Nightingale Safaris CAS Program

CAS PROGRAM OPTION 1: MAASAI MARA

DAY 1: Arrive at JKI Airport, Nairobi. You’ll be met by a Representative of Nightingale Tours & Travel together with the drivers and guides.

DAY 2: Drive from your destination to Narok town in time for lunch. After lunch drive for about 2 hours to Maji Moto Campsite and freshen up before joining Maasai Warrior training (both boys and girls participate). After the vigorous training you will be lucky to learn how the Maasai Community slaughter and make their food in the bush. You will also learn how to make fire without using a matchbox. You will enjoy your evening dinner under a true African sky beside a bonfire and a Maasai storyteller. Overnight at the Campsite.

DAY 3: After an early breakfast hike with the Maasai to the Maji Moto Primary school for your CAS project. There will be a formal reception and lunch will be served at the school. Full day work to complete your first program. In the evening you’ll visit a natural hot spring (Sauna) to refresh the body and soul. Early dinner will be served at the Camp then rest at leisure.

DAY 4: After breakfast visit the Manyatta (Maasai homestead) of girls who have been rescued from early marriage (aged 9-13yrs) after initiation of FGM (female genital mutilation) to become women. The rescue Center helps in rehabilitation of those young girls. You’ll spend the day together while assisting them to renovate/build their houses in the second day of your CAS program. In the evening join the Maasai dancers to bid group the entire group farewell with Maasai songs and dance.

DAY 5: Depart for the world-famous Maasai Mara Game Park for an early Game Drive. Lunch and overnight at the Siana Springs Tented Camp with the afternoon spent at your leisure.

DAY 6: After breakfast leave Maasai Mara for Naivasha. After lunch, embark on a tour of the lake, The Hell’s gate and Eburu forest. Dinner and overnight in Naivasha.

DAY 7: Depart Naivasha after breakfast back to Nairobi with enroute view of the Great Rift Valley. Late lunch in Nairobi, shopping and transfer back to the JKI Airport for flight back home.

CAS PROGRAM OPTION 2: MAASAI MARA/GREAT RIFT VALLEY

DAY 1: Arrive at Nairobi’s JKI Airport and meet your Nightingale Guides and Drivers. Transfer to your hotel and check in. Depending on your arrival time we might be able to visit the National Museum, The Snake Park and/or The Bomas of Kenya Cultural show in the afternoon. Dinner, rest and overnight in your Nairobi hotel.

DAY 2: After breakfast, transfer to the Great Rift valley Lodge & Golf Resort Club in Naivasha. Its one-and-half hour drive from Nairobi. Lunch will be spent touring several Rift Valley attractions and will include lunch at the View Point. Other attractions will be The Crater Lake, Lake Naivasha, and Lake Elementaita. Dinner and overnight at the Lodge.

DAY 3: Today will be spent at a local primary school in Naivasha for your CAS project. You will have a formal welcome at the school followed by orientation about the project. You will also be introduced to the people/Guides you will be working with. CAS work will be simple activities and will begin after lunch. Dinner and overnight at the Lodge.

DAY 4: The full day will be spent undertaking your CAS project in your host-school. You will be expected to wind up your project by mid-day. Lunch of local African cuisine will be offered. In the afternoon, formal hand-over ceremony complemented by celebrations will take place in the school. Dinner and overnight at the Lodge.

DAY 5: Today will be a full day excursion & nature study. There will be an excursion to the Eburu forest and if time allows, a visit to Kariandusi Pre-historic site. During the tour, various nature activities will be undertaken: feathers collection, stone collection, water dipping, butterfly catching, spoor casting (if its rainy season), camouflage games, snapshots, ants-tracking, track identification, etc. Dinner and overnight at the Lodge.

DAY 6: After breakfast, there will be a transfer to the Maasai Mara, Africa’s premier wildlife Park. The entire day will be spent on Game-viewing where you might have a chance to see the Big Five. Dinner and overnight at your Lodge in the Mara.

DAY 7: Day starts with pre-breakfast early Game-drive. After breakfast, there will be a visit to a local Maasai village; introduction to the Maasai with a short lecture will be given. There will be a chance to interact with the Maasai from young children, the warriors and elders (at a cost to be paid directly to them). Dinner and overnight at the lodge.

DAY 8: Early morning departure from Maasai Mara to Nairobi with lunch enroute (Jimmie place) in Limuru. Visit Nairobi city for shopping souvenirs and get ready for your flight back home.

CAS PROGRAM OPTION 3: MAASAI MARA

DAY 1: Arrive in Nairobi at the JKIA and met by the Nightingale Tours & Travel Guides and drivers. Transferred to your hotel and checked-in. Depending on your arrival time we may be able to visit the Nairobi National Museum/Snake Park or The Bomas of Kenya Cultural Show in the afternoon. Dinner and overnight in Nairobi.

DAY 2: After breakfast you will be transferred to Nakuru. It’s about 2-hour drive from Nairobi and you will be transferred directly to a Local Orphan Children’ Home for your CAS project. You will have a formal welcome from the children and staff. There will be a guided tour of the Home and official opening ceremony before starting work in the afternoon. Packed lunch will be provided. Transfer back to your Hotel for dinner and overnight.

DAY 3: The second day of your CAS project at the Children’ home. Full day working at the home. Activities will include: Painting, cleaning compound, renovations, interacting and nursing the children, fixing furniture and laundry works. We’ll provide you all appropriate material to fulfill your CAS project. Dinner and overnight in your Nakuru Hotel.

DAY 4: Today you will wind up your CAS project and there will be a formal ceremony and celebrations to mark the occasion. There will be a commemoration tree-planting and hand-over ceremony. After that you will be transferred to Siana Springs in Maasai Mara for dinner and overnight.

DAY 5: Your first day in the Mara. During your stay here, your days will be filled with fun and exciting educational activities that will turn you into a true adventurer. Today there will be both Morning and afternoon game-drives. You have a real chance of seeing the Big Five today.

DAY 6: Today the day will start with an early Game Drive and then filled up with wildlife educational activities including Bush orienteering, bird-identification, tree-identifying, mammal behavior studies, guided bush walks, study of local fauna and flora, etc.

DAY 7: Today you’ll visit an authentic Masaai Village to interact and see how local people live. There will then be picnic lunch by the Mara River and a short visit to the Hippo and crocodile banks accompanied by the Park Rangers. Dinner and overnight at your Lodge.

DAY 8: Depart Maasai Mara after breakfast for Nairobi. There will be a stop-over for lunch at Jumuia Conference Centre. In Nairobi you will be taken for a brief guided-shopping depending on your scheduled flight-time. Transferred to the Airport for your flight back home.

CAS PROGRAM OPTION 4: SAMBURU

DAY 1: Arrival at the JKI Airport in Nairobi and meet the Nightingale Travel Guides. Transferred to your hotel for check-in. Depending on your arrival time, there will be a chance to visit some of Nairobi’s tour attractions including The Giraffe Centre/The National Museum & Snake Park or the National Cultural Centre at the Bomas of Kenya.

DAY 2: After breakfast at 8.00am, you will depart for Samburu. There will be a Game Drive enroute to the Lodge and packed lunch will be provided. You will check in your Samburu Hotel at 4.00pm. This will be followed by a briefing by a Naturalist then you’ll freshen up before Dinner. Rest and overnight at the Hotel.

DAY 3: After breakfast you will be taken for a cultural tour of the local Samburu Community. Emphasis will be given to learning the local culture and interacting with the locals. Simple activities will be undertaken jointly with the locals.

DAY 4: After breakfast, the children will visit a local school to interact with fellow students. Games, singing and dancing will be organized to provide a sense of bonding followed by donation to the school – old books, pencils, rubbers, etc. There will be a early transfer back to the Lodge for swimming and water-based activities.

DAY 5: The day will be dedicated to full Game-viewing with a learning aspect of animal/bird identification challenge. Morning and afternoon Game drives will be facilitated. The children will be brought back early for swimming. Dinner and overnight at the Lodge.

DAY 6: Starts with early Morning Game-drive. The rest of the day will be dedicated to environmental field study. It will also involve a visit to The Gorge, Buffalo Springs and Survivor Beach. Dinner and overnight at the Lodge.

DAY 7: After breakfast you will depart for Nairobi. There will be a brief stop-over at The Equator for lunch. You will arrive in Nairobi at approx. 4pm. The rest of the time will be spent resting and relaxing. Dinner and overnight in Nairobi.

DAY 8: There will be a brief tour for shopping for gifts and souvenirs to take back home. Relax and wait for transfer to the Airport for your flight back home.

CAS PROGRAM OPTION 5: MT.KENYA

DAY 1: Arrive at the JKI Airport and meet the Nightingale Guides. Transfer to your hotel in Nairobi and check-in. Subject to your arrival time, a brief tour of Nairobi will be facilitated: visit to The Giraffe Centre, The National Museum & Snake Park and the Cultural Premier destination of Bomas of Kenya. Dinner and overnight in your hotel.

DAY 2: After breakfast leave for Nanyuki where you will pass through THE EQUATOR and arrive at approx 11.00am. Begin the last leg of your drive to Mt.Kenya at Sirimon Park gate (2600m). You begin your guided hike through a forest for 3-4 hrs. On your way, you’ll have a chance to see buffaloes, elephants, bushbucks and a plethora of bird species. Dinner and overnight at Old Moses camp (3300m)

DAY 3: Today’s trek will cover the Moorlands and the Mackinder valley with good views of the main peaks and a brief stop-over for picnic lunch. The trek will take approximate 7hours with a 900m gain in attitude. Dinner and overnight will be at The Shipton’s Hut (4200m)

DAY 4: Early morning (approx 0300hrs) attempt of hiking to the peak. Three hours of climbing up steep slopes and across rugged rocks up to the Point Lenana (4985m), also called The Hikers’ Summit. You will then descend down to Shipton’s Hut for breakfast and lunch. One hour rest before proceeding to Old Moses Hut for dinner and overnight.

DAY 5: After breakfast, descend gradually for two hours to Sirimon Park gate through the Sirimon forest. You will then be picked up by your drivers and then driven to Nanyuki to check in a Hotel or Camp. Then you will spend the day resting and acclimatizing because of the swift shift in attitude. Dinner and overnight in your in Nanyuki.

DAY 6: After resting sufficiently the previous day, after breakfast today you will be transferred straight to your Project School for your CAS Program. There will be a formal welcome ceremony before you begin your activities. Dinner and overnight at your Hotel/camp in Nanyuki.

DAY 7: After breakfast you will be taken back to the School to wind up your project. There will be singing, dancing and games with host-students before an official closing ceremony which will also be complemented by planting of commemorative trees to mark the function. Dinner and overnight in your hotel/camp.

DAY 8: After breakfast you will be transferred directly to Nairobi. Lunch will be at the famous Carnivore Restaurant and there will be a brief tour to City Centre to buy your gifts and Souvenirs before you prepare for your transfer to the airport.

CAS PROGRAM OPTION 6: MT.KENYA

DAY 1: Arrive at the JKI Airport in Nairobi and taken to your Hotel for check in. Subject to your arrival time, a brief tour of Nairobi will be facilitated: visit to The Giraffe Centre, The National Museum & Snake Park and the Cultural Premier destination of Bomas of Kenya. Dinner and overnight in your hotel.

DAY 2: Transferred to your destination to the Mt.Kenya Eco-resource Centre at the Gathioro forest. After setting up camp at the Abbot’s Eco-camp next to the Resource Centre, the Environmental Officer there will give the group a briefing and lecture about the Mt.Kenya ecosystem in the auditorium. You will then watch a documentary about the problems facing Mt.Kenya and the mitigation measures. Dinner and overnight at the Campsite.

DAY 3: Early morning call for those interested in Ornithology before going for breakfast. After breakfast the group leaves for a nature trail where they will learn about the different Kikuyu traditional herbs in the forest and the survival of the Mau Mau, the Kikuyu freedom fighters who fought for Kenya’s independence from Britain. The Kikuyu is the largest tribe in Kenya. You will have lunch at the Resource Centre and later join the community at the Tree Nursery which assists in the re-afforestation of the forest. Each member of the group will have a chance to adopt a tree in Mt.Kenya Gathioro forest at a fee. Dinner and overnight at the Eco-camp.

DAY 4: After breakfast you will join Macharia Primary School for your CAS program. It is a special school for children of the IDP’s (Internally Displaced People from the post-election violence in 2007). It’s a very needy school and any kind of support will be greatly appreciated. After evening dinner you will join Kikuyu traditional dancers at Bantu Lodge for a farewell dance. Dinner and overnight at the Camp.

DAY 5: After breakfast at 8.00am, you will depart for Samburu. There will be a Game Drive enroute to the Lodge and packed lunch will be provided. You will then check in your Samburu Hotel. This will be followed by a game drive and briefing by a Naturalist then you’ll freshen up before Dinner. Rest and overnight at the Hotel.

DAY 6: You will check in at the Sweet Waters or Aberdare Country Club and enjoy full day Game Viewing. Dinner and overnight at the Lodge/club.

DAY 7: You will be transferred back to Nairobi. There will be a brief tour to City Centre to buy your gifts and Souvenirs before you prepare for your transfer to the airport.

CAS PROGRAM OPTION 7: TSAVO WEST

DAY 2: After breakfast, depart for Tsavo West. Packed lunch will be provided. There will be a Game Drive enroute to the Park. You will have a stop-over at Mzima Springs before proceeding to the Voyager Ziwani Lodge where you will check-in and later have dinner and overnight.

DAY 3: Day starts with an early morning game drive. After breakfast you will be transferred to your Project School to begin your CAS project. There will be a formal opening/welcome ceremony before starting. CAS activities will be painting of classrooms, desk-repair and clean-up of the school. Dinner and overnight at the Lodge.

DAY 4: Early morning Game Drive before breakfast. Today you work full day at your Project school. You will also have a chance to interact with the host-students. Dinner and overnight at the Lodge.

DAY 5: After breakfast you will proceed to your host school to wind up your project. There will be singing, dancing and games with host-students before an official closing ceremony which will also be complemented by planting of commemorative trees to mark the function. Dinner and overnight in the Lodge.

DAY 6: Today after breakfast, there will be an excursion to visit Mzima Springs and Shaitani
Lava, the Historical tower and Tombs of Grogan’s Castle. After lunch the afternoon will be fully dedicated to a tour of The World War II battlefields on ‘Slaughter Hill’. Transferred back to the Lodge for dinner
DAY 7: After breakfast depart for Nairobi with lunch enroute. There will be a guided tour of the city and a last chance to buy your gifts/souvenirs. Depending on your departure time , early dinner can be served at the Carnivore Restaurant (great experience of assorted Game-meat roasted in open fire) Transfer to JKI Airport for your flight back home.

OTHER PROPOSED ACTIVITIES FOR YOUNG RANGERS

1. Bush orienteering: The children are divided into groups and learn to find their way through the bush using traditional methods (sun and stars), Compasses, watches as well as high-tech GPS equipment.

2. Mammal behavior studies: Each student chooses a specific mammal to collect data from on during the Game drives and bush walks. Data is collected at specific times to ensure a comprehensive undertaking of behavior patterns. At the end of their stay, each student is invited to a short presentation on the date collected.

3. Guided Bush-walks: This involves safe and illuminating walks through the bush, which offer an ideal way of getting close to nature, studying the local flora and fauna, small mammals, reptiles, birds, insects, identifying larger mammals through their spoor and finding water in the bush.

4. Tree-identification: Through a similar variety of face-to-face encounters, students learn how to identify various key tree species, their importance and roles in the environment and also their local and medicinal uses. The activity often ends up wit a ‘tree-marathon’ contest, through which the students try to identify as many trees as possible in a given time.

5. Bird-identification: Through the variety of lessons and bush-walks, our avian experts help the students to learn how to identify various African birds through their calls, bills, feet, habitat and plumage patterns.

6. First-Aid practical: Students are presented with practical lessons on how to treat and administer to shocks, snakebites, bleeding, circulation problems and other debilitating conditions. We give special emphasis to study of snakes because everyone is both intrigued and afraid of snakes!

7. Animal Obstacle Path: The ‘Animal Obstacle Path’ enables students to mimic and study the movements and hunting techniques of different animals including lions, leopards, elephants and baboons. After imitating the movements of each animal, the students are taught the scientific rationale behind them.

8. Cultural activities: This involves a visit to the local community, most likely the Maasai. The students visit the village and learn how the Locals live. Traditional songs and dancing complement the visits. Some practical cultural activities like beadwork and leatherwork can also be learned.

9. Sporting activities: Include both indoor and outdoor games. Most of the games will have a few learning aspects. Includes football, volcano making competition, target-shooting, volleyball, badminton, etc.

10. Nature-study: Includes: Feathers collection, stone collection, water-dipping, butterfly-catching, spoor-casting, camouflage games, Miniature Park, feely bags, snapshots, color palettes, smelly cocktail, ants-tracking, dung identification, track-identification, etc.

11. Nature craft: Includes volcano depiction, making animal & bird out of plasticine, butterfly-making, making bows & arrows, etc.

12: Party-games: Includes Musical statue, musical chairs, musical bumps, pass the hat, Dancing competions, duck-duck goose; face painting; Simon Says; Maasai Dance lessons.

13. Conservation activities: Planting trees, learning to make Compost, Paper recycling, Water-recycling, etc.

14. Field-games: Tug of War; Parachute Games, Croquet, Wood walk; what on earth are you doing; Treasure hunt; Mine field, etc.