Best of Kenya Safari

Upon arrival at Nairobi, you will be transferred to Emakoko Lodge. Typically, flights from the U.S. to Nairobi arrive in the evening. Settle into your accommodations, followed by a late dinner. Prepare for an early-morning departure to your first game reserve.

After breakfast, you are transferred to the airport for a short flight to Lewa Conservancy and Lewa Wilderness Lodge. After settling in, lunch will be served. Take rest for the early afternoon, before high tea, then embark on your first game safari. Back at the lodge, enjoy a drink around the log fire as you socialize with other fellow guests from around the world. Gather around the long communal table for dinner, serenaded by the sounds of Africa on the first night of your Kenya safari in the bush.

A light breakfast will be served before leaving for your morning game activity. You may choose to enjoy a camel safari – a great way to take in the scenery from a unique vantage point – or a guided walking safari led by a trained Maasai guide. Nothing is more thrilling than watching a rhino or elephant grazing in the morning light, or following the tracks of a leopard while you are on foot. This afternoon, head out on a game drive, with a good chance of seeing the Big Five. For dinner this evening, you may wish to dine privately on the pool deck, or out in the bush on request.

Following a pre-dawn cup of coffee and early morning game drive (when wildlife is the most active) return to camp for a full hot breakfast. Later today, you will learn about the life and culture of the local Maasai by visiting a local village or school. Head out once again in the early evening by vehicle, on foot or on a horseback safari, and finish another fabulous day of your Kenya safari with sundowners overlooking the magical terrain. Return to camp for another delicious dinner at Lewa Wilderness Lodge.

This morning depart for the airstrip and board your flight north to Namunyak Conservancy for the next chapter of your Kenya safari. Time permitting you may wish to stop at the Lewa Crafts Center to see the craftsmanship first-hand, weaving carpets and designing and creating furniture from salvaged acacia wood. Alternatively, visit the HIV/AIDS orphanage, clinic and school en-route to the airstrip.

In the heart of Samburu country, the arid Namunyak environment offers stunning views of the Mathews Range, home of the sacred sites of Samburu culture. Game drive to your accommodation, Sarara Camp, set in the canopy of the forest. Tuck into the delicious high tea spread before heading out to search the conservancy for wildlife great and small. Return to the lodge for dining and rest beneath a blanket of stars.

Early this morning, depart on foot to the exclusive cultural experience known as the Samburu Singing Wells. Observe villagers as they lead their cattle to a sacred site in the dry riverbed and sing to their herds to come forward and drink. Each herd knows its song. This is utterly captivating and a tradition found nowhere else on Earth.

Take a game drive to the Reteti Elephant Sanctuary, a pioneering community project that rescues orphaned elephants and supports the local tribespeople. You will have the chance to meet the Samburu people invested in this wildlife initiative and spend time in their communities. The day comes full circle as you watch the cattle from the singing wells return to the boma for the evening. Celebrate this day of cultural immersion with sundowners before heading back to the lodge for dinner and a well-deserved rest.

Fly south to one of the most iconic wildlife destinations on the planet, the legendary Masai Mara Game Reserve. You land at Naboisho Conservancy and transfer to the secluded Mara Nyika Camp. Upon arrival and an orientation talk, you will have a short while to settle into your tented room. High tea will be served and then you embark on an afternoon game drive. As evening falls, return to your camp for a delightful meal and overnight stay.

Wake early Monday for day eight of your Kenya safari to experience the vast number of wildlife species in this exclusive conservancy, a low-density tourism area that borders the Masai Mara. Your four-wheel drive Land Cruiser is open-sided, canopied and customized for photographers, with raised roofs and photographic supports. Drinks and snacks are kept cool in the fully-stocked fridge.

Throughout your stay, each guest tent has a set of professional equipment available, consisting of a Canon camera with lenses and Swarovski binoculars. Your guide can assist with photography basics while on game drives. After a siesta and high tea, head out again on an afternoon drive continuing beyond sunset for a night drive which is particularly fascinating in this area. Return to camp for dinner and campfire chats enjoyed with fellow travelers.

Rise before dawn for a spectacular balloon ride over the plains as you witness the sun breaking the horizon. Soar over the Rift Valley for an hour, watching herds of wildlife and the landscape sprawl beneath you. After landing, enjoy a full hot breakfast and champagne in the wilds of the Masai Mara. This afternoon, journey back to the plains on a game drive. Raise a glass as the sun slips out of sight and the nocturnal animals stir. Perhaps come upon a lion or hyena hunt before heading back to camp for your evening meal and slumber at Mara Nyika.

Today you leave the Masai Mara and return home or onwards for those enjoying an extended itinerary. If you decide to get up early, you may squeeze in one last game drive. After breakfast, depart on your scheduled flight to Nairobi where your Kenya safari experience comes to an end. Your international flight should depart from Nairobi no earlier than late afternoon.