Day 1: Arrival Nairobi

Arrival at Jomo Kenyatta Airport met and assisted by our representative. Transfer to Ole Sereni Hotel at the edge of Nairobi National Park. Nairobi is a city that reverberates with life and energy. The pulse of the city beats with more than the life in the sprawling savannah, but also within the history, food, and culture of the city itself. The delicious scent of samosas rises through the street; the flaky crunch of the outer shell lingers in the air. The city center bustles and is filled with colorful goods that range from everyday products to gently carved giraffes.

Day 2: Masai Mara Game Reserve

This morning you will board your flight from Nairobi to Masai Mara Game Reserve. A representative will meet you upon landing, transferring you to Mara Plains Camp. Mara Plains Camp is an unparalleled adventure into one of the most iconic wildlife destinations on the planet, where the battle for survival plays out in front of you each and every day. Upon arriving at the camp, you walk across a bridge over the river, through a thick, riverine forest, up a small slope to some giant steps, only to be greeted by an endless horizon with one, single, flat-topped tree – the quintessential shape of East Africa – right in your line of sight.

Day 3-4: Explore the Mara Ecosystem

Over the next two days, intersect the boundless plains by safari vehicle. The Masai Mara, an essential part of the greater Serengeti ecosystem, hosts the annual wildebeest migration. Never short on thrills, this quintessential landscape of rolling grasslands and acacia savannas hosts the largest lion population, as well as zebras, spotted hyenas, black-backed jackals, hippos, giraffes, elands and wildebeest. You may pay a private visit to a Maasai village to learn about local customs and daily life.

Over centuries, this landscape has seen it all: from the victories of the Masai Warriors, to the challenges of Africa’s great explorers, right through to the moments of inspiration for Ernest Hemmingway, this area is for many, indescribable. You will retrace the footsteps of these famous folk as you search high and low for elephants, giraffes, lions, leopards, gazelles and cheetah. The Mara is home to some of the world’s most prolific wildlife and – given the frequency with which they see humans – you will experience a series of truly close and intimate encounters.

Day 5: Fly out to Samburu Game Reserve

After your sumptous breakfast, you will be transferred to the nearby Olare Motorogi airstrip for your flight to Samburu Game Reserve - a semi-desert region in the remote frontier district.

This region is known for its elephants and the endangered Grevy's zebra. Spend the next couple of days discovering the wildlife on game drives and guided walks. Stay in the Luxury Saruni Samburu safari camp and enjoy attentive service and friendly hospitality. Delve into the fascinating culture of the Samburu people during a cultural visit to a traditional homestead. On arrival you will be met and transferred to Sentrim Samburu - your home for the next two nights.

Ashnil Samburu Camp sits in Buffalo Springs Game Reserve which takes its name from an oasis of crystal clear water at the western end of the reserve. It is separated from Samburu National Reserve by Ewaso Nyiro River and is less hilly and dense yet equally very attractive.

Day 6: Samburu National Reserve

Explore the plains of Samburu National Park in search of the ‘Samburu Special Five’. Home to a unique combination of wildlife, today you will have the opportunity to see the reticulated giraffe, the gerenuk, the Grevy’s Zebra, the Somali ostrich and the beisa oryx. The Oryx of Samburu became particularly famous when a lioness in the park adopted three of these mythical looking ungulates into her pride. In direct contradiction to normal lion behavior, this particular lioness was reported to be fiercely protective over the calves, defending the calves from humans and deeply mourning their deaths. Biologists and conservationists were truly baffled by this peculiar behavior, attributing it largely to maternal instinct.

As you traverse this interesting landscape, you may also be lucky enough to spy the endangered African wild dog. These fierce spotted hunters generally live in packs, and rely on a single dominant pair for breeding. As a highly social species, wild dogs are known for supporting weaker members of the pack, sharing food and assisting them in times of illness. It is this cooperative pack dynamic that have made the species one of the continent’s most successful hunters, tackling prey as large as wildebeest. They do however require large territories and are susceptible to domestic animal diseases, which has led to marked decline in their population. They are a rare, but truly wonderful, sighting.

Set against the backdrop of park’s two stunning mountains, it is often surprising that more tourists do not choose to visit this park. In direct comparison to the throngs of vehicles that cover the Mara, you will enjoy near exclusivity during your wildlife encounters today, giving a sense of true authenticity in this African wilderness.

Day 7-8: Mount Kenya National Park

Enjoy a charter flight from Samburu to Solio Private Game reserve. As you land at the airstrip, a guide will meet you and take you to the lodge.

After a refreshing lunch made from fresh organic ingredients from the lodges own vegetable garden, and perhaps a siesta, you will head out for an afternoon game drive.

Over the next three full days of your luxury Kenya safari, take your time and explore the central region of Kenya. Guided walks, mountain biking or horse riding are all available at Solio, a great way to see the wild game from a totally different perspective. On this private game reserve, you can see an unbelievable amount of rhinos. It is common to see up to 40 rhino at one time here. You can try your hand at some trout fishing in the cold streams of the Aberdares.

Alternatively, you can fly in a helicopter, as an optional extra, to a secluded picnic spot on Mount Kenya. During your stay, you can go on night drives, where you can go looking for the elusive nocturnal animals that shy away during the daytime.

Day 9-10: Lewa Wildlife Conservancy

Fly to the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, home of big cats, elephants and endangered black rhinos. Your tented camp is tucked into the Northern Frontier District, in a private wildlife conservancy and rhino sanctuary. Take to the bush this afternoon, watching closely for indigenous northern species, such as the beisa oryx, Somali ostrich, reticulated giraffe, Grevy’s zebra and the unusual long-necked gerenuk, which stands on its hind legs to feed. Look, too, for Grant’s gazelles, dik-diks, elands and impala as they, along with majestic leopards and lions, roam the vast landscape. After dinner, sleep securely in elegantly appointed tents, enveloped by the sounds of the African night.

spend the morning and afternoon viewing game in this pristine conservancy. Whether you opt to set out in safari vehicles or on foot, keep your eyes trained for lions, black and white rhinos, elephants, oryx, and aquatic sitatungas — swamp-dwelling antelopes. Relax on your private veranda, and indulge in gourmet meals and remote sundowners, prepared by your attentive staff.

Day 11: Depart / Fly to Nairobi

Fly back to Nairobi and spend the afternoon at leisure in your reserved dayroom. Later, transfer to the airport for your international departure.