Intimate & Hosted (4*) Honeymoon Love on Safari in Kenya

Assuming you arrive at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in the morning, you will be met by our representative and vehicle and transfer by road to Wilson Airport where you will board your flight to Loisaba airstrip. On arrival an hour and a quarter later, a representative from Sabuk will meet you and transfer you by road back to the lodge, arriving in time for lunch.

Sabuk is all about the fabulous camel walks and safaris with fly camps together with a rich cultural experience and heartbeat. Majestic nights spent out under starry skies, rolling hills and adventures,moments of anticipation, excitement shared with your guides and safari team.

After a last early breakfast you will be transferred by road back to Loisaba Airstrip for your scheduled flight to Mara North Airstrip. You will be met on arrival in the Masai Mara just over an hour later by a representative from Offbeat Mara. Take a short game drive back to camp arriving in time to see your tent and clean up before lunch. The next few days will be spent exploring the vast plains of the Masai Mara.

Your days can be spent as you wish and your driver/guides will discuss each day with you as you go along. The norm is an early wake up with coffee/tea around 6am to depart on a pre-breakfast game drive at about 630am. Being so close to the equator Kenya’s sunrise and sunset varies by an hour at most throughout the year, the temperature can also be comparatively cold in the early mornings and evenings, so it is a good idea to dress in layers when you go out on a drive as the middle of the day will be hot and dry.

After a sumptuous breakfast, the middle of the day is yours to do with as you please, many people go back to their tents and have a shower, perhaps read and take a nap before lunch or play board games in the main mess/lounge area of camp. After lunch you have a few hours to relax again before heading out around 330/4pm on an afternoon game drive – perhaps follow up on the pride of lion you saw in the morning, or head out to look for an elusive leopard or cheetah. After the game drive is time for a well-deserved pre-dinner drink around the camp fire and a chance to swap stories with other guests.

Kipalo Hills is a beautiful and remote safari camp on the edge of Tsavo West National Park in the 12,000-acre private Mbulia Conservancy. Built on the edge of the Mbulia Hills, the views from camp are stunning. Each of the 12 tented suites have uninterrupted views overlooking the thick bush, red earth, and rocky outcrops which can be enjoyed from their private verandahs. Our favorite spot is the beanbags by the pool that overlook the land below and, on a clear day, Kilimanjaro to the west. The common area is large and open with endless places to curl up with a drink and a good book. The tents are simple and sweet with bucket showers, flush toilets, and they get a gorgeous breeze in the nighttime. Kipalo Hills has character and it's evident through the staff. The camp was built by locals, is staffed by locals, and the guides, trackers, and rangers are all locals that take pride in their jobs that protect the local wildlife through tourism. The staff there are extremely sweet and any guest will feel right at home at Kipalo Hills.

Although Tsavo boasts the highest population of elephant in Kenya (Tsavo is huge!), game-viewing can often be challenging since the terrain can be quite bushy. The real highlight of a trip to Kipalo is walking through the conservancy with an ex-poacher who has an unmatched knowledge and a developed appreciation and commitment to the land. We recommend three days at Kipalo Hills where you can spend one day in Tsavo East National Park (which would include a visit to the Voi unit of the Daphne Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage), one day in Tsavo West National Park, and one day walking in the conservancy. It's also a great place to just relax and enjoy Kenya's wilderness at the end of a busy safari. The drawback is that it's very remote and our wildlife sightings haven't been great so we either recommend it for relaxing at the end of a safari, for second time safari-goers, or for real fans of the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust that want to see the older elephant orphants at Voi.

Access to Kipalo Hills is via the Kilaguni Airstrip in Tsavo West followed by a 3-hour game drive through the park, a chartered flight to the Manyani Airstrip, or a scheduled daily flight from the Masai Mara to the Manyani Airstrip which is only 20 minutes from camp.

Bid farewell to Tsavo as you will be transferred to JKIA for your outbound flight.