LOITA HILLS HIKING & FLY CAMP
Walking Back in Time
You won’t find a more unique Kenya safari than this combination of a hiking safari in the Loita Hills followed by the best of what the Maasai Mara has to offer.
Your adventure begins with a private trek through the homeland of Maasai Purko clan, guided by local tribesmen. We spend 3-6 days on foot, discovering the Sacred Forest filled with cedar, podo and strangler fig trees, waterfalls, and spectacular birdlife.
Some 2,000 colobus monkeys roam the trees; you’re also likely to see or find evidence of elephant, buffalo, baboon, bushbuck, bush pig, leopard and hyena.
Donkeys are used to carry the lightweight camp to our base, located deep within the forest near natural springs and hippo pools. Your route is tailored according to your physical abilities and interests—a rare adventure to thrill even the most seasoned safari-goer!
loita-hills-walking-and-hiking
In The Footsteps of the Maasai
Natures Interactive Itinerary
Travel Options
- Stay the night before at Leleshwa Camp which is accessed by road or air (regular scheduled or chartered flights into Siana Airstrip). After breakfast travel to Kanunka (approx 3 hours) to begin your hike.
- Drive from Nairobi in 4×4 vehicles across the spectacular Rift Valley, enjoying expansive views en route to arrive at Kanunka at noon.
Day 1: On reaching Kanunka, the starting point of your hike, you will meet your Maasai walking guide, porters and donkeys who will transport your gear and camping equipment. Day packs are provided by Leleshwa Camp, and you will pack only what you need for the hike – all other luggage will be transported to Leleshwa Camp to await you at the end of your trek. We commence our walking safari for 3-4 hours this afternoon, hiking through Maasai farmland and broken bush. After a stop for lunch under a classic umbrella thorn tree, we continue our walk toward the hills. As villages become increasingly remote and dirt tracks diminish into footpaths, we eventually leave the last settlements behind and enter the forest. Our first camp, Kalema campsite, is in a clearing on the forest edge.
Day 2: Loita Hills –Maasai Walking Trail
We rise early and, after a fortifying breakfast, begin our day on the trail, climbing the hill behind the campsite with our first view over the Shompole & Rift valleys. Following elephant and buffalo trails into the forest, we pass small waterholes and traverse forest glades, dropping into the Seigei Valley to walk along the massive swamp that runs along the valley floor. During our lunch stop we’ll hope to get a glimpse of the animals that frequent the swamp – buffalo, elephant, the Namenkio Forest – the views just keep getting better! We spend the night at our second campsite – Alandabibi – which lies within a clearing around a natural waterhole that often has animal visitors at night. [Total hiking time 6 hours, +/- 10 km]
Day 3: Loita Hills – Maasai Walking Trail
Today we do a long circuit walk from Alandabibi campsite along Miguu ya Mbwa Hill, to an amazing viewpoint – on a clear day we can see all the way to the soda lakes of Magadi and Natron where Africa’s famous pink flamingos breed; 6,600-foot Ol Donyo Lengai, Tanzania’s only active volcano; and the heights of Gale and Shompole. We’ll stop for lunch here, overlooking this iconic panorama of East Africa. In the afternoon we drop down into the valleys to spend more time in the amazing pristine forest. [Total hiking time 6 hours, +/- 10 km]
Day 4: Loita Hills – Maasai Walking Trail
After breakfast, we depart camp and head towards the Enchipai Valley, one of the largest valleys in the Loita Hills, with a major stream running through it, fed by crystal-clear spring water, which will be our lunch spot en route to camp. The spring is used by Maasai herdsmen in times of drought so there is a chance that we might encounter one or two lone nomads during this morning’s hike – these interactions are always fun and interesting for everyone as it is such a remote area. After lunch, a 1 ½ hour hike brings u to our campsite, which surveys a series of sweeping bends in the stream in a wide-open part of the valley. By now, we are thoroughly steeped in the solitude and silence of the wilderness—there is simply no match for the wonder of experiencing the African wild on foot
Day 5: Loita Hills – Maasai Walking Trail
This morning we depart on one of the most spectacular walks in the Loita Hills – down the Enchipai Valley to the Alarsu waterfall, a 300-foot drop into an enormous pool. The route was opened up by our Maasai walking guide, Robert Rerende, who leads the way as we negotiate the rocky path down the valley wall. It is a difficult walk but, when we reach the bottom and are rewarded with a chance to cool off in the huge plunge pool, it is well worth the effort. Enjoy a hearty picnic lunch at the base of the falls before climbing back up to through the forest to return to Enchipai Camp, where we will spend a second night. Here we’ll enjoy a special celebration on our last night of the walking safari as the Maasai crew, who have become our friends over the past four days, provide some traditional entertainment with music and dance. Involvement by guests is highly encouraged and great fun! [Total hiking time 7-8 hours, +/- 10 km]
Day 6: Loita Hills / Leleshwa Camp
After one last breakfast in the bush, it’s time to begin our 2-hour walk back to the civilized world of roads, vehicles and agriculture. Once we reach the vehicles, we say a fond farewell to our Maasai guides, who have shared and shown us so much. We drive in 4X4 safari trucks to Leleshwa Camp. [Total hiking time 2 hours, +/- 7 km]
Variations on Hiking Itineraries
Length of trip can vary from 3 – 6 days. If you choose to do a 3 day hike a perfect itinerary will be days 4, 5 & 6.
If you choose to fly directly to Siana Airstrip from Nairobi on the day of starting hike, you’ll have lunch at Leleshwa Camp and then transfer to alternative starting point.
Note on distances and times
The itinerary laid out above is a suggestion for a group of average fitness. Should our guides see that the group is particularly fit and able, hike times and distances can be extended to cater for this.
| Specifications | |
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TENTS |
2 x double (10’ x 10’ sleeping area) 2 x single or twin (10’ x 8’ sleeping area) 6’ high in centre / straight side walls All tents are made from light weight material with insect proof door and window linings |
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BED CONFIGURATIONS |
Double beds (6’ x 4’6”) - Concertina Frame with 1’ inflatable mattress Single twin beds (6’x2’6”) - Canvas cot bed with 3” foam mattress Triple rooms are not possible All beds have cotton linen, sleeping bags & duvets (comforters) and blankets
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LIGHTING |
Solar powered overhead light Handheld flash lights are provided
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BATHROOM FACILITIES |
Separate shared toilet and shower tents Traditional ‘earth flush’ toilets with modern toilet seat Piping hot bucket showers can be requested at any time Canvas wash basin in front of each tent
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MESS TENT
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A dining table
Folding camping chairs Bar table and cool boxes Padded Maasai blankets for lounging |
The Leleshwa Safari Co. Ltd
Resv: +254 (0) 20 802 1341 | (0) 715 931 471
PO Box 1629 – 00502,
Nairobi, Kenya
Skype: Marketing.Leleshwa