© Tullow Oil
northern kenya by helicopter
3 days through extraordinary landscapes, rich in wildlife & culture
La k e Tu rk a n
helicopter safari
TURKANA
a
route
ETHIOPIA
through Kenya
day 1 - kipsing valley
Arrive at JKIA. Flight north into the
heart of Samburu country. Cultural
visit to the singing wells. Quad
biking wilderness experience.
desert rose
mount nyiro
Lake Logipi
UGANDA
LLEY
Desert Mobile Camp & Quad Biking
day 2 - mount nyiro
GREAT RIFT VA
Spectacular flight north through
the Suguta Valley. Afternoon heli
excursion to Lake Logipi and the
sand dunes.
Desert Rose, Mt Nyiro
day 3 - lewa wildlife
conservancy
Fly south, landing at the ancient
cycad forest on the Mathews Range.
Wildlife experience at Lewa Wildlife
Conservancy. Sundowner flight to Ol
Donyo Lossos, Mukogodo Hills.
Lake Victoria
Mathews Range
Silale Crater
Ewaso Nyiro River
fly camp
kipsing
sirikoi
lewa wildlife conservancy
End
Mt. Kenya
Start
Sirikoi, Lewa
nairobi
day 4
Heli safari ends, with a private
charter flight back to Nairobi.
TANZANIA
helicopter safari
itinerary
at a glance
day 1 - kipsing valley
Arrive at JKIA where you will
meet you private helicopter and
pilot. We will embark an hour
and half flight north along the
foothills Mount Kenya, into the
heart of Samburu country.
Our destination is the Kipsing
Valley, where a private mobile
fly camp, operated by Africa
Lattitude Adventures, will be
set up. The camp is simple but
comfortable, with pop-up net style
tents for nights under the stars!
We’ll enjoy lunch within the
nearby Mukogodo Forest, at a
hidden rock pool, and will spend
the afternoon exploring the sandy
luggas and wilderness by quad
bikes and self-drive buggies. We
will also visit the ‘Singing Wells’
where Samburu herdsmen draw
water for their livestock from
deep wells in the river bed whilst
they sing traditional songs.
day 2 - desert rose
With an early start and picnic
breakfast on board, we fly west
into the Great Rift, landing
on rim of Silale Crater - a vast
caldera carpeted with green
shrubs and open grasslands,
where we will have our breakfast.
The next part of our journey is
one of the most exciting - through
the wild and spectacular changing
landscapes of the Suguta - the
‘painted’ and Hoodoe valleys.
Late morning we arrive at the
private retreat of Desert Rose,
located on the cool slopes of
Mount Nyiro.
Lunch is served under the shady
ever-green trees, by fresh water
rock pools. In the afternoon,
we’ll enjoy a scenic flight to the
sand dunes of the Suguta and
Lake Logipi known for its vast
flamingo population.
© Tullow Oil
day 3 - lewa wildlife
conservancy
Our destination today is the
60,000 acre Lewa Wildlife
Conservancy, located on the
northern slopes Mount Kenya, in
the middle of Kenya.
Another scenic flight is promised,
touching down on the forested
summit of the Mathews amazing islands of forest in a sea
of desert, where giant and ancient
cycads grow in abundance. And
then over the impressive Ewaso
Nyiro River - sometimes in flood
and sometimes a gentle flow
through a sandy river bed.
At Lewa, Sirikoi is our destination
- a luxury lodge offering exciting
wildlife opportunities, and we will
enjoy an insight into Lewa’s Black
Rhino conservation initiatives.
In the late afternoon, we will
embark on a sundowner flight
to Ol Donyo Lossos - the highest
point of the Mukogodo hills.
day 4 - safari ends
After an early morning game drive
and breakfast back at Sirikoi, a
private charter flight to your ongoing destination will be arranged.
fly camping
kipsing valley
The Kipsing valley lies in the heart
of Samburuland. A wildly dramatic
landscape with sandy luggas and
trypical arid savannah scenery.
Here, under wide skies and against
a backdrop of low hills, wildlife roam
across the plains.
fly camp
Kipsing Valley
From the base of a simple desert
style tented camp, perfectly
positioned on the banks of dry
sandy river bed beneath large
shady acacia trees, we will explore
the region and enjoy its unique
wildlife.
quad biking
Kipsing Valley
Exploring the arid landscape by
quad bikes is a thrilling way to
traverse the sandy luggas and
rocky hillsides, spotting a variety of
wildlife - small and large!
singing wells
Samburu
The singing wells are an assured
watering point for many northern
pastoralist communities. During
the drought, they dig deep into the
earth, and bail out water for their
livestock. It’s an amazing privilege
to visit these wells - and meet the
people whose lives depend on
these treasured sites.
sirikoi
Iconic in shape and size, Mount
Kenya is situated in the heart of
Kenya, on the equator - its highest
peak ‘Batian’ stands at 5,199
meters.
The snowy peaks can be seen on
clear days from as far
as Mt Kilimanjaro some 300 km
away.
silale crater
Great nature
Rift Valley
The vast and desolate
of
Mount Kenya with its towering
A vast caldera, carpeted by grasses
summit, sheer cliffs and glaciers
and shrubs.
become apparent as we circulate
above the peaks of Batian and
Nelion.
© Michael Poliza
sirikoi
Iconic in shape and size, Mount
Kenya is situated in the heart of
Kenya, on the equator - its highest
peak ‘Batian’ stands at 5,199
meters.
the suguta
Great Rift Valley
suguta
The snowy peaksvalley
can be seen on
The Suguta
characterised
clearisdays
from as farby
asaMt
Kilimanjaro
some
300
km
flood
pan dominated
bybeen
green
Geologists
have
long
away.
algae, with
seasonal
strea of
msthe
and
fascinated
this part
dra
matic
rockThey
formations
The
vast
and
desolate
nature
of
Great
Rift
Valley.
have
Mount
Kenya
with its
towering
studied
ancient
sediments
Geologists
have
been
summit, sheer cliffs andlong
glaciers
and
fossil
remains,
and
pieced
fascinated
with this
They
become apparent
as region.
we circulate
have
studied
ancient
sediments,
above
thethe
peaks
of Batian
and
together
history
of a lake
remains,
and
occasional
Nelion
thatfossil
rose and
fell mul
tiple
times.
artifacts, and pieced together the
over the
years.
history
of apast
lake18,000
that rose
and
fell multiple times over the past
18,000 years.
© Michael Poliza
painted valley
We have named this area ‘t he
painted valley’, because of the
multiple colours in the eroded
landscape.
hoodoe valley
mount nyiro
Mount Nyiro – surrounded by desert,
with its summit reaching over 3,000
metres, is densely forested and
provides water and dry-weather
feeding grounds for the Samburu
pastoralists.
desert rose
A unique hand-crafted retreat,
perched on the remote forested slopes
of Mount Nyiro.
Designed around various natural
features with dramatic views and
lush indigenous gardens.
With its easy access to sand dunes
of the Suguta Valley and the shores
of Lake Turkana, the lodge is a
perfect destination for our
heli-safaris.
lake turkana
The world’s largest permanent desert
lake, Turkana, is wild in character
with its parched volcanic beaches,
granite outcrops and lava flows. The
lake’s shores have revealed some of
the world’s oldest fossil finds – from
dinosaurs to early Man – discovered
by the famous palaeontologists – the
Leakey family.
andrews
volcano
sand dunes
Suguta Valley
lake logipi
Lake Logipi, a saline seasonal lake
- often full of flamingoes - lies at
the southern end of Lake Turkana.
The lake is about 6km wide by 3
kms long, and very shallow.
mathews range
Known as a ‘s ky island’, the
Mathews Range rises from the
dry desolate country exposing lush
forested hills & craggy peaks.
mathews range
coffee stop!
Natural springs and rivers flow
through the valleys, and sacred
sites of the Samburu lay hidden for
feasting and dancing ceremonies.
ewaso nyiro
river
Sa mburu Country
The Ewaso Nyiro River flows
constantly - it represents life for
the people, livestock and wildlife of
the arid north.
© David Chancellor / INSTITUTE
lewa wildlife
conservancy
Lewa is a 62,000 acre private
wildlife conservancy, famous for its
black rhino conservation.
sirikoi
Lewa Wildlife Conservancy
A spectacular game lodge
surrounded by the Lewa Wildlife
Conservancy in Northern Kenya,
beautifully set within a shady
acacia grove overlooking a natural
waterhole.
Offering an amazing game
experience, adventure and
excitement, Sirikoi also provides
the perfect luxury.
sirikoi
Lewa Wildlife Conservancy
sirikoi
Lewa Wildlife Conservancy
Game drives are exciting and
rewarding, with good changes
of spotting some of the unique
wildlife species to Northern
Kenya, including Grevy’s zebra,
Reticulated giraffe, Somali ostrich,
gerenuk, Greater kudu, Beisa oryx.
Cheetah and lion also roam the
plains.
Sundowners on Ol Donyo Lossos
The Mukogodo is one of Kenya’s
best preserved forests with rich
biodiversity. It lies within rugged
and hilly terrain – its highest point
is Ol Donyo Lossos
Optional Extra
mount kenya
Dawn flight around the peaks
An ancient extinct volcano,
standing over 5,000 metres
tall, in the heart of Kenya, with
rugged peaks, glacial valleys &
forested slopes.
This is Africa’s 2nd highest
mountain, after Mount
Kilimanjaro.
© Michael Spencer
sirikoi
Iconic in shape and size, Mount
Kenya is situated in the heart of
Kenya, on the equator - its highest
peak ‘Batian’ stands at 5,199
meters.
mount kenya
The snowy peaks can be seen on
clear days from as far
Everlasting
flowers,
as Mt Kilimanjaro some
300giant
km
away.
groundsel, lobelia & wild herbs
are
typical for this afro-alpine zone
The vast and desolate nature of
Mount
Kenya
towering
Tarns
and
riverswith
are its
found
on the
summit,
cliffs
and
glaciers
uppersheer
slopes
of the
mountain.
become apparent as we circulate
Wethe
land
on the
shore of
an
above
peaks
of Batian
and
alpine lake for a picnic breakfast,
Nelion.
surrounded by beautiful views and
unique mountain flora.
mount kenya
Blue-green mountain lakes sparkle
in the morning sun
Lake Michelson is one of our
favourite spots that few have ever
been so lucky to visit. Almost
inaccessible by foot, and well off
the beaten track, the lake is located
in a deep crater which falls away to
a spectacular valley.
© Bloomberg Persuits / John Balsom
heli safari
ends
Private air charter can be
arranged to your next destination.
© David Chancellor/INSTITUTE
what to wear
Clothing recommendation
Safaris are informal and comfort
should be considered above all
else.
Durable, loose fitting, lightweight
cotton clothes are recommended
in neutral colours, so as not to
alarm wildlife whilst in the bush.
Something warm is essential
for early morning and evening
activities. Footwear should not
be heavy. A pair of comfortable
walking shoes, trainers or desert
boots is best.
The following is a guideline for the
maximum clothing you need to
bring.
Due to the limited space in the
helicopters personal luggage is
limited to a maximum of 15kgs per
person that MUST be packed in
a soft duffel bag (No rigid bags or
bags with wheels). Guests should
also carry a small daypack for
carrying personal items.
what to bring
Ben Simpson & Ja mie Roberts
founders of Tropic Air Helicopters
adventures & safaris throughout sub-Saharan Africa
The following is a guideline for the
maximum clothing you need to
bring. Remember that there will
be no laundry service owing to the
pace of this trip.
Good quality sunglasses
Sun Hat
Comfortable walking shoes
Sandals or flip flops
4 cotton shirts, 2 long sleeved
2 pairs long trousers / jeans
3 pairs of shorts / skirts
Underwear and socks
Swimsuit
Sweater / Fleece
Zip lock bags are useful for
anything that might leak while
travelling – Sun Cream, shampoo,
creams etc.
Good quality torch
Tissues / wet wipes
Any prescribed medication
Insect repellent
Binoculars not essential but useful
Camera
© Bloomberg Persuits / John Balsom
Private helicopter and pilot /
guides are provided by Tropic Air
- a leading air charter company
based in East Africa, specialising
in heli-safaris and adventures,
with more than 10 years of
experience in this field.
The Eurocopter AS 350 B3’s
are perfectly adapted to fly
in East Africa’s hot and high
environments.
Aircraft are fitted with satelite
tracking software, pilots are
trained in ‘f irst person on scene’
first aid, and all precautions are
carried out to ensure maximu m
safety and comfort.
Tropic Air
Nanyuki, Kenya
© Bloomberg Persuits / John Balsom