September 7 – 14, 2012

“A landscape that had not its like in all the world," with "crooked bare old thorn trees scattered upon the great plains” and air that as “alive over the land, like a flame burning.” That's how Isak Dinesen – better known as Karen Blixen – described early 20th-century Kenya in her memoir Out of Africa. 

• Explore Masai Mara, one of Africa's most acclaimed wildlife reserves, during the migration of wildebeest and zebras.
• Discover true wilderness on walking safaris and off-road drives on a private conservancy far from crowds.
• Enjoy private tented camps.
• Travel in a small group of just 10 participants.

Trip Itinerary

The dates below do not include travel time to and from the destination. We suggest consulting our tour operator, Natural Habitat Adventures, to discuss the best flight options for your travels.

Friday, September 7, 2012: Nairobi, Kenya
Arrive in Nairobi and transfer to the cottages at the Karen Blixen Coffee Garden on the site of Isak Dinesen’s original hunting lodge and estate. The historic home is a fine example of early colonial architecture in Kenya, while the cottages are set among some of the country’s oldest colonial gardens, shaded by jacaranda, candelabra and bottlebrush. Each cottage has beamed ceilings and an inviting veranda, evoking the character of Kenya in the early 1900s. Karen Blixen Coffee Garden & Cottages (D)

Saturday & Sunday, September 8 & 9: Olare Orok Conservancy
Transfer to the airport for our flight to Kicheche Bush Camp. This intimate tented camp is set just outside the park’s boundaries on a private conservancy, with strict limits on guest numbers. This translates into unprecedented wildlife viewing without crowds, especially of the wildebeest migration that occurs in close proximity.

 In addition to daily drives, we are also permitted to get outside the vehicles for escorted walking safaris and enjoy night drives in search of nocturnal wildlife. Kicheche is a permanent camp, allowing for a level of luxury in the wilderness that any authentic safari aficionado will covet. Unfenced and secluded in a thicket of euclea and African olive trees, the camp impinges so little on the natural inhabitants of this prolific reserve that our safari experience is enhanced by the animals that wander unperturbed through the grounds at any time

Optional hot air balloon safaris with a champagne breakfast upon landing are available upon request at an extra cost during our stay here. Kicheche Bush Camp (B,L,D daily) 

Monday, September 10 through Thursday, September 13: 
Drive into the Masai Mara, to get even closer to the heart of the migration. The fabled Masai Mara is one of Africa’s most acclaimed reserves, renowned for its annual wildebeest migration. The Mara is the northern portion of the Serengeti Plains, and we find excellent wildlife viewing all year long in these grasslands on the Tanzania border. The reserve is named for the Masai tribespeople, the traditional inhabitants of the area who still graze cattle here, and the Mara River that runs through it. 

We stay at the NHA Luxury Mobile Camp, which allows access to extraordinary campsites near the wildebeest crossing during the migration. Our deluxe camp is situated in a private and secluded spot, with ample trees providing shade from the midday heat. Located in a wildlife hotspot, the site also provides easy access to the rest of the reserve, including the main river systems. Drives take us among myriad plains animals – not only the thundering herds of thousands of wildebeest and their zebra companions, but also gazelle, impala, hartebeest, topi and giraffe. Predators follow in close pursuit, and the Mara is especially famed for its lions – we may see them hunting in the early morning or evening, or resting beneath acacia trees in the heat of the day. Hyenas also patrol the plains in some of the largest numbers in Africa. NHA Luxury Mobile Camp (B,L,D daily)

Friday, September 14: Nairobi / Home
Fly back to Nairobi today, where dayrooms await for relaxing prior to a group farewell meal and standard evening departures for international destinations. Dayrooms at Fairview Hotel (B,D)