Kenya Expedition: The Last Northern White Rhinos

Day 1 Nairobi

Welcome to Nairobi. You will be met and transferred to your hotel by our representative (approximately 45 minutes’ drive). The remainder of the day will be at your leisure, with optional activities available. There will be a welcome meeting at 4pm. Dinner is included this evening, so head out on the town and enjoy a taste of what Nairobi has to offer. There's also a presentation from the East Africa Wildlife Society on the work they do and how your donation through this trip helps their cause. For more information on the optional Urban Adventures check out https://www.urbanadventures.com/destination/nairobi-tours

Day 2 Ol Pejeta Conservancy

After breakfast at the hotel, check out and drive to Ol Pejeta. After settling into your camp there, enjoy some lunch. In the afternoon, it's time to visit the Ol Pejeta Conservancy and witness the last northern white rhinos. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity to see these rare beasts and hear their dedicated keepers tell their story. The 700-acre endangered species enclosure also protects small populations of Grevy’s zebra and Jackson’s hartebeest. The greater rhino sanctuary spans some 24,000 acres – typical savannah grasslands interrupted by whistling thorn shrubs, acacia trees and lush green vegetation along The Uaso Nyiro River. Here giraffe, zebra, eland, oryx, waterbuck, grants gazelle, Thompson’s gazelle, elephant, buffalo, silver backed jackal, ostrich, hartebeest, baboon, lion, hippo, and rhino roam free. There are also several bird species to observe – among them the Mairbou stork, African spoonbill and African hawk-eagle.

Day 3 Ol Pejeta Conservancy

Set off on a full day game drive at Ol Pejeta Conservancy. As well as the northern white rhinos, the conservancy plays host to 114 black rhinos and a significant population of southern white rhinos (whose population was, in a huge feat of collective conservation, boosted from less than 50 in the 19th century to the 20,000 or more that roam Africa today). The park is also home to cheetahs, jackals, a small number of African wild dogs and countless other game. Today there's the option of visiting Morani Information centre for the chance to learn about more about the wildlife in the area and get comprehensive information on how a modern wildlife conservancy works.

Day 4 Lake Nakuru National Park

Head to Lake Nakuru via Thomson Falls, enjoying some incredibly scenic views along the way. We arrive in time for lunch at the lodge. Proceed to Lake Nakuru Park and check into your lodge, which is located inside the park itself. The place is well known in Kenya for its rhino population, with a huge population of southern white and black, to be found in the park. It’s one of the most protected parks in the region, hence the growth in the rhino population. We embark on an afternoon game drive in the park and see how these animals thrive. Over the course of the year the lake changes size considerably, shrinking to its smallest in March at the end of the dry season, and changing the type of birdlife and wildlife that inhabit the area. While changes in water levels and chemical concentration caused the permanent population of flamingos to move elsewhere in the 1970s, the lush area around the lake is still well known for its birdlife.

Day 5 Lake Nakuru National Park

Enjoy a full day of exploring Lake Nakuru, embarking on morning and afternoon game drives. The lake is situated right in the middle of the Great Rift Valley, one of the most dramatic landscapes in the world. What's even more remarkable than the terrain, however, is the vast breadth of birdlife it attracts. A game drive is a chance to spot waterbuck, warthog, impala, buffalo, cheetah, Rothschild Giraffe, lions, leopards and rhinos (both southern white and black).

Day 6 Nairobi

After an early breakfast, check out of your camp and drive back to Nairobi this morning. Today there will be an interactive tour that introduces you to the resilient women of Kenya. It's a chance to spend time with some inspiring women who are overcoming hardship and turning their lives around, thanks to a unique social enterprise known as One Horizon Africa. It's about education and empowerment through vocational and lifestyle training, imbuing local women with a sense of independence and control over their lives.

Day 7 Nairobi

The adventure comes to an end after breakfast this morning.