Shompole trail
Highlights include forest walks and views and a descent into the Rift Valley ending near lake Natron at Shompole Lodge (if you choose)

Options (Options 1 and 3 involve six days on the trail, with one rest day. Options 2 and 4 involve five walking days).

Option 1: Eight-day safari (includes one and half days driving).
Option 2: Seven-day safari (includes one and half days driving).
Option 3: Six day flying safari.
Option 4: Five day flying safari.

The Loita forest
For centuries the Maasai have been living with wildlife and herding their cattle between the antelopes, elephant and buffalo with their dependent predators, such as lions, leopards and cheetahs. This way of life continues to this day in Kenya and Tanzania.

The Loita Naimena-Engiyio forest meaning the Forest of the Lost Child is sacred and yet used by the Maasai community for dry season livestock grazing and during severe droughts. Its wealth of wildlife in animals, birds, trees, plant species and special habitats is well recognized by international conservation organizations, such as the World Conservation Union (IUCN) and Birdlife International. For centuries the Loita Maasai have taken care of the forest. Today, the area is still used for traditional ceremonies such as the setting up of new age groups and blessings for female fertility.

Expectations
The walks are between 3-6 hours long and you need to be of average health and fitness to enjoy the safari. The altitude varies between 1700 and 2300 m. The trails that we walk on are tracks cut by people to move their cattle through patches of forest as well as animal paths.

Our guests have enjoyed the company of our guides, who are all from the area and very knowledgeable about life in the wilderness. They grew up here and have learned how to live with wildlife. They are eager to teach you their intimate knowledge about the environment and know the use of many plants and trees for medicinal purposes, both for people and animals. Their experience is your security and offers you the joy of discovering the Maasai way of life in one of the most beautiful pieces of wilderness that Kenya has to offer.

The area is fascinating for anyone interested in birds, plants, animals, trees and the spectacular landscapes that the edge of the Great Rift Valley offers. The views are outstanding, one can see Lake Magadi, some 1500m lower than the Loita forest, glimpses of Lake Natron in Tanzania, the breeding ground for the lesser flamingo, and on clear days you will see the 6000m high Mount Kilimanjaro, some 200 km away.

THE 7 DAY (DRIVING) ITINERARY
DAY 1 viewpoint to the swamp camp
We start our walk from where we have one of the best views in Loita. From this vantage point we see Ol Doiniyo Sampu, the elephant mountain just across the border in Tanzania and Shompole mountain just within Kenya (near the mountain is Shompole Lodge, the final destination of our walk). On a clear day we may see Kilimanjaro and other mountains in Tanzania such as the live volcano Ol Doinyo Lengai on the edge of lake Natron. Colobus monkeys abound in this area and are proof of a relatively undisturbed mountainous forest. We meet our Maasai team of guides and donkey handlers and enjoy an early breakfast as we get our personal luggage ready to be loaded onto the donkeys. This will be our first day in The Forest of the Lost Child.

Our walk leads us through old mixed forest with huge trees giving us a real sense of the beauty but also the importance of this forest. Some dead giant trunks are totally covered in moss, creating a spectacular microhabitat. The altitude is approximately 2000m and inside the forest the temperature is pleasantly cool. All the time we hear the sound of the spectacular Turaco, a dark bird with conspicuous crimson wingtips in flight. Their sound is somewhat reminiscent of the black and white Colobus monkeys frequently seen jumping through the trees. Halfway through the journey we stop for a picnic, taking in the peace and quiet of the forest. In the afternoon we put up camp in the beautiful river valley of Ososinai. (Walking time approximately 3-4 hours)

DAY 2 Ososinai River Camp to the Elephant Camp
Around Ososinai we can really see how the Loita forest regenerates itself and there are thousands of young trees to be seen in the area. We walk for two and a half hours through the forest, partly through dense vegetation. Enjoy the forest, its scents and sounds, its spectacular flowers and its beautiful ever-varying landscape. From here we circle back through the forest walking along ridges and through open glades. Our Maasai guides show you signs of interaction between the animals and the birds with the forest. The walking on this day is very interesting as we pass through all different kinds of forest cover. Towards the end of the walk we will emerge on a lower hill below the viewpoint where we started on the first day. The camp is at the confluence of a few rivers and is a place where elephants can be heard and sometimes seen coming for the water. We have a great view north into Tanzania. At night you may hear trumpeting elephants, our campfires and warriors safeguard us throughout the night.

DAY 3 Elephant Camp to the Rock Gardens of Orlorte
After a good breakfast we start to traverse the great ridges that are the folds left from the shearing when the Rift Valley was being formed. Here there are open patches of grassland and stands of cedar. This will be the last day of the thicker parts of the forest as we make our way towards the Maasai villages around Olorte. There are some valleys and hills to climb with spectacular views all around Loita. The destination of today's walk is Rock Camp, situated above the village of Olorte. Rock camp has sweeping views over the Rift Valley and just below it there is an interesting sculpted range of rocks and is the habitat of rock hyraxes, Lamegaia vultures and mountain cycads. After you have explored the rock gardens, take time to relax and have a sundowner while gazing at the Rift Valley.

DAY 4 The Rock Gardens of Orlorte to the Edge of the Rift Valley
Today we will descend the Valley into Olorte, where Maasai manyattas (homesteads) are seen. Here you will see the Loita Maasai going about their daily life and see how they depend on the forest for survival. We cross the river and start to climb up the other side of the Valley towards the forest that acts as a barrier along the edge of the Rift Valley. Here we plunge into the thick forest with huge trees with signs of elephants and Zebras. Soon we will emerge at the knife edge drop off wary you can marvel at the grandeur of the cradle of mankind, the Rift Valley.

DAY 5 The Edge of the Rift Valley to Shompole Lodge
Today you may wake up to the best sunrise of your life. From our camp, you will see the sunrise peeping through the trees coming up over the Rift Valley. From here to the east you can see the Great Rift Valley Lakes of Magadi and Natron, to the north the Ngong hills, and to the South Ngilai mountain and the live volcano of Lengai in Tanzania. Very soon we will be descending the escarpment through ever-changing habitats, and the lower we get the thinner the forest. The gentle descent is almost 1500 m. On reaching the valley floor we will take in a different world as we walk through thornbush and savannah. After a few hours we reach the goal of our safari the spectacular Shompole Lodge (if you are not going to the Lodge there is a beautiful campsite on the empakasi river).

DAY 6 Shompole Lodge and the return trip to Nairobi
Today we wake up in the cradle of mankind and enjoy everything that this beautiful place has to offer. One can take a game drive with the possibility of seeing lions, elephants and plains game. Or you can drive to the edge of lake Natron, an ancient soda lake, where you are likely to see thousands of flamingos.

The drive back to Nairobi is 4 hours, traversing the great Rift Valley, again taking in the spectacular lunar landscapes of the Rift.