Routes · Africa

São Paulo to Kenya: Amboseli and Lake Naivasha

São Paulo → Amboseli → Lake Naivasha

Elephants below Kilimanjaro & Rift Valley lakes Best season (general guide): Jun–Oct, Jan–Feb

Kenya's safari country stretches beyond the Maasai Mara. This route spends three nights in Amboseli, below Kilimanjaro, and three by Lake Naivasha in the Rift Valley. From São Paulo you'll connect through Johannesburg, the Gulf or Addis Ababa to Nairobi, then take a light aircraft to the Amboseli airstrip.

How to pace it: Spend days one to three in Amboseli: day one, light aircraft to Amboseli; day two, game drives across the swamps; day three, Maasai village visit. Then spend days four to six at Lake Naivasha: day four, fly back to Nairobi, then drive to the Rift Valley; day five, boat trip and Crescent Island walk; day six, cycle Hell's Gate.

Amboseli National Park is famous for its elephants and for views of Kilimanjaro, just across the border in Tanzania. Swamps fed by springs from the mountain attract elephants, buffalo and many birds, and the peak is often clearest early in the morning.

The Maasai people live around the park, and some villages welcome visitors to learn about their way of life.

Lake Naivasha is a freshwater lake in the Great Rift Valley, home to hippos and a wide variety of birds. On Crescent Island, you can walk among giraffes, zebras and antelope, since there are no large predators.

Hell's Gate National Park, nearby, has gorges and cliffs, and it is one of the few parks where you can cycle among wildlife.

The dry seasons, from June to October and in January and February, are the best times. The long rains usually fall from March to May.

Morning game drives in Amboseli often bring the clearest views of the mountain. At Naivasha, bring binoculars for the birds along the shore.

Good to know: This route flies between Nairobi and Amboseli rather than driving, because Canada warns of armed attacks on travellers on the Nairobi–Amboseli road (advisory updated 7 Oct 2026). Naivasha is reached by road from Nairobi, on a different highway. Book with licensed operators, and follow your guide's instructions near wildlife. Hippos are dangerous on land at night, so stay inside camp after dark.

Canada advises a high degree of caution in Kenya; its avoid-all-travel areas are near the Somali, South Sudanese and Ethiopian borders, far from this route (advisory updated 7 Oct 2026).

The US rates Kenya Level 2 (issued 28 Jul 2026).

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