Black chimpanzee portrait with amber eyes in forest, Singita Kwitonda Lodge, Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda
Illuminated waterfront lodge reflecting in calm water at dusk, Hemingways Eden Residence, Nairobi, Kenya
Riverside lodge at dusk with hippos in water, Kimya Kimya Camp, Maasai Mara, Kenya
Thatched roof guest bungalows with wooden deck and stairs, Fundu Lagoon, Zanzibar & Pemba, Tanzania
Modern lodge building with volcanic mountain backdrop and green fields, Singita Kwitonda Lodge, Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda
Modern lodge building nestled in lush green valley landscape, Singita Kwitonda Lodge, Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda
Ivy-covered building with wooden doors and shaded garden pathway, Hemingways Eden Residence, Nairobi, Kenya
Dining deck overlooking river with savanna landscape, Kimya Kimya Camp, Maasai Mara, Kenya
Wooden boardwalk pier extending into turquoise lagoon water, Fundu Lagoon, Zanzibar & Pemba, Tanzania
Modern brick lodge building with mountain backdrop and vegetation, Singita Kwitonda Lodge, Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda
Bedroom with canopy bed and warm evening lighting, Hemingways Eden Residence, Nairobi, Kenya
Guests gathered outside canvas safari lodge structure, Serian Kimya Kimya, Maasai Mara, Kenya
Wooden pier extending into turquoise lagoon water, Fundu Lagoon, Zanzibar & Pemba, Tanzania

inspiration

kenya, rwanda & tanzania: gorillas, the mara and pemba

Private Safari
From $22,675 pp
2 guests
11 nights

trip highlights

  • Singita Kwitonda Lodge shares a 1.2km border with Volcanoes National Park, the closest of any lodge, with gorilla trekking as the signature outing.
  • Golden monkey trekking makes a worthwhile second forest outing beyond the gorillas in Volcanoes National Park.
  • In Mara North Conservancy, member camps may drive off-road, and resident hippos wallow in the pools below Kimya Kimya Camp.
  • Off Pemba, reef visibility runs from 20 to 40 metres, with coral walls and drift dives from the lodge's own dive centre.
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Guests bathing in vintage tub by river at sunset

From Volcanoes Park to Pemba's Reefs

This route links three countries across eleven nights. It opens in Rwanda on the edge of Volcanoes National Park, where more than a third of the world’s remaining mountain gorillas live, then pauses in Nairobi, a highland capital with savannah on its southern edge. From there it runs to the Maasai Mara and the private conservancies around the reserve, before closing on Pemba Island in the Zanzibar archipelago, where reefs draw divers to clear water.

You travel by a mix of flights and road transfers, with private guiding in the Mara and gorilla treks led by guides and trackers in Rwanda. The stays range from an art-led residence in Nairobi to a three-room private camp above the Mara River and a boat-only tented lodge on Pemba. Each is chosen for its setting and the access it gives to the country around it.

plan your safari

Daily Itinerary Breakdown

Gorilla Country Beneath the Virungas

You spend these days trekking to the mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park, the Rwandan reserve where more than a third of the world's remaining mountain gorillas live. Treks vary in length and difficulty depending on where the family groups have moved, with a guide and trackers leading through bamboo and forest; golden monkey trekking makes a worthwhile second outing. The park headquarters, where treks begin, is under ten minutes away by road. Set on a 178-acre estate sharing a 1.2km border with the park, Singita Kwitonda Lodge has eleven suites, each with a private heated plunge pool and volcano views drawn in through timber-framed windows.

A Night on Nairobi's Forested Edge

Coming from Rwanda, you break the journey in Nairobi, a highland capital at around 1,795 metres where black rhino and lion roam savannah on the city's southern edge. The house borders the Giraffe Sanctuary forest, indigenous woodland that shelters more than 200 species of bird, with warthogs, monkeys and peacocks moving through the grounds by day. Built as a painter's family home in 1992, Hemingways Eden keeps its nine art-filled rooms across the Main House, the Studio and a self-contained Cottage, hung with original canvases, bronzes and hand-formed ceramics.

Private River Frontage in Mara North

From Nairobi you continue to the Maasai Mara, where you base in Mara North Conservancy. As a member camp you can drive off-road for closer approaches, with a private vehicle and a two-person guide-and-tracker team following the day's light and the movement of animals; elephant, buffalo, lion and leopard move across the savannah and riverine forest. Taken whole by up to six guests, Kimya Kimya Camp has three timber-and-canvas rooms above a bend of the Mara River, with resident hippos wallowing in the pools below and a salt lick that draws zebra through the day.

Reef Diving off Pemba Island

From the Mara you head to Pemba Island in the Zanzibar archipelago, reached by boat along the mangrove-fringed southwest coast. Days follow the tide, with swimming from the white-sand beach at high water and the reef exposed at low; offshore, visibility runs from 20 to 40 metres, and the dive centre works coral walls and drift dives, with the Misali Island marine conservation area a short boat ride away. Eighteen canvas tents under makuti thatch climb a forested hillside above the Indian Ocean at Fundu Lagoon, cooled by ceiling fans and the channel breeze, with no road in.

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

looking for inspiration?

Thermal pool with guests bathing, lodge buildings and savanna landscape, Lengishu House, Laikipia Highlands, Kenya Swimming pool with white building and shade trees, Manzili House, Nairobi, Kenya Modern lodge structure elevated above savanna woodland at dusk, Wild Hill, Maasai Mara, Kenya Guest at infinity pool overlooking savanna and mountains, Reteti House, Northern Kenya, Kenya Curved swimming pool with guests surrounded by savanna landscape, Lengishu House, Laikipia Highlands, Kenya Guests dining on dhow deck at sunset over water, Tusitiri Dhow, Lamu Archipelago, Kenya Swimming pool with white modern house and large trees, Manzili House, Nairobi, Kenya Curved seating area with central fire pit at dusk, Wild Hill, Maasai Mara, Kenya African elephant grazing in savanna with mountain backdrop, Lengishu House, Laikipia Highlands, Kenya Aerial view of lodge nestled in hillside with pool, Reteti House, Northern Kenya, Kenya Sunset dining setup on traditional wooden dhow boat, Tusitiri Dhow, Lamu Archipelago, Kenya Guest relaxing on lounge chairs on sunlit terrace, Manzili House, Nairobi, Kenya Infinity pool overlooking forested landscape at dusk, Wild Hill, Maasai Mara, Kenya Bedroom with exposed wooden beams and twin beds, Lengishu House, Laikipia Highlands, Kenya

kenya

private homes safari

Fifteen nights across Kenya, from the Maasai Mara and Laikipia to Samburu country and a dhow in the Lamu Archipelago.

  • Private Safari
  • From $39,095 pp
  • 6 guests
  • 15 nights
View Safari
Maasai man in traditional red clothing on savanna White colonial manor with swimming pool and manicured grounds, Karen Gables, Nairobi, Kenya Illuminated safari lodge reflected in still waterhole at night, Sarara Camp, Northern Kenya, Kenya Thatched-roof lodge buildings surrounded by green vegetation and red flowers, Ndutu Safari Lodge, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania Evening gathering under canvas tent with lantern lighting, Speke’s Camp, Maasai Mara, Kenya Whitewashed colonial lodge exterior illuminated at dusk with courtyard approach, Karen Gables, Nairobi, Kenya Person standing by infinity pool overlooking mountain landscape, Sarara Camp, Northern Kenya, Kenya Aerial view of safari camp with yellow tent structures at dusk, Speke’s Camp, Maasai Mara, Kenya Thatched-roof lodge buildings beneath sprawling acacia tree, Ndutu Safari Lodge, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania Swimming pool with lounge seating and illuminated house at dusk, Karen Gables, Nairobi, Kenya Natural waterhole surrounded by savanna and distant mountains, Sarara Camp, Northern Kenya, Kenya Luxury tent interior with multiple beds and white linens Stone bungalow with thatched roof at sunrise, Ndutu Safari Lodge, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

kenya & tanzania

sarara, the mara and ndutu

Twelve nights linking Nairobi, the Samburu-owned Namunyak Conservancy, the Maasai Mara and Tanzania's Ndutu plains.

  • Private Safari
  • From $12,220 pp
  • 2 guests
  • 12 nights
View Safari
Rhinoceros mother and calf grazing together in savanna Outdoor entertaining area with fire pit at dusk, The Emakoko, Nairobi, Kenya Luxury lodge nestled among trees with manicured tropical gardens at dusk, Loldia House, Rift Valley Lakes, Kenya Modern lodge structure elevated above savanna woodland at dusk, Wild Hill, Maasai Mara, Kenya Wooden deck overlooking savanna landscape with acacia trees, The Emakoko, Nairobi, Kenya Wine being poured into glass with vineyard landscape at sunset, Loldia House, Rift Valley Lakes, Kenya Curved seating area with central fire pit at dusk, Wild Hill, Maasai Mara, Kenya Infinity pool at sunset with savanna landscape beyond, The Emakoko, Nairobi, Kenya Woman bathing in turquoise lagoon beneath overhanging mangrove tree, Loldia House, Rift Valley Lakes, Kenya Infinity pool overlooking forested landscape at dusk, Wild Hill, Maasai Mara, Kenya Black and white profile portrait of rhinoceros head

kenya

a week of rhino, naivasha and the mara

Seven nights linking Nairobi National Park, Lake Naivasha and the northern Maasai Mara conservancies, then Karen.

  • Private Safari
  • From $16,835 pp
  • 6 guests
  • 7 nights
View Safari

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Planning a journey together

our approach

remote, exclusive
& 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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