7 Days Premium New Year Safari: Mara to Naivasha

The First Road Chapter
Your guide meets you at the confirmed Nairobi collection point around 6:30 a.m. After reviewing the dated celebration plan, you begin the 225–275 km journey to the Maasai Mara, which normally takes five to six hours excluding stops and varies by gate and lodge. The Rift Valley descent, roadside highlands and Narok corridor make the transfer part of the experience. A suitable comfort stop and lunch break are included.

An Evening on the Plains
After arrival, check-in and a short rest, the first game drive begins near 3:30 p.m. for approximately two to three hours. Your guide searches the accessible plains for elephants, giraffes, antelopes and predators while following authorised tracks and respectful viewing practice. Sightings are never guaranteed, even during the festive season. You return before dark, settle into the lodge and receive details of any confirmed New Year programme. Dinner may be standard or festive according to the dated reservation.

Destination:

MASAI MARA NATIONAL RESERVE

Overnight:

Mara Simba Lodge

  premium luxury 5 star lodge

Meals & Drinks:

Lunch, Dinner

❮ ❯

Morning Possibilities
Breakfast starts around 6:00 a.m., and you depart near 6:30 a.m. The guide follows habitat and recent signs rather than a fixed animal checklist, exploring open grassland, river edges or acacia areas where conditions permit. Lions, cheetahs, elephants, buffaloes and diverse herbivores live in the Mara, but patient observation replaces promises. The private vehicle allows your party to decide when a sighting has received enough time.

A Final Sunset or Fresh Beginning
Lunch is served at a designated picnic site around 12:30 p.m. The complete outing usually lasts seven to nine hours including breaks, with the return planned around 5:00–5:30 p.m. If this date is New Year’s Eve, there is time to refresh before the confirmed dinner or countdown; if it is New Year’s Day, the drive becomes the first major experience of the year. Entertainment, drinks and late-night activities follow only the lodge’s verified programme.

Destination:

MASAI MARA NATIONAL RESERVE

Overnight:

Mara Simba Lodge

  premium luxury 5 star lodge

Meals & Drinks:

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

❮ ❯

A Different Direction
After breakfast near 6:15 a.m., you begin a second full Mara day, ideally using a different sector from yesterday when road conditions allow. The changing focus might reveal riverine trees, marshy ground, broad plains or distant escarpments. This is a chance to slow down and notice behaviour, tracks, birds and landscape patterns rather than repeat a route. Migration activity depends on rainfall and season, and river crossings cannot be scheduled for New Year.

Space for New Memories
A picnic lunch is planned at approximately 12:30 p.m. The afternoon continues for a total of seven to nine hours including breaks, with ethical vehicle placement throughout. If the previous evening ran late, a revised departure or shorter outing can be considered only when agreed with the guide and compatible with permits and lodge location. Return is expected around 5:30 p.m., followed by rest, dinner and the final Mara night under a wide Kenyan sky.

Destination:

MASAI MARA NATIONAL RESERVE

Overnight:

Mara Simba Lodge

  premium luxury 5 star lodge

Meals & Drinks:

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

❮ ❯

From Savannah to Highlands
You have breakfast around 6:30 a.m., check out and depart close to 7:30 a.m. A short wildlife-viewing transfer may accompany the drive toward the gate. The journey to Lake Nakuru is roughly 220–250 km and requires five to six hours excluding lunch and comfort breaks, depending on the starting gate and accommodation. Peak-season vehicles and changing road conditions may extend the day, so the schedule includes a practical buffer.

A New Lake Landscape
Lunch is taken en route or in the Nakuru area around 1:30–2:30 p.m. You check into your lodge and rest, allowing the holiday road transfer to finish without unnecessary pressure. When daylight, permit timing and energy permit, a brief introductory park drive may be made; otherwise, the main Nakuru safari stays on the next morning. Any ongoing festive menu or entertainment is property-specific and appears only in the written confirmation. Dinner closes the day.

Destination:

MASAI MARA NATIONAL RESERVE

Overnight:

Lake Nakuru Sopa Lodge

  premium luxury 5 star lodge

Meals & Drinks:

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

❮ ❯

A Fresh-Year Game Drive
Breakfast is served at about 6:15 a.m., followed by a three- to four-hour drive through Lake Nakuru National Park. Wooded grassland, ridges and the lakeshore may provide rhinos, buffaloes, giraffes and varied birds. Flamingo presence and concentration are determined by natural lake conditions, not the calendar. Our guide interprets conservation and habitat while choosing accessible, authorised tracks and allowing useful stops for observation.

Toward the Geothermal Rift
After lunch, you leave for Lake Bogoria, covering about 100–150 km in two and a half to four hours depending on route, reserve entrance and accommodation. On arrival, you check in and take time to rest from the warmer northern basin. The guide explains safe conduct around geothermal features and confirms tomorrow’s departure. If a New Year event is scheduled here because of your chosen starting date, its meal, timing and supplement will already be documented.

Destination:

LAKE NAKURU NATIONAL PARK

Overnight:

Lake Bogoria Spa Resort

  luxury 4 star lodge

Meals & Drinks:

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

❮ ❯

Heat, Water and Stone
After breakfast around 6:30 a.m., you spend roughly two to three hours in accessible parts of Lake Bogoria National Reserve. The alkaline shore, escarpment and geothermal activity show the Rift Valley’s continuing geological energy. You remain on safe, authorised ground and follow the guide or ranger immediately; hot springs and nearby soil can cause injury. Flamingos may be present in changing numbers, creating a striking scene when ecological conditions are suitable.

Naivasha’s Cooler Shores
The journey then turns south for 150–180 km through the Nakuru corridor to Lake Naivasha, normally three to four hours excluding lunch and stops. You arrive around 3:30–5:00 p.m., check in and unwind beside the freshwater environment. A celebratory dinner, toast, private setup or cake can mark the beginning of the year only when confirmed with the lodge. Otherwise, you enjoy the property’s standard meal and a peaceful final safari evening.

Destination:

LAKE BOGORIA NATIONAL RESERVE

Overnight:

Lake Bogoria Spa Resort

  luxury 4 star lodge

Meals & Drinks:

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

❮ ❯

A Freshwater Outlook
Breakfast begins around 7:00 a.m. A pre-reserved one-hour boat ride may offer waterbird viewing and safe, distant observation of hippos, subject to weather, water conditions and licensed-operator approval. Every guest wears a life jacket and follows crew directions. Crescent Island walking is optional, separately confirmed and dependent on time and suitability. A quiet lodge morning remains an equal alternative for guests who prefer not to boat.

Carry the Journey Forward
After check-out near 10:30 a.m., you travel 90–100 km to Nairobi. Driving ordinarily takes one and a half to two and a half hours, though New Year holiday traffic may add time. Lunch is coordinated with the agreed city or airport drop-off. Our guide completes the journey at one confirmed location, leaving you with memories of savannah, lakes and an authentic transition into the new year. Flight transfers retain a generous check-in buffer.