Erik's Adventures L.L.C.
Standing out with authentic travel experiences
Come travel with us and meet new people on one of our singles trips, packages, or vacations. Have an outdoor adventure or tour such as our Erik's Adventures Singles Safari to East Africa- Kenya.
Erik's Adventures LLC is a registered tour operator and will work with individuals, group clients, and also with travel agents
Erik's Adventures LLC is a registered tour operator and will work with individuals, group clients, and also with travel agents
East Africa Singles Safari Vacation. Singles Travel
Group to Kenya
Trip Dates- September 4th- 14th, 2008
Itinerary for Kenya Singles Safari 2008
This trip is in high season when the Great Migration will be at its peak in Kenya. See thousands of zebras and wildabeests as they travel north into the Masai Mara in search of fresh grass for grazing!
Join up with other singles from all over the USA on this most exciting Singles Adventure Trip to Africa. No feeling in the world matches the sheer exuberance of being on a safari. You will be spellbound by your first sightings of Cape buffalo, cheetah, elephants and giraffes. Experience the exhilaration of being in the wild, the wonder of seeing these wonderful animals unhindered by bars or fences. Get ready to have an African spell cast over you on this Singles safari tour to East Africa!
In addition this time of year in Kenya is so special because you will experience the one of nature's most amazing scenes- The Great Migration!!
KENYA
Situated on the east coast of Africa, and split in half by the equator, is the colorful and exciting Republic of Kenya. The country has a multiracial population of 30 million with 50 different languages and dialects. However, one can easily get by speaking English almost anywhere. Even with all these different people and customs, Kenya is one of the most economically and politically stable countries on the continent of Africa. Join our singles travel group for this exciting African safari vacation
Nairobi
Nairobi is the largest city between Cairo and Johannesburg. Though just south of the equator, it enjoys a spring-like climate. It is a modern city, yet its main avenues blaze with color from tropical bushes and vines. Just 80 years ago, there was a river in an empty wilderness where Nairobi now stands. Despite health hazards and the ever-present danger from wild animals, Nairobi was established by 1907 and quickly grew as a white farming community. It also attracted world attention as the center of big-game safaris for the rich and famous. Perhaps the most famous was the safari of Teddy Roosevelt, which needed 500 porters to carry supplies and returned with 500 trophies.
By 1931, the city had 50,000 residents and was the seat of the colonial administration. Today, Nairobi has a population of around 2 million. It is a business and conference center for East and Central Africa and a base for international tourism on the extensive safari circuits of Kenya. Nairobi has a wealth of international hotels and restaurants. Cuisine of all types is available from Chinese to French and Italian; several restaurants also offer the local favorites. Nightlife varies from local nightclubs with disco and beat bands to international floorshows at the hotels, nightclubs and casinos. Shopping in Nairobi varies from modern supermarkets to bazaar stalls and open-air markets. Souvenir hunters will find bargains ranging from woodcarvings to Persian carpets. There are also three excellent museums that offer insights into the fauna and culture of Kenya as well as the history of the country.
Day 01: Home City USA / Europe
Day 02: Europe / Nairobi "Jumbo! & Welcome"
Met on arrival at the airport. After clearing with customs and immigration, transfer to the Stanley Hotel for your overnight stay. Relax and unwind from your flight. Dinner on your own arrangements.
Day 03: Nairobi (B)
Breakfast at hotel
Day at leisure or you may opt to take an optional excursion (at an additional cost) such as a visit to the Karen Blixen House famous from Out of Africa, or the Giraffe Park.
This evening meet with your Erik's Adventures singles travel trip host for an orientation
Overnight stay at Stanley Hotel .
Lunch and dinner on own arrangements
.
Day 04: Nairobi - Aberdares (B,L,D)
Breakfast at your hotel and from there your Singles safari group will travel north, passing near Thika, which boasts the world's third largest pineapple plantation and Karatina with its colorful market. Soon you'll be at Nyeri, one of Kenya's major towns and provincial headquarters and then on to the Aberdare Country Club, an elegant baronial style country home set in sprawling superbly landscaped gardens (120 miles – 3hrs)
12.30PM Lunch at the Aberdare Country Club.
Club transport takes you to the Ark. A uniquely shaped lodge tucked away in the Aberdares National Park forest. The lodge's water- hole and salt lick are well lit at night when the animals come to drink and a well-concealed "hide" affords eye-to-eye viewing of forest elephant and other game, including the endangered black rhino. You’re also likely to see Baboon, Buffalo, Bushbuck, and Bush pig, Civets, Duikers, Giant Forest Hog, Colobus and Syke's Monkeys. The bird life includes some species not common in other places, among them being: The Green Ibis, Rufous Sparrow Hawk, Mountain Buzzard, Crowned Eagle and the Silvery - Cheeked - Hornbill.
Note: Only a small overnight bag is required at the ARK.
The rest of the luggage is stored at the Aberdare Country Club at no cost.
Warm clothing is advisable as nights tend to be chilly.
Dinner in the lodge. <http://www.fairmont.com/Ark/>
Day 05 Aberdares / Shaba (B/L/D)
08:00 am Breakfast at the hotel. Return to the Aberdare Country Club where you will rejoin your driver guide, retrieve your stored luggage and embark on your safari adventure. Proceed using your vehicles to Shaba National Park. Rugged and remote, this wildlife reserve provides some of the best and most colorful game viewing in the country. Here the temperature changes from cold to hot.
12:30 pm Approximate time of arrival. Enjoy a game drive in Shaba National Park as you drive to the lodge.
1:00 pm Lunch at the lodge. After lunch relax by the pool.
3:45 pm Afternoon game drive
Shaba National Reserve: Shaba is a place for the connoisseur, where the quality of the experience exceeds the quantity of wildlife. Shaba has a particular place in the history of Kenya game conservation for it was in this reserve that the authoress, Joy Adamson,
was murdered early in 1980, her trilogy of books on the rehabilitation of the compliant leopard to a wild environment unfinished. The reserve takes its name from a massive cone of volcanic rock which dominates the region and evidence of the intensity of its upheaval is demonstrated by the formidable lava flow which the traveler has to cross to
reach the reserve and the lodge. The Reserve's northern boundary is marked by the wide, sauntering motion of the Ewaso Ngiro on its way to Chanler's Falls and beyond to its final destination at the Lorian & the tall doum palms which mark its course in
silent contrast to the rugged and pitted tracts which make up much of the sanctuary. Many small hills dot the landscape and with four springs Shaba is better watered than its neighbors.
After your game viewing enjoy a sundowner- a great experience with sizzling bbq appetizers, cocktails, and wine as the sun sets over the African Plains
Dinner at lodge
Overnight stay at Sarova Shaba Lodge - <http://www.sarovahotels.com/shaba/index.php>
Day 06 Shaba (B/L/D)
06:00 am Early wake up call, Tea/coffee to be served at the restaurant.
06:30 am Enjoy an early morning game drive returning to the lodge for breakfast.
08:00 am Breakfast at the lodge.
Mid morning game drive ending at Samburu Serena Lodge.
12:00 pm Lunch at the lodge
3:45 pm Set out from the lodge for your afternoon game drive in Samburu Game Reserve
Samburu Game Reserve: This game reserve is situated in the Northern Province of
Kenya. It is rugged and a semi-desert. To get here you will cross the equator at
Nanyuki and go to the northern hemisphere by passing the snow capped Mt Kenya
lying on the equator line and huge blue mountains serve as a back drop to this
game reserve. The environment is enchanting. The river Uaso Nyiro is the lifeline and
the nerve center of this Reserve and is bustling with a huge population of crocodiles.
The game reserve is renowned for its rare species of animals that can only be found in
this park, like –the long necked gerenuk, gravy’s zebra, reticulated giraffe, and the Beisa
onyx. The leopard is a frequent visitor in this park and most evenings it pays a courtesy
call to the lodge’s guests as it feeds on some bite on a tree across the river. The park has
an abundant species of birds and can turn even the most reluctant guest in to an avid
bird watcher. It is considered by Ornithologists a paradise for bird viewing. In the
evenings, you can watch gigantic crocodiles fight over big chunks of meat as they are
fed by the lodge staff at the riverbanks or as they get out of the river to relax. This is a
great photo session opportunity as you sip cocktails and watch the African sunset in
orange flame sky.
Also today the Singles safari group will visit a Village and meet the headman. Spend sometime interacting with their local culture and go inside one of their homes built of cow dung.
Return to the lodge for dinner
Overnight stay at Sarova Shaba Lodge
Day 07 Shaba / Nakuru (B/L/D)
08:00 am Breakfast at the lodge. Check out and drive to Lake Nakuru national Park with its commanding setting at the foot of the Rift Valley Escarpment.
1:00 pm Approximate time of arrival.
Enjoy an en route game drive to Lion Hill Lodge for your lunch. After lunch proceed with your afternoon game drive in the park.
Nakuru: in Kiswahili means "Waterbuck Haven". Lake Nakuru NationalPark, close to
Nakuru town, was established in 1961. It started off small, only encompassing the
famous lake and the surrounding mountainous vicinity. Now it has been extended to
around 90 square miles. It has unusual but beautiful vegetation. The forest vegetation is
covered with Euphorbia, tall cactus like trees and acacia woodland. The forest region is a
host to over 400 migratory bird species from around the world. The park's lake is
internationally known for its Lesser and Greater Flamingos. Ornithologists often
describe Lake Nakuru as "the most fabulous bird spectacle in the world". The Lesser
flamingo can be distinguished by its deep red carmine bill and pink plumage unlike the
greater, which has a bill with a black tip. The Lesser flamingos are ones that are
commonly pictured in documentaries mainly because they are large in number. There
are estimated to be over a million Lesser flamingos. These numbers are on a steady
increase again. The numbers had been reduced due to the El-Nino weather pattern that
flooded the lake, and changed the alkaline concentration. The flamingos feed on algae,
created from their droppings mixing in the warm alkaline waters, and plankton.
Dinner and overnight stay at Sarova Lion Hill Lodge
<http://www.sarovahotels.com/lionhill/index.php>
Day 08 Nakuru / Masai Mara (B/L/D)
08:00 am Breakfast at the lodge. Drive to the Masai Mara National Reserve offering wonderful scenery and plenty of game. It is perhaps the only region left in Kenya where the visitor may see animals in the same super-abundance as existed a century ago. Arrive to the Mara and enjoy an en route game drive to the lodge arriving in good time for lunch.
1:00 pm Lunch at the lodge and at leisure to relax by the pool form the long drive.
4:00 pm Afternoon game drive
The Masai Mara National Reserve simply stated is an "awesome" place, located in
southwestern Kenya. The Mara is an extension of the Serengeti National park of
Tanzania, and is cushioned by the Loita Hills in the east, Itong Hills in the North and
Siria escarpment in the west. The Mara, as it is referred to, is 721 square miles and was
established in 1961. It is one of the few places where you can actually encounter a live
Discovery Channel a haven for viewing a congregation of all sorts of animals in a five
mile radius. There are a variety of animals that can be seen at the Masai Mara,
including all the big five: leopard, lion, cheetah, rhino, buffalo, hippos, buffalo,
hartebeest, gazelles, topi, antelopes, elephants, zebras and a whole stretch of other game
animals. The best thing the Mara has to offer is the wildebeest migration. This
sensational display starts during the month of July when the wildebeest start moving
north from the Serengeti. There are estimated to be over 1.5 million animals that
partake in this migration. The wildebeests move north in search of the lush vegetation
during the long rains. The wildebeests crossing the Mara river is comical yet sad. The
long rains flood the rivers, and yet the wildebeests senselessly force their way upstream,
and this causes many deaths and injuries. But that is natures way of dealing with it all;
the wildebeests fresh death bring lions, vultures, jackals and hyenas who complete the
food chain part of the migration. At the start of October, when the Masai Mara
National Reserve experiences short rains, the wildebeests return south to the Serengeti.
On the return trip the numbers are significantly less but the birth of new calves during
February of the following year make up the numbers, and prepare for another migration
and thus the cycle continues.
Dinner and overnight stay at Sarova Mara Camp
<http://www.sarovahotels.com/mara/index.php>
Day 09 Masai Mara (B/L/D)
06:30 am Enjoy an early morning game drive returning to the lodge for breakfast.
08:00 am Breakfast at the lodge.
1:00 pm Lunch at the lodge
Afternoon at leisure
This evening enjoy a special Boma dinner with the rest of your Sinlges Safari travelers.
Overnight stay at Sarova Mara Camp
Day 10 Masai Mara / Nairobi (B/D)
After breakfast depart Masai Mara, head back to Narok, district headquarters of this part of
Maasailand and then travel across the vast plains on the floor of the Rift Valley - keep an eye out for herds of giraffe and gazelle - and head up the Rift Escarpment on a road built by Italian prisoners of war during World War II.
You will arrive in Kenya's bustling capital city in time for lunch on own arrangements.
Dayrooms are reserved at The Stanley Hotel.
Evening transfer to The Carnivore Restaurant, considered ‘Africa’s Greatest Eating
Experience'. This open-air meat specialty restaurant has strikingly different food, service and atmosphere to anything ever seen in Kenya. Every type of meat imaginable, are roasted on traditional Maasai swords over a huge, visually spectacular charcoal pit that dominates the entrance of the restaurant.
The waiters then carry these swords around the restaurant, carving unlimited amounts of the prime meats onto sizzling, cast iron plates in front of you. A wide selection of salads,
vegetable side dishes, and a variety of exotic sauces accompany the meat feast. Dessert and coffee follow this.
After this special farewell dinner, say goodbye to you new friends from the Singles Travel Group, and transfer to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport for your outbound flight.
Day 11 Europe/USA
Cost of Land arrangements
Land Arrangements $2,995 per person sharing
double room
Single supplement (private room throughout tour) $ 950
Incentive supplementary specials:
Flight from Masai Mara to Nairobi-
Currently you are traveling by road (a drive of approximately 6 hours) between Masai Mara and Nairobi, however you may opt to take a flight at an additional cost of $158 per person (subject to change) There are limited seats and we recommend early bookings.
Please note Baggage Allowance on this sector is limited to 33 lbs per person in total.
Balloon Safari in Masai Mara-
What could be more uplifting than an early morning safari in a hot air balloon flying over the vast plains of Africa? Witness an African sunrise as a plethora of wildlife roams the land beneath you. To highlight this exhilarating experience enjoy a champagne breakfast on landing for an additional cost of $425 per person
Trip Cost includes:
. Accommodation for 8 nights as stipulated in the itinerary or similar on sharing basis.
. Transportation in a chauffeur driven non air-conditioned minivan with pop-up roof for easy
game viewing & photography with a guaranteed window seat in each vehicle.
. Services of an English speaking driver-guide, game viewing drives and all park fees
. Meals as indicated in the itinerary including special Boma dinner and sundowner!
. All meet and greet services.
. Arrival and departure transfers
. Visit to a local Samburu village
. Farewell dinner at the Carnivore Restaurant
. All Government taxes and levies.
. 24 hours stand-by contact number.
. Two-way long range high frequency radio communication in each vehicle.
. On safari accessories in each vehicle: - First-aid kit, wildlife books, a pair of binoculars, cooler box with bottled water, and fire extinguisher.
. Flying Doctor insurance in Kenya
Special singles safari orientation in Nairobi
NOT INCLUDED:
International Air Tickets
Tips and Gratuities
Personal Expenses ie Laundry service, extra tours, personal items, etc
this picture taken on our previous trip by one of our singles guests!
Stanley Hotel
this picture taken on our previous trip by one of our singles guests!
Singles Bush Breakfast from the Kenya Vacation