Ultimate 9-Day Kenya Safari: Mombasa, Tsavo & Maasai Mara Adventure

Upon arrival at Moi International Airport, you will be warmly welcomed by a Polmans Holiday representative and transferred to your beach resort. Mombasa greets you with warm ocean breezes, palm trees, and Swahili coastal charm.

After check-in, relax at the beach or poolside, or opt for an optional city excursion exploring Old Town Mombasa, Fort Jesus, spice markets, and the famous Tusks monument. Enjoy your first evening with ocean views and tropical cuisine.

Accommodation: Voyager Beach Resort / Sarova Whitesands / Similar
Meal Plan: Bed & Breakfast

After breakfast, depart the coast and drive inland toward Tsavo East National Park — one of Kenya’s largest and oldest parks. The landscape gradually transforms into dry savannah, baobab-dotted plains, and open wilderness.

Arrive in time for lunch at your lodge, followed by an afternoon game drive. Tsavo East is famous for its “red elephants,” colored by iron-rich soil, as well as lions, giraffes, zebras, antelopes, and abundant birdlife. The vast open terrain offers excellent wildlife viewing and photography.

Return to lodge at sunset for dinner under the African sky.

Accommodation: Satao Camp / Ashnil Aruba Lodge / Similar
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Spend a full day exploring deeper regions of Tsavo East with morning and afternoon game drives. Early mornings are prime time to see predators returning from hunts and elephants gathering at waterholes.

Visit scenic viewpoints such as the Aruba Dam, a magnet for wildlife, and explore remote tracks where fewer vehicles travel. Between drives, relax at camp while watching animals approach nearby water sources.

The day offers chances to spot lions, cheetahs, buffalo, elephants, ostriches, and countless plains game.

Accommodation: Satao Camp / Ashnil Aruba Lodge / Similar
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

After breakfast, drive to neighboring Tsavo West, a park known for dramatic volcanic landscapes, rolling hills, and natural springs.

Visit the famous Mzima Springs, where crystal-clear water reveals hippos and crocodiles through underwater viewing chambers. Continue to the black lava fields of the Shetani Lava Flow, a striking reminder of ancient volcanic activity.

An afternoon game drive reveals a greener ecosystem with dense bushland, home to elephants, leopards, and diverse bird species.

Accommodation: Kilaguni Serena Safari Lodge / Ashnil Ngulia Lodge / Similar
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Enjoy a final morning game drive in Tsavo West before beginning the scenic journey toward the Great Rift Valley. Watch landscapes change from dry bushland to highland farms and escarpment viewpoints.

Arrive at Lake Naivasha in time for lunch at your lakeside lodge. In the afternoon, enjoy a relaxing boat safari across the freshwater lake, gliding past hippos and abundant birdlife including fish eagles, pelicans, and cormorants.

Optional: guided walking safari on Crescent Island among giraffes, zebras, and antelope.

Accommodation: Lake Naivasha Sopa Lodge / Enashipai Resort / Similar
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

After breakfast, drive through the scenic Rift Valley floor toward Kenya’s most famous wildlife destination — the Maasai Mara.

Arrive for lunch at your lodge or tented camp, followed by your first Mara game drive. The reserve is world-renowned for Big Five sightings and vast herds of plains game. Lions, elephants, buffalo, cheetahs, and hyenas roam freely across endless golden grasslands.

Sunset in the Mara is a magical moment as the savannah glows in warm light.

Accommodation: Mara Serena Safari Lodge / Sarova Mara Game Camp / Similar
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Spend a full day exploring the Maasai Mara with extensive game drives. Track predators, follow migrating herds (seasonal), and visit river crossings where crocodiles and hippos gather.

Optional experiences:

• Hot air balloon safari at sunrise with champagne breakfast

• Visit to a Maasai village to learn traditional culture

Return to camp for relaxation, storytelling by the fire, and dinner in the wilderness.

Accommodation: Mara Serena Safari Lodge

Another full safari day allows exploration of new sectors of the reserve. Your guide tailors routes based on wildlife movements to maximize sightings.

Enjoy a picnic lunch in the bush or return to the lodge for midday rest. Afternoon game drive continues until sunset.

This day often delivers the safari’s most memorable wildlife moments.

Accommodation: Mara Serena Safari Lodge / Sarova Mara Game Camp / Similar
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

After breakfast, depart for Nairobi with scenic stops along the Rift Valley escarpment. Arrival in Nairobi in the afternoon with drop-off at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport or city hotel for onward travel.

Meal Plan: Breakfast