inspiration

kenya: big tuskers safari

Private Safari
From $14,820 pp
4 guests
13 nights

trip highlights

  • On Tawi's private conservancy at Amboseli's edge, night drives and guided walks follow the elephant paths between the park and the Chyulu Hills, with Kilimanjaro on the horizon.
  • Mara North caps any sighting at five vehicles and keeps bed numbers low, giving quiet predator viewing on the border of the national reserve.
  • At Borana you can track rhino on foot with the rangers who monitor them daily, on land that holds over 200 black and white rhino.
  • Borana keeps stables for every level, so you can ride among zebra and giraffe without the noise of an engine before returning to the waterhole at dusk.
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Three African elephants with tusks facing camera closeup

Three Conservancies and a Mountain

The route links three of Kenya’s conservancies over 13 nights, beginning in Nairobi below the Ngong Hills. From there it moves to Amboseli, where community-held Maasai land carries elephants between the park and the Chyulu Hills under Kilimanjaro. Next comes Mara North, a low-density conservancy on the northern Maasai Mara plains, and it closes in the Laikipia Highlands at Borana, a private rhino sanctuary beside Lewa.

You travel by game drive across private conservancies, which allows night drives, off-road approaches and guided walks the national parks do not. Days hold morning and afternoon drives, walks on foot and, at Borana, horse riding and biking. Each lodge is a small property rooted in its landscape, from a Lamu-inspired home in Karen to tented and stone cottages built into their ground.

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Daily Itinerary Breakdown

Nairobi at the Foot of the Ngong Hills

Your first night sits in Karen, a leafy Nairobi suburb at the foot of the Ngong Hills, with Nairobi National Park, the Giraffe Centre and the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust all close by. At around 1,795 metres the air is cool and dry, a comfortable place to rest before hotter country. Built by the Roumeguere family on their own land, Manzili House was raised by artisans brought up from Lamu, its white living spaces opening onto a central courtyard and pool. An in-house chef cooks to order, and every bedroom has a private veranda.

Elephants and Kilimanjaro at Amboseli

From Nairobi you come south to Amboseli, onto community-held Maasai land where elephant herds cross between the park and the Chyulu Hills. Because this is private conservancy rather than national park, the days can run night drives and walks on foot to read the tracks, while the Kimana Gate lets a morning move into the park itself. A waterhole sets the rhythm, drawing elephant, buffalo and giraffe, with more than 400 bird species recorded across the wider land. Tawi Lodge stands within the conservancy, its thatched cottages turned toward Kilimanjaro, with two bars, a mezzanine library and a small spa.

Low-Density Predator Country in the Mara

North on the Maasai Mara plains, Mara North Conservancy works to a low-density model, with no more than five vehicles at any sighting and bed numbers kept deliberately low. The result is quiet, uncrowded predator viewing on the border of the reserve, and Mara North carries strong predator numbers the year round; from roughly July to October wildebeest and zebra pour across the plains. Game drives run in 4x4s morning and afternoon, off-road driving is permitted, and balloon flights and armed bush walks fill out the days. Kicheche Mara North sits in Acacia Valley in a grove of wild olive, its guides all holding a Silver-level rating.

Rhino and Riding in the Laikipia Highlands

The trip ends in the Laikipia Highlands at Borana, a private rhino sanctuary above the Samangua Valley with Mount Kenya to the south. Twenty-one black rhino were reintroduced in 2013, and since the boundary with Lewa came down the two form a single landscape of more than 92,000 acres, now home to over 200 black and white rhino. You can track rhino on foot with the rangers who monitor them daily, ride among zebra and giraffe, and take night drives and guided walks. Borana Lodge sits terraced into a hillside in eight cottages of local stone and cedar, above a dam that draws elephant, giraffe and baboon through the day.

Ed Charles photographing wildlife

Ed Charles, BBC Producer

Fitzroy are true specialists in accessing the wilderness. They know where to go and importantly, when to go there. Highly recommended.

Ed Charles

Bafta & Emmy award winning film producer of BBC’s Planet Earth 2 and A Perfect Planet

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Group of people standing on riverbank at sunrise with tents, Sarara Treehouses, Northern Kenya, Kenya Guests viewing landscape from tent entrance at camp, Kitich Camp, Northern Kenya, Kenya Herd of elephants walking through dusty savanna landscape Cape buffalo grazing in grassland during daytime Illuminated treehouse lodge reflected in water at night, Sarara Treehouses, Northern Kenya, Kenya Interior view of safari tent with open entrance and guests outside, Kitich Camp, Northern Kenya, Kenya Guest relaxing in infinity pool overlooking forested valley, Sarara Treehouses, Northern Kenya, Kenya Group walking through tall grass during guided forest activity, Kitich Camp, Northern Kenya, Kenya Safari lodge with thatched roof at sunset in mountains, Sarara Treehouses, Northern Kenya, Kenya Four giraffes walking through dense green vegetation Male lion with lioness in golden grassland at sunrise

kenya

fly camping in the northern forests

Seven nights walking the forests of Northern Kenya, from a fly camp to Kitich Camp and the canopy suites of Sarara Treehouses.

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  • 2 guests
  • 7 nights
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Safari guide photographing wildlife from open vehicle, Serian “The Original”, Maasai Mara, Kenya Wooden deck pathway through forest with lodge building, Entebbe Forest Lodge, Entebbe and Kampala, Uganda Illuminated lodge building at dusk surrounded by landscaped gardens, Nkuringo Gorilla Lodge, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Uganda Wildebeest herd running through dust cloud Outdoor dining setup beneath acacia trees and natural shade, Serian “The Original”, Maasai Mara, Kenya Wooden deck with forest canopy views and lounge seating, Entebbe Forest Lodge, Entebbe and Kampala, Uganda Evening firepit gathering with mountain views and hanging lanterns, Nkuringo Gorilla Lodge, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Uganda Luxury safari tent bedroom with four-poster bed and seating, Serian “The Original”, Maasai Mara, Kenya Guest relaxing on wooden deck overlooking forest at dusk, Entebbe Forest Lodge, Entebbe and Kampala, Uganda Mountain vista from stone terrace with firepit seating, Nkuringo Gorilla Lodge, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Uganda Safari tent interior with canopy bed and seating area, Serian “The Original”, Maasai Mara, Kenya

kenya & uganda

bwindi gorillas and the migration

Nine nights across Uganda and Kenya, from gorilla treks on Bwindi's Nkuringo ridge to big cats above the Mara River.

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  • 2 guests
  • 9 nights
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Group gathered around fire under acacia tree at dusk, Emboo Camp, Maasai Mara, Kenya Illuminated safari lodge with curved architecture at dusk under acacia trees, Lake Elmenteita Serena Camp, Rift Valley Lakes, Kenya Beach pavilions illuminated at dusk with palm trees, The Majlis Resort, Lamu Archipelago, Kenya Cottage with wooden veranda surrounded by lush tropical vegetation and vines, Karen Blixen Cottages, Nairobi, Kenya Riverside dining deck with table settings at sunset, Emboo Camp, Maasai Mara, Kenya Silhouetted guests watching sunset over river valley from hillside camp, Lake Elmenteita Serena Camp, Rift Valley Lakes, Kenya Infinity pool overlooking river with loungers and shade umbrella, Emboo Camp, Maasai Mara, Kenya Coastal bay with sandy beaches and moored boats, The Majlis Resort, Lamu Archipelago, Kenya Luxury lodge with swimming pool and covered terrace among trees, Karen Blixen Cottages, Nairobi, Kenya Luxury lodge courtyard with acacia trees and outdoor fire pit at dusk, Lake Elmenteita Serena Camp, Rift Valley Lakes, Kenya Silhouetted acacia tree against starry night sky, Emboo Camp, Maasai Mara, Kenya Beach lodge with thatched structures and waterfront at sunset, The Majlis Resort, Lamu Archipelago, Kenya Wooden bridge over stream with tropical bungalows nestled in lush forest garden, Karen Blixen Cottages, Nairobi, Kenya

kenya

the rift, the reserve & the reef

Ten nights across Kenya, from the Rift Valley lakes to the Maasai Mara, the Lamu coast and Nairobi's rhino country.

  • Private Safari
  • From $6,930 pp
  • 2 guests
  • 10 nights
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& personal

Every journey starts with a conversation. We take the time to understand your vision before we start planning.

Whether by phone or in person, we work with you directly to shape something that is considered, personal, and expertly delivered.

Every journey starts with a conversation. We favour a direct, personal approach: understanding your vision before anything else.

Whether by phone or in person, we work with you directly to shape a journey that is both thoughtfully considered and expertly delivered.

Get in touch to start planning yours.

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