This safaris starts and ends in Mombasa
Additional remarks
- We may have to re-route the itinerary or accommodate in similar lodges in case of non-availability.
- Prices for domestic flights, airport taxes or park fees may be changed without prior notice. This is beyond our control and any increase levied will be passed to you.
Passenger Information
- Passengers should bring only soft sided bags on safaris.
Day 1 Mombasa
On Arrival at Moi airport you will be met and transferred to the Voyager Beach Resort on the North Coast of Mombasa.
Overnight at the Voyager Beach Resort on half board basis
Day 2 Mombasa – Tsavo West
After an early breakfast, you leave the hustle and bustle of Mombasa and drive north, along the main highway towards Nairobi, following the route of the railway line built by the British late in the nineteenth century. The road passes through the warehouses and workshops on the outskirts of Mombasa, climbing steadily and soon the vast plains of Tsavo become visible in the distance, with the rolling Taita Hills on the horizon. Enter Tsavo East National Park (12,000 sq kms) at Buchuma Gate, here the driver will open the roof of your bus, so you can stand up with the wind in your hair. Welcome to Africa, the safari has begun! Tsavo is the largest national park in Kenya and is split into East and West by the highway. You will arrive at your camp in time for lunch and later enjoy time for relaxation before setting off back into the park for your afternoon game drive. Return to the camp as the sun sets.
Overnight at Finch Hatton on a full board basis
FINCH HATTON’S - TSAVO WEST
At the foot of the Chyulu Hills, within Tsavo National Park, Finch Hatton’s provides a taste of life as it was for the big game hunters in the earlier part of the century. Tsavo is world renowned for its elephant and other game, it is vast - the size of Wales, Holland and Belgium - and it offers terrain ranging from rich golden savannahs to misty mountains. Divided into Tsavo East and West by the Nairobi/Mombasa road, the game lives an almost undisturbed existence in the western part. Here you will enjoy marvellous game drives. The luxury tented lodge offers elegant and refined accommodation under canvas. When the aristocratic Denys Finch Hatton, played by Robert Redford in the film "Out of Africa", went on safari he took Mozart and cut crystal, fine wines and real porcelain. At Finch Hatton’s the style is the same. Understated and quiet luxury is the key words. The tents, with deluxe beds and beautiful slate walled shower rooms are the last word in tented comfort. The main lodge offers a dining hall, bar, lounge and mezzanine library - the latter a favourite spot for post-prandial coffees and delicious petit fours. Food is taken very seriously here. Dinner is always a ‘production’. Served by waiters wearing the khanzu, the traditional snowy-white tunic that servants wore in the colonial period but which is now worn with pride, the five courses are served skilfully and thoughtfully. The cooking is accomplished and indulgent and the continental deserts made by the Finch Hatton’s patisserie are superb. A well-stocked cellar offers an excellent range of European, American and South African wines. The 35 acres that form Finch Hatton’s Lodge are unfenced. Lion, buffalo, elephant, giraffe and plains game may come and go as they wish. Hippo and crocodiles live in the three huge pools on the site and the hippos often graze around the tents. Therefore, armed askaris escort you back to your tent in the evenings. A close encounter with a hippo reminds you that you are in Africa and anything might happen!
Day 3 Tsavo West
Morning and afternoon game drives. Tsavo is Kenya's largest National Park and is actually split into two, Tsavo East and Tsavo West. The scenery is spectacular, and so is the wildlife. Tsavo is particularly known for its 'red elephants', coloured that way because of the red soil. But if you’re lucky, you'll also find rhino, lion and cheetah here, plus a variety of plains game.
Overnight at Finch Hatton on a full board basis
Day 4 Tsavo West – Tsavo East
After a sumptuous breakfast, depart for Tsavo East, arriving at the camp in time for lunch. After lunch, depart for an afternoon game drive returning back to the camp as the sunsets.
Overnight at Galdessa Camp on a full board basis
GALDESSA CAMP -TSAVO EAST
Tsavo East is wilder and much less frequented by visitors than Tsavo West, therefore fewer lodges. Strung out along the Galana River under doum palms, Galdessa overlooks both the river and the Yatta Plateau. Constant breezes off river and plateau refresh travellers in the day and cool the evening air. Galdessa works very closely with the Kenyan Wildlife Service on their hirola and black rhino re-introduction project and has an excellent conservation record. The riverbed that runs along the camp is where the rhino come to drink, so you may not have to leave the camp in order to see them. The camp's immediate area is home to thirty-six rare black rhino. The area is renowned for elephant, particularly in the dry season - the 1999 count recorded eight thousand, one hundred. The game can be shy here but there is great bio-diversity. Uncommon species to be seen include lesser kudu, gerenuk, fringe eared oryx, hirola and Peter's gazelle. Tsavo is also rich in birdlife. The camp itself is quite beautiful. Eight thatched, semi-tented bungalows, called bandas, are well spaced out to provide privacy. Fallen wood provides the raw material for much of the furniture, the floors are cypress, and ostrich eggshells provide milkily-translucent lamp shades for the solar powered lighting. Natural stone harmonises with ochre washed walls and the lovely traditional fabrics used as throws. The bathrooms are large and have traditional bucket showers (which allow you to have your water heated to your preferred temperature), flush loos and basins with running water. The high thatch and open sides of the main living banda allow visitors to admire the views and make the most of the breezes off the river while they enjoy the delicious meals. Tsavo East is a wilderness area and Galdessa allows you to experience the savage landscape from a haven of tranquillity.
Day 5 Tsavo East
Morning and afternoon game drives.
Overnight at Galdessa Camp on a full board basis
Day 6 Tsavo East – Mombasa
Morning game drives, returning back to the camp for breakfast before departing to Mombasa. Arrival in Mombasa in time for lunch at your beach hotel.