Luxury Safaris and Vacations in Kenya
For more than a hundred years, Kenya has epitomised the archetypal African safari. Think of Africa and one immediately thinks of infinite savannah plains teeming with wildlife, found in the Masai Mara. Kenya offers some truly life changing experiences. It is a country of great diversity and beauty, but above all, it offers some of the finest wildlife in Africa. Think of the wildebeest migration, one of Africa’s greatest wildlife spectacles documented on television channels by David Attenborough. Then combine that with some of the most fascinating culture and you have the perfect safari! Whether it’s a private, luxury camping safari you are after, a private homestead where you can sit around a table and have lively discussions, or being pampered at a designer lodge, you will have the finest of guiding throughout and the quality will be unsurpassed. For the more active, there is world class horse riding, fishing both inland and on the coast and superb camel trekking with the Samburu tribes, learning more about their culture and having the freedom to roam this country on foot. For the truly adventurous we offer fly in safaris to Lake Turkana. The coast is superb and we can offer anything from a gorgeous Robinson-Crusoe styled lodge to a luxury villa in Lamu. If an ordinary safari is what you are after, then we are not for you. However, if you are looking for something completely extraordinary, then look no further!
Highlights of Kenya
- Horse riding in either the Masai Mara during the wildbeest migration or in the Chyulu Hills with views of Mount Kilimanjaro.
- Game viewing by open Landrover through the wildlife reserves of the Masai Mara, Samburu, Meru, Tsavo East and Amboseli with expert guides.
- Go on a walking safari with one of Kenya’s top guides, through the Kakamega Forest and the Great Rift Valley.
- Camel trekking in Laikipia or Samburu up to the Matthews Range, either staying at a beautiful, small luxury lodge which is owner managed or fly camping with your guide for up to 7 days.
- Circumnavigating Mount Kenya for seven nights, with one of Africa’s finest guides, sleeping in your private tents and whilst exploring the heather clad paths.
- Flying by helicopter or driving to Lake Turkana or the Jade Sea where different tribes can be observed. This is completely off the beaten track and an area of extreme beauty. Stay at beautiful, small, owner managed lodges.
- Lion and Wild Dog research – go out with scientists for the day and learn all about these species.
- Elephant Research – with Dr Iain Douglas-Hamilton’s charity, Save The Elephants – go out with the researcher’s for the day and learn everything about these amazing creatures.
- Stay at Kenyan homesteads and live life as a local! Spend the time relaxing away from safari, going on picnics or perhaps play polo, ride cross country or partake in life on the farm.
- Visit schools and orphanages should you wish to see any of our charities.
- Stay at local community initiatives – these are wonderful and one learns so much about the local tribes.
- Have a private, mobile safari in Samburu, the Masai Mara, Meru and the Great Rift Valley, purely for your family or group of friends with one of Kenya’s best guides.
- Stay in a private villa in Mombasa, Lamu or in any number of areas inland or in Robinson Crusoe retreats on the Tana River, Lamu or Kiwayu.
General information on Kenya: As always we most recommend staying in intimate, owner managed, Kenyan homesteads, camps and lodges where one actually comes away not only with a real taste of the area but also as friends of one’s hosts. One could perhaps start a safari at a Kenyan homestead on Lake Naivasha, relaxing prior to setting off on the rigours of a safari! There is so much to see in Kenya: In Samburu, stay at Iain and Oria Douglas-Hamilton’s beautiful, unique, tented camp (staffed by very informative Samburu) and visit the research station of their charity, Save The Elephants. Here the resident team will show you how they identify each elephant group and track their daily activities and progress. They also have a wonderful Kenyan homestead on the shores of Lake Naivasha which serves some of the most wonderful Mediterranean food outside of Italy! In the south, bordering Tanzania, you can wake up to astounding views of Mount Kilimanjaro at a lovely tented camp in the foothills of the mountain and, as well as game-viewing, learn about the culture of the Maasai tribe with whom the camp is jointly run.
Perhaps one might undertake a private combined walking and vehicle safari in the Ol Pejeta area with renowned guide Alex Hunter, or perhaps walk from camp during the wildebeest migration; there is a vast amount of choice in Kenya. At the end of your safari you might relax, somewhere off the beaten track, on the shores of Lake Victoria where one can fish for Nile Perch, or perhaps on Samatian Island on Lake Baringo or, of course, one might elect to explore the Arab Swahili coast of Lamu or, further north and very remote, Kiwayu. We also have some superb cottages (and gorgeous villas).
Kenya has something for everyone, from the exciting game filled areas of the Masai Mara, Samburu, Amboseli and Meru, to the beautiful Laikipia plateau with its magnificent views and homely (and some very luxurious) lodges, where one can ride either horses or camels amongst a wide range of activities. One should not forget the lakes and coast, either! We even offer lion tracking with one of Kenya’s finest guides and fly camping beneath the stars is available at several lodges as an add on.
The Masai Mara Game Reserve is renowned for its wildebeest and zebra migration, occurring during the months from July to October as the ungulates flow from (and back to) the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania. It is an area of vast, rolling plains and rounded hills and has the largest lion population in Africa. We can also offer horse riding in the Masai Mara during the wildebeest migration, which is one of the most exhilarating experiences ever!
Samburu is a good combination with the Mara. Situated north of the equator, it boasts five species not found south of the equator and is a small, scenic, park with diverse vegetation, dotted with doulm palms which follow the water course of the Ewaso Nyiro river. The river attracts a large variety of animals including Grevy’s zebra, reticulated giraffe, elephant, lion and many antelope. The bird life is excellent here, too.
Meru, in our opinion, is one of the most beautiful parks in Kenya and the least frequented. Situated along the Tana River, it is noted for its grevy’s zebra and reticulated giraffe. It is also famous for being the park where George Adamson rehabilitated his lioness, Elsa. There is a beautiful lodge, Elsa’s Kopje, which overlooks this park as well as a gorgeous tented camp. Of course, no visit to Kenya is complete without a visit to the Daphne Sheldrick elephant orphanage! Finally, there are some very remote and far flung corners of Kenya – we feature some quite adventurous safari ideas to visit these areas.
For those who have visited Africa on several occasions, we would urge you to consider Lake Turkana – the world’s most beautiful (and largest!) desert lake. Travel either by road via Laikipia or perhaps by helicopter to this rugged region.
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