Mathews Safaris
Exclusive East African Heli-Trek
Safari Designed by Jared Crawford - September 2004
Mathews Safaris
This extensive safari is built around the unique skills of a team of East Africa’s finest
guides including Phil Mathews, arguably the best helicopter Pilot/Guide in the region.
The theme is flexibility and lots of action and the plan takes in a wide range of ecoregions and wildlife whilst elegantly balancing luxury with adventure. The journey
spans from the wilds of Ngorongoro to the Jade Sea in Northern Kenya and takes you
from the floor of the Rift Valley up to the glaciers of Mt. Kenya over 18 days.
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The Safari in Brief
Days 1&2
Shaking off the jetlag at the world’s biggest intact calderaNgorongoro.
Days 3-6
Walking amongst Serengeti’s wildest creatures
Day 7-8
Ascending Ol Donyo Lengai
Day 9
Enasoit and beyond on the Laikipia Plateau
Days 10- 14
Trekking with camels in the Northern frontier
Day 15- 18
Flexible flying and adventures based from your private ranch. Options
include Lake Turkana, Mt. Kenya, Laikipia, Aberdares and Meru.
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Safari Details
Days 1&2 Shaking off the jetlag on the world’s biggest intact caldera- Ngorongoro.
Be met by Mathews Safaris upon arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport in
Tanzania. We transfer to our private bush plane for the one hour flight to
Ngorongoro. Cross the Great Rift Valley en-route and circle the crater rim before
landing and being escorted to the sumptuous Crater Lodge. We spend the afternoon
exploring this World Heritage Site in your private Land Rover and return to the lodge
to enjoy sundown over the crater rim. Overnight at Crater Lodge.
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We continue exploring the crater the next morning and head off after lunch on a walk
of the crater rim or take a recce to Lake Eyasi. Overnight Crater Lodge.
Days 3-6 Walking amongst Serengeti’s wildest creatures. We head off from the crater
rim with our expert walking guide and special “lightweight” camping team, descending
first by Landrover to reach the start of the trek. We spend days 3 and 4 making our
way on foot towards Serengeti and through mystical lands held by the Maasai.
Encounter plains game and predators en-route and spend each evening in a special fly
camp pitched under the stars just for you.
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Trek the morning of day 5 to a pre-arranged rendezvous point and we flag down Phil
and his jet helicopter for a short hop to the Gol Mountains for lunch and then onward
to our luxury camp in the heart of Serengeti National Park. Game view by Landrover
for our days in Serengeti and use the helicopter to jump across Serengeti’s vast
expanses. Overnights Luxury Tented Camp.
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Day 7 -8 We leave the luxury our tented camp on day 7 and fly by chopper into the
Great Rift Valley and onto Lengai, a towering (9,650ft) volcano at the foot of Lake
Natron. Lengai’s shape is a classic cone and it is the only active volcano in East
Africa. Explore the waterfall on the escarpment, prepare for our climb and enjoy an
early evening at our lightwieght camp which has been relocated from Serengeti.
We wake early on the morning of the 8th day and ascend the volcano. Reach the
summit in time to enjoy the sweeping views of the rift before the day heats up. The
helicopter can collect us off the crater rim or we can descend the volcanic cone on
foot. We then continue onto Nairobi in the helicopter to clear customs and
immigration and end the day at Enasoit, a private ranch on the Laikipia Plateau.
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Day 9 Enasoit is a wonderful 10,000 acre retreat on the plateau to the west of Mt
Kenya and it will be our Kenya base. The ranch is entirely private, brims with wildlife
including large migrating elephant herds and it is ideally located for exploration of
central and Northern Kenya. We can relax and just drink in the scenery, head off to
track wildlife on foot or by car, or take the helicopter to find a good fly fishing spot.
Overnight Enasoit.
Days 10 - 14 Depart Enasoit at sunrise and make the short flight North to Samburu
National Reserve. We are met at the airstrip by a private Land Rover so we can spend
the morning visiting elephants and other game along the lush banks of the Ewaso
Nyiro river. Fly to the north of the park to Lolokwe, a 6,000ft massif which towers
over the arid plains and settle down for a picnic lunch atop the sheer 1,500ft cliff
which guards Lolokwe on 3 sides. When the mid day sun begins to cool, fly along the
Ewaso Nyiro river to the West and turn North to rendevous with your camel train in the
desert.
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Helen, perhaps Kenya’s best Northern walking guide, will have a simple camp set up
for us and the team of nomadic tribesmen. Settle in and meet our team and their
camels and get ready for the adventure ahead. Overnight flycamp.
Spend the next few days trekking through the Northern Frontier, encountering wildlife
and learning about the nomadic cultures of the area as our camel train moves ahead
of us to carry the gear and to set up camp in new locations. A truly exotic and
unforgettable experience. Phil and the helicopter will meet us on a mountain top on
the afternoon of day 14 to return to the comforts of Enasoit or continue North to the
Jade Sea. It’s your choice. Overnight Enasoit or private Houseboat on Lake
Turkana.
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Days 15 - 18. The last few days of the trip are kept flexible to respond to your
interests and energy levels. The mobility provided by the helicopter allows a variety of
exotic options and Enasoit makes a great place to come home to. Adventures from
our base are almost endless but some of the best options include:
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Lake Turkana which offers stark and stunning scenery, exotic nomadic cultures and
fly-fishing from the islands or from a private houseboat. Overnight possible on the
houseboat.
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The frozen peaks of Mt. Kenya which stand in great contrast to the arid lands of the
North and provide challenging mountain hiking, trout fishing in cool mountain lakes
up to 14,000ft high and the tranquility of a remote cabin above the treeline. Overnight
Enasoit or Rutundu Retreat at 10,000ft.
Exploration of the ranches and reserves of Laikipia which offers its own unique
insight into the future of wildlife in Kenya and the people who dedicate their lives to
protecting it. The lifestyles and architecture can be as extreme as the landscapes and
the wildlife viewing is stunning by car, horseback or on foot. Overnight Enasoit,
Lewa or Ol Malo.
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On the last day, we say goodbye to Enasoit and fly to Nairobi for your departure. We
can head out early, setting down at the house for a bit of shopping in town, or fly
directly to the international airport to meet your onward flight.
Extensions
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Great extensions for this safari include going west to see the Mountain Gorillas and
the Source of the Nile or East to the Indian Ocean.
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