Kenya Explorer

On arrival in Nairobi International Airport and after clearing Customs & Immigration you will be met and transfer to Hemingways Nairobi where you will stay for two nights. Enjoy the rest of your evening at leisure. 

Hemingways Nairobi, a member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the world, is an elegant boutique hotel situated in Nairobi's Karen residential area with magnificent views of the nearby Ngong hills. Sensitively designed for the discerning business and leisure traveller, Hemingways Nairobi offers the full facilities expected in a modern day luxury boutique hotel. The hotel offers forty-five luxury suites which include the Hemingways suite, The Blixen suite, 19 Executive rooms and 24 deluxe rooms. The Hemingways Nairobi Brasserie serves classic dishes and the very best of local and international cuisine and is open everyday for breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner.

After breakfast you will be met by your private guide and vehicle for your Full Day Nairobi Tour,  which includes a visit to the Giraffe Centre, Karen Blixen Museum and the Daphne Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage (public visit), and Kazuri Bead Factory and/or Utamaduni for shopping.

Discover three of Nairobi’s most loved attractions on this delightful three-hour excursion. Your journey begins with a short exploration of the Karen Blixen Museum for a glimpse into the fascinating world of this pioneer coffee farmer, who achieved world fame through her highly-acclaimed memoir, “Out of Africa”. She left Africa after a series of personal tragedies and her lovely colonial house has been preserved as a museum. Set in expansive gardens, the Karen Blixen Museum is an interesting place to wander around.

Your next stop will take you to the renowned Giraffe Centre, where you will be given a rare opportunity to get up close to these gentle giants in this natural sanctuary, which was founded by Jock Leslie-Melville, the Kenyan grandson of a Scottish earl, to protect the endangered Rothschild giraffe. Here you are able to climb to the top of a platform and stand eye to eye with the giraffes. Feed the giraffes with small pellets or go for a gentle meander on a serene forest trail.

A heart-warming visit to the Daphne Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage will wrap up your outing. Here you can witness the heroic efforts of the dedicated team who rehabilitate orphaned elephant calves and other vulnerable animals. This extraordinary place plays a pivotal role in protecting the wilderness and offers a beautiful experience, as well as the opportunity to adopt an orphaned elephant.

Utamaduni, meaning culture, tradition, folklore, is situated close to the Karen Blixen Museum, Giraffe Centre, Daphne Sheldrick Animal Orphanage, the Nairobi National Park and Kazuri Beads. It encompasses the best of African crafts and is dedicated to supporting craftsmen from all over Kenya. It supports various charities including the KSPCA and Street boys (who have their own shop in the center).  There is also a small restaurant where one can stop for a quick bite.  Later visit the Kazuri bead factory, a producer of top quality handmade and hand painted ceramic jewelry and pottery.  The workshop has been set up to empower women in need by employing them and teaching them a skill.

After breakfast you will be met and transfer to Wilson Airport for your scheduled charter flight to Amboseli Airport. On arrival you will be met and game drive to Tortilis Camp Amboseli where you will stay for two nights. Arrive in time for lunch, followed by an afternoon game viewing activity. 

Amboseli is best known for its unrivalled views of Kilimanjaro and the local elephant population. There are over 1000 elephants in the park’s eco-system, featuring some of the largest in Africa. Elewana Tortilis Camp is situated in one of Amboseli's areas of Acacia Tortilis woodland, with the majestic backdrop of Africa's highest mountain, and the World’s highest free-standing mountain, snow-capped Kilimanjaro. Game drives, walks, sundowners and bush meals take place both inside the park, and within a private 30, 000 acre game concession. The tents are all spacious, with king or twin beds and elegant ensuite bathrooms. There is a main lounge, bar and dining area, all exquisitely built with natural materials and thatched roofs.

Enjoy twice daily game viewing activities. 

With only 10% of Amboseli National Park utilized by most safari vehicles, combined with Elewana Tortilis Camp’s unique location on the western edge of the park (most lodges are outside of the eastern gate of the park), guests can enjoy an almost private Amboseli. We also have private gamedriving within our own 30, 000 acre Kitirua Conservancy, which is the western part of the Amboseli ecosystem.

Elewana Tortilis Camp boasts an elite fleet of custom-designed safari vehicles, and highly-qualified guides with intimate knowledge of their "backyards".

Guided Walks 

Elewana Tortilis Camp’s walking guides are Masai from the local community, who have been walking over these plains since childhood.

Take the time to leave the car behind and enjoy the small things – tracks, dung beetles, micro-ecosystems. The guides are happy to share their knowledge of the terrain, traditional uses of wild herbs and barks, and the Masai way of life.

Cultural Visits 

In the heart of Masai country, Elewana Tortilis Camp offers visits to local Masai homesteads. The Masai live in semi-permanent huts known as Manyattas and it is the role of the wife to construct the hut from cattle dung and grass. The families will show you round their home for a fee (payable separately, ask reception for details), and will want to take the opportunity to sell their traditional handicrafts – bargain hard!

After breakfast you will game drive to Amboseli Airport for your scheduled charter flight to Lewa Airstrip via Wilson Airport. On arrival in Lewa you will be met and game drive to Lewa Kifaru where you will stay for three nights, Arrive in time for lunch, followed by an afternoon game viewing activity. 

Enjoy twice daily game viewing activities. 

A team of fully-qualified driver guides are on hand for vehicle safaris across the conservancy. The specially adapted open vehicles allow for excellent viewing but it is the richness of the game that our guests talk about. All the main safari predators, the rare Grevy zebra and of course the threatened rhino, both black and white, can be viewed in abundance. A particular favourite and well recognised aspect of the area near the lodge are the good elephant numbers. The game drives are on your terms using our experience and are not limited to daylight hours. We often explore the conservancy by night using spotlight and the full moon when it obliges. Lewa offers a very good opportunity to see the Big 5.

Walking with Masai

One of the most popular ways to explore the conservancy is in a more traditional fashion – on foot. Lewa Wilderness’ expert Masai walking guides, who have lived here all their lives, explore Lewa with guests to really get up close to many of our wild neighbours. Out walking almost nothing is a barrier and ground is covered very easily making the safari experience so much more real. Guests either walk in the early morning or early evening before dark. For the more in depth walking we suggest a few nights on Walking Wild.

Horse Riding (additional fee will apply)

One of the most popular ways to explore the conservancy is in a more traditional fashion – on foot. Lewa Wilderness’ expert Masai walking guides, who have lived here all their lives, explore Lewa with guests to really get up close to many of our wild neighbours. Out walking almost nothing is a barrier and ground is covered very easily making the safari experience so much more real. Guests either walk in the early morning or early evening before dark. For the more in depth walking we suggest a few nights on Walking Wild.

Enjoy your last full day of game viewing activities in Lewa Conservancy. 

Optional activities (additional fees will apply): 

Flying the wilds

Those seeking the ultimate thrill have access to an open-cockpit biplane. Parked just a short drive from Wilderness Trails on a bush strip is the WACO YMF-5 which will always represent the true essence of aviation pleasure. Piloted by Will Craig the flight skims over the primary forests and flies down the gorges which are otherwise almost inaccessible. It gives a wonderful eagle’s eye view of the conservancy and something so much more intangible. A wonderful addition to any safari. This activity is only available to guests staying at Lewa Wilderness.

Ngare Ndare Forest

The nearby Ngare Ndare Forest offers a different ecosystem to explore, with a treetop canopy walk and spectacular waterfalls where you can swim and enjoy a picnic lunch.

Cultural Visits 

For those guests interested in the local traditional culture, there is an authentic Maasai village where guests can spend the day enjoying a unique experience interacting with amazing people.

After breakfast you will game drive to Lewa Airstrip for your scheduled charter flight to Keekorok Airstrip. On arrival you will be met and game drive to Sand River Masai Mara where you will stay for three nights. Arrive in time for lunch, followed by an afternoon game drive. 

Situated along the banks of a river from which it has taken its name, Elewana Sand River Masai Mara is located within the Masai Mara National Reserve in Kenya on a secluded and picturesque site. The camp enjoys stunning views over the Sand River and out to the neighbouring grassy hills and plains of Tanzania.

The camp sits on the migration route for the millions of wildebeest, zebra and Thompson's gazelle that move between Serengeti and Maasai Mara every year. Guests enjoy the privilege of exclusive views of the plains and hills dotted with thousands of animals as well as being in the thick of the excitement of frenetic and famed river crossings, all from the comfort of camp.

Comprising of 16 tented accommodations, Elewana Sand River Masai Mara replicates the heyday of exclusive permanent tented camps of the late 1920’s.

Divided into two separate but adjoining campsites of 10 and 6 tents, each area possessing its own designated dining and public areas, Elewana Sand River Masai Mara provides an atmosphere of exclusivity and class.

Enjoy twice daily game viewing activities. 

The Masai Mara is renowned for its spectacular game viewing and wildlife interactions. Why not enjoy it with the most traditional of safari activities - a game drive! With a knowledgeable guide, a custom-designed car and a car fridge full of cold drinks, enjoy a morning, afternoon or full day out in the grassy plains, and riverine forest of the Masai Mara.

Enjoy your last full day of game viewing activities in Masai Mara.   Today will be a good day to go hot air ballooning.

The Masai Mara together with Tanzania’s Serengeti form Africa’s most famous wildlife park, the Masai Mara National Reserve. The image of acacia trees dotting endless grass plains epitomises Africa for many, then add a Maasai warrior and some cattle to the picture and the conversation need go no further. The undeniable highlight of the Masai Mara National Reserve is undoubtedly the annual wildebeest migration traversing the vast plains of the Serengeti and the Masai Mara. It is known as the largest mass movement of land mammals on the planet – with more than a million animals following the rains. Large prides of lions, elephants, giraffes, gazelles and eland can also be spotted in the reserve. Aside from horse riding safaris and traditional vehicle safaris, hot-air ballooning over the Mara plains has become almost essential.

After breakfast you will game drive to Keekorok Airstrip for your scheduled charter flight to Wilson Airport. On arrival you will be met and transferred to local restaurant for lunch,   later this afternoon continue to Nairobi International Airport for your onward  departure flight home.