Maasai Mara, Kenya

Kenya: Return to the Horizon

Nine days amongst Nairobi and The Rift in July, when the migration is moving north through the Mara.

July 22 – 31, 20278 nightsFrom $6,0008 spots

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The journey

About this journey

Three different regions of Kenya that each uniquely encapsulate the beauty of this country. Enjoy the eccentric city, the peaceful lakeside island with giraffes roaming freely, and the open expansiveness of the Maasai Mara. Five percent of profit goes to Days for Girls Kenya.

July carries us into the herds as they move north into the Mara, the most activity the plains get all year. We spend nine days crossing Kenya, starting in Nairobi, then the Mara, then Lake Naivasha. In the city we visit the Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage, sit down to a private dinner and show with the Sarakasi acrobatic troupe, explore the markets, and take a game drive where rhinos and skyscrapers share the same frame.

The middle of the trip takes us into the Maasai Mara. We learn how Maasai communities live across these regions first, then head into the bush to watch some of the most remarkable animals on earth at home in their own territory. Our last stop slows us down on Lake Naivasha, where we spend a day on Crescent Island among free-roaming giraffe and antelope.

Prepare for an expansion of your horizons.

Field notesKenya · 2027

Body

gentledemanding

Jet lag, light hiking, extended sitting in game drives and city transfers.

Heart

lightdeep

Time will be spent with cultures whose lives look vastly different than yours.

Pace

slowfull

Some days are longer than others. Most days are moderate.

In the price 10 things

8 nights accommodation in Nairobi, the Maasai Mara, and Lake Naivasha
All in-country ground transport, including airport transfers
Daily game drives with a licensed Kenyan guide
All park, reserve, and conservancy fees
Cultural visits and community partner experiences
Kenya Electronic Travel Authorization
Meditation practices led by Kristin Bird
All meals listed in the itinerary
Gratuities for guides, drivers, and camp staff
A donation to Days for Girls Kenya on your behalf

Not included in the price

International flights
Travel insurance (required)
Vaccinations and malaria medication [yellow fever and typhoid recommended]
Alcohol
Personal spending and souvenirs

Highlights

The Great Migration in the Maasai MaraOver a million wildebeest and zebra cross into the Mara from the Serengeti through July. An extraordinary time to visit.
A visit to a Maasai community in the MaraOne evening and one morning will be spent with two different Maasai communities near the reserve. You will hear how families here manage cattle, water, and marriage. We will have time to ask questions, partake in the dances, and support the community markets.
A night safari on Crescent Island at Lake NaivashaNo predators live on the island, and we stay at one of the few properties on it. At night we head out by jeep while giraffe and wildebeest move around us at their own pace.
A private dinner and performance with the Sarakasi acrobats in NairobiOne night in Nairobi showcases Sarakasi, an acrobatic troupe that trains young performers from across the city. A featured show for our group, close up, followed by a catered dinner. It is the kind of evening that reminds you of the talent across Kenya's contemporary arts scene, which is the half of the country most safari itineraries leave out.
Five percent of profit to Days for Girls KenyaAn organization that works to break the stigma and support women surrounding menstrual health education and supply access across the country. This donation comes out of profit.

July 22 – 31, 2027

Day by day

Day 1 · Jul 23

Departure for Kenya

Spend the day flying, transferring, and daydreaming in the sky.

Day 2 · Jul 24

Arrival and Relaxation in Nairobi

Flights from the US land late evening after a long day in the air. We meet you at the airport and drive you to the hotel, which sits in a quiet residential part of the city with gardens and high walls.
Settle in and rest.

Day 3 · Jul 25

Nairobi Exploration

Morning game drive in Nairobi National Park, where you'll see rhino with the city skyline behind them, something that exists nowhere else on earth.
Back for lunch and a slow afternoon, with spa treatment scheduled. In the evening, a private dinner and performance with the Sarakasi acrobats.

Day 4 · Jul 26

Moving into the wild

Start the morning at the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, where orphaned elephants are raised and eventually returned to the wild. Then we drive to the Mara and reach Ekonoko Lodge in the afternoon. A village visit and dinner in the evening.

Day 5 · Jul 27

Game Day

Starting at sunrise, we will have a full day on the plains, with lunch packed and eaten wherever we happen to be. The animals move at dawn and again in the late afternoon, grazing and sleeping through the day. Dinner and a fire back at Ekonoko Lodge.

Day 6 · Jul 28

The Mara

A hike in the morning, or the spa is available if you'd rather not. A secondary village visit in the afternoon with our hosts. We will have time to sit and ask questions rather than just look as well as browse the homemade artifacts they wish to share. Dinner and a fire to close the evening.

Day 7 · Jul 29

Migrating to the Water

We start moving north through the Rift Valley with the escarpment rising on both sides. On the way to the Giraffe House, we head straight out onto the lake by boat, through the drowned acacia and past the hippo pods before arriving to settle in. We will have staff onsite to make a homemade nurturing meal. An optional safari is available after dark, which is a different animal entirely from the daytime version.

Day 8 · Jul 30

Hiking and Biking

A slow start to the morning with the giraffes and a homemade breakfast. Depart for Hell's Gate National Park in the afternoon, the gorge and the cliffs you can actually walk or bike through. Return in the evening for dinner and rest.

Day 9 · Jul 31

Returning to the City

Depart Naivasha in the morning. Explore the Maasai Market and lunch in the city after returning in the afternoon. Closing dinner and packing.

Day 10 · Aug 1

Departure to USA

Breakfast, then transfers to the airport.

10 days in Maasai Mara, Kenya.

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Where you'll stay

Four places, eight nights.

1 · Nairobi · 2 nights

Okash City Boutique Hotel

Okash sits close enough to Nairobi National Park that you can be at the gate in a few minutes for the morning game drive. The rooms are air-conditioned, with down comforters and rainfall showers, and there's an indoor pool, sauna, and health club on site. JKIA Airport is about twenty-three minutes away. It's your first few nights in the city, and the point of it is a quiet landing after a long flight.

2 · Maasai Mara · 3 nights

Enkorok Mara Camp

Enkorok sits on thirty acres of private land in the Siana Conservancy. The tents are built on raised platforms with solid wooden furniture and Maasai fabric, each with an en-suite bathroom, hot shower, and a private veranda facing the savannah. There's a pool, a restaurant and bar, and a spa if you want a massage after a long day in the vehicle. Evenings happen around the campfire. The Ololaimutiek Gate is two and a half kilometers away, so game drives start early and easily.

3 · Lake Naivasha · 2 nights

Crescent Island Giraffe House

Crescent Island is run by Akira Gaymer, who was born in Naivasha and grew up on the island. The houses were her family's home before they were anything else. You reach them by a short boat ride across the lake. There are no predators here, so Maasai giraffe, waterbuck, wildebeest and gazelle move freely around the property, and hippos graze along the shoreline. Your stay includes all-day access to the sanctuary.

4 · Nairobi · 1 night

PrideInn Westlands Luxury Boutique Hotel

Each room is decorated differently, with memory foam beds and rainfall showers. Rooms are air-conditioned with a look out over the city or the garden. Westlands is within the most walkable part of Nairobi, and Sarit Centre is a few minutes away on foot if you want one last round of shopping before flying home.

What you'll do

Wildlife and Sanctuaries

Game drives at sunrise and sunset. A full day out in the Mara. Night drives in the Siana Conservancy. Nairobi National Park, where rhino graze against the skyline.

Water

Hippo pods on Lake Naivasha by boat. Giraffe House on Crescent Island, no predators, giraffe and zebra moving past the windows.

Maasai

Village visits with our hosts. Bush dinners. Fires at night.

Nairobi

A private dinner and show with the Sarakasi acrobats. The Maasai Market. The skyline behind the animals.

Walking

Hell's Gate, through the gorge and under the cliffs. Crescent Island on foot. Bush walks with our guides.

Sauna and Spa

A sauna on-site of our hotel in Nairobi and a complimentary spa treatment will be available at camp in the Mara.

Kenya: Return to the HorizonJuly 22 – 31, 2027 · from $6,000

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Who takes you

Meet your host

MA, C-IAYT

Kristin Bird

Kristin hosts every journey and talks with every traveler before they book. She holds a Master's in Yoga Studies from LMU, board certification as a yoga therapist, and years of global lineage study across many traditions.

Namayiana Safaris

Mpairo, Moses, and the Maasai Family

Our ground partner in Kenya is Namayiana Safaris, a Maasai-family owned company founded in 2017 and run by Mpairo and Moses. Their guides are Maasai and from the Mara, which means they read the land with knowledge passed down rather than learned from a manual.
When we visit a Maasai village on this trip, it is their village.

In pictures