7 Days Kenya Safari Tour: Amboseli, Naivasha & Masai Mara Review

If you’ve been dreaming about Africa, like your plains filled with wildlife and vibrant sunsets painting the sky, then a Kenya safari should definitely be at the very top of the travel wish list. This particular seven-day tour packs in some of Kenya’s real highlights—Amboseli, Lake Naivasha, Lake Nakuru, plus the Masai Mara. So, that’s the lowdown on each spot, along with some thoughts to maybe help you get ready for the trip of a lifetime.

Amboseli National Park: Giants and the Majestic Kilimanjaro

Amboseli, it’s almost famous for its unbelievable views of Mount Kilimanjaro. Seeing elephants with that giant mountain in the background? Well, it’s just postcard stuff, really. Anyway, the park it has a totally different vibe from some of the other places you might go on safari. The landscape can be a bit dusty and dry, which it means you tend to see animals gathered around the water sources, so that makes game viewing, like your elephant watching, rather easier. By the way, keep an eye out for the big herds – they are the real reason most folks come here. They roam, like they are totally kings of the area.

One morning, like, we woke up super early to try to catch the sunrise over Kilimanjaro. And, you know, even though there were some clouds kind of hanging around, when the sun started peeking over the horizon, painting the sky in those oranges and pinks, and too it hit the snow on top of the mountain…seriously, unforgettable. After that, like as we drove around, we watched a bunch of elephants. One little baby elephant, just, you know, it was playing around near its mum. So, it’s memories like those that truly stick with you.

Things to note about Amboseli:

Best time to visit: Months that are, just, kind of dry, typically June to October, and January to February.
Accommodation: Quite a few choices that range from camping spots up to really comfy lodges.
What to see: Elephants, yes, as I was saying. But that is not the end. There are a ton of other things, too. You might also see lions, cheetahs, giraffes and various birds.

Lake Naivasha: A Lakeside Paradise

Next up, like after the dust of Amboseli, Lake Naivasha it provides, maybe, a nice change. It’s this beautiful freshwater lake surrounded by forests of yellow fever trees and, basically, towering cliffs. You won’t find, perhaps, as much big game as someplace such as the Mara, however the birdlife? Very special. So many colors and so much activity, like at all times.

The boat trip on the lake is definitely one of the day’s better parts. Very chilled, actually. You glide across the water, passing, well, literally tons of birds, the fish eagles calling and diving for fish. A bit too, keep an eye out for the hippos. We kept, really, a safe distance, but just spotting those big guys chilling in the water, or close to the banks, that was, that’s definitely amazing. Crescent Island, it’s worth visiting as well. It’s actually, arguably, a sanctuary where you can walk among giraffes, zebras, and wildebeest. How unusual is that?

Top tips for Lake Naivasha:

Best activities: A boat safari on the lake and walkabout on Crescent Island.
What to bring: Cameras (yes), binoculars, and a hat. That’s all what’s needed. And very essential too it’s sunblock.
Accommodation: Nice range, from, in effect, guest houses through to proper lakeside resorts.

Lake Nakuru National Park: Pink Flamingos and Rhinos

Lake Nakuru is, probably, most famous for its pink flamingos, even though, at times, their numbers might vary depending on conditions. But even if, like you don’t catch the lake covered entirely in pink, that’s ok. It’s still a gorgeous place, by the way, particularly good for spotting rhinos—both black and white. Plus, in addition, there are leopards too that hide in the trees. It’s very beautiful. But keep looking up. Is that a common thing? No. But the view you have from up there is great.

We did, basically, a morning game drive and honestly we had, like, lots of luck. We saw rhinos. Maybe about five of them? So, too they were just grazing, basically not that far from the track. A white rhino is big, that, is something. Very gentle kind of look in its eye, if that’s even imaginable, actually. In addition to that, there were, really, giraffes, zebras, and loads of different bird species to see. Lake Nakuru is a bird spotter’s happy place, too it’s basically true. So, there is a surprise waiting behind just about every bush.

When visiting Lake Nakuru:

Great for: Seeing rhinos plus, usually, flocks of pink flamingoes.
Ideal visit time: It’s more or less the dry seasons, very same as Amboseli.
Don’t miss: Baboon Cliff view. Get, certainly, wide panoramas of the lake.

Masai Mara: The Jewel in Kenya’s Crown

To round things off, like your safari ends at the Masai Mara. It’s that location folks, maybe, picture anytime you mention a safari. Basically, endless plains, amazing game viewing. Plus those big skies. Very dramatic, in a way, when a storm is coming. By the way, if you’re there around the right time – normally July to October – just the Great Migration of wildebeest crosses these plains. It’s really some show to see. I, mean, just massive numbers of animals moving all together. I can tell you, it’s actually something that’s difficult to put properly into words. You just simply must see it yourself.

It’s, definitely, just something else, the game drives in the Mara. Very exciting. Like, seriously early in the morning we bumped, you know, into a pride of lions. Right by, really, the road. You should of seen them all lounging there. Like they are without a care in the world. Then later on we watched a cheetah hunting, even though, actually, she didn’t grab anything at that specific time. Just that is not the end of the story, the feeling that you are seeing this incredible spectacle out there unfold it’s amazing. That’s exactly how the story went. Just incredible moments that come, possibly, thick and fast.

Planning your trip to the Mara:

Best time to go: If like your priority is the Great Migration, then the period from July to October is it. Otherwise, that’s alright. It’s good game viewing that lasts right through the year.
Where to stay: Camps and lodges. Those offer, probably, very immersive experiences. Pick one located, that is to say, right inside the reserve.
Top experiences: You may need to do a game drive, see, of course, the Migration (if you can). Or too it’s nearly always good to enjoy a sunrise hot air balloon ride across the plains.

There you have it, that, is how you go on the ultimate safari, maybe? Seven days among some seriously wonderful places, by the way. This trip gives it a good introduction, more or less, to Kenya’s main parks. From seeing these enormous elephants beneath Kilimanjaro to watching birdlife on Lake Naivasha, hunting down the pink flamingos in Nakuru, plus enjoying those vast open plains of the Masai Mara…it just gets the blood flowing thinking of it. Just be sure that you will remember those cameras and binoculars.