See the very best of Kenya in just 8 days, traveling to three of its most popular game parks in the classic northern circuit, where the game-viewing and natural beauty is unsurpassed. The safari includes stopovers at excellent lodges, which are memorable in themselves, with the last two nights in traditional top safari style with luxury tents in Kenya's best wilderness area, the Maasai Mara.

A remarkable variety of scenery and habitat gives you the full flavor of Kenya to savor forever. (See also our Kenya: Traditional 11-day Safari.)

The prices include: ** Guaranteed window seats in specially outfitted Safari Landrovers with pop-top roofs ensuring sun protection; ** Meals as detailed in brackets following each day's description below; ** Two local flights: Nairobi to Samburu and the Mara to Nairobi; ** All park entrance fees, VAT and other government taxes; ** Comprehensive pre-trip material with discount coupons for travel gear and equipment. Additional expenses not included: - Meals not included; - All beverages; - Requisite visas and other travel preparations like inoculations; - Tipping.

Contact EWT for the best international air fares and for recommendations on how to use your frequent flyer miles.

On arrival you'll be personally met and taken to one of the city's fine hotels, the Nairobi Intercontinental Hotel. For those arriving earlier, a variety of local sightseeing attractions can be pre-booked.  [no meals]

A dramatic morning flight from Nairobi skirts the glaciers of Mt. Kenya and then sharply descends to land on Kenya's near desert Northern Frontier in Samburu National Park. On arrival you'll be met by a specially outfitted Landrover and English-speaking driver/guide who will remain with you for the duration of the safari in Kenya. Game view to Samburu Lodge for lunch. In the afternoon take a traditional game drive and expect lots of animals and some rarer game, too, like the world's most beautiful giraffe, the reticulated, and the Grevy's zebra. The birdlife is outstanding. Dinner and overnight at the lodge.  [b-l-d]

A second day exploring this beautiful park. The area reminds many of America's southwest. The otherwise expansive desert blooms at Samburu, because of the Ewaso Nyrio River, and this is what draws so much game to the area. Samburu is famous for its elephant, impala, zebra, gerenuk and oryx. Meals and overnight at Samburu Lodge.  [b-l-d]

Leave the lowland desert and return up Mt. Kenya past colorful traditional villages and desert towns. This morning you were in a desert; by lunch you'll be surrounded by highland forests! First stop at the Mt. Kenya town of Nanyuki is the Nanyuki Weavers, a benevolent womens' organization that teaches area single moms the skills to weave beautiful items from the area's prime wool. Arrive the famous Mt. Kenya Safari Club for lunch. The afternoon is free for a variety of activities, including a visit to the famous William Holden Wildlife Oprhanage. Dinner and overnight at the club.  [b-l-d]

Leave the highlands for a beautiful morning drive that crosses the Equatorial Line and arrives at Lake Nakuru National Park for lunch at Lion Hill Sarova Lodge. In the afternoon enjoy a game drive in this amazing park famous for its tens of thousands of flamingoes and other shore birds. But there is much more here than birds, as this is Kenya's only totally fenced in national park. The added protection has eliminated poaching altogether, and here are found large numbers of both white and black rhino, as well as the endangered Rothschild giraffe. Dinner and overnight at the lodge.  [b-l-d]

This morning's drive is a beautiful one, through Kenya's tea farming areas. You'll arrive Kenya's best game park, the Maasai Mara in time for lunch at the Mara Safari Club, and in the afternoon you begin your game viewing. The club is a Fairmont Hotel property, one of the few nonhotels in this luxury worldwide chain, and the caliber of the accommodations is hard to beat anywhere in Kenya. And the game in the Mara is hard to beat anywhere else in Kenya! This is Kenya's best wilderness, endless rolling grassland plains packed with game. Dinner and overnight at the club..  [b-l-d]

The Mara Safari Club is beautifully located on a private reserve along Mara River. But it is technically outside the park itself. Today, you may enter the park and search for some animals which at certain times of the year might be restricted to the reserve area itself. You'd take a picnic lunch and spend the whole day exploring the incomparable Maasai Mara. The Mara is particularly known for the annual migration of wildebeests, zebras and gazelles that come in their huge herds each year from the plains of the Serengeti, crossing the Tanzanian border and rivers in true grand spectacle style, to reach the Mara's grasslands from late June. But at any time of the year, game viewing is always excellent. Frequent sightings include elephant, black rhino, buffalo, plains zebra, hartebeest and big cats. The Mara river is home to hippo and crocodiles. As usually, visitors to Kenya consider the Mara their favorite experience. Meals and overnight at the Mara Safari Club.  [b-l-d]

After a final morning of game viewing, you fly back to Nairobi scheduled to arrive around noon. You'll be personally met and returned to the Nairobi Intercontinental Hotel for day use available until 630p. Shortly thereafter you'll be taken to the airport for the overnight departures to Europe.  [b- - ]

END OF EWT SERVICES