Walking Safari and Cultural Experiences
8 Days (Laikipia and Nairobi)
-
Hotel
-
Meals
-
Transfer
-
Staff Guide
-
$7250pp
Adults (12 yrs and over)
-
$3625pp
Children (5-11 yrs)
Overview
This fascinating One Horizon 8-day cultural and wildlife tour will appeal to anyone that wants to both meet and help Kenyan people in grassroots social enterprises, and go on a safari in a sustainable way at a conservancy where wildlife flourishes and communities thrive.
The first few days of this tour takes you to a wonderfully scenic conservancy on the Laikipia Plateau to the north of Mount Kenya, which is dedicated to wildlife conservation while working alongside and supporting the local Samburu and Maasai people. It offers an authentic safari experience for all guests from multi-generational families to older couples and activities can be as easy or energetic as you like. You can simply relax at camp and watch the animals grazing on the vast plains below, or explore the remote and beautiful Karisia Hills on leisurely walks and camel rides, and take game drives along the Ewaso Ng’iro River. Samburu and Maasai guides teach you about the wildlife, environment and the local cultures of Northern Kenya.
Once back in Nairobi after your safari, travellers will have the special privilege of meeting three different communities over three days, and One Horizon’s core values are working with Kenyans in overcoming poverty in sustainable projects. We take you to a community of grandmothers starting small businesses to give their families a future; a women’s vocational and lifestyle training centre where young mothers learn to become entrepreneurs; and a Maasai village to experience the traditional ways of life and understand the complexities of how they live in the increasingly modern world. These amazing and resourceful Kenyans who devote themselves to the betterment of their communities will inspire you, and show you day-to-day Kenyan culture on a personal level that few other travellers have seen.
Gallery
We are a proud member of The International Ecotourism Society
Which brings together individuals and organisations committed to helping local communities and the environment.
Itinerary
Nairobi to Laikipia
On the first morning of this tour we pick you up from your Nairobi hotel and transfer you to Wilson Airport for the 45-minute flight to Nanyuki, which is a small town in the scenic foothills of magnificent snow-capped Mount Kenya. We then arrive at our comfortable camp in eastern Laikipia, about a two-hour drive north of Nanyuki, which is your home for the next four nights. Laikipia lies northeast of the Great Rift Valley and is a vast high plateau where landowners and conservationists have created a special place for communities and wildlife to coexist, and it is recognised as one of Kenya’s best safari regions.
Our peaceful camp looks westward toward a series of granite kopjes (outcrops of rock), and in the foreground you might see zebra, giraffe and antelope on the open grasslands. The camp features six lovely and spacious walk-in traditional safari tents decorated with colourful African furnishings and fabrics, and our home-cooked food is always varied, fresh and tasty. In the evenings we have drinks, or sundowners, overlooking the bush or by the fire and three-course dinners under the stars.
Laikipia
Away from roads and vehicles, guests have a unique opportunity to take leisurely walking safaris around the camp and conservancy and take in the wide-open spaces and wildlife that Laikipia is famed for. These might include eland, hartebeest, steenbok, giraffe, Grevy’s zebra and buffalo and lucky visitors may even see spot elephants, lions and wild dogs.
Each walking safari is tailor-made to suit the guests’ abilities and you walk for as long as you feel comfortable, and you will also be accompanied by camels that carry your heavier cameras, refreshments and day-packs.
You will also learn about the local ecosystems and traditions from the Laikipia Samburu and Maasai guides. Or, if you prefer, stay at camp and let the wildlife come to you, and there are wonderful views across the plains from your tent and a salt lick right beside the camp. Other activities include game-viewing by vehicle along the Ewaso Ng’iro River, which is an excellent spot to watch elephants and other animals come to drink, rock-climbing in the kopjes, and as the area has a very rich traditional culture, there’s the option to visit a local market where all the warriors and women come dressed in their finest adornments.
Laikipia – Nairobi
After breakfast and a hearty goodbye from the camp team, enjoy the last drive in Laikipia back to the airport at Nanyuki, and after your flight arrive at your Nairobi hotel in the early evening. This will be your base for the next three nights to go on three inspiring day trips to meet some remarkable communities in the rural areas around Nairobi. Tonight, and on the next two nights, we enjoy dinner at a restaurant the locals love in Nairobi – we always choose somewhere interesting to eat and have lots of fun and it’s a great opportunity to discuss and ask us all the questions that come to mind about the various communities and projects we visit.
Women's Empowerment Centre
Today we visit the Women’s Empowerment Centre in a developing area in the west of Nairobi, which is one of the worthwhile projects One Horizon supports. It was started by Mary a social worker, who developed a program to help struggling mothers by teaching them lifestyle, trade, and entrepreneurial skills so they can set up their own businesses. The results have been phenomenal as the mothers are able to transform into independent business owners and community leaders, and crucially support and keep their families together. Spend time with Mary to learn about her vision and meet some of the proud and resourceful women. The experience will show you how teaching empowerment and skills can lift people out of poverty.
Kikuyu Grandmothers
There are many grandmother-headed households in Kenya who care for their grandchildren among other generations of their family in difficult economic circumstances. Today you visit a rural Kikuyu community of delightful and resourceful grandmothers who will show you their pig-farming operation.
This is another project that One Horizon supports, and the initiative aims at improving the livelihoods of the grandmothers by economically empowering them through small-scale farming. Sit down with the grandmothers while they cook traditional meals for their families, enjoy some joyful singing and dancing, and listen to them narrate their powerful stories about progress and resilience.
Maasai Village
Today we venture into rural Maasai country where you will meet a family and immerse yourself in the midst of the daily hustle and bustle of village life. Your host will be one of the village elders, an heir to his clan, who will take you on a tour to explain how the Maasai have managed these precious lands for centuries. The women will offer to dress you in traditional Maasai shuka cloth or ‘African blanket’, and the young men, or morans, will explain what it’s like being a warrior in Maasai society and show you how to throw a traditional spear and the techniques needed to survive in the bush. There will be singing and dancing, which might include the extraordinary jumping dance, or ‘adumu’ which is how Maasai warriors demonstrate their prowess.
After an exciting final day on this 8-day Kenyan Communities and Wildlife Conservation tour, we return to Nairobi where the tour ends.
Please note: this 8-day tour can equally operate in reverse if you so choose – the three-day community visits can be first, followed by the return flight to Nanyuki and the four-day safari in Laikipia.
Inclusions
- Pick up from the JK International Airport on arrival and transferred to your overnight accommodation at the Palacina Hotel – 5 stars.
- Day 1 transfer from Palacina Hotel to Wilson airport for your flight to Nanyuki and the start of your walking safari.
- Pick up and transfer from Nanyuki airport to your camp in Laikipia.
- 4 nights’ accommodation and full board at your base camp.
- Full board (breakfast, lunch, and dinners) at your base camp
- On the 5th day, transfers to Nanyuki airport and upon arrival in Nairobi, met and transferred to Palacina Hotel for 3 nights.
- Full Board whilst at the Palacina Hotel (breakfast, lunch, and team dinners). Team dinners on nights 5, 6, and 7 at Nairobi restaurants
- Air-conditioned car transfers – each day we’ll collect you from your hotel at 9 am and drop you back at about 4.30 pm
- One Horizon staff with you every step of the way.
Exclusions
- Tips and Gratuities
- International airfares
videos
Testimonials
Izzi Australia
Once in a lifetime, enlightening experience
The service was great, I was given additional help by the guides who were so friendly and was able to speak with them on a personal level and had an insight into their lives as Kenyans as well. The tour was amazing, beyond expectations, and hearing the stories of the women I met were mind blowing, humbling, and empowering. My life has been forever changed from this personal and enlightening experience. Thank you One Horizon for your important work and providing this opportunity for us. I hope to one day return to Kenya and be a part of it again with my son.
Toni USA
Incredible – Truly a life-changing experience!
The tours I booked with One Horizon Africa were truly life-changing. What I love most about this organization is that you are on a grassroots level, making a true impact in someone’s life. Moreover, you are able to see the direct impact you are making in their lives. One Horizon’s focus is bettering the lives of Africans and I think that is quite apparent.
The tours are fantastic. The people you meet are incredible – so welcoming and open. They want to learn as much about you, as you do them. Not to mention, the tour guides – they are equally fantastic. I spent two days with Carol and just loved her. She was punctual, helpful, polite, and beyond knowledgeable.
I have been able to experience a lot of things in my life, but I have never experienced something quite like this. One Horizon left a significant impact on me and I am thankful for that. If you have the opportunity to travel to Kenya, you MUST partake in one of One Horizon’s Tours; I promise, it will be one of the most profound days of your life.
Steven USA
One of the most inspiring experiences in our lives
The communications from the tour operator were excellent. The trip itself far exceeded our expectations. Meeting and speaking with the women both at the women’s center and spending time with Masai women in their homes was one of the best experiences in our lives. We found the women to be open about their difficult lives, and among the most dignified human beings, we have ever met. They were working hard to improve their lives and that of their children. They were learning skills that would help them become independent and able to support themselves. They were given emotional and financial support along with training that would change their lives in the difficult environment of where they live. They are truly given a hand up and not just a handout. This experience was not only inspiring to us but has changed our lives.
Unique Cultural
Holiday Experiences
Subscribe To
Our Newsletter
To receive latest news & offers
Share your email ID below
- Facebook
One Horizon Africa - Twitter
@onehorizonkenya - Instagram
onehorizonkenya
