Kenya Under Canvas: Rhinos to the Mara

Welcome to Kenya!

On arrival in Nairobi, you will be met and transferred by road to your hotel.

Settle in and enjoy some time to relax after your journey. Depending on your arrival time, the remainder of the day is yours to unwind and prepare for the safari adventure ahead.

Overnight: Tamarind Tree Hotel

After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your scheduled light aircraft flight to Ol Pejeta Conservancy. On arrival, you will be met and transferred to your camp.

Set against the backdrop of Mount Kenya, Ol Pejeta is renowned for both its exceptional wildlife and pioneering approach to conservation. The conservancy is home to the Big Five, an important population of black rhino and the world’s last two remaining northern white rhinos.

Your home for the next three nights is Ol Pejeta Bush Camp, an intimate tented camp on the banks of the Ewaso Ngiro River. Its location offers a wonderfully immersive safari experience, surrounded by the sights and sounds of the Kenyan wilderness.

Depending on your arrival time, head out on your first scheduled game drive and begin discovering Ol Pejeta’s wildlife.

Overnight: Ol Pejeta Bush Camp

Wake to the sounds of the bush before setting out for a day that combines excellent wildlife viewing with an insight into the conservation work that makes Ol Pejeta so special.

One of today’s highlights is the opportunity to meet the world’s last two remaining northern white rhinos. It is an extraordinary encounter and a chance to learn more about the efforts underway to preserve the genetic legacy of this critically endangered subspecies.

You will also join a dog-tracking experience, meeting the specially trained dogs and their handlers who support Ol Pejeta’s conservation and anti-poaching operations. Both of these special conservation experiences are included in your itinerary.

Beyond its conservation work, Ol Pejeta offers excellent traditional safari viewing. Explore open grasslands, acacia woodland and riverine habitat in search of elephant, buffalo, lion and leopard, alongside both black and southern white rhinos.

Return to your camp between activities, with time to relax and enjoy the peaceful riverside setting.

Overnight: Ol Pejeta Bush Camp

With another full day in Ol Pejeta, there is plenty of time to explore further with your guide.

Head out on scheduled game drives, following wildlife movements and making the most of sightings as they unfold. You might find yourself watching elephants moving across the plains, searching for lion and leopard or spending time photographing one of the conservancy’s rhinos.

Your stay also includes the opportunity for a night game drive, taking you back into the conservancy after dark.

As daylight disappears, the atmosphere of the bush changes completely. Head out in search of wildlife that becomes more active after sunset and discover a side of Ol Pejeta that most daytime visitors never experience.

Return to your camp for your final night beneath the Kenyan sky.

Overnight: Ol Pejeta Bush Camp

After breakfast, transfer to the airstrip for your scheduled light-aircraft flight to the Maasai Mara, one of Africa’s most celebrated wildlife destinations. On arrival, you will be met and transferred to your camp.

The greater Mara ecosystem is renowned for its extraordinary concentration and diversity of wildlife. Lion, cheetah and leopard share these vast grasslands with elephant, giraffe, buffalo, zebra and abundant plains game, making this an exceptional safari destination throughout the year.

Your camp for the next four nights is selected according to the season, ensuring you experience the Mara at its best.

July to October | Emboo Camp
During the Great Migration season, stay at Emboo, located inside the Maasai Mara National Reserve overlooking the Talek River. At this time of year, vast herds of wildebeest and zebra are typically moving through the ecosystem and dramatic river crossings may occur. The exact timing and location of the herds varies each year, so crossings can never be guaranteed.

Rest of the year | Encounter Mara
Outside migration season, stay at Encounter Mara in the private Mara Naboisho Conservancy. Known for excellent resident wildlife and particularly strong predator sightings, Naboisho offers a more exclusive safari experience, with fewer vehicles at sightings and the opportunity to head out after dark on a night drive.

Settle into camp and enjoy your first taste of the Mara, with the sights and sounds of the wilderness all around you.

Overnight: Emboo Camp (July–October) or Encounter Mara (remainder of year)

There is an early start this morning, but it is for something rather special.

Before sunrise, head out for your included hot-air balloon safari over the Mara.

As the balloon rises, watch the landscape slowly reveal itself beneath you. From the air, the scale of the Mara becomes apparent, with grasslands stretching towards the horizon and wildlife moving across the landscape below. Every flight is different, dictated by the wind and wildlife, and that unpredictability is all part of the magic.

Back on solid ground, continue your safari experience with a game drive, searching for the incredible variety of wildlife that calls the Mara home.

The remainder of the day unfolds at safari pace, with time to enjoy both the wildlife and your camp after an unforgettable morning above the plains.

Overnight: Emboo Camp (July–October) or Encounter Mara (remainder of year)

Today is all about exploring the Mara and seeing where the wildlife leads you.

Head out on game drives through sweeping grasslands and acacia-dotted plains, keeping watch for lion, leopard, cheetah, elephant, giraffe, buffalo and the many antelope species found throughout the ecosystem.

Your experience will vary with the season and where you are staying.

At Emboo from July to October, the Great Migration may take centre stage. Wildebeest and zebra are typically moving through the Maasai Mara during these months, and there may be opportunities to witness the drama of the migration and possible river crossings.

At Encounter Mara during the rest of the year, explore the private Naboisho Conservancy, renowned for its resident wildlife and outstanding predator sightings. Fewer vehicles at sightings create a wonderfully relaxed safari experience, while off-road driving is possible at certain sightings.

Wherever you are based, the Mara rewards time and patience. Sometimes the most memorable moments come not from searching for the next sighting, but from simply staying put and watching a wildlife story unfold.

Overnight: Emboo Camp (July–October) or Encounter Mara (remainder of year)

Enjoy one final full day in the Mara, with plenty of time to follow your interests and make the most of this extraordinary wildlife destination.

Head out on safari and see what the day brings. Perhaps spend time watching a pride of lions, encounter elephants moving across the plains or find a cheetah surveying the grasslands. No two days in the Mara are ever quite the same.

Between activities, enjoy some downtime at camp and soak up your surroundings before heading out again later in the day.

If staying at Encounter Mara, your stay also includes a night drive in the private Naboisho Conservancy. As darkness falls, head out in search of nocturnal wildlife and discover a completely different side of the African bush.

Return to camp for your final dinner and one last night under canvas.

Overnight: Emboo Camp (July–October) or Encounter Mara (remainder of year)

Enjoy a final morning in the bush before saying goodbye to your camp.

Transfer to the airstrip for your scheduled light aircraft flight back to Nairobi. Scheduled safari flights may make stops along the way to pick up or drop off other passengers.

On arrival, you will be met and transferred to an airport hotel, where a day-use room is included. This gives you somewhere comfortable to relax, freshen up and prepare for your international journey. Complimentary transfers between the hotel and international airport terminals are also included. Later, transfer to the airport for your onward flight.

Your Kenyan adventure comes to an end after nine days combining extraordinary wildlife with some of the country’s most inspiring conservation stories – from the rhinos of Ol Pejeta to the legendary landscapes and wildlife of the Maasai Mara, with a hot-air balloon safari and nights spent under canvas along the way.

Day use: Four Points by Sheraton Nairobi Airport Hotel

Please note: Scheduled safari flights may make stops en route to pick up or drop off other passengers.