Ultimate Kenya Safari
Ulimate Kenya Trip with Great Plains
DAYS 1-2 - HEMINGWAYS NAIROBI, NAIROBI
1 night at Hemingways Nairobi in a deluxe room on a bed and breakfast basis. Nairobi is Africa’s 4th largest city and is a vibrant and exciting place. Although it has developed a reputation which keeps tourist visits brief, there are some fascinating attractions, namely its café
culture, unbridled nightlife, the National Museum, Karen Blixen Museum and most notably, just 20 minutes from the city centre, wild lions and buffalo roam in the Nairobi National Park.
Hemingways Nairobi, a member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World, is an elegant boutique hotel situated in Nairobi’s Karen residential area with magnificent views of the nearby Ngong hills.
DAYS 2-5 OL DONYO LODGE, CHYULU HILLS NATIONAL PARK
3 nights at ol Donyo Lodge in a deluxe pool suite on a fully inclusive basis with twice daily activities. ol Donyo Lodge is a Relais & Châteaux and National Geographic Unique Lodges of the World member property with seven suites located on the slopes of the Chyulu Hills overlooking Mount Kilimanjaro. Three nights hardly does justice to the plethora of activities on offer in this Maasai land. Choose between day and night game drives, walking, village visits, exploring lava tunnels, horse riding, mountain-biking, sleeping under the stars on your roof-top bed, watching big tusker elephants drink from the waterholes below the lodge, or just relaxing in your pool suite. Set on the Mbirikani Group Ranch – 275,000 acres of immaculate, private wild Africa bordering Chyulu Hills National Park – ol Donyo Lodge blends contemporary design with the rich culture and history of the people of this area, the indomitable Maasai. This is an area rich in wildlife, where some of Africa’s last giant elephant bulls roam freely, where the haunting calls of leopards interrupt the night and where lion are being pulled back from the brink of annihilation. The lodge itself was rebuilt in 2008 and sits in thick woodland on a gently sloping hillside with views out over the plains to a distant Kilimanjaro. Designed to merge your outdoor and indoor living, a series of unique suites and villas (no two are the same) appears to emerge from the arid landscape on either side of a palatial lounge and dining area. Six pool suites plus 1 two-bedroom family unit offer a harmonious blend of contemporary and rustic accommodation, merging the landscape into each suite. All of the rooms have their own plunge pool and enjoy roof terraces where intimate “star beds” can be set up, allowing guests the thrill of sleeping in
style under a canopy of endless stars while connecting with their sense of place and self.
DAYS 5-8 - MARA PLAINS CAMP, OLARE MOTOROGI CONSERVANCY, MAASAI MARA
3 nights at Mara Plains Camp in a luxury tent on a fully inclusive basis with twice daily activities.
The Maasai Mara is one of Africa’s most famous wildlife parks. The image of acacia trees on endless wildlife filled grass plains epitomizes Africa for many, add Maasai warriors and the conversation need go no further. The greater Maasai Mara Reserve offers unparalleled wildlife viewing opportunities; large prides of lions, elephants and giraffes, gazelles and eland to mention but a few. Aside from traditional open game drive vehicle safaris, hot-air ballooning over the Maasai Mara plains has become almost essential and you can even do a horseback safari.
Mara Plains Camp is a one-of-a-kind, seven tent camp located in the private 35,000-acre Olare Motorogi Conservancy, just on the northern boundary of the Maasai Mara National Reserve. This intimate camp blends the finest wildlife viewing with outstanding hospitality and guiding. No other camp offers the extensive traversing area of Mara Plains Camp, with access to a total of 100,000 acres of private conservancy land as well as the world-renowned Maasai Mara, home to the Great Migration. Each of the seven tents has deep canvas canopied ceilings, rough-hewn
wood floors and accents of East Africa’s rich safari history. The well-appointed en-suite facilities
(including a deep copper bath) plus the extensive private verandah complete a stunning concept. Each guest tent has a set of professional Canon camera and lenses available for guests to use on a complimentary basis. Add in a pair of Swarovski binoculars, and it is impossible not to see and capture the region’s incredible wildlife scenes. The Olare Motorogi Conservancy has the lowest vehicle density in the Maasai Mara region, while also having one of the highest concentration of big cats anywhere in Africa. There is only one guest bed per 350 acres, leaving the land unadulterated for the wildlife to roam and thrive, as nature intended. By day and night, the camp is a sanctuary for resident animals, including many of the Maasai Mara’s 300 bird species. After dark, larger mammals frequent the camp and Maasai warriors escort guests to and from their rooms. Hippos snorting and leopards barking often provide the night’s chorus. Mara Plains offers day & night game drives. Village visits, horseback riding and hot air ballooning are all available, should be booked in advance and are subject to availability and additional cost. Night drives are particularly prolific in the Olare Motorogi Conservancy, and while they take patience, sightings commonly include lesser known nocturnal mammals and even lion and hyena hunts.
DAYS 8 - 11 MARA NYIKA CAMP, NABOISHO CONSERVANCY
3 nights at Mara Nyika Camp in a luxury tent on a fully inclusive basis with twice daily activities.
Mara Nyika, meaning “Large Plains or Great Plains,” is an intimate tented camp set in a valley, straddling a small stream on the western side of the Naboisho Conservancy bordering the Maasai Mara. Mara Nyika’s light-coloured canvas tents were designed to sit under the canopy of umbrella thorn trees while still offering guests views out over the plains. Walkways from the tents to the main area evoke the feeling of a treehouse under canvas and the camp’s ethic and inspiration is one of exploration and adventure. Privacy is the key to Mara Nyika. Privacy to live, think, explore, be romantic and be pampered – all the while with one of the most spectacular backdrops Africa can provide. As from the 11th of June 2020, Mara Nyika will be reconfigured to offer guests 3 luxury guest suites in addition to 2 x 2 bedroom family suites.
Mara Nyika allows guests to explore the private and exclusive 50,000-acre Naboisho Conservancy, the second largest conservancy in the greater Maasai Mara region. “Naboisho”, means “coming together” in the Maasai’s Maa language and represents the 500 local landowners who came together to establish the conservancy. The conservancy model combines the conservation of nature and cultural heritage, tourism and the enhancement of livelihoods for the local communities. Each guest’s stay supports over 500 Maasai families with a sustainable livelihood and helps to ensures the conservation of this vital corner Maasai Mara eco-system.
* Many guests may opt to spend a few days in Mara Nyika combined with a stay at either Mara Expedition, Mara Toto or Mara Plains Camp to get exposure to all three wildlife areas, namely the private Olare Motorogi and Naboisho Conservancies and Maasai Mara Reserve. Each wildlife experience from our camps is unique and offers a different face of the incredible Maasai Mara ecosystem. ** Contact us for customized itinerary, availability & rates. (GPC)
