeta is quite common; as we know Kenya is one of the most accessible countries in East Africa. Yet, if you have just a one night transfer in Nairobi for business and don’t have lots of time for the long safari carry on reading.

We have a solution for you! The capital of Kenya, Nairobi, can boast an opportunity to see wild nature without even having to go out of the city. Recently, our youngest team members loved their visit to Nairobi National Park, the Elephant Orphanage and the Giraffe Center.

The Elephant Orphanage only allows visitors strictly between 11 and 12pm. Julia and Lesia from Shadows had adopted two young elephants in the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust about six months ago. It gave them an advantage to visit at 5pm when these cute creatures were getting ready for sleep. That is why they planned their day accordingly.

Wirh adoption certificates, February 2017

At 8am, after a refreshing breakfast, they headed to Nairobi National Park for a short game drive and to be in time for the giraffe and elephant visits. It is quite a short drive to the park, but when it concerns Nairobi, you may need to be ready to deal with heavy traffic. Realistically, it takes around 40 minutes to get there.

The most special thing about the Nairobi National park is the opportunity to observe wildlife right in front of the skycrapers. Just a short distance from the entrance, you can see zebras, giraffes, antelopes and African buffaloes. If you are lucky enough, you will get to see at least a couple of lions and even the endangered black rhinos. The ladies were more than surprised to observe around 7 rhinos at the same time! Elijah, from our Nairobi office, explained that in Nairobi National Park it is possibly the best place in Kenya to view these rare and endangered species. In stunning Nakuru National Park, you may only get a slim chance at seeing such a big group.

The team also paid a visit to the Ivory Burning Site Monument, where more than 100 tons of ivory was burnt to hinder poaching.
It was the largest ivory burn in history.

After the game drive, the ladies visited the Giraffe Center, which is open from 9am up to 5pm. The center allows visitors to touch the giraffes and even feed them; but you need to be careful, these proud animals can hit you with their heads.

Julia in the Giraffe Center

Finally, the most exciting part of the trip for Julia and Lesia was the visit to their adopted elephants Jotto and Malkia. They were saved by the David Shelrick Wildlife Trust and will be re-introduced back into the wild at the mere age of three. Any visitor of the orphanage can choose an elephant to sponsor. The minimum donation per year is just $50! This helps the foundation to supply babies with milk, food and to save more animals all around the Kenyan National Parks.

In hurry to get some milk

The Trust is not just hosting elephants, but as well as warthogs, rhino and a giraffe. This is a great chance for you to be a part of rescuing and saving african species from extinction. Some of the guests adopted more than 5 babies and come regularly to visit them. There is even an opportunity to adopt elephants online; this means that you can make an appointment to visit your baby at 5pm, when there are not that many tourists around. Thereafter, they spent a fanstic evening enjoying the restaurants of Nairobi.

Nairobi is definitely a city of contrasts. Here you will find everything - skyscrapers and slums, wildlife and traffic, a mix of nationalities and cultures. It is one of the most modern African cities with its own atmosphere.

The Ultimate Guide to Planning a Safari in Tanzania

Python, Black Rhinos and Huge Prides of Lions

There is no doubt; people who come to Africa for their dream safari hoping to see all of the Big 5, the famous Wildebeest Migration, and the many stunning landscapes.

While many of our clients fulfill this dream, some are even luckier and see something truly unique. For example, Claudia and her husband saw a huge python crossing the road during their game drive. These gigantic predators are a rare sight indeed! Our guide, Bashiru took some pictures to share this experience with you!

Our next group, guided by Edwin, was lucky enough to see four rhinos at the same time. As you probably know, these endangered animals are very difficult to spot. Although Ngorongoro Crater gives the opportunity to see them and complete the Big 5, it is exceedingly rare to see such a group of black rhinos. Even Edwin was stunned!

Our intrepid travelers also spotted a huge pride of lions in Serengeti National Park.

A family of adventurers from Ukraine had their safari in just two parks – Tarangire and Ngorongoro. Though they had limited time, they still managed to spot some lions, buffaloes, elephants, and antelopes.

Victoriya and Inna made their dream come true and they saw one of the most beautiful places in Serengeti National Park – the Simba Rocks. You will recognize this picturesque landscape if you ever watched Disney’s The Lion King. This place inspired authors and artists to create the world of small Simba and his father Mufasa.

Our guests from India, Supriyo, Sampoornaa, and Shubhalaxmi had a seven-day safari to Lake Manyara, Serengeti National Park, and Ngorongoro Crater. They did a game drive to the Serengeti’s Western Corridor to see a bit of the Wildebeest Migration and explored all the most interesting areas of the parks to see the entirety of the Big Five.

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Serengeti, Ngorongoro and Manyara Safaris

Our customers from Norway, Olga and Edvard had an amazing safari with Shadows of Africa's guide Alex.

After a relaxing overnight in Moivaro Lodge, they headed to Ngorongoro Crater to start their search for the Big 5. They were lucky enough to see a black rhino there and spot some prides of lions as well.

It is not easy to spot the shy black rhinoceros as they are usually spotted too far away from the roads. You definitely need to use binoculars to watch them. This time it was much closer and Alex was even able to take a picture from his phone.

Of course, some elephants showed up during their game drive in Ngorongoro.

While our travellers were heading to have a picnic lunch, this couple of lions had a rest near the lake. Probably, they were lucky and had their lunch much earlier.

Olga and Edvard had a chance to compare warthogs with Pumba from the "Lion King". Though some people include these wild pigs as part of'The Ugly Five", we still think they are very cute.

After enjoying beautiful views from the NgorongoroSopa Lodge, the travellers continued the trip with a game drive in Serengeti National Park. They explored both the Central Serengeti and the Western Corridor, -  the area where wildebeests are moving to the Grumeti River during the migration.

It's not every day that you can see even one cheetah, but a couple of them at the same time is very lucky. Olga and Edward were able to observe them upclose and personal.

Of course, some lions were crossing the road on the way to the migration.

But finally, travellers could see for themselves the famous Great Wildebeest Migration. Wildebeests and zebras were heading though the Western Corridor to the North of the Serengeti.

Edward and Olga were especially lucky in their drive, as they also got to see a regal leopard in the wild!In the end of the itinerary, Olga and Edward travelled to Lake Manyara National Park. This place is famous for its tree-climbing lions and beautiful flamingos.

Anil and Basak from Turkey also had a successful safari this May. Both the Big Five and the Wildebeest Migration were on their list and they saw both!

What makes a safari so memorable is that you never know what else you can see!

Just as Edward and Olga did, Anil and Basak had three parks in their itinerary: Serengeti, Ngorongoro, and Lake Manyara. They travelled with our guide, Bashiru who shared some pictures from their safari.

The travellers and Bashiru enjoyed witnessing a small part of the Wildebeest Migration on the plains of the Serengeti.

They were surprised with the amount of lions in the Serengeti. This pride of young predators would be happy to catch some wildebeests for their lunch.

Cheetahs were hunting for food too.

And zebras had plenty of food in Ngorongoro Crater.

Some elephants in Lake Manyara and buffaloes on the way made The Big 5 complete.

Anil and Basak were happy to go for a safari with one of our best guides. You should join us next time!

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Seven Day Ngorongoro Highlands Trekking Adventure

Our clients from Australia, Peta and Karen had a very special adventure in Tanzania. They decided to explore one of the most beautiful places in the world – the Ngorongoro Conservation Area.Their goal was to see it not just from a comfortable safari jeep, but also to see local villages, trek to Empaakai crater, and to explore off the beaten path places within the Ngorongoro Region.

For people who prefer to explore everything on their own two feet, we have a beautiful Seven Day Ngorongoro Highlands Trekking Adventure.

The program starts with a game drive in Ngorongoro Crater.

It is a home to the Big Five and is also the best place in Tanzania for spotting rhinos. Our clients enjoyed watching lions, buffaloes, wildebeests, and hyenas there.

After a bit of a game drive, Peta and Karen continued on to their trekking venture. They had a hike through the Embulimnuli Depression, where on the way they could see Maasai cattle trails. In the evening, they settled the camp in Kamnana village.

On the third day, they had the breathtaking experience of hiking to the famous Empakai Crater. It is a real green paradise offering an amazing view of the Great Rift Valley, Lake Natron and Ol Doinyo Lengai – an active volcano of Tanzania.

After observing unforgettable landscapes, they had a picnic and finally relaxed in camp.

On the next day, Peta and Karen didn’t miss a chance to visit Naiyobi – a village of the Maasai. There they had a chance to meet some of the local people to see how they are living and what they are eating.They even got to visit a local school.

The Australian ladies continued their trip with some more trekking to get closer to OlDoinyoLengai – an active and very unique volcano that emits sodium carbonate and potassium. Climbing OlDoinyoLengai is an incredible experience and can promise you some beautiful views of Lake Natron and the surrounding lands.

At the end of the itinerary, travelers had a game drive around Lake Natron, famous for its flamingoes, beautiful landscapes and some wildlife.

What do you think of this itinerary? If you are an active person who likes trekking and beautiful landscapes, you should definitely try this one. You will camp in one of the most impressive areas of East Africa! This is a real adventure!

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