Kenya’s Big 5 in Conservancies (Drive/Fly)

Welcome to Kenya! After touching down at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, you will be driven to one of the world’s most unusual accommodation spots: Nairobi Tented Camp in Nairobi National Park. This is one of the few places where you can experience a traditional under-canvas safari minutes from the hum of a thriving city. You may have to explain to family and friends that your photographs of giraffes with skyscrapers in the distant background are not photoshopped! It is a fitting start to what promises to be the wildlife journey of a lifetime. A night at Nairobi Tented Camp can only whet your appetite for what is to come. Tucked away in a riverine forest, you can undertake traditional game drives or venture out on foot with the trained guides.

Say goodbye to Nairobi Tented Camp with a warm greeting before taking a road transfer to the Selenkay Conservancy and your home for the next two days – Amboseli Porini. With only nine tented suites available, Amboseli Porini is one of Kenya’s smallest and most intimate camps, making for a wonderfully unhurried and personal start to your safari. Animals in the Selenkay Reserve are not fully habituated to vehicles and the number of visitors is limited to a maximum of 18 per day to retain the unspoilt nature of the area and minimise the impact on the environment. Such conservation efforts have paid handsome dividends: Selenkay’s wildlife is fast on the increase and your day begins with birdsong and the promise of big game. Expert guides will lead game drives in search of animals ranging from elephant, lion, leopard, cheetah and striped hyena to jackal, giraffe, warthog and zebra. Bird watchers will be thrilled by the abundant birdlife in the area, especially birds of prey. Your morning will kick off with a hearty breakfast followed by a full morning of game viewing in the famous Amboseli National Park. After a morning of big game and big cats, find a shady spot for a picnic lunch before returning to camp to relax. After a refreshing dip in the pool, catch up on some sleep or set off on a Maasai guided walk to a nearby village for some remarkable insights into local Maasai culture. As the heat of the day ebbs away, set off on an afternoon game drive, stopping for a sundowner drink at a scenic viewpoint. If the weather plays along, you may enjoy breathtaking views of iconic Mount Kilimanjaro. Heading back to camp, a spot light is used to locate nocturnal animals such as aardvarks, bush babies and serval cats on the prowl. Return to camp for a wholesome dinner around a campfire beneath a canopy of stars, ready to swop stories about the day’s adventures.

After a final night at Amboseli Porini, fuel up on breakfast before a game drive takes you through the Amboseli National Park to the airstrip where your aircraft to Nanyuki Airport awaits. Expect a warm welcome followed by a short road transfer to Porini Rhino Camp, an intimate 6-tent camp located in the Ol Pejeta Conservancy on the foothills of Mount Kenya. The conservancy is both home to the Big 5 and a haven for endangered species such as the super-rare black rhino, endemic Grevy’s zebra and non-indigenous rescued chimpanzees. Settle in for your 2-night stay and enjoy a tasty lunch followed by a siesta. Having awakened refreshed, you will be ready to hand feed Baraka, the resident blind rhino before you venture out on an afternoon safari activity. Evenings at Porini Rhino Camp are spent around a campfire, sharing and listening to safari stories. Fantastic meals are served as you are serenaded by the sounds of the Kenya wilderness; the star-filled sky provides a suitable backdrop. And if you think that the experience stops there, wait until you return to your tent to find a hot-water bottle tucked cosily inside your bed.

Say farewell to your new friends as you leave Porini Rhino Camp for Nanyuki Airstrip and a flight to the Masai Mara National Reserve, watching from your window as the scenery of Great Rift Valley unfolds beneath you. Once you have landed, transfer by road to Porini Lion Camp where you will spend the final two nights of your adventure. Porini Lion Camp is located in the exclusive 8 000 hectare Olare Orok Conservancy, a private conservation area situated along the banks of the Ntiakatiak River, complete with hippo pods and flocks of brightly coloured birds. Settle into your river-facing tented suite and keep an ear out for the hippos grunting outside. Adjacent to the Masai Mara itself and offering year-round game viewing, Olare Orok’s open savannah plains teem with huge herds of wildebeest and zebra during the July to October migration season. Needless to say, the reserve is home to the full range of predators including all the big cats for whom the Mara is famous. Lion, leopard and cheetah make up the must-see list but look out for spotted hyena, wild dog, jackal and lurking Nile crocodiles. After a day of exploring, an expertly mixed cocktail finishes things off nicely as the sun sinks below the horizon and your night game drives commences. Your guide will use a spot light to find rare and unusual nocturnal animals before returning you to camp for a grand dinner under the stars.

Enjoy an early morning game drive and scrumptious breakfast before departing to the airstrip for your light aircraft transfer to Nairobi’s Wilson Airport, arriving in the afternoon. While you wait to board a flight to your onward destination, take a moment to reflect on the best moments of your safari: new friends made, unforgettable sunsets and up-close wildlife sightings. These recollections will last a lifetime or at least until you return to make some more!