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 Mara. On arrival, you will be met and transferred to your camp.

Welcome to Mara Naboisho Conservancy, part of the greater Maasai Mara ecosystem and renowned for its exceptional year-round wildlife viewing. With fewer camps and carefully managed visitor numbers, Naboisho offers a quieter safari experience while retaining the extraordinary wildlife for which the Mara is famous.

Your home for the next four nights is Encounter Mara, an intimate tented camp surrounded by acacia trees in the heart of the conservancy. Its peaceful setting keeps you wonderfully connected to the wilderness, with the sights and sounds of the bush all around you.

Naboisho is particularly renowned for its resident predators, with excellent opportunities to encounter lion, cheetah and leopard alongside elephant, giraffe, buffalo and abundant plains game.

Being based within a private conservancy also allows you to experience the Mara beyond traditional daytime game viewing, including the opportunity to head out after dark on a night drive.

Once settled into your camp, head out on a scheduled game drive and begin discovering this wonderfully wild corner of the Mara.

Overnight: Encounter Mara

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 the wildlife, and that unpredictability is all part of the magic.

Back on solid ground, continue your safari experience with a scheduled game drive. The Mara ecosystem supports exceptional wildlife throughout the year, and each outing brings new possibilities.

Keep watch for the conservancy’s predators as well as elephant, giraffe, buffalo, zebra and the many antelope species that inhabit this spectacular landscape. Return to your camp after another memorable day in the Mara.

Overnight: Encounter Mara

Enjoy another full day exploring the spectacular landscapes and wildlife of Naboisho Conservancy.

Head out on scheduled game drives, with early mornings often providing excellent conditions for wildlife viewing. Predators may still be active after the night, while the softer morning light makes this a particularly beautiful time to be out on the plains.

Naboisho is particularly well known for its resident predator populations, offering excellent opportunities to encounter lion and cheetah, along with leopard, elephant, giraffe, buffalo and abundant plains game.

With four nights in the conservancy, there is no need to rush. Take time to watch wildlife behaviour unfold, enjoy the changing landscapes and simply see where each safari takes you.

Between activities, return to your camp to relax and enjoy the peaceful surroundings before heading out again as the afternoon begins to cool.

Overnight: Encounter Mara

Your final full day is dedicated to exploring more of Naboisho Conservancy.

Head out on scheduled game drives and see what the day brings. Perhaps encounter a pride of lions resting after a night of hunting, watch elephants moving across the plains or spot a cheetah scanning the grasslands for its next opportunity.

With four nights in the conservancy, there is plenty of time to experience its different landscapes and enjoy the changing rhythm of the bush from morning through to evening.

Your Encounter Mara stay also includes one night drive, offering the opportunity to discover the conservancy after sunset.

As darkness settles across the landscape, head out in search of nocturnal wildlife and experience how different the African bush feels after dark. With a little luck, you may encounter some of the animals that are rarely seen during daylight hours.

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

Overnight: Encounter Mara

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 Kenya’s most inspiring conservation stories — from the rhinos of Ol Pejeta to the predator-rich plains of Naboisho, a hot air balloon safari and nights spent under canvas in the African wilderness.

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.