You arrive at Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and are met by our local guide, Nicholas who says Jambo! (“Hello!” in the local Kiswahili language) and transfers you to your boutique hotel in the leafy upmarket suburb of Karen. Should you wish and depending on your arrival time, Nicholas will happily commence your exploration of Nairobi this afternoon.  

Regarded as the major economic and transport hub of East Africa, Kenya’s sprawling capital of Nairobi is an unavoidable stopover on many travellers’ itineraries. While most wouldn’t choose to spend longer in the city than necessary, its temperate climate makes it a wise location to acclimatise and recuperate when first arriving in East Africa, which can take a day or two due to the long journey most travellers endure to get here. 

Your time in Nairobi can be totally customised to your wishes.  Nicholas accompanies you for the entire day and you don’t have to decide on what you want to do/see until you arrive. Suggested sights and experiences include visits to the city’s renowned Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage as well as the Giraffe Centre, along with Karen Blixen Museum and a number of crafts shops and workshops. There is also Nairobi National Park, which offers a surprisingly authentic if slightly surreal safari experience almost within earshot of downtown Nairobi’s traffic.

A popular inclusion is lunch or dinner at the famed Carnivore Restaurant, where meats – including game such as impala and wildebeest - are grilled over charcoal and continuously brought to your table until you lower the flag in surrender.

Nicholas transfers you to Nairobi’s Wilson Airport for the short flight to the Kalama Conservancy wilderness area in Northern Kenya’s Samburu region. You are greeted by your camp guide and immediately embark on a game drive on the way to your camp. Over this afternoon and the following two days, enjoy your choice of bush walks and day and evening game drives as well as village visits (additional cost) and bush picnics. Families are also welcome to request a day at the Saruni Warriors Academy, which is an interactive learning experience that combines learning and fun as well as wildlife and culture for children and their parents. 

Samburu is the traditional homeland of the Samburu people and one of Kenya’s most dramatic landscapes. This semi-arid region is home to dry-country specialists like the Grevy’s zebra, reticulated giraffe, Somali ostrich, Beisa oryx, and gerenuk — collectively known as the “Samburu Special Five.” Elephants are ever-present, and sightings of lion, leopard and even wild dog are possible.

You are now met by our driver (usually Fred or Gideon) and enjoy a morning’s drive south to Ol Pejeta Conservancy, arriving in time for lunch. Your time here includes game drives and bush walks that can be accompanied by bush meals and sundowner drinks. One of your game drives will include a visit to view the world’s last two remaining northern white rhinos along with a guided back-of-house tour of Jane Goodall’s Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary.  

To the north-west of Mount Kenya, Laikipia has become one of Kenya’s leading safari regions. A mix of private conservancies and former ranchland, it supports conservation while involving local Samburu and Masai communities. Ol Pejeta combines rhino protection, sustainable cattle grazing, and pioneering conservation work. Sweetwaters is a refuge for over 40 chimpanzees, while the critically endangered northern white rhinos are protected in a closely guarded 30km² sanctuary.

You are reunited with our guide, who now transfers you into the Rift Valley Lakes region. You arrive around midday at Lake Nakuru National Park and your lodge with its sweeping views of the lake down below. After lunch, our guide provides you with an afternoon game drive.  

Lake Nakuru is a compact park renowned for white and black rhino, Rothschild’s giraffe, and excellent leopard sightings. While large flamingo flocks are now less common due to changing lake conditions, Nakuru remains a haven for over 400 bird species and a stronghold for endangered species.

An early morning boat safari on the lake offers a tranquil beginning to another day of safari. Our guide then transfers you to Kenya’s premier wildlife destination, the Masai Mara. The drive passes through the tribal homelands of the Masai before arriving at the entrance to the reserve, from where you game drive to your camp. You stay here for three nights and your safari experiences include game drives and walking safaris. Cultural visits to the nearby Masai village can also be arranged, as can a sunrise balloon safari (Additional cost). 

The Masai Mara is Kenya’s most famous wildlife area, part of the Greater Serengeti ecosystem and home to the Great Migration of wildebeest. From predators like lion and cheetah to abundant grazers and dramatic river crossings, the Mara offers excellent year-round wildlife viewing.

Your camp guide transfers you to a nearby airstrip for your flight to Nairobi-Wilson Airport, where you are reunited with Nicholas who transfers you across the city to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport for your onward travels.