9-Day Tour of Luo Kenya Cultural Safaris and Heritages

The tour starts from Nairobi the Capital City with its beautiful environs, through Great Rift Valley which is one of the seven wonders of the world reaching Kericho County to amaze at the green tea plantation.
Then to Kisumu city found on the Lake Victoria banks through to Kit Mikayi the legendary stone of the Luo tribe crossing over to Mbita point through Lake Victoria which is the second fresh water lake in the world.
You will visit the Lake Islands like Rusinga, Takawiri and Mafangano with their mythological connotations.
You will visit the walls of Thimlich, Sugar plantation in Awendo before driving to Maasai Mara game reserve in search of the plain game and the big five.
You will also have an opportuinity to visit the Mara river – the gateway of the annual migration of wildebeests

The tour starts from Nairobi the Capital City with its beautiful environs, through Great Rift Valley which is one of the seven wonders of the world reaching Kericho County to amaze at the green tea plantation.
Then to Kisumu city found on the Lake Victoria banks through to Kit Mikayi the legendary stone of the Luo tribe crossing over to Mbita point through Lake Victoria which is the second fresh water lake in the world.
You will visit the Lake Islands like Rusinga, Takawiri and Mafangano with their mythological connotations.
You will visit the walls of Thimlich, Sugar plantation in Awendo before driving to Maasai Mara game reserve in search of the plain game and the big five.
You will also have an opportuinity to visit the Mara river – the gateway of the annual migration of wildebeests

Itinerary

Day 1: Nairobi – Kericho

Pass By: Nairobi, Nairobi
Depart in the morning from Nairobi City. Nairobi is the capital city of Kenya and the hub of Africa. It houses the Nairobi National Park which is the only park in a city in the whole world which is the home to wild animals like Lions, Giraffe, Zebras, Antelopes, Cheetah Leopards, and others. This park can be visited early in the morning and late in the evening, especially for travelers who have a stopover in Nairobi City.

Stop At: Rift Valley Province, Rift Valley Province
Descend further to Mai Mahiu, a small business cosmopolitan town at the junction of Narok and Naivasha. You will continue further with your drive to enjoy the scenic views of Hills, Valleys, Escarpment and Mountains found within the Great rift valley some of which were formed as a result of Volcanic activities e.g Mt. Longonot which you will see from a distance on your way to Nakuru. You will arrive Nakuru town intime for lunch at a budget hotel.
Duration: 2 hours

Pass By: Kericho Tea Plantations, Kericho 20200 Kenya
After lunch, you will continue with the journey through the thick Molo timber forest and to Kericho County the green land of the vast tea plantation to amaze at the vast tea farms which are very scenic. You will check in at a budget hotel for Dinner and overnight.
Optionally you will proceed for a guided walk walk in the Tea Plantations and or one of the Tea processing factories at an extra cost.

Meals included:
• Lunch: served in budget hotel Nakuru town
• Dinner: dinner in a budget hotel in Kericho
Accommodation included: Overnight stay in a budget hotel in Kericho

Day 2: Kericho – Kisumu – Kit Mikayi – Lwanda Kotieno – Mbita

Stop At: Kisumu, Kisumu, Nyanza Province
After an early breakfast, depart from Kericho to Kisumu city to pick your packed lunches. Kisumu is the 3rd City in Kenya the home of the Luo tribe which is one of the famous 42 tribes of Kenya and where the father to the former US president Barack Obama came from it is also the biggest town found on the Western side of Kenya next to the 2nd fresh water lake in the world, the Lake Victoria. You will proceed to Kit Mikayi
Duration: 45 minutes

Stop At: Kit Mikayi, Near Kisumu-Bondo Road, Kisumu 40100 Kenya
You will leave Kisumu to the Kenya’s most dramatic archaeological sites, a vast granite rock tower called Kit Mikayi. The rock is situated in Kisumu district, Maseno division, East – Seme – location, Kit – Mikayi sub-location, Kangeso village, Kadol clan. The rock which is about 70 to 80 ft tall is located 30kms Far East of Kisumu city and 1km from of Kisumu Bondo road. The sign board is on the gate of Kit Mikayi primary school then you enter through N’gop-Ngeso primary school. The legendary story behind Kit Mikayi which in Luo means the stone of the first wife

Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Luanda, Luanda, Nyanza Province
After this experience, you take Bondo road and on to the famous Akala Market which is known for its trade in cattle in the whole of Nyanza. Interact with buyers and sellers who come as far as Kisii, Kadem, and Karungu, Migori e.t.c to buy and sell their herds. Drive to Ndori then turn left on Ndori to Lwanda K’Otieno for onward Ferry transfer to Mbita point.
Duration: 45 minutes

Stop At: Mbita, Mbita, Nyanza Province
Picnic lunch en-route you board a ferry to Mbita at 03:00pm and after about 45min you shall be at Mbita point to check in a budget hotel for dinner and overnight.
Duration: 1 hour

Meals included:
• Breakfast: served at a budget hotel in Kericho
• Lunch: Picnic lunch en-route
• Dinner: served in a budget hotel in Mbita point
Accommodation included: Overnight at a budget hotel in Mbita point

Day 3: Rusinga Island full day.

Stop At: Rusinga Island, Rusinga Island, Nyanza Province
After breakfast drive past the bridge to Rusinga Island. A single dirt road runs around the Island.The occasional heavy rain either washes away the soil or sinks into the porous rock, emerging lower down where it creates swamps. Ecologically, the Island is in very dire need of rainfall. Optionally, walk on foot to visit the archeological site where Dr. Mary and Louis Leakey found the skull of Proconsul Africanus. Besides Ligongo, a visit to sacred rock Kiangata on Rusinga Island is an avoidable. The legendary story about this rock is that, the mother of the sub clan of Wakiangata went to fetch firewood around the rock and she disappeared and is believed to live inside this rock and whenever you shout, the unique eco sound comes out of the rock is believed to be the sound of the mother of the Wakiangata sub clan. After this experience, drive further to Tom Mboya Museleum then back to the hotel for lunch. After lunch spend the evening at Leisure
Duration: 4 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast: breakfast in a budget hotel
• Lunch: lunch in a budget hotel
• Dinner: in a budget hotel
Accommodation included: Overnight in a budget hotel

Day 4: Mbita – Takawiri – Mfangano – Mbita

Stop At: Takawiri Island, Kenya
After breakfast, with your picnic lunch, enjoy a ride on traditional motor boat or water bus past the two smallest Islands called Mbasa Namiyolo to reach the beautiful Island of Takawiri with very white sands and get to know how they survive and live with the traditional fishing style.
Duration: 1 hour

Pass By: Mfangano Island, Mfangano Island, Nyanza Province
We ride further to Mfangano Island where we have the geometric rock paintings at Mawanga cave and Kwitone in the Island.
Up to now, people still visit the cave to beseech the ancestors and success in their various endeavors. After getting to learn the wonders of the two rocks. You will ride to Abasuba community peace Museum to learn more about the Abasuba tribe and have your picnic lunch. You can donate towards the upkeep of Abasuba community peace Museum in Mfangano to continue with their good work of maintaining the rock arts.
You will ride back to Mbita for dinner and overnight

Meals included:
• Breakfast: served at the budget hotel
• Lunch: picnic lunch at your convinience
• Dinner: served at a budget hotel
No accommodation included on this day.

Day 5: Mbita – Sindo – Nyamgondho site – Thim Lich Ohinga

Stop At: Nyamgondho Mini Park, 72CX+VXG, Nyandiwa, Kenya
After breakfast and after picking your picnic lunch, drive to the interior of Suba land passing through Sindo to have a glance at the most magnificent Ran’gwa hills with very fertile land for agricultural products. then to Magunga, take the deviation to your left hand side and drive to Nyandiwa and onto the amazing site of Nyamgondho. The legend here is there was a poor fisherman from Kamangeta in Tanzania who came to sojourn in Kachwodho clan in Nyandiwa next to the present Nyandiwa fishing beach called Julu son of Ombare, grandson of Omae whom like other fishermen used Migondho kind of fishing to catch fish
Duration: 1 hour

Pass By: Migori, Migori, Nyanza Province
After this amazing story and picnic lunch en-route, we move towards Sori to have a glance at the mythical stone which disappeared with no trace and further move to Kadem then take the left turn through Lwanda Magwar shopping centre, then turn left and pass through the traditional Luo villages and reach Thim Lich Ohinga the unique architectural stone structure situated in Nyanza province 181kms South of Kisumu in Migori district.The site lies on a gentle sloppy hill some 46kms North West of Migori town near Macalder’s mines. You will then drive to Migori town to check in at a budget hotel for dinner and overnight.

Meals included:
• Breakfast: breakfast in a budget hotel
• Lunch: picnic lunch
• Dinner: served in a budget hotel
No accommodation included on this day.

Day 6: Thim Lich Ohinga – Rapogi – Awendo

Pass By: Awendo, Awendo, Nyanza Province
After breakfast, we leave Thim Lich to Awendo through Rapogi. Awendo is a Sugarcane town and every activity in life revolves around sugarcane growing and sugar making. We will have an opportunity to visit Sony Sugar Company to get to learn how sugar is processed and to amaze at the big sugar plantations and the process of cutting down sugar canes and transporting the same to the factory for crushing. We will then move to Awendo town to check in for our accommodation in a budget hotel, picnic lunch enroute, dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Meals included:
• Breakfast: served in a budget hotel in Migori
• Lunch: in a budget hotel in Awendo
• Dinner: served in a budget hotel in Awendo
Accommodation included: Overnight in a budget hotel in Awendo

Day 7: Awendo – Kilgoris – Lolgorien – Maasai Mara

Pass By: Kilgoris, Kilgoris, Rift Valley Province
After breakfast in the busy town of Awendo, you will drive to Kilgoris – a town in Narok County, Kenya. The town has a population of 4500. Kilgoris is one of two major urban centres in Narok County; the other being Narok town. Maasai are the prominent tribe in the area, though it is located near an area inhabited by the Gusii people.

Pass By: Maasai Mara National Reserve, Maasai Mara National Reserve, Rift Valley Province
Lunch en-route, passing through Maize and Sugar plantation, amazing at the beautiful landscape of Nandi and Kipsigis tribes to enter the famous Maasai Mara with an en-route game drive to your campsite, dinner and overnight.

Meals included:
• Breakfast: served at a budget hotel
• Lunch: picnic lunch
• Dinner: at the campsite
Accommodation included: Overnight at a semi luxury budget camp

Day 8: Maasai Mara Full Day game viewing

Pass By: Mara Triangle, 83 Muthaiga Road, Maasai Mara National Reserve 00619 Kenya
Leave the camp in the morning after full breakfast with your picnic lunch boxes for an extensive full day game viewing in this vast savanna grassland within the Mara triangle – famous mara reserve is renowned for its great Herds of Plains Game, Black-Manned Lions, Leopards and Cheetahs, it also contains numerous Elephants and virtually every type of wildlife to be found in Kenya

Pass By: Mara River, Maasai Mara National Reserve 00200 Kenya
This game drive will take you to the Mara River, the famous gateway of the migration of the Wildebeests and Zebras from Serengeti in Tanzania in late June/early July to Maasai Mara and in October back to Serengeti. You will have an opportunity to see the Hippos and the Crocodile basking along the river bank. After lunch in the middle of nowhere, you will have another extensive game drive on your way back to the Campsite for dinner and overnight with an option of visiting a Masai village at an extra cost of US$ 25

Meals included:
• Breakfast: served at the camp
• Lunch: picnic lunch at your convenience
• Dinner: buffet dinner at the camp
Accommodation included: Overnight at a semi luxury budget camp

Day 9: Maasai Mara – Nairobi.

Stop At: Narok, Narok, Rift Valley Province
Early morning tea/coffee or Hot chocolate then depart for a morning per-breakfast game drive. Back to the accommodation for breakfast, then depart to Narok for lunch. This is a small Masai town where which Masai’ carry out their businesses.
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Rift Valley Province, Rift Valley Province
you will descend eastwards down the Valleys, past Mountains, Hills and Escarpments to Mai Mahiu, a small business cosmopolitan town at the junction of Narok and Naivasha. We turn right up the the Great Rift Valley escarpment for a brief stop at the view point. then to Nairobi arriving in the evening to end your 9 days Cultural tour
Duration: 30 minutes

Meals included:
• Breakfast: served at the camp
• Lunch: hot buffet lunch in Narok town
No accommodation included on this day.