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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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, BBC Producer
Fitzroy are true specialists in accessing the wilderness. They know where to go and importantly, when to go there. Highly recommended.
kenya
Fifteen nights across Kenya, from the Maasai Mara and Laikipia to Samburu country and a dhow in the Lamu Archipelago.
kenya & tanzania
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kenya
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rated five stars by our clients
our approach
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.