10th December: Arrive in Nairobi

On arrival in to Jomo Kenyatta Airport with British Airways (BA65) at 21h30, you will be met outside arrivals by a driver from the Four Points by Sheraton and transferred across to the nearby hotel for your first night

11th December: Nairobi to Masai Mara

This morning at 08h30, you will be met by a driver from ‘Airports & Beyond’ transfer company, and taken across to Wilson Airport to check-in for your 10h00 scheduled Safarilink flight to the Masai Mara. On arrival at approx 11h00 you will be greeted by a driver from Mobile Expeditions and transferred to your private Camp.

11th to 14th December: Mobile Expeditions Mara Camp, Masai Mara

The Masai Mara is located in South Western Kenya & together with Tanzania’s Serengeti it forms one of the world's most diverse and spectacular eco-systems. With riverine forest and short grass plains, this area is renowned for the most exceptional big game viewing worldwide.

The Mobile Expeditions Mara Camp is set up on the banks of the beautiful Mara River in the shade of the unique riverine forest. Located in the world famous Masai Mara National Reserve and strategically located to have access to both the Mara Triangle and the greater reserve.

For the next few days you will be able to relax and enjoy all the daily adventures on offer, including game drives amongst the abundant wildlife, bush meals or ‘sundowners’ in the wilderness, hot air ballooning (to be booked in advance of your stay as an additional activity), cultural visits to the local ‘manyatta’/market, bush walks in a private conservancy, and bird watching.

14th December - Masai Mara to Laikipia

This morning you will be transferred back across to the nearby airstrip to meet your East African Air Charters aircraft departing at 10h00, for your private charter flight north to Tumaren, Laikipia. On arrival at approx 11h00, a guide from Karisia will welcome you and drive you across to your first campsite to settle in to your tents before lunch.

14th to 17th December: Classic Walking Safari, Laikipia

Karisia specialises in walking safaris supported by camels. Our trips offer a unique perspective on not just the animals by the land they live in. On foot, we fine tune our senses and experience the country in vivid and exciting detail.

Over the next three days, you will wake up each morning to a hot shower and cup of coffee, and set off on foot to your next campsite, which is carried on a more direct route by the train of camels. Accompanied by a lead local Samburu guide with fantastic English and amazing knowledge of the area, wildlife and culture, as well as the rest of the team and a couple of riding camels, you will traverse beautiful landscapes that tell the story of a turbulent geologic past alongside the Rift Valley. Archeological artifacts like flints, shards, graves and pottery litter the ground, evidence of an equally rich cultural history. The wildlife in our part of Laikipia distinguishes the area for its diversity of large mammals, the greatest in Kenya. Elephants, the big cats, and other large predators thrive along side endangered species like the Grevy's Zebra, Wilddogs and Highland Hartebeest. Arriving at the next campsite in time for a delicious lunch and to relax during the heat of the day. Each afternoon you will go on another adventure - rock climbing, or perhaps a sundowner excursion on top of rock kopje with views that go on forever.

17th to 19th December: Tumaren Camp, Laikipia

Set on the edge of a wide plain this beautiful camp looks west towards granitic inselbergs that define our local landscape. Each tent is furnished uniquely and all the tents offer sweeping verandas from which most of our plains game can be spotted. The grasslands are rich with wildlife and you can spend hours watching animals wander by or photographing the huge variety of birds coming to the bird bath.

Tumaren is rich in wildlife and our Samburu and Masai guides provide a great perspective on not only the game but also the local cultures of Northern Kenya. Our guides will plan the days according to your desires, wildlife and the local calendar. Each day can include guided walks, camel rides, visits to the camel creche, game drives, birdwatching, picnics, tracking, visiting a local manyatta/market (if the day is right), visiting a school, rock climbing and swimming in our beautiful 20m pool.

19th to 22nd December: Kerry & Jamie’s house, Burguret (near Nanyuki)

From Tumaren a driver will take you approx 2 hours by road, towards Mt Kenya, to Nanyuki. Kerry & Jamie live just south of Nanyuki on the Burguret River and you will be spending the next few days relaxing here with the Christian family.

22nd to 24th December: Rhino River Camp, Meru

This morning, you will be transferred from Kerry & Jamie’s by road, north to Meru National Park. On arrival at Rhino River Camp you will have time to settle into your tents before enjoying a delicious lunch.

You will spend the next two days enjoying Meru National Park, with morning and afternoon game drives, nature walks around the camp and sundowner excursions.

24th December: Meru to Tsavo East

Today you will meet your Air Wilderness private charter at the Meru airstrip at 10h00 to fly south-east down to Tsavo East National Park, arriving at 11h20.

24th to 27th December: Ithumba Hill, Tsavo East

The first thing you might notice from the air when you are approaching the airstrip in Tsavo is the grand size of this park. These are big expanses and very wild country.

Designed to preserve the integrity of the wilderness and support conservation within Tsavo National Park, Ithumba Hill offers beautiful private accommodation to explore Tsavo East’s remote northern area, with spacious and elegant accommodation its elevated position offers breath taking views, punctuated by giant baobabs in the foreground, across the vast Tsavo landscape. A luxury tented camp, Ithumba Hill will be exclusive to your family for the next three nights.

The Sheldrick Trust that runs Ithumba Hill as well as the Elephant Orphanages at Voi, Nairobi and Kibwezi, is a not for profit organization that has done more to relieve elephant suffering in Kenya than any other conservation operation on earth. The trust was begun by Dame Daphne Sheldrick who pioneered not just the physical methods of raising an elephant but also the emotional investments that these social animals require to survive. All the orphan elephants within the Sheldrick Trust’s care underwent severe trauma when they became separated from their mothers and herds. Many experienced violence and cruelty that is hard to imagine. To see the beaming happiness of these same animals as they wallow in their ponds, interact with their keepers, or roll in the mud is genuinely reaffirming and brings tears to many a visitors eye. To hear directly from the keepers their latest elephant stories and to understand how these young animals are learning to fend for themselves in Tsavo, gives a far deeper understanding of their beautiful and complex intelligence.

27th December: Tsavo East to Nairobi/ Depart

This morning, you will once again meet an East African Air Charter aircraft at Ithumba airstrip at 10h00 to fly back to Nairobi. On arrival at Wilson Airport at 11h00, you will be met by a driver from Airports & Beyond who will be at your disposal for the afternoon until your evening departure with British Airways (BA64) at 23h25 from Jomo Kenyatta Airport.

CONTACT NUMBERS:

Kerry +254 721 836792

Kennedy +254 722 738228