Kenya Safari Express

Nairobi, Lake Naivasha & Masai Mara plus Istanbul optional extension

NEW: Prices now INCLUDE airline taxes & fees.
Includes airfare, fuel surcharges, airline taxes and fees, hotels, transfers, many meals, touring & more. *

Overview

Itinerary at a Glance Kenya Safari Express
Day	Destination
1	Depart USA
2	En route/Nairobi
3	Nairobi
4	Nairobi & Lake Naivasha
5	Masai Mara Game Reserve
6	Masai Mara Game Reserve
7	Masai Mara & Nairobi
8	Nairobi/USA
Istanbul Optional Extension
8	Nairobi/Istanbul
9	Istanbul
10	Istanbul
11	Istanbul/USA

Departures	April – November 2012
Departs	New York Kennedy (JFK)
Highlights	Nairobi, Lake Naivasha, Masai Mara Game Reserve. Optional Balloon Safari Adventure and optional 3 night extension to Istanbul.
Included Features	Round trip airfare from New York to Nairobi on Turkish Airlines, including fuel surcharges airline taxes and fees 6 nights accommodations at a deluxe Nairobi hotel and superior safari lodges Game-viewing drive with experienced drivers/game spotters, guaranteed window seat and access to pop-up roof hatch Boat safari on Lake Naivasha Comprehensive sightseeing tours in Nairobi escorted by local English-speaking guides All transfers & transportation 12 bountiful meals, including 5 full buffet breakfasts, 3 lunches and 4 dinners. On the Istanbul Extension, 3 nights in superior first class hotel with breakfast daily, all transfers, and half day tour of Istanbul

Who wouldn't include Kenya on their "bucket list" of places to see? As far as Kenya wildlife safaris go, this is one you won't want to miss. The legendary game reserves are filled with magnificent wildlife and offer sweeping vistas that seem to go on forever. Everywhere you go, from the teeming cities to the plains of the Masai Mara, the people are friendly and welcoming. Enjoy your own "Out of Africa" experience and visit Karen Blixen's home.

And as always, in true Friendly Planet style, we've managed to package a dream vacation at a price that is unbelievable, even to us. Your 8-day visit to Kenya includes airfare, great hotel and lodge accommodations, daily buffet breakfast, lunches and dinners on safari, transfers, game drives and more.

Afterwards, take advantage of your already-included international airfare for an optional extension to exciting Istanbul. Straddling Europe and Asia, it's a mix of modern and ancient cultures.

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Dates, Prices & Options

Coming from somewhere else? Unfortunately, we don't offer departures from cities that are not listed, but you can book your own connecting flights separately.

Want to stay longer? We may be able to arrange for you to extend your stay up to 30 days later than the scheduled dates above. Ask us about availability, prices and details.

Due to the special nature of this deal, the deposit for this tour is $1500 per person for September and October departures, and $1200 per person for November and December departures. This deposit is non-refundable and covers safari fees and the cost of your flight tickets, which may be required to be issued within 24 hours of your booking. In order to complete your reservation and issue your tickets, if needed, we must receive your signed tour registration form and a photocopy or a scan of your valid passport within 24 hours of your reservation. If we do not receive these documents on time, your reservation may be subject to a higher airfare or cancellation.

We strongly recommend travel insurance to protect your investment in this vacation. Be sure to read insurance details to fully understand coverage provided.

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Depart USA. Depart tonight from JFK on your overnight flight to Kenya via Istanbul.

Day 2: En route/Nairobi. Upon arrival, our representatives will assist you with passport and customs formalities and escort you to your hotel.

Note: Arrival into Nairobi is approximately 1:30am on day 3. Hotel accomodations are provided for this evening. Intercontinental Hotel Nairobi

Day 3: Nairobi. After a good rest and a leisurely breakfast, begin your tour of Nairobi this afternoon with a visit to The Langata Giraffe Center, established to protect the endangered Rothschild Giraffe. There are also several warthogs which roam freely with the giraffes. Guests are permitted to feed the giraffes from a raised feeding platform. Continue your tour at the Karen Blixen Museum. Prior to opening as a Museum in 1991, the house and surrounding 4500 acre farm were owned by "Out of Africa" author Karen Blixen from 1917 till 1931. End the day at the Kazuri Bead factory. Kazuri, which means "small and beautiful" in Swahili, began in 1975 as a tiny workshop experimenting in making handmade beads. The factory is located in what used to be part of the Karen Blixen Estate. Its founder, Lady Susan Wood, started with two Kenyan women and soon discovered that there were many other women in the villages around Nairobi, most of whom were single mothers, who were in great need of regular employment. (B)

Day 4: Nairobi & Lake Naivasha. After breakfast and check-out, visit the Daphne Sheldrick Elephant Orphans' Nursery, where young orphaned elephant babies are hand-raised until they are released back to the natural habitat in the Tsavo National Park. Here they are able to mingle freely with the wild community. Depart Nairobi, travelling west through Kenya's fertile farmlands and into the Great Rift Valley. Arrive at your lodge, set amidst Acacia trees, overlooking Lake Naivasha. After lunch, your safari begins with an afternoon boat ride on Lake Naivasha to view the multitude of birds and wildlife. You may see the majestic fish eagle, kingfishers, egrets and other African species of birds, as well as hippo, giraffe, buffalo, zebra and waterbuck wandering along the shores of the lake. You may also see some playful black and white colobus monkeys in the tall yellow acacia trees. Naivasha Country Club (B,L,D)

Day 5: Masai Mara Game Reserve. After breakfast, depart for the Masai Mara. This park offers wonderful scenery and plenty of game viewing. It is perhaps the only region remaining in Kenya where the visitor can see animals in the same abundance and variety as existed a century ago. Here among the grassy plains and lush landscape, you'll find lions, cheetahs, buffalo and abundant bird life such as ostriches, cranes and storks.

Every year, between June and September, millions of wildebeests and zebras migrate into the Mara in search of water. The timing of this phenomenon varies, depending on the rains, but they usually start heading back to the Serengeti in October. Whether you see the migration or not, the Mara almost guarantees you'll enjoy a magnificent time in Kenya. Enjoy lunch at your lodge then relax until later this afternoon when you'll take your first game drive through this haven of wildlife, lasting until sunset. Keekorok Lodge (B,L,D)

Day 6: Masai Mara Game Reserve. Continue your discovery of the many species of game in the park today on two drives, one this morning and another later in the afternoon. During your game drives, you may see a variety of antelope, including wildebeest, Thomsons, and Grant gazelles. The "Big Five" are found in the Masai Mara as well as cheetahs and bat-eared foxes and many other varieties of wildlife.

Optional Tour: You will have an opportunity to take an optional balloon ride across the Masai Mara instead of the morning game drive. Weather conditions permitting, your Balloon Safari begins in the pre-dawn hours, a time when the magnificent view over the park is most thrilling. Toward the end of your flight, you'll rise to a height of 1500 feet for a panoramic view of the twisting Mara River and the savannah below. After an hour or so in the air, your safari finishes with a champagne breakfast in the bush, cooked on the balloon's burners. ($425) After lunch, enjoy some leisure time at the lodge, including a refreshing swim in the pool.

Optional Tour: This afternoon you'll have an optional opportunity to visit a Masai Village for an in-depth look at this colorful and pastoral people in their natural setting ($25). (B,L,D)

Day 7: Masai Mara & Nairobi. Enjoy the last morning of your Africa adventure. After a leisurely breakfast, depart for Nairobi in the mid-morning, arriving in the mid-afternoon. Check-in at your hotel to relax and enjoy the remainder of the day at leisure. In the evening, enjoy a farewell dinner at the famous Carnivore Restaurant. Intercontinental Hotel (B,D)

Day 8: USA. Early this morning (shortly after midnight), bid farewell to Kenya as you transfer to the airport for your return flight via Istanbul, arriving at JFK International Airport later this afternoon. Or take advantage of your included international airfare, and choose a 3 night extension in Istanbul.

Istanbul Optional Post-Tour Extension

Why not take advantage of your already-included international airfare and extend your stay in exciting Istanbul. You will return to the USA 3 days after the return dates shown above

Day 8: Istanbul. Arrive this morning in Istanbul, a city at the meeting point of two continents—Europe and Asia. You'll be met by our representative and escorted to your centrally located hotel. This afternoon enjoy an orientation tour to get you acquainted with Istanbul including a visit to the Hagia Sophia and the Grand Bazaar. Also known as Ayasofya, Hagia Sophia was built by the emperor Justinian I between 532 and 537 AD. The Hagia Sophia is famous for its massive dome and Byzantine architecture, was built as an Othordox basilica, it later became a mosque and finally a museum in 1936. Next you will visit the Grand Bazaar, one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world. The Bazaar was opened in 1461, and today there are over 3000 stores, many of which are grouped by the type of goods, with special areas for leather coats, gold jewelry and other wares. Spend remainder of the evening at leisure. Kent Hotel Istanbul or similar. Departures in November & December 2011 will stay at the Eresin Taxim Premier.

Day 9: Istanbul. Today, enjoy a full day of leisure to explore this remarkable city on your own.

Optional Tour: Take advantage of an optional full day city tour including Istanbul’s Golden Horn, Dolmabahce Palace, the Bosphorus, and lunch at a local restaurant.

This evening enjoy and optional dinner with local entertainment. (B)

Day 10: Istanbul. This morning, visit some of the unique and iconic sites in the city. Start your tour at the Sultanahmet Mosque, known as the Blue Mosque for the tiles and paint adorning its interior. Built between 1609 and 1616 on the site of several previous palaces, is considered to be the last great mosque of the classical period, and even today it is a truly epic sight. More than 200 stained glass windows admit natural light, the floors are covered with thick carpets, and the walls are decorated with incredibly intricate tile work and verses from the Qur'an, many by Seyyid Kasim Gubari, the greatest calligrapher of his time. Continue to the Hippodrome originally built by the Byzantine Emperor Septimius Severus, it was later renovated by Constantine and in its heyday was able to accommodate 100,000 spectators. You will also visit a local shopping mall, known for its handicrafts, before returning to the hotel for the balance of the day at leisure. This evening enjoy and optional dinner with local entertainment. (B)

Day 11: Istanbul/USA. Today you'll be escorted to the airport as you bid farewell to Istanbul and Turkey, and board your return flight to the USA. (B)

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