Hiking
The eight-day trip with the Aberdares added: a night at a forest lodge built over a waterhole, where you stay put and the animals come to you. The quietest night of the trip, and usually the one people talk about afterwards.
North through Nanyuki to the Sirimon gate at 2,660m, roughly four hours depending on how Nairobi behaves. From the gate the path climbs through cedar forest, then bamboo and giant heather, onto open moorland. Around nine kilometres to Old Moses camp at 3,300m, and cold once the sun goes.
The long day: about fourteen kilometres and seven hours, crossing the Ontulili and Liki North rivers and climbing into Mackinder's Valley. This is the zone of giant groundsel and lobelia, plants that grow nowhere else and look like it. Shipton's sits at 4,200m directly under the peaks.
Awake around half past two and onto frozen scree in the dark, because the hours before dawn are the only reliably clear ones. Point Lenana at 4,985m by sunrise, with Kilimanjaro on the horizon if the air is good. Then the whole descent in one go, down the Teleki Valley to Met Station at 3,100m. Eleven to twelve hours on your feet.
Down through the rainforest to the gate, then north into the dry country along the Ewaso Ng'iro. Afternoon game drive if the light holds.
Grevy's zebra, reticulated giraffe, gerenuk, Beisa oryx and Somali ostrich, none of which you will have seen on a Mara safari. Elephants come down to the river through the day.
South to the Laikipia plateau, with Mount Kenya behind you now instead of above you. Afternoon in the conservancy.
The last two northern white rhinos in the world, black rhino, the Big Five, and a chimpanzee sanctuary for animals rescued from the trade.
Into the Aberdare forest and a lodge built above a waterhole, where the game comes to you instead. Buffalo, elephant and bushbuck through the evening, and a bell to wake you if something rare arrives in the night.
Down out of the forest and back to Nairobi, arriving early afternoon.
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Plan this tripRequirements change, so please check the official sources before you book your flights.
Every visitor needs an Electronic Travel Authorisation, applied for online before departure. Apply only on the government site.
Required if you arrive from a country with yellow fever risk, and recommended for safaris inland. Tanzania (Kilimanjaro) usually asks for it after Kenya. See a travel doctor 4 to 6 weeks ahead.
Medical cover including evacuation, plus luggage and cancellation cover, is not included in our trips. Please take out a policy before you travel.