LOITA HILLS TREK, MASAI MARA GAME RESERVE, KENYA
8 day safari / 7 nights camping
5 days walking / Fitness level – easy to moderate (back)

Recommended: Year-round, Best Months: Feb – July and Sept - Oct

This is an Africa that most travelers will never see – you will be one of the fortunate ones. Your game drives in the Mara begin as the golden rays of morning chase away the cool night air and the animals begin their day’s foraging. You may see, as we have, a mother cheetah out hunting with her small cubs, or perhaps a nursery of ostrich fifty strong. Depending on the season, you may even find yourself on the shoulder of the great wildebeest migration, marveling at the millions of hooves crossing your path.

Our hike through the Loita Hills brings you deep into Masai country where you will awaken to the sound of cow bells with their low soft clang and drift off to sleep as a million stars twinkle above the comfortable tent you’ll call home on this trip. For a week your hosts will be on hand to talk to you and answer questions resulting in a dialog about cultures, customs, and the recipe for those outstanding spinach crepes as opposed to being “lectured at”. Oh, the food… did we not mention the food??? Put out of your head the notion of cowboy coffee and camp food for you are the guest of an outfitter that has French tastes and Australian sensibilities. Delicious, healthy, and filling dinners are the exclamation point at the end of each fascinating day, leaving only room for sharing your preferred “sundowner” and tales of home around the campfire.

The Loita Hills are one of Kenya's last remaining 'true wilderness' areas. This Masai Mara walking safari traverses the seldom-visited and beautiful region – a low-lying range of mountains to the east of the Masa Mara where it is widely believed that the most traditional Masai cultures exist. In the company of superb local Masai warrior guides, you will camp in remote forest glades and on the edge of the Great Rift Valley escarpment, and enjoy stunning views of Lake Natron and sunrises over distant Kilimanjaro. Whether walking, trekking or on a 4x4 safari, you will visit unspoiled virgin landscapes inhabited by traditional people and native wildlife.Masai Mara Game Reserve via THE LOITA HILLS TREK WALKING SAFARI

This eight-day walking safari takes you from the famous Masai Mara Game Reserve and dense forests of the Loita Hills and Nguruman Escarpment to the savannah plains near Lake Natron on the floor of the Rift Valley.

Within very short distances you walk through very different ecosystems and habitats. At 2,500 meters high near Oloikokitok Waterfall the call of the Colobus monkeys and the shuffling of buffaloes in the thickets holds the attention of your Masai guides. Down in the Rift Valley, 2,000 meters lower in altitude, you walk across a flat white soda pan where herds of wildebeest surround you on the shimmering horizon. Sharing the same paths with the Masai herdsmen walking the salt route and the Sonjo people tending their fields next to the Pakasi River, you will appreciate the spontaneity of your contacts with these people.

Plan on walking up to 15 km per day with plenty of stops to appreciate the nature and surroundings and talk with the people. Donkeys carry equipment and luggage during walking safari. A small daypack with camera, sun cream and water bottle is all you are expected to carry.


Days 1 and 2: MASAI MARA GAME RESERVE
Depart Nairobi and head toward the Ngong Hills that tower over the edge of the Rift Valley. Your first vision of this magnificent fault in the earth's crust is certainly the most impressive. Several hundred meters below you, the African savannah stretches into infinity.
You’ll make your way through Masai land to the Masai Mara Game Reserve, which is a succession of undulating plains and rivers lined with acacia trees. Here you’ll find the largest lion population in Kenya, but even more spectacular is the enormous concentration of antelopes, zebras, and wildebeest. During the migration period the number of animals can reach the millions.


Day 3: MASAI MARA - OLASUR
Leaving the game reserve on your last day in vehicles, you head for the Loita Hills. Even outside the park boundary the wildlife is abundant. The Masai are not hunters, as they don't appreciate the taste of game meat. So it's not unusual to pass a herd of Thompson's gazelle or wildebeest close to the Masai dwellings. At Olasur you meet your Masai guides.


Day 4: OLASUR - ENGARE NANYUKI
Leaving your vehicles, you head into the hills on foot. The surrounding landscape is magnificent. The forest with green grassy clearings reminds you somehow of the English countryside. But not for long however, as you are brought back to reality and Africa by the sight of a Masai armed with his spear.

You will set up camp overlooking a stream where crested crane and sacred ibis search for insects amongst the long grass. You must beware of walking in the dark however as the nearby swamp is frequented by buffalo and elephant live in the surrounding forest!


Day 5: ALASUR - TIAMANAGEN
Hikers follow the edge of the Nguruman forest for 5 to 6 hours. There are many Colobus monkeys with their long black and white fur coats. You will pass many waterholes on your passage and, with a bit of luck, can catch a glimpse of some antelope or buffalo. You are now very close to the Tanzanian border and the forest has given way to open fields. There are many Masai villages in the area and visitors frequently meet with herdsmen and warriors. On this high open plateau you stroll easily while appreciating rock formations and the magnificent view of the Loliondo Hills in Tanzania. On your way you will visit several Masai villages before setting up your tents under the protection of huge granite boulders.


Day 6: TIAMANAGEN - OLDORO OIBOR
A short walking day takes you to the edge of the Rift Valley. The view is magnificent. Lakes Magadi and Natron lie 1000 meters below and to the south the Gelai and Lengai volcanoes. And a few hundred kilometers to the north on the other side of the Rift Valley you can discern the Ngong Hills. A leisurely afternoon is spent feeling on top of the world.


Day 7: OLDORO OIBOR - PAKASI RIVER
Passing through Mima, you descend the escarpment heading toward Lake Natron and into the Rift Valley. And very soon you will find yourselves in the open savanna at only 600 meters altitude. There is much more on the plains as gazelle, wildebeest, giraffe and zebra are in your midst. At dusk, camping on the banks of the Pakasi River.

Day 8: OLE SINIAYE - NATRON - NAIROBI
At Ole Siniaye the Pakasi River feeds an unexpected zone of agriculture before disappearing into swampland on the edge of Lake Natron. The waters of the Pakasi River flow clear and rapidly.

Your departure from the luxurious paradise of the Pakasi River to enter the vast open plains of Natron is a brutal shock. To get to the massive rock "Shompole" on the edge of Lake Natron, you must cross a flat surface of 10 or so kilometers of clay and white soda. Your feet sink and slide on the spongy surface as we walk in the oppressive heat and the blinding reflection. An outline of acacias on the horizon hide the Uaso Nyiro River. Upon reaching the river, the more reckless among the group will throw themselves into its chocolaty waters whilst the others simply relish the shade of the acacia trees.

Your vehicles await at the Uaso Nyiro River. Weather conditions permitting, access to the edge of Lakes allows you to approach the immense flocks of flamingo that nest in colonies here.

You return to Nairobi on a very good road arriving by the Ngong Hills. After your last view of undisturbed Africa, you return to the hustle and bustle of city life.


Includes:
- Transport in 4WD Landcruiser or Landrover with roof hatches for game viewing
- English speaking Masai Guide during the trek
- Full board except meals in Nairobi
- Treated drinking water
- All camping equipment including tables, chairs, cutlery & crockery, igloo-type tents, mattresses, wash bowls, bush toilet, safari shower (water permitting). Cook & drivers who assist with the camp
- First aid kit is available for use by group participants


Excludes:
- National park entry & camping fees
- Alcoholic drinks - we suggest that you bring a bottle of spirits to share for the evening sundowners
- Sleeping bag, torch light & personal toiletries
- Tips & extras of a personal nature.