In Africa, education tourism refers to any “programme in which participants/students/Adults/ travel to a location as a group with the primary purpose of engaging in a learning experience directly related to the location”. It is comprised of several sub-types including ecotourism, heritage tourism, rural/farm tourism, cultural-village visits, and student exchange programs between educational institutions.
We take you to East Africa where we know and understand best in the above resources. School tours to Kenya might not be the most main stream, but what a fantastic opportunity and rewards for those who go! Experience fantastic National Parks, elephants, lions, zebra and much much more.
This is a truly unique destination for studying geography and leisure and tourism and one of those trips that your students will never forget.
17 days Kenya study/educational trip
Arrive at JKIA and be transferred to Silver Springs Hotel for refreshments. Then proceed for a Nairobi city tour with familiarization of its rich history, culture and Art. Dinner and overnight at a Nairobi Y.M.C.A.
After your breakfast, make a Visit to the Museum and the Snake Park. Then take a visit to Giraffe center where you have an opportunity to feed the giraffes and later visit the Karen Blixen museum to learn about the achievements of Karen who lived for a short while in Kenya. Dinner and overnight at a Nairobi Y.M.C.A.
After breakfast, Visit the African butterfly center where rearing from maggots to fully grown insects is a process of interest and later to an Ostrich farm where you learn the rearing, products and later for an ostrich fillet and ostrich race course. Dinner and overnight at Nairobi Y.M.C.A.
Take an early breakfast and then continue to Olorgesailie Museum. The small but excellent site museum at Olorgesailie is located approximately 90 kilometers south west of Nairobi and was recently renovated with assistance from the Smithsonian Institution of the USA, and holds exhibits on human evolution, stone tools and site formation. A raised wooden catwalk has been built around an impressive in site display of stone tools and animal fossils, all dating from 1.2 million years ago. Dinner and overnight at a Nairobi Y.M.C.A..
After an early breakfast in Nairobi and then drive to the Southern side of Kenya with a packed lunch and to Lake Magadi located deep in the heart of Southern Kenya’s Masai land. It is a 104 sq km soda lake and is completely surrounded by vast natural salt flats. These sweltering hot plains prevent any animals reaching the alkaline lake at its center. For this reason, thousands of flamingos descend on the lake each year to nest on elevated mud mounds at the lake’s edge safe from any potential predators. Fresh water springs at the Lake’s shore attract a host of other birds. A journey to Magadi is to enter another world. The baking salt plains stretch into horizons of shimmering heat haze, while the shallow lake heaves with the pink waves of nesting flamingo. The intense heat and the isolation compound the otherworldly atmosphere. It is here that we have the largest producer of Soda Ash in Africa by the name “Magadi Soda company” and a guided Tour is conducted. Drive back to Nairobi in the evening for dinner and overnight.
Leave Nairobi after breakfast for Masai Mara the world’s renowned wildlife area for its vast number of plains game and their associated predators and breath-taking vistas and panoramic views of vast rolling plains. Mara has virtually all animals to be found in Kenya. In every direction in the Mara, there are the seemingly endless herds of game. It boasts of the largest population of lions in Kenya. Among animals found here are: buffalo, rhino, hippo, cheetah, leopard, lions, zebra, gnu, gazelles, warthog, and giraffe among others. The spectacular annual migration of a million plus wildebeests follows the rain north. In fact Masai Mara can be declared Africa’s Hollywood in the jungle settings, a base for filmmakers of wildlife and scenic views, giving the best scenes for film shootings in Kenya. Spend the rest of the time game viewing in this wonderful Game Reserve. Dinner and overnight at a camp or in a Lodge.
Have your breakfast and continue for more game viewing and photographing. Mara is the best place for film takers and therefore enough time is needed. Lunch at the camp. In the afternoon, take a walk into the Ngama Hills accompanied by armed rangers and Warden, then drive to a Manyatta (Maasai villages). Spend the afternoon at the Manyatta where you learn about various Maasai cultural activities such as dances, weaponry, and also listen to stories on the family set-up, social stratification and taboos told by the locals. Overnight at the camp or in a Lodge.
Depart Masai Mara for Longonot stopping at the viewpoint on the Great Rift Valley to view the Loita plains and proceed to Mt. Longonot for a walk, watching the sparkling Lake Naivasha in the thousands of feet below. Here you will be Learning in hiking skills, volcanical activities of the amazing active mountain. Dinner and overnight at Naivasha Y.M.C.A.
The wide fresh waters of Lake Naivasha attract a great range of wildlife from the surrounding hills. A boat trip on the lake will let you encounter local fisherman, countless hippos and over 400 species of birds. Proceed to a flower farms, which is an area with huge glasshouses, stretch over many kilometers. These flowers are sold in Europe together with fresh vegetables. Dinner and overnight at Naivasha Y.M.C.A.
Despite its name, Hell’s Gate is an ideal family gateway for a day trip from Nairobi or stopover en-route to Lake Nakuru or the Masai Mara, located just beyond Lake Naivasha. Famous for its natural hot geysers, eagle and vulture breeding grounds, visitors have the choice of driving, walking, camping, cycling and rock climbing within the park. Special location to view include Fischer’s Tower, formerly a volcano’s plug, the Central Tower and Njorowa Gorges. Two extinct volcanos: Olkaira and Hobley’s are worth a trip. Natural steam vents rise from fissures in the volcanic rock. Obsidian, a striking black glassy rock formed from cooled molten lava is a feature of this landscape. Game to view includes: hyrax, buffalo, Masai Giraffe, eland, Coke’s Hartebeest, lion, leopard and some cheetah. A haven for ornithologists and rock climbers, the cliffs of Hell’s Gate are breeding grounds for vultures, Verreaux’s Eagles, Augur Buzzard and thousands of swifts; 103 species of bird have been recorded in the park. Dinner and overnight at a Naivasha Y.M.C.A.
Morning visit to Crater Lake which offers an evocative step back in time – to a bygone era of elegance and romance, in a wilderness untouched by the modern world with a private game sanctuary at a homely environment. Crater Lake offers classic escapes including painting, astrology, as well as ornithological outings to what must be one of the most Beautiful small lakes in creation. In the afternoon, proceed to Elsmere, Former home of the late Joy Adamson and his husband who became world famous for their pioneering conservation and relationship with the lioness Elsa as seen in the film” BORN FREE”. A visit reveals many of Joy’s paintings, which still decorate the house. Dinner and overnight at Naivasha Y.M.C.A.
After breakfast, leave Naivasha for Lake Nakuru National park a place to see the ornithological paradise and the rare white rhino. It is the world’s largest ornithological spectacle and sanctuary for the Greater and Lesser flamingoes with millions of birds turning the lake pink, hence known as the pink lake. The lake is at the base of the Great Rift valley. The lake is surrounded by the Lake Nakuru National park, a mixed landscape of acacia woodland and cliffs providing a habitat to over 400 bird species. Animals found here are hippo, lion, leopard, jackals, and a sanctuary for the famous Rothschild giraffe and the black rhino. Additionally, baboon cliff gives you a panoramic view across the lake and a beautiful picnic site. Dinner and overnight at a Nakuru Y.M.C.A.
Leave Nakuru after breakfast for lake Bogoria and Baringo. Bogoria is a salty lake within the Great Rift Valley famous for its natural hot springs and geysers. It has thousands of flamingoes harboring the lake with animals such as zebra, gazelles, and other antelopes. Here you will have a boat ride in the lake with the spectacular scenery of stunning bird life, hippos and crocodiles. There is a chance to see the tame greater kudu and photographing is excellent. Dinner and overnight at Bogoria Hotel.
Another day to explore the rolling plains of the Laikipia plateau, where the Jane Goodall Chimpanzee Rehabilitation Center is located. This one square- kilometer sanctuary is the home to 26-orphaned Chimps varying in age from 02- 15 years. Most of these Chimps came from the Jane Goodall Institute in Burundi where many were placed after being rescued from a miserable existence. Make a visit to the Sweetwater’s Wildlife Sanctuary a beautiful private game reserve and home to rare species such as besia Oryx, reticulated giraffe and black rhino. The highly endangered Black Rhinos is also found here. Dinner and overnight at Nanyuki hotel.
Arrive at Naro Moru where you will have a walk to exciting village tours, bird watching, forest studies, Kikuyu cultural folklore and close walk to Mau Mau historic caves that help you visualize the struggle our freedom fighters went through. This is the place our Kenyan Freedom Fighters could hide from the British Troops during the struggle for Independence. Dinner and overnight at the Bantu (Mountain Rock) lodge.
Leave Mt. Kenya after breakfast and drive through one of the biggest open-air markets in East and Central Africa (Karatina). Continue to the Rich Kikuyu farmlands covered with coffee and banana plantations, then to one of the pineapple plantations in Thika town and if time permits, stop at the Blue Post Hotel for tea and have a chance to see the Chania and Thika Falls on your way to Nairobi arriving in the evening. Drop off at the hotel.
This is a day for discussion and resting. Then continue for your shopping within Nairobi as you prepare for your journey home.
