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

inspiration

kenya: the rift, the reserve & the reef

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

trip highlights

  • On the Soysambu Conservancy you can walk the lakeshore, drive after dark and ride out on horseback, none of it permitted inside Kenya's public parks.
  • The grassland around Lake Elmenteita carries a breeding population of the Rothschild's giraffe, with lesser and greater flamingos crowding the shallows.
  • Emboo runs every safari vehicle on solar power, so game drives in the Maasai Mara move in silence and the animals behave differently.
  • The Majlis Resort holds three beachfront villas on Manda Island, facing Shela village across the channel with dhows crossing all day.
Scroll for the full itinerary
Cheetah crouching in grass, hunting in savanna, Emboo Camp, Maasai Mara, Kenya

Kenya from the Rift Valley to the Indian Ocean

The route links four regions in order. It opens in the Rift Valley on the Soysambu Conservancy beside Lake Elmenteita, then crosses to the Maasai Mara and its wildebeest plains. From there it runs to the Lamu Archipelago on the Indian Ocean coast, and closes in Nairobi, where a national park of black rhino and lion meets the city’s southern suburbs.

You travel by a mix of light aircraft and vehicle, with game drives on the conservancy and in the Mara, boat trips off Manda Island, and slower days by the water and in the garden estates. The four stays run from tented camps to beachfront villas and garden cottages, each chosen for its ground and what the days there hold, over ten nights.

plan your safari

Daily Itinerary Breakdown

Rift Valley Lakes and Soysambu Conservancy

You start in the Rift Valley on the Soysambu Conservancy, private land where the rules allow what public parks do not: walking the lakeshore with a naturalist, driving after dark, and riding out on horseback. Lesser and greater flamingos crowd the shallows of Lake Elmenteita, and the grassland carries a breeding population of the Rothschild's giraffe, along with eland, dik-dik, buffalo and zebra. Lake Elmenteita Serena Camp lines the lakefront with twenty-four tents and a single suite, each veranda facing the water, and a waterhole draws game in front of the main lounge.

Maasai Mara by Silent Electric Vehicle

Next the Maasai Mara, the red oat grass plains of southwest Kenya that carry vast herds of wildebeest and zebra. Here every safari vehicle runs on solar power, so game drives move in silence and the animals behave differently, lions staying settled and elephants grazing close. A well-known wildebeest crossing point on the Talek River lies a short drive away, busy through the July to October migration, though the timing shifts each year with the rains. Emboo Camp sets its tents on timber decks along a forested bend of the Talek, each porch looking onto water where hippos surface through the day.

Manda Island and the Lamu Channel

On the coast now, on Manda Island in the Lamu Archipelago, where days run to the water: crossing by the resort's own boat to Shela village for its cafes and boutiques, or drinks at Peponi Hotel, then back to a base quieter than the village. Waves and the distant call to prayer carry across the channel, and dhows cross all day. The Majlis Resort holds three beachfront villas above white sand on Ras Kitau Bay, built in lime-washed coral stone with high beamed ceilings and carved wooden doors. Three swimming pools lie among the gardens, alongside a spa, a gym and an activity centre.

Nairobi and Blixen's Coffee Land

You end in Nairobi, on the southern edge where Nairobi National Park runs up against the suburbs and holds one of Kenya's key black rhino populations, with lion, zebra and giraffe on savannah grassland. The Langata Gate is about ten minutes' drive and the Karen Blixen Museum a short walk. Karen Blixen Cottages occupies a five-acre garden estate on Blixen's old coffee land, thirteen rooms across seven cottages under century-old jacaranda and croton trees. Guests check in at Swedo House, a wooden colonial residence built between 1906 and 1908.

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?

Close-up portrait of a dark-furred primate looking directly at camera Modern hotel building lit at dusk with palm trees, Kigali Serena Hotel, Kigali, Rwanda Thatched-roof lodge nestled among trees with mountains beyond, Mount Gahinga Lodge, Mgahinga National Park, Uganda Outdoor dining setup beneath acacia trees and natural shade, Serian “The Original”, Maasai Mara, Kenya Guests viewing landscape from tent entrance at camp, Kitich Camp, Northern Kenya, Kenya Giraffes at manor house entrance during golden hour sunset, Giraffe Manor, Nairobi, Kenya Resort pool area at dusk with surrounding buildings and trees, Kigali Serena Hotel, Kigali, Rwanda Spacious bedroom with four-poster bed and fireplace, Mount Gahinga Lodge, Mgahinga National Park, Uganda Luxury safari tent bedroom with four-poster bed and seating, Serian “The Original”, Maasai Mara, Kenya Interior view of safari tent with open entrance and guests outside, Kitich Camp, Northern Kenya, Kenya Turquoise lap pool lined with loungers beneath stone archway, Giraffe Manor, Nairobi, Kenya Luxury bedroom with red headboard and balcony view, Kigali Serena Hotel, Kigali, Rwanda Guest observing gorilla in lush forest vegetation, Mount Gahinga Lodge, Mgahinga National Park, Uganda Safari tent interior with canopy bed and seating area, Serian “The Original”, Maasai Mara, Kenya

rwanda, uganda & kenya

gorillas to samburu

Twelve nights linking Rwanda's gorillas, the Maasai Mara conservancies and Kenya's Mathews Range forest walks.

  • Private Safari
  • From $18,320 pp
  • 2 guests
  • 12 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
Rider on horseback galloping across open grassland, Borana Lodge, Laikipia Highlands, Kenya Giraffes at manor house entrance during golden hour sunset, Giraffe Manor, Nairobi, Kenya Illuminated safari lodge reflected in still waterhole at night, Sarara Camp, Northern Kenya, Kenya Illuminated safari tent at dusk with tall trees nearby, Kicheche Mara North, Maasai Mara, Kenya Wooden deck with infinity pool overlooking savanna at dusk, Borana Lodge, Laikipia Highlands, Kenya Thatched safari lodge deck overlooking vast savanna landscape, Lamai Serengeti, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania Turquoise lap pool lined with loungers beneath stone archway, Giraffe Manor, Nairobi, Kenya Person standing by infinity pool overlooking mountain landscape, Sarara Camp, Northern Kenya, Kenya Lakeside dining pavilion overlooking water and savanna hills, Borana Lodge, Laikipia Highlands, Kenya Luxury safari tent with guests dining at dusk overlooking savanna, Kicheche Mara North, Maasai Mara, Kenya Wooden deck overlooking vast savanna landscape at sunset, Lamai Serengeti, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania Colonial mansion with giraffe viewing areas and surrounding woodland, Giraffe Manor, Nairobi, Kenya Natural waterhole surrounded by savanna and distant mountains, Sarara Camp, Northern Kenya, Kenya Bedroom with open views across savanna at sunset, Borana Lodge, Laikipia Highlands, Kenya

kenya & tanzania

riding the conservancies to the serengeti

Thirteen nights linking northern Kenya's conservancies to the Maasai Mara and the northern Serengeti's migration country.

  • Private Safari
  • From $21,375 pp
  • 2 guests
  • 13 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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