10 Days Kenya Midrange Student Safari: Wildlife Ecology, Conservation and Field Learning

Students will be collected from an agreed Nairobi school, university, hotel or airport meeting point between 6:30 a.m. and 7:30 a.m. After a complete safety briefing, group introduction and explanation of the educational objectives, the group will begin the approximately 320-kilometre journey to Samburu National Reserve. The transfer normally takes around 5½ to 6½ hours, with planned washroom and meal stops. During the route, our guide may introduce central Kenya’s geography, agricultural land use, altitude changes and the transition from fertile highlands into northern drylands. After arriving, students will have lunch, receive their room allocation and join an afternoon field drive lasting approximately 2½ to 3 hours, focusing on dryland wildlife and the role of the Ewaso Nyiro River.

Destination:

SAMBURU NATIONAL RESERVE

Overnight:

Samburu Sopa Lodge

  mid rage 3 star lodge

Meals & Drinks:

Lunch, Dinner

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Following breakfast, students will spend approximately 7 to 9 hours exploring Samburu and may cover between 60 and 120 kilometres. Educational topics may include animal adaptation, competition for water, river ecology, predator distribution, grazing pressure and survival strategies in semi-arid environments. Students may observe Grevy’s zebras, reticulated giraffes, gerenuks, Beisa oryx, elephants, lions and numerous birds. Species lists, field notes, photography tasks and habitat observations may be completed during authorised stops. Lunch will be taken at a picnic site or at the lodge before the afternoon programme continues.

Destination:

SAMBURU NATIONAL RESERVE

Overnight:

Samburu Sopa Lodge

  mid rage 3 star lodge

Meals & Drinks:

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

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After breakfast and check-out, students will travel approximately 275 to 300 kilometres to Lake Nakuru. The journey normally takes around 5 to 6½ hours, with scheduled meal, stretching and washroom stops. During the transfer, our guide may discuss farming, settlement, changing vegetation, tourism and land-use differences between northern Kenya and the Great Rift Valley. After lunch and room allocation, students will join an afternoon game drive lasting approximately 3 hours. The field session may focus on rhino conservation, lakeshore ecology, woodland habitats, invasive vegetation and managing a national park near a major urban centre.

Destination:

SAMBURU NATIONAL RESERVE

Overnight:

Ziwa Bush Lodge

  mid rage 3 star lodge

Meals & Drinks:

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

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Students will begin the day with a morning Lake Nakuru field drive lasting approximately 2½ to 3 hours before travelling around 240 to 260 kilometres to Masai Mara. The transfer normally takes 5 to 6½ hours. During the journey through Narok County, discussions may cover pastoralism, livestock, land subdivision, wildlife corridors and the economic role of tourism. After arriving, students will have a late lunch, receive room allocation and may join a short evening game drive introducing the Masai Mara grassland ecosystem.

Destination:

LAKE NAKURU NATIONAL PARK

Overnight:

Jambo Mara Safari Lodge

  mid rage 3 star lodge

Meals & Drinks:

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

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After breakfast, students will spend approximately 8 to 10 hours exploring Masai Mara and may cover between 80 and 150 kilometres. Our guide will explain predator territories, hunting strategies, herbivore grouping, food chains and scavenger ecology. Possible observations include lions, cheetahs, elephants, buffaloes, giraffes, hyenas, wildebeests and zebras. A picnic lunch will be served inside the reserve while students complete field journals, species lists, behavioural observations or wildlife-photography assignments.

Destination:

MASAI MARA NATIONAL RESERVE

Overnight:

Jambo Mara Safari Lodge

  mid rage 3 star lodge

Meals & Drinks:

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

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The second full field day provides time to compare Masai Mara’s grasslands, riverine woodland, seasonal streams and acacia habitats. Students may travel approximately 70 to 140 kilometres during 8 to 10 hours of field study. Our guide can explain how vegetation, water sources and terrain affect wildlife distribution, while discussions may also cover tourism pressure, migration, wildlife corridors and human-wildlife conflict. A picnic lunch will be provided before students continue their observations and complete a final evening review at the lodge.

Destination:

MASAI MARA NATIONAL RESERVE

Overnight:

Jambo Mara Safari Lodge

  mid rage 3 star lodge

Meals & Drinks:

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

❮ ❯

Following breakfast and lodge check-out, the group will travel approximately 250 kilometres to Lake Naivasha in around 5 to 6 hours. After lunch and room allocation, students may participate in a boat excursion lasting approximately 1 to 1½ hours. The field session may cover hippo behaviour, fish-eagle ecology, waterbirds, fishing, flower farming, tourism and pressure on freshwater resources. A Crescent Island walk can be added for further grassland and herbivore study when included in the confirmed programme.

Destination:

MASAI MARA NATIONAL RESERVE

Overnight:

Naivasha Kongoni Lodge

  mid rage 3 star lodge

Meals & Drinks:

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

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After breakfast, students will travel approximately 320 kilometres to Amboseli in around 6 to 7 hours. During the journey, our guide may discuss road development, urban expansion, land subdivision and the importance of wildlife corridors outside national parks. After lunch, room allocation and check-in, a short afternoon field drive may introduce the Amboseli ecosystem, elephant herds, marsh habitats and the influence of Mount Kilimanjaro’s water system.

Destination:

LAKE NAIVASHA NATIONAL PARK

Overnight:

Amboseli Sopa Lodge

  mid rage 3 star lodge

Meals & Drinks:

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

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After breakfast, students will spend approximately 7 to 9 hours exploring Amboseli and may cover between 60 and 120 kilometres. Educational topics may include elephant social structure, matriarchal leadership, wetland ecology, drought adaptation, animal movement and relationships between wildlife and surrounding pastoral communities. Students may observe elephants, buffaloes, hippos, lions, zebras, wildebeests and numerous birds. A picnic lunch will be followed by additional field observations and a final programme review at the lodge.

Destination:

AMBOSELI NATIONAL PARK

Overnight:

Amboseli Sopa Lodge

  mid rage 3 star lodge

Meals & Drinks:

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

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Following breakfast and lodge check-out, students will travel approximately 240 kilometres to Nairobi in around 4 to 5 hours. Teachers and guides may conduct a final review covering ecosystems, wildlife adaptations, conservation challenges and the main learning outcomes of the safari. Drop-off will be provided at the agreed school, university, hotel, residence or airport.