HIGHLIGHTS
GREAT FOR
Families – There’s something for everyone on this two-week holiday
Honeymooners – Plenty of time for proper R&R in romantic camps
Photographers – A wide variety of landscapes and wildlife to capture
AVAILABLE ACTIVITIES
Game drives
Night drives
Cultural tours
Birding
BEST TIME TO GO
High Season⊕: July to October
Green Season⊕: November to June
OVERVIEW
If you have been yearning to ‘do Kenya’, then this itinerary idea is a great starting point. Taking in all the key safari strongholds – Amboseli, the Masai Mara, Lewa, Laikipia and Samburu – it accommodates you in lodges and camps that all have something special, from beautiful vistas to fellow guests of the very long-necked variety! Transfers are mostly by light aircraft to cut down on travel times and give you more time where it matters: on safari.
The main attraction of a Kenya safari is the chance to see the Wildebeest Migration. From about July, they cross the Mara River into the Masai Mara. But even out of Migration season, Kenya is wonderful with easy game viewing and genuine hospitality.
TRIP SUMMARY
DURATION
14 Nights / 15 Days
DESTINATIONS VISITED
Nairobi and Nairobi National Park
Amboseli National Park
Kichwa Tembo Private Concession, Masai Mara
Lewa Wildlife Conservancy
Loisaba Conservancy,
Westgate Community Conservancy
ACCOMMODATIONS VISITED
DAILY ITINERARY
Pack your camera and binoculars in your hand luggage so you have them ready when your first game drive starts not long after you leave Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. This is because The Emakoko, your first port of call, lies on the far edge of Nairobi National Park.
With giraffes rivalling the distant city skyscrapers and lions contact calling at night, The Emakoko is unique among boutique lodges for offering an authentic bush experience so close to a major city.
Why we love The Emakoko:
- An intimate lodge in the heart of Nairobi National Park
- Surrounded by a good population of black rhino
- Fusion cuisine reflecting Europe and Asia with a Swahili touch
- Funicular to cliffside rooms for guests with mobility concerns
A game drive back through the park delivers you to Wilson Airport, the regional hub from where you will catch your light aircraft flight to Amboseli National Park. Although it is compact by African standards, it punches above its weight with a massive elephant population, multiple different habitats and the best views of Mount Kilimanjaro.
Tortilis Camp – named after the type of acacias that surround it – is home for the next two nights. Tents are airy, spacious and very comfortable.
Why we love Tortilis Camp:
- Unimpeded views of Kilimanjaro’s, Africa’s tallest peak
- Large swimming pool and well-spaced tents
- Surrounded by acacia woodland, an elephant favourite
- Private house and family tent for larger groups
You take to the sky again today for a short hop to Bateleur Camp, set in a private concession of the Masai Mara National Reserve. If you’re visiting during the Migration season in the second half of the year, you could spy colossal herds of wildebeest from the plane.
The Wildebeest Migration is the Mara’s top drawcard but even out of season, you can expect game viewing to be spectacular with strong populations of cheetah, leopard and lion.
Why we love Bateleur Camp:
- Special children’s programme with fun activities
- A private butler will help you with every need
- Complimentary Swarovski binoculars to borrow
- Large interleading family tent for small groups
After three exhilarating nights on the Oloololo Escarpment, it’s back to Nairobi for a once-in-a-lifetime treat: an overnight stay at Giraffe Manor. A classic Kenyan manor house, it is now a centre for saving endangered Rothschild’s giraffes who have long learnt that guests find it irresistible to give them treats when they poke their enormous heads through the windows!
The giraffes all have names and very distinct personalities, much like the rooms at this unusual and charming hotel.
Why we love Giraffe Manor:
- Historic manor house with individually designed rooms
- Have breakfast and tea with habituated Rothschild’s giraffes
- Hot tub, sauna, steam room and gym to destress
- Extensive gardens full of mature trees and birdlife
Feeding the giraffes is fun but your next flight at Wilson Airport awaits to whisk you to Lewa Wildlife Conservancy where more extraordinary creatures thrive. This is a stronghold for everything from highly endangered white and black rhino to Grevy’s zebra and the adorable flat-shelled pancake tortoise.
Very low visitor and vehicle numbers give Lewa an exclusive feel, and you may be the only guests at a sighting. Home for two nights is laidback and stylish Lewa Safari Camp.
Why we love Lewa Safari Camp:
- Situated in the midst of a true conservation success story
- Refined and unfussy tents with views over the grasslands
- Wide shady veranda for alfresco meals in summer
- Cosy living area with a blazing fireplace for cool nights
A road transfer lets you see some of everyday life in Kenya’s smaller towns as you are driven from Lewa to Loisaba. Don’t be surprised to see camels roaming freely among cattle and wildlife!
Your destination is Loisaba Tented Camp, which opens out onto a jaw-dropping view down from the escarpment. The large deck and swimming pool have wonderful vistas to the patchwork of woodlands and springs below. While here, it may be possible to spend a night in an outdoor starbed.
Why we love Loisaba Tented Camp:
- Stunning infinity edge pool on the cliffside
- High-tech tents with specialist lighting
- Chance to spend the night in a magical starbed
- Saddle up on horse, camel or mountain bike
Today you head to land of the Samburu people (via Wilson Airport in Nairobi), many of whom still live as cattle herders in traditional manyattas. Your home for three nights is Sasaab, a splendid lodge that combines traditional Swahili aspects with the flair of North Africa.
While here, look out for gerenuk, an antelope that can stand on its hind legs for minutes at a time while nibbling high-up leaves, an usual adaption in a more arid part of the country.
Why we love Sasaab:
- A lodge with lots of secluded, private areas
- Each room has a plunge pool all to itself
- Lovely views of the Ewaso Nyiro River
- Sizable family tent with large sunny deck
From the south to north and back again, this itinerary has uncovered the length and breadth of Kenya, showing you snowy mountains, riverine forests, golden savannahs and fascinating semi-desert. From bat-eared foxes to Beisa oryx, from warthogs to wildebeest, you will hopefully have seen it all.
On your final day, bid farewell to the staff at SaSaab to fly to Nairobi. We can easily arrange a few nights on the balmy Kenyan coast as a beach break after a nonstop safari.
INCLUDED*
EXCLUDED*
* Subject to change. Your personal consultant will confirm all the details with you while helping you plan your safari to Africa so you have a full understanding of costs with no surprises.
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