Lake Victoria and Masai Mara
Lake Victoria and Masai Mara
Lake Victoria and Masai Mara
6 Days Starting in Kisumu, Kenya and ending in Nairobi, Kenya
Visiting: Kisumu, Dunga Beach, Equator Line, Kisumu Museum, Kit-Mikayi, Luanda Kotieno beach, Rusinga Island, Rusinga Island Lodge, Ruma National Park, Maasai Mara Truth Safaris, Nairobi
Tour operator:
Recommended For:
Guide Type:
Fully Guided
Group size:
2 - 36
Age range:
3-85
Special diets catered:
Vegetarians
Tour operated in:
EnglishTrip Styles:
Interests:
Cultural, Eco Conscious, History, Photography, Wildlife Tours
Activities:
Private Available:
Request A Private Tour
Tour Overview
Explore the best that Kenya’s only lakeside city, Kisumu has to offer. From the calmness and its welcoming atmosphere to its sundowns over the world’s second-largest water body. Sampling available excursion options alongside being in some of the posh accommodation facilities on this side of the country will really change your perception of Western Kenya. Further, afield, Nam Lolwe in Luo Nyanza, Lake Victoria is one of the African Great Lakes and an awe-inspiring adventurers’ Mecca. Historically, the lake was renamed Lake Victoria after Queen Victoria by the explorer John Hanning Speke, in his report as the first Briton to document it. Speke accomplished this in 1858, while on an expedition with Richard Francis Burton to locate the source of the world’s longest river, the Nile. For a good number of days, we’ll be experiencing the lifestyle of the Luo who are traditionally fishermen and having some local interactions to sample the best lakeshore cuisine will be the order of the day. Welcome to Lake Victoria is pampering beaches before you wind up with the finest wildlife experience in the Masai Mara.
Itinerary
Day 1 : Kisumu City Excursion
Location: Kisumu, Dunga Beach, Equator Line, Kisumu Museum
Accommodation Name: Ciala Resort
Your warm welcome in Kisumu city, also known as port Florence Kenya’s third-largest city with the third biggest metropolis. It is also the headquarters of Nyanza province. Over the past years, Kisumu city has transformed itself from a mere fishing port to a throbbing business and a tourism hub in the great lakes region.
After breakfast, we will unmask the hidden face of Kisumu. By undertaking a well-curated excursion, we will enable us to see the attractions of amazing Kenya’s only lakeside city. We will begin by visiting the museum where ethnographic exhibits and a display of the dominant Luo tribe, musical instruments and their traditional culture stands out prominently. Kisumu Museum is considered by many to be one of Kenya’s finest collections of artifacts.
We will then proceed to Kisumu Impala Wildlife Sanctuary for a leisurely walk. While here, a harem of impalas enjoy this grazing ground with zebras and hippopotamus that live in the lake. Spread over an area of less than 1sq km, this wildlife sanctuary acts as a holding point for problematic animals like baboons, hyenas, and leopards, which can be seen at a close range.
From the Impala Park, we’ll drive for lunch at Dunga beach followed by a boat ride to get a first-hand experience of the second largest freshwater body in the world, Lake Victoria. After the boat ride, we’ll visit the Dunga Ecotourism boardwalk in the swamp where you can experience some birdlife especially the biome restricted and the papyrus endemics of Lake Victoria. We will later visit the fishing village where you will encounter the local anglers and fishmongers.
From the lakeside, we’ll drive to the imaginary line that splits the earth into the Northern and Southern hemispheres. Maseno, the lush institutional center is located northwest of Kisumu and at an altitude of 1503 meters above sea level. We will be here for some photos and enjoy the scenic backdrop of the rugged volcanic hills of the Kavirondo Rift Valley system. With the equator cutting across Kenya almost in the middle, the sun is directly overhead at noon on the two equinoxes in March and September 21st.
For your information, the most intriguing fact is that areas located on the Earth’s equator have the fastest sunrises and sunsets. Therefore, it’s worth noting that the time it takes the sun to set and rise at the equator point is the fastest on Earth hence the transition from day to night which surprisingly, takes only a few minutes. From the equator point, we’ll drive back and settle down for dinner and overnight at the well-appointed Ciala Resort.
Day 2 : Kismu - Rusinga Island
Location: Kit-Mikayi, Luanda Kotieno beach, Rusinga Island
Accommodation: Lodge
Accommodation Name: Rusinga Island Lodge
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Today, we will leave Kisumu after breakfast and drive to Kit Makayi. This is Kenya’s most dramatic cultural site, a vast granite rock tower that is about 80 feet tall located 30 km to the west of Kisumu city. We will get to learn more about the legendary story behind Kit Mikayi, which in Luo dialect means “the stone of the first wife” This will be an awe-inspiring cultural experience.
From here, we will proceed with our drive and then cross Winam Gulf by ferry to the pre-historic Rusinga Island. Our arrival here will be in good time for lunch and thereafter we will spend the rest of the afternoon exploring the island that is one of the most magnificent localities in the world for fossils, particularly primate fossils.
Louis & Mary Leakey were some of the first to discover fossils on Rusinga Island. When they announced the skull and other 18 million-year-old fossils, discovered in 1948, paleontologists took a big interest on the island. The species to which this beautifully preserved skull belonged to the Proconsul.
In 2006 & 2007, fossil sites were re-opened by the University of Minnesota, American Museum of Natural History, and Pennsylvania State University. Thousands of fossil remains were discovered, including over 20 Proconsul specimens and the largest mandible (lower jaw) known for the species Proconsul Nyanzae. After exploring the island, we’ll drive back to the luxurious Rusinga Island Lodge for dinner and the night.
Day 3 : Rusinga Island -Ruma National Park - Rusinga Island Lodge
Location: Rusinga Island Lodge, Ruma National Park, Rusinga Island
Accommodation: Lodge
Accommodation Name: Rusinga Island Lodge
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
We will this morning leave the island at dawn time for a game drive in Ruma National Park. This is the largest national park in Western Kenya and you can see a variety of wildlife here including the Big Four and the rare Roan antelope. Apart from the Roan antelope, Ruma has other rare wild animals such as the Rothschild Giraffe and the Jackson’s Hartebeest. Other wildlife found here include; Impala, Topi, Buffaloes, Bohor’s Reedbuck, and Oribi. We will enjoy some picnic breakfast in the park and continue with our game drive that will see us leaving the park for the island where we will arrive in good time for lunch. Our afternoon will be spent at the Tom Mboya’s mausoleum, which lies on family land at Kamasengere on the north side of the island. The mausoleum contains various mementos and gifts Mboya received during his life. Tom Mboya, civil rights champion, trade unionist and charismatic young Luo politician was gunned down in Nairobi in 1969, sparking off a crisis that led to over forty deaths in widespread rioting and demonstrations. We will leisurely drive back to Rusinga Island Lodge for dinner and the night.
Day 4 : Rusinga Island - Masai Mara National Reserve
Location: Rusinga Island, Maasai Mara Truth Safaris
Accommodation: Camp
Accommodation Name: Mara Leisure Camp
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Travelling to the premier Masai Mara National Reserve through the lush Western Kenya highlands will be memorable journey. Our arrival will be in good time for lunch before heading out for an afternoon safari through vast, acacia-dotted plains, driving past throngs of elands, impalas, zebra, and giraffes; and keep an eye out for lions, elephants, and the rest of the African “big five.” In the evening, relax at the camp and enjoy the scenic sounds of the night at the Mara Leisure Camp.
Day 5 : Full Day In Masai Mara National Reserve
Location: Maasai Mara Truth Safaris
Accommodation: Camp
Accommodation Name: Mara Leisure Camp
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
After breakfast, we depart for a whole day game drive in the reserve. No trip to Kenya would be complete without this traditional experience. Spanning approximately 3,000 square km, the Masai Mara National Reserve and Greater Mara Concession Areas form the northern section of one of the most astounding animal migrations on the planet. While the region has become busier and busier over the last decade or so, a visit to this stunning area is still well worthwhile. Often seen as in its prime when the migratory herds arrive, from July to November, a visit out of season can be just as rewarding, and that’s the reason the BBC has based themselves here for the last decade or so.
What makes Masai Mara one of the world’s top safari destinations is its abundance of big cats – cheetahs, leopards, and lions – as well as the two million wildebeest, Thomson’s gazelles, and zebra that migrate annually across the vast grasslands in search of water. Watching elephants and giraffes grazing, photographing zebras and wildebeest, and with a little luck, you'll even spot animals feasting on a recent kill. Drive back to the camp for dinner and the night.
Day 6 : Masai Mara National Reserve - Nairobi
Location: Nairobi, Maasai Mara Truth Safaris
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
Depart the Masai Mara Game Reserve after breakfast and drive to Nairobi arriving in the afternoon to mark the end of your wildlife safari.
What's Included
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1 bottle of Mineral Water per person per day
Please bring your reusable bottle. We provide refill water on the way
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Accommodation
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Airport Transfers at Destination
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Airport Transfers at Destination
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Entrance Fees
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Free Wi-Fi at Accommodation
Subject to availability
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Fully Guided
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Game Drives on Safari
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Local Taxes
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Meals – Half Board
What's Not Included
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All Domestic Transportation (including internal flights)
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Country Entry Visas
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Drinks with Meals
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International Travel
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Tipping and Gratuities
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Tipping and Gratuities
Optional Extras
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Balloon Safari
The hot air balloon experience in the Masai Mara National Reserve
Check out our Q&As
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Is there a supplement for solo travellers?
Yes
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Are all the relevant entry visa’s included in the price of the tour?
No
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What is the maximum group size?
36
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Are children permitted to take part in the tour?
Yes
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Is free Wi-Fi available in the accommodation used?
Yes. But subject to availability
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What is the tipping policy?
Discreet
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What is the standard of the hotels on this tour?
3 Stars plus
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What currencies are required for this tour?
Ksh and USD
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Are flights included in this tour?
No
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Is there any free time to explore places during the tour?
No
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Is the tour coach air conditioned?
No
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Will there be an escort accompanying this tour?
Yes
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Are vaccinations required for this tour?
Yes
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Are airport transfers included in this tour?
Yes
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Will passengers from another country be participating in the tour?
No
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Will I know the names and details of all the accommodation before I depart?
Yes
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What is the fitness level required to do this tour?
Moderate
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Are the local guides on the tour English speaking?
Yes
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Can you assist with pre or post tour accommodation?
Yes
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What happens if a group doesn’t make its minimum required number of passengers?
We still depart with the minimum
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Company Instant Book
Yes
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Do you require a visa for this holiday?
Yes
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Are all entrance fees included in the price?
Yes
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Is there a limit to luggage that can be brought on the tour?
Yes, 25 kg
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What happens if I need to change my holiday date once I’ve booked?
You can change your date and push it forward by months or even by one year
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Can I join the tour once it has departed?
No, please. You need to join at the beginning
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Do you operate a “single share” option and how does it work?
We only pair single travelers who know each other very and are not strangers
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Who will be my travelling companions on the tour?
Please check the provided link for more details https://www.theoluokos.com/africa-travel-tips/#1646030146065-90e66ea2-40ee
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Will the accommodation included meet local health and safety regulations?
Yes, please. We have handpicked accommodation facilities that only confirm our standards in accordance with the global tourism trends and regulations.
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How long has the tour company been trading?
We have been in the market for mover 10 years
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What Ethical Travel credentials does the tour company have?
We are yet to get any though we are signatories of several environmental policies at the global level. We are trusting that we will be accredited in the near future
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What documents will I receive before I travel?
You will receive a tour dossier that contains all the important details that you need to know in advance.
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Am I contributing to any charity by booking the tour?
Yes. Your booking with us goes a long way to the host communities and in benefiting our environment
Reviews from travellers on this tour
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Oluokos Signature allows you to make 2 free date changes, as long as the change is made at least 60 days before the start of the tour.
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Transfer as credit to Future Tours
Oluokos Signature allows you to transfer existing payments to a future tour to avoid cancellation fees if you can't travel and inform oluokos signature, 60 days before departure.
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Low Deposit
Oluokos Signature requires a minimum deposit of 30% or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 21 days before departure.
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Cancellation Policy
We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of oluokos signature charges.
Up to 61 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.
At 60 days before tour starts: Forfeit 50% of booking price.
At 41 days before tour starts: Forfeit 60% of booking price.
At 32 days before tour starts: Forfeit 90% of booking price.
At 14 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of booking price.
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