Follow in the footsteps of Joy Adamson with this 10 Day Kenya Safari using a combination small camps, scheduled and light aircraft transfer flights around Kenya. This Classic Kenya Safari strikes a good balance between the less-visited game parks and Kenya's better-known game reserves.
You cannot travel to Kenya without including a visit to the iconic Masai Mara. The choice of locations is all about seclusion and exclusivity. Ever-changing landscapes range from the arid Samburu to the watercourses of the Meru Plains.
Adamson raised a Lion called Elsa who she rehabilitated and was made famous through the book and movie Born Free. Start your journey in Nairobi before heading to the Meru National Park where Adamson trained Elsa how to live in the wild. Explore the area on 4x4 game drives, take to the skies on a balloon flight, walk among the plains game or experience the thrill of a night game drive in search of nocturnal hunters.
In the morning on your classic Kenya safari, catch a scheduled flight to Meru National Park from Wilson Airport, Nairobi. After landing at the bush airstrip, a guide will meet you and drive you to the camp, your home from home for the next 3 nights.
This is a mini game drive that acts as an introduction to the region. After arriving and settling in, enjoy an al fresco lunch before an afternoon game drive.
Spend the next two days in the Meru National Park which was made famous through the story of Elsa the lioness of Born Free fame. She was raised and released by George & Joy Adamson in this region.
Explore the area, enjoying memorable wildlife encounters while daily guided game drives. See some of the smaller inhabitants of the bush while on a guided bush walk in the company of a knowledgeable guide.
Enjoy the lush riverine forests, coursing rivers and in contrast the vast dry open plains dotted with baobabs. Meru is a totally unspoilt part of Kenya, revel in the remote and rugged atmosphere found here.
Today after a last early morning game drive and breakfast you will be taken back to the airstrip to catch a scheduled flight to Samburu National Reserve. On arriving in Samburu your guide will meet you and drive you to your camp, where you will spend the next 3 nights. En route you can enjoy a mini game drive.
After a delicious freshly prepared lunch you can embark on an afternoon game drive, searching for the large cats, including cheetah that is found here.
The Ewaso Nyiro, that borders Samburu and Buffalo Springs National Reserves, is the lifeblood of the area and attracts a lot of elephants, which jostle for space with desert animals such as Besia oryx and the highly endangered Grevy's zebra.
Game drives are a great opportunity to spot animals such as the gerenuk or the fastest animal on land - the cheetah. Wild dog sightings are also possible here.
Explore on foot and delight in a sumptuous bush breakfast on the banks of the Ewaso Nyiro River, whilst watching the prolific birdlife. Birds of the arid northern bush country are joined by a number of riverine forest species; over 450 species of birds have been recorded, it is a birders paradise.
On this day after breakfast, you will be driven to the bush airstrip for a scheduled flight to the Masai Mara, one of the highlights of travel to Kenya.
After landing, a guide will meet you and drive you to the lodge. Between July to October, the Great Wildebeest Migration usually passes through the area. Game viewing, however, is excellent year round
On this leg of your luxury Kenya safari, you will explore the plains dotted with antelope on game drives. The Mara is also home to many predators, there is a resident lion pride close to the camp. Leopards and cheetahs are often seen too.
Let a Maasai warrior introduce you to the secrets of the savannah on a guided bush walk. Start the day watching the dawn break, with coffee around the fire. Head out for an early morning game drive and watch the bush begin to stir for a new day.
Enjoy a sumptuous bush breakfast before heading back to camp. Laze in a hammock after lunch before heading out again for an afternoon game drive for more wildlife encounters.
End the days sipping on ice cold sundowners and watching the sun set in a blaze of glory, before having a tasty dinner back at camp.
On the final day of your Meru, Samburu & Mara Premier Safari there will be time for a last game drive in the Mara.
After breakfast before you are taken back to the bush airstrip to catch a flight to Wilson Airport in Nairobi, for your onward travel arrangements. Alternatively, speak to one of our Destination Specialists about booking extra night's accommodation in Nairobi.