14 day self-drive

[SB_wildlife_guide]

Hi All,

We are shortly heading out for a 2 week trip and would love any suggestions / advice re route, potential issues, etc. Our broad plan

• First 2 nights: Naivasha (booked)
  
  • Relax after flight, get supplies
  • Birdwatching from boat, cycle hells gate park
  
  
• Naivasha --> Archers post via Nanyuki in 1 day (Is this too much
• 3 nights in Buffalo Spring - hoping to visit Shaba, Samburu and Buffalo Springs
  
  • Any suggestions on where we should spend more time?
  • Any recommended bird guides?
  
  
• Buffalo Spring --> Nanyuki
• 3 days hiking in Mt Kenya up to Shipton's camp
  
  • Any guide recommendations?
  
  
• 3 nights in Ol Pejeta
• 1 night in castle forest lodge on way back to Nairobi
• Nairobi and fly back

A few quick questions pls:

• Will we be able to get a SIM card quite early in the morning at airport?
• We would love to see and photograph flamingoes - is there somewhere we can access lake Elementita shoreline without staying at a hotel?
• We are hoping to use google maps for navigation. Will this be ok in Samburu?

Thanks,
Sumit

[Wazungu Wawili]

Hi All,

We are shortly heading out for a 2 week trip and would love any suggestions / advice re route, potential issues, etc. Our broad plan

• First 2 nights: Naivasha (booked)
  
  • Relax after flight, get supplies
  • Birdwatching from boat, cycle hells gate park
  
  
• Naivasha --> Archers post via Nanyuki in 1 day (Is this too much. YES FOR SOMEONE ON, I IMAGINE, THEIR FIRST TRIP TO KENYA (IN A HIRED CAR?).
• 3 nights in Buffalo Spring - hoping to visit Shaba, Samburu and Buffalo Springs
  
  • Any suggestions on where we should spend more time?
  • Any recommended bird guides?
  
  
• Buffalo Spring --> Nanyuki
• 3 days hiking in Mt Kenya up to Shipton's camp
  
  • Any guide recommendations? GOOGLE?
  
  
• 3 nights in Ol Pejeta
• 1 night in castle forest lodge on way back to Nairobi
• Nairobi and fly back

A few quick questions pls:

• Will we be able to get a SIM card quite early in the morning at airport?
  I HAVE NEVER SEEN A MOBILE COMPANY’S OFFICE AT NAIROBI AIRPORT. YOU HAVE TO GO TO A SAFARICOM OFFICE TO BUY AND REGISTER A SIM.
• We would love to see and photograph flamingoes - is there somewhere we can access lake Elementita shoreline without staying at a hotel? I DON’T THINK SO.
• We are hoping to use google maps for navigation. Will this be ok in Samburu? GOOGLE MAPS WILL GET YOU TO SAMBURU BUT WON’T SHOW THE SIDE TRACKS WITHIN THE RESERVE.

YOUR FORUM NAME SOUNDS AS IF YOU ARE ALREADY A WILDLIFE GUIDE.

Thanks,
Sumit

[Mabe]

At Nairobi airport you will find at least three stalls selling SIM Cards as soon as you get out of the airport building (arrival hall). Safaricom was closed after 6pm, the others were still open. Guess it will be similar early in the morning.
look at this , helpful on this topic https://www.traveltomtom.net/destina...airobi-airport

[Wazungu Wawili]

Be aware that there is a lot of reconfiguration going on at Nairobi airport at the moment. In December, most international arrivals were being processed through what had been a cargo terminal - which had been taken into use to give more space for Covid measures. So, we came out at a different exit to the “normal” international arrivals.

And the international departures in January was a scrum as all international flights were going out through the new terminal which was built a few years ago for Kenya Airways. It took us about two hours to get through security and actually into the terminal for check-in. It was a miracle that we didn’t catch Covid in that scrum.

Just trying to manage expectations…

[Wazungu Wawili]

At Nairobi airport you will find at least three stalls selling SIM Cards as soon as you get out of the airport building (arrival hall). Safaricom was closed after 6pm, the others were still open. Guess it will be similar early in the morning.
look at this , helpful on this topic https://www.traveltomtom.net/destina...airobi-airport

I look forward to hearing about Mabe’s trip to Kenya. I think it’s his/her first time to Kenya or East Africa.

Safari njema!

[chf]

I agree the drive from Naivasha to Archers Post is a bit long. Keep in mind driving times on Google maps are very rough estimates as there is a lack of location data and the condition of the roads is not known to Google. To get slightly more precise information you could try Maps4Africa.

Last time I was up Mt Kenya was about 15 years ago, however I recently got the recommendation to reach out to Andrey Josephs ([email protected]) - he is supposed to be very experienced.

The last few times I flew into JKIA I did not see any open cell phone provider stands, however as pointed out due to constructions and covid the arrival changes all the time so you might get lucky. Otherwise I would recommend trying to get the SIM card while still in Nairobi, Safaricom network seems to be the best.

[Mabe]

I look forward to hearing about Mabe’s trip to Kenya. I think it’s his/her first time to Kenya or East Africa.

Safari njema!

Asante sana, WW
Yes, right, first trip to Kenya.
After lots of self-drives in Southern Africa and Uganda/Ruanda we decided for guided game drives in Masai Mara.
And we do not regret a single day so far. It is totally different and the sightings are more than amazing!
I will tell more details, when we are back.
After the Mara, the more adventurous part begins, going with the rental car to the lakes in the rift valley area.

lala salama
Mabe