10 Days flying Safari Amboseli and Northern Kenya

Arrival in Nairobi. We will transfer you to your city hotel and brief you on your safari adventure. Rest of the day is yours to relax. If time allows ask about visiting the Giraffe Center to see the endangered Rothschild Giraffes or visit local museums such as the Karen Blixen Museum where the author of Out of Africa lived.

In the early morning fly to Amboseli National Park. The Park is famous for its big game and scenic beauty with the landscape dominated by Mt. Kilimanjaro. It offers an interesting contrast with its dry and dusty appearance, which can be attributed to the volcanic ash that came out of Mt Kilimanjaro when it last erupted. In spite of the appearance, there is a continuous supply of water that gets filtered through volcanic rocks from Kilimanjaro's melted snow. These streams flow underground, creating lush green areas, and converge at two clear water springs in the park.

Spend a further day in the park on morning and afternoon game-viewing drives. Wildlife here includes the zebra, wildebeest, giraffe, impala, caracal and serval cat, lion, leopard, cheetah, and buffalo among others. There are also over 400 species of birds, including the bee-eater, kingfisher, African fish eagle, martial eagle, and pygmy falcon. Visitors mainly come to watch the huge herds of elephants. The bull elephants have some of the largest tusks in all of Kenya. Visitors can also enjoy excellent views of Mt Kilimanjaro and Meru.   

You will stay at Tortilis Camp, which has a prime location for witnessing the majesty of Africa’s highest mountain, Kilimanjaro. Tortilis Camp is named after the flat-topped, umbrella thorn tree, the Acacia Tortilis, and embraces a hill in one of Amboseli’s areas of Acacia Tortilis woodland. Located in a private conservancy bordering the national park, game drives, walks, sundowners, and bush meals take place both inside the national park and in the conservancy, where guests enjoy exclusivity.

The tents are all spacious, with king or twin beds and elegant en suite bathrooms. There is a main lounge, bar, and dining area, all exquisitely built with natural materials and thatched roofs. The Private House and Family Tent are located slightly separate from the main camp, on the hill where they share a pool.

Spend another day exploring the private conservancy and the Amboseli National Park. The mornings are the best time to enjoy the best views of Mount Kilimanjaro as the clouds lift. Tortilis Camp’s walking guides are 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.

You will continue today to the Samburu Game Reserve, home to several species found only north of the equator, in the land of the colourful Samburu, the close relatives of the Maasai. It offers a unique view of rounded and rugged hills and undulating plains. The mix of wood and grassland with the forest and wetlands is home to various animals and birds. Lunch is served at the lodge and  later in the afternoon, you go on a game drive until sunset.

Spend the day in the National Reserve enjoying the arid landscape and Ewaso Ng'iro River fringed with Doum palms where many animals congregate. Keep a watch for the Samburu Special Five - gerenuk antelope, Besia Oryx, Grevys Zebra and reticulated giraffes. The birdlife is very diverse with more than 380 recorded species, and you can also see giraffes, Grevy's zebras, elephants, oryx, Somalis, hippos, crocodiles, giraffes, buffaloes, lions, leopards, cheetahs and hyenas. The long-necked giraffe gazelle is a graceful antelope adapted to the savannah and covers its water needs solely through food intake.

Your camp for this destination will be Saruni Samburu. The six luxury eco-chic villas at Saruni Samburu are open and spacious, each affording spectacular views over Kalama Conservancy and Mount Kenya. As the only lodge in over 200,000 acres of unspoiled and wildlife-rich bush, guests enjoy an exclusive safari guided by Samburu warriors passionate about their land and culture. The experience at Saruni Samburu is intimate and truly exceptional.

Spend another day exploring the Samburu region. At Saruni Samburu, you can do as much or as little as you choose. From day and night game drives, picnic breakfasts on the banks of the Ewaso Nyiro River or bush dinners in a dry riverbed with firelit Samburu dances, to guided bush walks and visits to the local village and caves featuring ancient Samburu rock art.  The sunken hide offers remarkable photographic opportunities as elephants, hyenas, leopards, birds and other creatures come down to drink at the adjacent waterhole. Of course, there’s no need to actually leave the lodge if you prefer a more relaxing experience – you can spend time in and around the pools, enjoy a massage in the Samburu Wellbeing Space, browse the Samburu artefacts in the Saruni boutique or lose yourself in the vastness of the night skies above.

Why not arrange a visit to the local Samburu Village. Saruni Samburu is the only lodge in Kalama Conservancy, and a major source of income for the communities in the area. Since its opening, Saruni Samburu has consistently provided jobs, income and skills transfer opportunities for neighbouring communities. Ecotourism directly supports conservation – by visiting Saruni Samburu, you are directly giving back to the people that protect this beautiful area, improving their quality of life and making conservation a viable, long-term land-use choice.

After breakfast, drive to Ol Pejeta Conservancy, a beautiful private game reserve and home to rare species such as Beisa oryx, Rothschild's giraffe and black rhino. On the game drive, Africa shows you the whole range of African wildlife such as lions, leopards, cheetahs, elephants, and hippos. Visit the chimpanzees from the Jane Goodall Institute at Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary. Other optional activities include bird walks, where you can observe several hundred species, horseback riding and camel riding (surcharge).

From a working cattle ranch in colonial Kenya to a trailblazer of conservation innovation - the story of Ol Pejeta is as enchanting as it is inspirational. Today, Ol Pejeta is the largest black rhino sanctuary in East Africa, and home to two of the world’s last remaining northern white rhinos. It is the only place in Kenya to see chimpanzees, in a sanctuary established to rehabilitate animals rescued from the black market. It has some of the highest predator densities in Kenya, and still manages a very successful livestock program. The conservation of the natural habitat, located in Kenya’s Laikipia Plateau, ensured the protection of existing rhino, elephant, and other wildlife populations in addition to captive chimpanzees living in a 300-acre sanctuary.  

You will stay at Tambarare Camp. Nestled amongst fever trees in the shadow of Mount Kenya, Sanctuary Tambarare delivers the perfect balance of adventure and serenity. Sanctuary Tambarare looks out across the grassy plateau of the award-winning Ol Pejeta Conservancy, 90,000 acres of unspoilt African landscape, where the Big Five roam, including the last two northern white rhinos on earth.

With just 10 luxurious guest tents, Sanctuary Tambarare is a peaceful haven that reflects its surroundings – with a generous helping of indulgence. After adventurous days tracking lions, riding horses with rhinos or spotting giraffes, elephants, gazelle and zebra in this stunning wildlife retreat, guests can retire to the secluded tented camp for sundowners, relaxation and attentive five-star service.

Spend another exciting day exploring the Ol Pejeta Conservancy on exciting game drives. Perhaps book a behind-the-scenes conservation tour with the rangers and guide dogs. Perhaps, visit the last Northern White Rhinos on the planet (extra charges) or just relax at the lodge and soak up the tranquility of the African bush.

There may be time for one last early morning game drive before breakfast. You will fly to Nairobi and stay another night at Amzili before we transfer you to JKIA airport for your international flight.