Extraordinary Kenya Safari

 Your Kenya safari starts in Nairobi. A driver collects you at the airport for a private transfer to Tamarind Tree Hotel. Shake off your jetlag at this modern property with a courtyard pool and cocktail lounge. Rest well—your safari story begins tomorrow.  

Fly north to Ol Pejeta Conservancy, situated on the hilly Laikipia Plateau. Home to the world’s last two northern white rhinos and East Africa’s only chimpanzee sanctuary, it’s a special place where ambitious wildlife conservation meets the romance of safari. You’ll stay at Ol Pejeta Safari Cottages where privacy reigns—no shared game drives, no communal dining, and you’re just one of four guest suites hosted by owners Andy and Sonja Webb. 

Your guide and private vehicle are ready when you are. Pencil in a morning and evening game drive, perhaps bringing a packed hamper for a bush breakfast. You’ll ramble across Big Five terrain that includes black rhino and species unique to northern Kenya. Dinner is prepared by a private chef and served in a surprise location. Reserve the evening for a night game drive or stargazing. It’s safari, your way. 

A flight carries you south to Instinct of the Mara, set deep within the Olderkesi Conservancy. Tucked near Tanzania, we’ve hidden you far from the crowds and within a vital wildlife corridor. This is carnivore territory, where lions, cheetahs, and hyenas surveil their next meal. You’ll take sanctuary in a canvas tent that feels lifted right out of a movie. This afternoon, enjoy a game drive that culminates with hilltop sundowners.

Rumble along dusty tracks with your private guide and vehicle, nosing through hilly scrubland and riverine forest. Train your binoculars upon antelope, buffalo, zebra, wildebeest, giraffe, elephant, and lion—crossing your fingers for leopard, cheetah, and elusive rhino. In season, streams of Great Migration wildebeest may be present. 

Today you might change things up, parking the Land Cruiser for a guided walking safari instead. Moving at the pace of footsteps, delicate flora and small safari characters blink into focus. Additional activities include a hot air balloon safari followed by a Champagne bush breakfast (for a cost) or a visit to a Maasai village. If it’s hot, dip into secretive waterfalls for an experience you didn’t expect, but you’ll never forget. 

A long but scenic drive—with wildlife along the way—brings you to Mara North Conservancy. Bordering the national reserve, this private wilderness boasts the same magical wildlife, minus the central Mara crowds. Arrive at Offbeat Ndoto, a camp you’ll share with just four other tents. Enjoy a private game drive, then swap safari tales with other guests at the firepit or make friends with the bartender. 

Days follow a familiar safari cadence. Rise to birdsong for a morning game drive, returning midday for a gourmet lunch, and off again to catch animals rousing for their evening meal.  
Game drives wend through open plains and forest valleys, delivering sightings of elephants, zebras, and famed big cats. Secret island picnics and riverside lunches set beneath sycamore figs imbue the quiet luxury of wild dining. 

Use your last day to track any last wildlife lingering on your checklist or take a bush walk with your guide. You might also accept an invitation to visit a Maasai village, perusing souvenirs of jewelry and woven baskets handmade by community mamas. Do it all, do nothing; the day is yours to direct. Fall asleep to the distant call of hyena while dreaming of a day you return to Kenya.

After a morning game drive, fly to Nairobi where a driver is at your disposal for last-minute shopping or sightseeing. (Ask us for a recommendation; we know plenty of things to do in Nairobi, starting with the Karen Blixen Museum.) If the schedule allows, savor a send-off dinner at Cultiva where heirloom crops become farm-to-table haute cuisine. We deliver you back to Jomo Kenyatta International to board your return flight home.