Amboseli, Tsavo & Beach

Sheldrick Wildlife Trust

Nairobi

On this tour you’ll have the chance to meet orphaned elephants at the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. The trust was set up over 40 years ago by Daphne Sheldrick in memory of her husband David, who was a famous warden and naturalist in Tsavo East National Park. It has developed into the most successful rescue and rehabilitation programme for elephants in the world, with many of the babies released back into the wild in Tsavo after about three years of rehabilitation.

At around 10.00am you’ll transfer by private vehicle to Nairobi National Park, arriving at the centre for the 11.00am feeding. The elephants know when it’s time to have their milk and come running down into the feeding area. As the keepers feed them, a guide from the trust will introduce you to the individual elephants and tell you their rescue stories. You’ll get to ask questions while the animals play.

Visiting will give you a chance to get up close to the elephants, learn about the wildlife trust’s work and contribute to the conservation of these incredible animals. As well as helping orphaned elephants and rhinos, the trust works on anti-poaching initiatives, habitat protection and runs mobile vet clinics. Following the visit, return to your hotel.

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Giraffe Centre, Nairobi

Nairobi

Visit the Giraffe Centre in Nairobi to get up close to endangered Rothschild's giraffes. The centre’s mission is to breed the animals in a safe environment, releasing many into the wild at around three years old, when they can survive on their own. You’ll spend up to an hour at the 60-acre sanctuary in the Lang’ata suburb of Nairobi.

Created by the African Fund for Endangered Wildlife, the non-profit centre was founded in 1979 when there were just 130 of these beautiful animals left in the wild. The Rothschild's is a subspecies of the giraffe that lives in East Africa’s grasslands. The centre’s breeding programme started with just two young calves and now they’ve released over 40 giraffes into national parks and conservancies across Kenya. It’s amazing to see the giraffes up close. Afterwards, you can go to the information centre to listen to an educational talk about giraffe conservation and the centre’s work.

Although you’re likely to see giraffes on safari, you can only get this close and personal with them at the Giraffe Centre – it’s quite an experience. It’s great to know that your visit is helping to protect this endangered species. The centre is open throughout the day, so we can arrange your visit at a time to suit you, with private transfers to and from your accommodation.

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Amboseli Balloon Safari

Amboseli & Chyulu Hills

Enjoy aerial views of Mount Kilimanjaro and Amboseli National Park on this sunrise hot-air balloon adventure. After a safety briefing from your pilot, the balloon is inflated just as the early colours of dawn start to break. As the balloon lifts off, you will get a 360-degree view of Amboseli’s diverse landscape of desert, bush and swamplands. Upon landing, the chase team will take you back to their base for a traditional Champagne celebration.

You will be collected from your lodge early morning. It will still be dark when you leave so, as you travel to the launch site, you may see some of Amboseli’s nocturnal creatures such as porcupines.

As the balloon lifts off, Africa’s highest peak, Mount Kilimanjaro dominates the skyline. It conveniently blocks bad weather creating ideal wind conditions for flying.

Gently gliding just a few hundred feet above the ground is a magical experience. Aside from the occasional burst of gas from the burner into the balloon, it’s peaceful and tranquil and provides a different perspective to view wildlife. Amboseli is famous for its vast herds of elephants, but you may also see giraffe, zebra, wildebeest and the gerenuk antelope that stands on its hind legs to reach leaves from the trees. You will also get to view some Maasai villages from the air. Upon landing, indulge in a traditional Champagne breakfast of baked goods, fruit and plenty of Kenyan coffee. The whole experience takes about five hours.

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Tsavo stargazing and night drives

Discover the wonders of Tsavo after dark with a stargazing session and nocturnal game drive. When night falls at Voyager Ziwani, you get incredible views of the clear sky. After dinner, there is a telescope which you can use to spot constellations and planets. Since Voyager Ziwani is set in a conservancy just outside of Tsavo, they can offer activities not allowed in the National Park, including bush walks and night drives.

On a night drive, you’ll get to see all kinds of nocturnal creatures, from bush babies to white-tailed mongoose. Encountering leopards is a real highlight on the night drive. There’s also a chance to see rare nocturnal animals including aardvarks, honey badgers, tree hyraxes and porcupines. It’s a completely different experience from a day-time game drive.

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