A SAFARI WITH A DIFFERENCE - MOUNTAINS to MANGROVES
ON SPECIAL REQUEST
A unique itinerary where we take in the Snows of Kilimanjaro and all that Amboseli National Park has to offer, the private conservancy of Loisaba in the Laikipia region northwest of Mt Kenya, and the exotic spice island of Lamu off the Kenyan coast
Our traditional luxury mobile tented accommodation in Amboseli - just as Hemingway did it!
ITINERARY OUTLINE
Day 1, 2 & 3: Private Luxury Mobile Camp, Amboseli National Park
Arrive at Boskovic Aviation, Wilson Airport at 9am in time for your private charter flight to Amboseli departing at 10.00am. Upon arrival in Amboseli you will be transferred to your private luxury mobile camp, located in the Kitirua Conservancy. From here your safari adventure will commence...... enjoying this wonderful bush area under canvas. The original way of being on safari, and right where Ernest Hemingway described The Green Hills of Africa & The Snows of Kilimanjaro!
You will spend the next 3 days exploring this unique wilderness and enjoying its rich biodiversity in wildlife, flora and magnificent scenery. The Amboseli National Park and its surrounding conservancies are justly famous for their fabulous Elephants......some families having been studied for over 4 decades. You will hopefully be spending a lot of time with these majestic animals, with the splendid backdrop of Mt. Kilimanjaro for company.
Apart from enjoying the wonderful wilderness Amboseli offers, you will also be taking the opportunity to observe the great Maasai cultural experience this part of Kenya offers. The Maasai people here are still living very much in their traditional nomadic pastoralist ways, uncorrupted by the fast pace of modern Kenya.
Our camp will be in one of the community conservancies adjacent to Amboseli National Park. Not only will you be sharing their natural environment, you will also take the opportunity to visit one of the homesteads and enjoy interacting with these proud people on a daily basis.
Arrive at Boskovic Aviation, Wilson Airport at 9am in time for your private charter flight to Amboseli departing at 10.00am. Upon arrival in Amboseli you will be transferred to your private luxury mobile camp, located in the Kitirua Conservancy. From here your safari adventure will commence...... enjoying this wonderful bush area under canvas. The original way of being on safari, and right where Ernest Hemingway described The Green Hills of Africa & The Snows of Kilimanjaro!
You will spend the next 3 days exploring this unique wilderness and enjoying its rich biodiversity in wildlife, flora and magnificent scenery. The Amboseli National Park and its surrounding conservancies are justly famous for their fabulous Elephants......some families having been studied for over 4 decades. You will hopefully be spending a lot of time with these majestic animals, with the splendid backdrop of Mt. Kilimanjaro for company.
Apart from enjoying the wonderful wilderness Amboseli offers, you will also be taking the opportunity to observe the great Maasai cultural experience this part of Kenya offers. The Maasai people here are still living very much in their traditional nomadic pastoralist ways, uncorrupted by the fast pace of modern Kenya.
Our camp will be in one of the community conservancies adjacent to Amboseli National Park. Not only will you be sharing their natural environment, you will also take the opportunity to visit one of the homesteads and enjoy interacting with these proud people on a daily basis.
Amboseli National Park
Amboseli National Park and its environs is located in Kajiado District, Rift Valley Province in Kenya. The park is 39,206 hectares in size at the core of an 8,000 square kilometers ecosystem that spreads across the Kenya-Tanzania border. The main people to be found in this area are the famous Maasai... still following their traditional nomadic pastoralist lifestyle. The Amboseli environment also boasts a system of swamps that makes this low-rainfall area one of the best wildlife viewing experiences in the world with over 400 species of birds including numerous waders, flamingos, pelicans, kingfishers, cranes, hamerkops and 47 types of raptor.
Amboseli protects two of the five main swamps, and includes a dried-up Pleistocene Lake and semi-arid vegetation. The park is famous for being the best place in Africa to get close to free-ranging elephants with spectacular views of Mt. Kilimanjaro.
Amboseli is home to a wide variety of mammals including the African Elephant, Cape buffalo, Impala, Lion, Cheetah, Hyena, Maasai Giraffe, common Zebra, Thomson’s Gazelles, Gerenuk, and White-bearded Wildebeest amongst others. The birdlife is prolific, the various habitats supporting a vibrant and colourful variety.
The landscape is dominated by the glistening, majestic snow-caps of Mt. Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain – a fitting tableau for a wild region where pastoral Maasai and their cattle have lived in harmony with wild creatures for many a century.
On Day 4, after three nights under canvas in our private camp, and after breakfast, you and your guides will be transferred back to the airstrip where we will catch our Private Charter flight departing Amboseli at 10.00am and fly directly to Loisaba Ranch and airstrip. There you will be collected and transferred to Loisaba Lodge.
Amboseli National Park and its environs is located in Kajiado District, Rift Valley Province in Kenya. The park is 39,206 hectares in size at the core of an 8,000 square kilometers ecosystem that spreads across the Kenya-Tanzania border. The main people to be found in this area are the famous Maasai... still following their traditional nomadic pastoralist lifestyle. The Amboseli environment also boasts a system of swamps that makes this low-rainfall area one of the best wildlife viewing experiences in the world with over 400 species of birds including numerous waders, flamingos, pelicans, kingfishers, cranes, hamerkops and 47 types of raptor.
Amboseli protects two of the five main swamps, and includes a dried-up Pleistocene Lake and semi-arid vegetation. The park is famous for being the best place in Africa to get close to free-ranging elephants with spectacular views of Mt. Kilimanjaro.
Amboseli is home to a wide variety of mammals including the African Elephant, Cape buffalo, Impala, Lion, Cheetah, Hyena, Maasai Giraffe, common Zebra, Thomson’s Gazelles, Gerenuk, and White-bearded Wildebeest amongst others. The birdlife is prolific, the various habitats supporting a vibrant and colourful variety.
The landscape is dominated by the glistening, majestic snow-caps of Mt. Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain – a fitting tableau for a wild region where pastoral Maasai and their cattle have lived in harmony with wild creatures for many a century.
On Day 4, after three nights under canvas in our private camp, and after breakfast, you and your guides will be transferred back to the airstrip where we will catch our Private Charter flight departing Amboseli at 10.00am and fly directly to Loisaba Ranch and airstrip. There you will be collected and transferred to Loisaba Lodge.
Mist over the Laikipia landscape (left) and the craggy peak of Mt Kenya in the distance.
Day 4: Loisaba Lodge – Loisaba/ Laikipia (or similar)
You will spend the next three days exploring and enjoying what this wild and off the beaten track wilderness area in Laikipia has to offer. Loisaba presents a diverse landscape together with a wide variety of wildlife, from Elephant and Lion to the various Northern species of mammals to be found here, including… Reticulated Giraffe, Beisa Oryx, Lewel’s Hartebeest, Grevy's Zebra and the rare African Wild Dog. Good wilderness experiences notwithstanding, one of the highlights of visiting this region is the wonderful untouched cultural attractions to be enjoyed here. Loisaba adjoins community conservation wilderness areas, whereby the colourful Samburu are the star attraction. They are “cousins” to the Maasai, a vibrant people still following their traditional pastoralist lifestyle. You will take full opportunity whilst at Loisaba to not only enjoy the remarkable scenery and wildlife, but to also enjoy interacting with the neighboring Samburu communities. A worthwhile experience to be not missed in this wild beautiful part of Kenya! Over the next three days, your guides will help organize your day from game drives, bush and camel walks to sampling the various cultural attractions to be enjoyed.
Day 5: Loisaba Star Beds (middle left) – Loisaba/ Laikipia
Apart from enjoying the various activities mentioned… you will be ending your day at one of the two Star Beds facilities found on Loisaba. A unique experience with a night under the African sky beneath a canopy of stars! The beds are set on attractive wooden platforms, overlooking a waterhole or river…that attracts a variety of wildlife. This beautiful setting provides for a special evening as the beds are led out on the open deck. The cuisine is luxurious and personally served by the neighboring Samburu tribesmen who work in partnership with the ranch. A community conservation ethos promoted by Loisaba. The Star Beds are an extension of Loisaba Lodge; hence you can pack just a small bag for the night and leave the rest of your luggage at the lodge.
You will spend the next three days exploring and enjoying what this wild and off the beaten track wilderness area in Laikipia has to offer. Loisaba presents a diverse landscape together with a wide variety of wildlife, from Elephant and Lion to the various Northern species of mammals to be found here, including… Reticulated Giraffe, Beisa Oryx, Lewel’s Hartebeest, Grevy's Zebra and the rare African Wild Dog. Good wilderness experiences notwithstanding, one of the highlights of visiting this region is the wonderful untouched cultural attractions to be enjoyed here. Loisaba adjoins community conservation wilderness areas, whereby the colourful Samburu are the star attraction. They are “cousins” to the Maasai, a vibrant people still following their traditional pastoralist lifestyle. You will take full opportunity whilst at Loisaba to not only enjoy the remarkable scenery and wildlife, but to also enjoy interacting with the neighboring Samburu communities. A worthwhile experience to be not missed in this wild beautiful part of Kenya! Over the next three days, your guides will help organize your day from game drives, bush and camel walks to sampling the various cultural attractions to be enjoyed.
Day 5: Loisaba Star Beds (middle left) – Loisaba/ Laikipia
Apart from enjoying the various activities mentioned… you will be ending your day at one of the two Star Beds facilities found on Loisaba. A unique experience with a night under the African sky beneath a canopy of stars! The beds are set on attractive wooden platforms, overlooking a waterhole or river…that attracts a variety of wildlife. This beautiful setting provides for a special evening as the beds are led out on the open deck. The cuisine is luxurious and personally served by the neighboring Samburu tribesmen who work in partnership with the ranch. A community conservation ethos promoted by Loisaba. The Star Beds are an extension of Loisaba Lodge; hence you can pack just a small bag for the night and leave the rest of your luggage at the lodge.
Colourful Samburu women at the traditional market - not to be missed!
Day 6: Loisaba Lodge – Loisaba/ Laikipia
After breakfast you will be driven to Ol Donyo Nyiru (approx an hour's adventurous drive). Every Tuesday this trading post has a market day whereby the local Samburu and Laikipiak Maasai come to sell and buy livestock at auction. This allows traders to come in and sell various wares from fabrics to beads, foods and an assortment of goodies. A veritable cultural highlight and a unique experience not to be missed! You will carry a pack lunch for the day, returning to Loisaba by mid afternoon to enjoy what has been planned for the remainder of the day. Overnight at Loisaba Lodge
After breakfast you will be driven to Ol Donyo Nyiru (approx an hour's adventurous drive). Every Tuesday this trading post has a market day whereby the local Samburu and Laikipiak Maasai come to sell and buy livestock at auction. This allows traders to come in and sell various wares from fabrics to beads, foods and an assortment of goodies. A veritable cultural highlight and a unique experience not to be missed! You will carry a pack lunch for the day, returning to Loisaba by mid afternoon to enjoy what has been planned for the remainder of the day. Overnight at Loisaba Lodge
Laikipia Conservation Area & Loisaba Ranch
Laikipia Conservation Area
The Laikipia Plateau is divided into a patchwork of large ranches, shadowed by snow-capped Mount Kenya. It is home to ethnically diverse communities including the Laikipiak Maasai and Samburu. These indigenous people have joined together in partnership with the ranchers to create a conservation and wildlife haven that spans two million acres (800,000 hectares) of wild savannah. Fed by the Ewaso Nyiro and Ewaso Narok rivers, Laikipia's abundant plains have long nurtured exceptional diversity, with traditional resources still very much the mainstay of the community: from agriculture and traditional pastoralism to wildlife conservation and now tourism. Over the years with the help of the Laikipia Wildlife Forum, these properties and group ranches were transformed into private game reserves. The Laikipia Plateau has a rich biodiversity including unique Northern mammalian species and the rare African Wild Dog. The "Big 5" are often seen (Rhino, Elephant, Lion, Leopard, Buffalo) and Laikipia is home to a variety of endangered animals and unique plant species.
LOISABA RANCH
Loisaba straddles the border of Laikipia and Kenya’s rugged Northern Frontier District. Only a few miles from the equator, this private game ranch on 60,000 acres sits in a wilderness of rugged remote beauty. Here the farm management and local Laikipiak Maasai & Samburu community work together to preserve the environment and the abundant surrounding wildlife.
The view from Loisaba extends hundreds of miles – to Mt. Kenya, the Loldaiga Hills and the Matthews Range. Through Loisaba roam Elephant, Lion and Leopard alongside the endemic northern species that thrive there – Lewel's or Jackson’s Hartebeest, Grevy's Zebra, Beisa Oryx and Reticulated Giraffe.
It is a setting little changed since the Great Rift Valley split Africa in two, creating the dramatic escarpment on which the lodge is built. Luxurious yet in harmony with its surroundings!
Trek through the bush with camels, mountain bike down the escarpment, raft the Ewaso Nyiro River, horseback ride or game drive through the wild canyons of the two rivers that span this vast area. Loisaba offers options for every level of enthusiasm.
The ranch also owns a micro-light and aeroplane so there are no limits to what you choose to do; helicopter, then surf the remote sand dunes of the Northern Frontier District, rock climb the soaring pinnacles thrusting up from the valley floor or just play a little tennis and lie by the pool.
The Laikipia Plateau is divided into a patchwork of large ranches, shadowed by snow-capped Mount Kenya. It is home to ethnically diverse communities including the Laikipiak Maasai and Samburu. These indigenous people have joined together in partnership with the ranchers to create a conservation and wildlife haven that spans two million acres (800,000 hectares) of wild savannah. Fed by the Ewaso Nyiro and Ewaso Narok rivers, Laikipia's abundant plains have long nurtured exceptional diversity, with traditional resources still very much the mainstay of the community: from agriculture and traditional pastoralism to wildlife conservation and now tourism. Over the years with the help of the Laikipia Wildlife Forum, these properties and group ranches were transformed into private game reserves. The Laikipia Plateau has a rich biodiversity including unique Northern mammalian species and the rare African Wild Dog. The "Big 5" are often seen (Rhino, Elephant, Lion, Leopard, Buffalo) and Laikipia is home to a variety of endangered animals and unique plant species.
LOISABA RANCH
Loisaba straddles the border of Laikipia and Kenya’s rugged Northern Frontier District. Only a few miles from the equator, this private game ranch on 60,000 acres sits in a wilderness of rugged remote beauty. Here the farm management and local Laikipiak Maasai & Samburu community work together to preserve the environment and the abundant surrounding wildlife.
The view from Loisaba extends hundreds of miles – to Mt. Kenya, the Loldaiga Hills and the Matthews Range. Through Loisaba roam Elephant, Lion and Leopard alongside the endemic northern species that thrive there – Lewel's or Jackson’s Hartebeest, Grevy's Zebra, Beisa Oryx and Reticulated Giraffe.
It is a setting little changed since the Great Rift Valley split Africa in two, creating the dramatic escarpment on which the lodge is built. Luxurious yet in harmony with its surroundings!
Trek through the bush with camels, mountain bike down the escarpment, raft the Ewaso Nyiro River, horseback ride or game drive through the wild canyons of the two rivers that span this vast area. Loisaba offers options for every level of enthusiasm.
The ranch also owns a micro-light and aeroplane so there are no limits to what you choose to do; helicopter, then surf the remote sand dunes of the Northern Frontier District, rock climb the soaring pinnacles thrusting up from the valley floor or just play a little tennis and lie by the pool.
Lamu - An Island Lost in Time
Lamu is now declared a world heritage site, an island on the Kenyan coast wrapped in a cloak of medieval romance. For millennia Lamu has been a trading centre with the local boats and dhows which are carried away by the monsoon winds between Africa, Arabia and India. Many of the Arab traders have settled in Lamu Archipelago and intermarried with local Bantu creating a vibrant sophisticated culture of the Swahili people. Lamu island remains much the same as it has always been, undisturbed by modern times, no mass tourism, no vehicles and the only means of transport is by dhow, donkeys or on foot.
The streets are narrow; the old palaces beautifully built with coral stones. Men still wear the full length white robes known as Khanzus and the Kofia caps, women cover themselves with the black wraparound Buibui, and the muezzin calls five times a day. Two miles south is the small harbor village of Shela, protected by magnificent sand dunes from the Trade Winds blowing in from the Indian Ocean. The village is a fabled mixture of sandy lanes, small local shops, mosques and private houses fashioned in Arab style.
The streets are narrow; the old palaces beautifully built with coral stones. Men still wear the full length white robes known as Khanzus and the Kofia caps, women cover themselves with the black wraparound Buibui, and the muezzin calls five times a day. Two miles south is the small harbor village of Shela, protected by magnificent sand dunes from the Trade Winds blowing in from the Indian Ocean. The village is a fabled mixture of sandy lanes, small local shops, mosques and private houses fashioned in Arab style.
Shela Village & Lamu Island
Shela House by night, at left, Beach House centre and one of the rooms at Palm House - our three accommodation options. Right: A traditional sailing dhow on the bay.
Day 7, 8, 9 & 10: Shela House/ Beach House/ Palm House, Shela Village & Lamu Island
After breakfast on Day 7 you will be transferred to Loisaba airstrip for your private charter flight with Tropic Air, departing 10.00am. for the Lamu Archipelago. Upon arrival at Manda airstrip, you will be transported across to Shela village by boat, arriving in time for Lunch. Depending on availability, you will have a choice of three Luxury Villas (Beach, Shela and Palm house), situated close to each other in the charming village of Shela. They are true in design to the Swahili culture of the area. This will allow you to explore and absorb the exotic, colourful, spicy history and culture ...that Lamu and Shela are famous for!
Shela is half an hour’s walk from Lamu town and ten minutes by motor boat taxi. All in all the Lamu Archipelago is a wonderful location to finish off your Safari, steeped with nostalgic airs of its varied historical past! There are of course many historical and cultural sites of interest, apart from enjoying living and taking in a unique Island and its peoples. You can also enjoy Lamu beach and a bit of sailing on traditional Jahazi fishing boats.
You will be dining on fresh seafood including lobsters, crabs, prawns, calamari and fresh fish including an exotic array of Swahili dishes, all washed down with a good choice of wines and cocktails! Using these luxury villas is a very comfortable, yet unique way of allowing you to soak up the ambience of the island.
During your stay here, there are several options regarding activities on offer, whether relaxing at the villas, or soaking up the numerous options available. Your guides will be there to advise and ensure your time in Lamu is perfect… coordinating activities with you to suit day by day. Your time here will be set aside between cultural visits, enjoying the Swahili and Arabic atmosphere of the island, visiting points of interest, enjoying the beach and of course sailing on a traditional Jahazi or dhow.
Day 11
Your last day here will begin with a leisurely breakfast, followed by spending the morning enjoying Shela and its beach, or maybe some last-minute shopping. After an early lunch you will be ferried across the bay to the Manda Airstrip to catch your Air Kenya scheduled flight departing 15.40 hours to Wilson Airport, Nairobi. Your arrival in Nairobi will be in time for most outgoing international flights that night, or we can assist with overnight reservations should you be flying out the next morning.
After breakfast on Day 7 you will be transferred to Loisaba airstrip for your private charter flight with Tropic Air, departing 10.00am. for the Lamu Archipelago. Upon arrival at Manda airstrip, you will be transported across to Shela village by boat, arriving in time for Lunch. Depending on availability, you will have a choice of three Luxury Villas (Beach, Shela and Palm house), situated close to each other in the charming village of Shela. They are true in design to the Swahili culture of the area. This will allow you to explore and absorb the exotic, colourful, spicy history and culture ...that Lamu and Shela are famous for!
Shela is half an hour’s walk from Lamu town and ten minutes by motor boat taxi. All in all the Lamu Archipelago is a wonderful location to finish off your Safari, steeped with nostalgic airs of its varied historical past! There are of course many historical and cultural sites of interest, apart from enjoying living and taking in a unique Island and its peoples. You can also enjoy Lamu beach and a bit of sailing on traditional Jahazi fishing boats.
You will be dining on fresh seafood including lobsters, crabs, prawns, calamari and fresh fish including an exotic array of Swahili dishes, all washed down with a good choice of wines and cocktails! Using these luxury villas is a very comfortable, yet unique way of allowing you to soak up the ambience of the island.
During your stay here, there are several options regarding activities on offer, whether relaxing at the villas, or soaking up the numerous options available. Your guides will be there to advise and ensure your time in Lamu is perfect… coordinating activities with you to suit day by day. Your time here will be set aside between cultural visits, enjoying the Swahili and Arabic atmosphere of the island, visiting points of interest, enjoying the beach and of course sailing on a traditional Jahazi or dhow.
Day 11
Your last day here will begin with a leisurely breakfast, followed by spending the morning enjoying Shela and its beach, or maybe some last-minute shopping. After an early lunch you will be ferried across the bay to the Manda Airstrip to catch your Air Kenya scheduled flight departing 15.40 hours to Wilson Airport, Nairobi. Your arrival in Nairobi will be in time for most outgoing international flights that night, or we can assist with overnight reservations should you be flying out the next morning.
WHEN, WHERE & HOW MUCH...
This safari runs on demand in October or November from Nairobi, Kenya.You will be responsible for making your own travel requirements and reservations from your home to Nairobi. The safari begins with a 9am meeting at Boskovic Aviation at Wilson Airport (the domestic airport, not the international one where you may have arrived. Please ask us if you require hotel reservations for the night of arrival, and any transfers in Nairobi. The safari ends back in Nairobi on the evening ...in time for the later international flights out of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. We can assist with transfers etc.
The cost of this safari is CALCULATED ON SPECIAL REQUEST. Please enquire about single supplements. A non-refundable deposit of 30% per person will be required to secure your reservation. Bookings cannot be confirmed until such time as we receive your deposit. This safari is a joint co-operation between Daryl Balfour, Pierre Burton and Nigel Archer and will be guided by two of these three well-known guides.
The cost of this safari is CALCULATED ON SPECIAL REQUEST. Please enquire about single supplements. A non-refundable deposit of 30% per person will be required to secure your reservation. Bookings cannot be confirmed until such time as we receive your deposit. This safari is a joint co-operation between Daryl Balfour, Pierre Burton and Nigel Archer and will be guided by two of these three well-known guides.
