Days 1-2 Maralal:

We depart Nairobi and head to Mararal where we will spend two days getting our first local interaction with the Samburu people. On the way we stop to see the Rift Valley view point, Mt.Longonot and ThomsonFalls.This frontier town is the beginning of the Great Northern wilderness and the staging post for many great adventures. It’s a thriving centre for the local Samburu people, and the streets are always busy with camels, passing warriors and traders. Mararal town is also famous as the location of the International Camel Derby, held in July/August each year.

Day 3 South Horr:

Leaving Samburu we head northwards to South Horr for another cultural experience. South Horr lies to the east of the SugutaValley, a huge sector of the Rift Valley between LakeBaringo and Lake Turkana which is only a few hundred meters above sea level. This makes it one of the lowest parts of the Rift Valley and also one of the hottest parts of Kenya, with deserts, volcanic cones, salt lakes, and uneven lava fields.

Days 4-5 Loyangalani:

Today we drive to the seemingly desolate South Eastern shores of Lake Turkana, a 290 Km long and 32 Km wide Lake that is romanticized and idealized by many as the most beautiful destination in all of Kenya. There are natural hot springs, unusual lava formations, and doum palms that provide shade and building materials for the Turkana tribe and the El Molo tribesmen who are said to be the smallest tribe in Africa. For these two nights you’ll be staying either in tents or in a simple, semi-permanent beach village comprising huts in the style traditionally used by the Turkana people and you can take boat trips to sample Turkana’s excellent fishing or visit South Island, and drive to an El Molo village.

Days 6-7 North Horr/Kalacha:

After breakfast, we cross the Chalbi desert (In the dry season) to North Horr but if it has rained we use another route avoiding the desert. The following day we head to Kalacha, situated on the edge of an oasis in the ChalbiDesert between Maikona and North Horr. Kalacha is the main stomping ground for the people of the Gabbra tribe who live alongside the lesser-known Kosso, a dedicated tribe of blacksmiths. Custom dictates that the Gabbra are forbidden from forging their own weapons, so they must rely on the Kosso to supply them. The Chalbi is a Gabbra word meaning Salt, named after the white salt patches that cover the dry sand here. Kalacha is an oasis, with water flowing from beneath the parched, cracked ground and serving as a watering hole for local communities. It’s also a place of incredibly fierce winds that are known to lift people right off the ground. The Kalacha Cultural Food and Music Festival is held here annually around Easter.

Days 8-10 Forolle/ Huri Hills:

The next two nights are spent with the Gabra people in their remote villages. We first visit Forolle village for two nights on the Kenya/Ethiopia border before visiting the Village of Hurri Hills on the top of the hills. The cultural experiences, song and dance we encounter during these three nights are a memorable highlight on this tour.

Day 11 Marsabit National Park:

Today we head for a game drive in MarsabitNational Park including a stop at ‘LakeParadise’ which is essentially an oasis in this park. Marsabit exists because of its high elevation in the midst of the desert plains. It is an anomaly, a lush, thick-vegetation Mountain with a climate resembling that of a rainforest. The nearby Buzzing town of Marsabit draws all kinds of traders and tribes people from as far as Ethiopia, and it’s an eye-opener for anyone looking to get a taste of a colorful mix of local cultures.

Days 12- 13 Samburu National Reserve:

You wake up to an early morning game drive before departing for Marsabit town and the drive to Samburu via the singing wells of the Boran tribe which is quite a colorful ceremony as they fetch water in a long queue cum chain singing in their mother tongue; they also bring their livestock to water at the same time. Later we visit a Samburu village before entering Samburu National Reserve which is inhabited by a wide variety of animals, more so the rare species such as the long- necked gerenuk, gravy’s zebra, reticulated giraffe and Beisa Oryx. Other animals include the leopard, the mighty lion, Elephants, crocodiles can be seen swimming in the Ewaso Nyiro River along with the hippo. Here we have an evening game drive, a full day game drive with a swimming break in the afternoon at the nearby lodge and morning game drive on the way out. You may also choose to have a Samburu cultural lecture by the campfire tonight.

Day 14 Nairobi:

Today the road trip back to civilization inevitably takes you along the slopes of Mt.Kenya and the Central highlands. On the way we see the ever changing landscapes and stop by the equator line where we will see a demonstration of the Northern and Southern hemisphere. If the skies are clear we also see the snow capped peak of Mt.Kenya. The trip comes to an end on arrival in the buzzing Capital city of Kenya, Nairobi.