Husband and I retired from our corporate jobs and first thing we did is booked our bucket list Kenya Trip for Sep.
Itinerary:
21st Sep : Mumbai to Nairobi (Overnight in Nairobi)
22nd Sep : Departed Nairobi for Masai Mara - 6 hrs travel by road, fairly scenic although the road is patchy in some parts. Visited the Masai village (Ok experience and expensive according to me).
23rd Sep : Full day safari in Masai Mara. Unreal experience. Sighted lions, cheetah, leapords, zebras, wildebeest, ostriches, wild buffalos, warthogs, elephants, giraffes etc. Most sightings were from close range and the overall park is beautiful with amazing Savannah views and vibes.
24th Sep : Balloon safari, the first of our lives. This experience is unique and super fun with a sun rise view that is to die for. Had a great experience followed by a bush breakfast with champagne, loads of food, the works! Met a lovely french couple who did not speak a word of English but somehow we managed to communicate 😄 We continued with an evening land safari as well which was similarly exciting as the one on 23rd with amazing sightings. Also, saw the great migration which took about 2 hrs of waiting but was totally worth it!
25th Sep : Travelled to Naivasha and did a boat safari. Again, amazing experience with proximity to hippos, eagles etc. the lake is pristine and gorgeous .
26th Sep to 27th Sep : Travelled to Amboseli.The first view of Mount Kilimanjaro brought tears to my eyes. The mountain is unique and changes colour throughout the day depending on weather conditions and is a sight to behold. The safaris in Amboseli were also unique with multiple sightings of elephants and myriad species of animals and birds. Most special was the carpet of flamingos we viewed.
28th Sep : Left for Mumbai.
It's very difficult to articulate the beauty of Kenya but it is a must visit destination and for us a life changing experience. This is the trip I will look back on for the rest of my life as the gold standard of a travel experience.
Total cost : 9000 dollars
Private vehicle for the 2 of us throughout the tour and 4 star hotel stays.
The people of Africa are amazing and make the trip that much more special.
Highly recommended!