10 Days Kenya Private Safari

Drive north from Nairobi through the Laikipia plateau to Samburu (approx. 4.5 hrs). Arrive for lunch at your riverside camp on the Ewaso Nyiro. Afternoon game drive along the river: elephant and crocodile at the water, leopard in the fig trees overhead. The light in Samburu turns extraordinary golden in the late afternoon.

Full day in Samburu with morning and afternoon drives. Northern Kenya has a different wildlife palette from the south: reticulated giraffe, Grevy's zebra, Beisa oryx, Somali ostrich, and gerenuk: the 'giraffe gazelle' that browses standing on its hind legs. Leopard are among the most commonly sighted in East Africa here: the riverine figs are their favourite resting place.

Morning drive in Samburu, then drive south to Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Laikipia (approx. 2.5 hrs). Ol Pejeta is home to the world's most successful black rhino sanctuary and the two last remaining northern white rhinos on Earth. Afternoon game drive: also excellent for lion, cheetah, wild dog, and a resident colony of chimpanzees (rescue sanctuary).

Full day at Ol Pejeta. Morning guided visit to the northern white rhino enclosure: a poignant and remarkable experience. Afternoon game drive across the open savanna where cheetah coalitions are commonly sighted and lion prides rest under the fever trees. Optional evening chimpanzee sanctuary visit.

Drive south from Ol Pejeta to Lake Bogoria National Reserve: a soda lake fed by dramatic hot springs and geysers. When conditions are right, hundreds of thousands of lesser flamingos paint the lake's alkaline shores pink. Continue south to Lake Naivasha for overnight. Afternoon hippo boat safari on the lake.

Explore Lake Naivasha fully. Morning: cycle through Hell's Gate National Park (no vehicle required: zebra, buffalo, and giraffe are roadside companions). Afternoon: boat safari on the lake for hippos, African fish eagles, kingfishers, and pelicans. Optional guided walk on Crescent Island among free-roaming wildlife at sunset.

Drive from Naivasha south and west to the Maasai Mara (approx. 3.5 hrs). Stop at the Rift Valley escarpment viewpoint before descending to the Mara plains. Arrive for a late lunch and first afternoon game drive in Africa's most celebrated wildlife reserve.

Full day of game drives in the Mara. Morning predator tracking: the resident lion prides and cheetah families are well-known to your guide. Picnic lunch by the Mara River. Afternoon drive watching the great herds of wildebeest and zebra cross the open plains. Optional hot air balloon at dawn.

Another full day in the Mara. Visit the Mara Triangle for exceptional lion and cheetah encounters. Afternoon: walk with a Maasai ranger through the conservancy grasslands. Farewell sundowner on the open Mara plains as the sun sets over the Loita Hills.

Final sunrise game drive in the Mara. Breakfast at camp, then drive back to Nairobi (approx. 5 hrs), arriving mid-afternoon. End of services.