7 Days of Finch Hattons and Mahali Mzuri

Fly or drive to Tsavo West National Park. Finch Hattons is one of Africa's most celebrated safari camps: 16 luxury tents set beside a natural spring that attracts elephant, hippo, crocodile, and over 300 bird species year-round. Afternoon game drive through the dramatic volcanic landscape of Tsavo West. Welcome dinner beside the spring as wildlife comes and goes in the torchlight.

Full day at Finch Hattons with morning and afternoon drives. Tsavo West's red elephants are one of Africa's great sights: herds of 50+ coated in the park's distinctive rust-red soil. Visit Mzima Springs: the Nile crocodiles are massive and the hippos remarkably curious. Night drive after dinner, hunting for serval, mongoose, and the elusive African wildcat.

Another full day in Tsavo West. Head to the Poacher's Lookout viewpoint: the sweeping vista over Tsavo's plains is breathtaking. Drive across the Shetani lava fields to the Chyulu Hills border. The afternoon drive focuses on predators: Tsavo West's lion prides are large and often found resting on rocky outcrops or near the spring.

Morning drive at Finch Hattons, then fly from Tsavo to the Mara (approx. 1.5 hrs). Land at the Mara North airstrip and transfer to Mahali Mzuri: meaning 'beautiful place' in Swahili: a 12-tent camp set on a hillside in the exclusive Mara North Conservancy. Afternoon game drive in the conservancy: no vehicles queuing at sightings, just you and the wildlife.

Full day in Mara North. Morning drive tracking leopards: the conservancy is famed for exceptional big cat sightings. The Ntiakitiak River runs through the property and elephant families drink at the banks throughout the day. Afternoon drive following the great wildebeest herds as they move across the conservancy. Night drive after dinner: hyena clans, bushbaby, and nightjar.

Another outstanding day in the conservancy. Guided morning walk with Maasai rangers through the acacia woodland: tracking lion spoor and reading the bush at foot level. Afternoon drive into the main Maasai Mara Reserve to see the lion prides of the Mara Triangle. Farewell sundunder on a hilltop with the vast plains below.

Final sunrise game drive in Mara North. Breakfast at the lodge before transferring to the airstrip for your scenic flight back to Wilson Airport, Nairobi (45 min). End of Saringi services.