Zebras, impala and topi grazing across open Maasai Mara grassland beneath large evening clouds

Sample journey · Kenya · 10 nights, 11 days

Ultimate Kenya Safari & Beach Holiday.

Nairobi, the private conservancies of Laikipia, the Maasai Mara and the Indian Ocean.

Photo: Shafiq Jagani, Maasai Mara Scroll

The journey

We first planned this journey for three generations travelling together: teenagers who wanted to be busy from dawn, and grandparents who needed level paths and a gentler pace. Every stay was chosen so the whole family could share the same days without anyone being left behind.

At each stop you choose one of several stays. Two complete combinations, with approximate prices, are shown further down the page.

Length10 nights, 11 days

RouteNairobi, Laikipia, the Maasai Mara, the coast

Getting aroundPrivate coaster in Nairobi, light aircraft between safari regions

SuitsFamilies of every age, including guests who prefer level ground

Day by day

Four stops, eleven days.

01 · Nairobi · 2 nights

An easy start in the city.

Day 1
Arrival in Nairobi.
We meet you as you come through arrivals at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and take the whole group to your hotel in a private air-conditioned coaster, using the elevated expressway to stay clear of the traffic. Step-free boarding help is on hand for anyone who needs it.
Day 2
Elephants, beads and a long lunch.
A mid-morning visit to the orphaned elephants at the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, with the coaster dropping you right at the entrance. Lunch in the garden at the Talisman in Karen, a stop at the Kazuri bead workshop, then back to the hotel to pack light for the bush. Dinner is at your hotel, so the evening stays early and unhurried.

StayHemingways Nairobi or Nairobi Serena Hotel

Aerial view of Hemingways Nairobi, white buildings among lawns and tall trees in Karen at sunrise — 01 / 08

Suite at Hemingways Nairobi with a canopy bed, beamed ceiling, sofa and a window onto green hills — 01 / 08

Where to stay · one of two

Choose one hotel for both nights.

Photo: Hemingways CollectionOption 1

Karen

Hemingways Nairobi

Why choose itEvery room is a suite with its own balcony facing the Ngong Hills, and a butler looks after the group. Karen is quiet and green, minutes from the elephants and the giraffes, and the ground-floor rooms and dining areas are step-free.

View the hotel

Nairobi Serena Hotel lit up at dusk, with gardens and palms in front of the building

Photo: Serena HotelsOption 2

Central Nairobi

Nairobi Serena Hotel

Why choose itBeside Central Park, with wide corridors, lifts and rooms designed for wheelchair access. It sits close to the expressway, so the drive to Wilson Airport for your first flight is short.

View the hotel

02 · Laikipia · 2 nights

Private conservancies, after dark.

Day 3
North to Laikipia.
Your larger suitcases go ahead to the coast, and you fly north from Wilson Airport with soft bags only, about 15 kg each. Your guides meet you at the airstrip and drive you to camp in time for lunch outdoors.
Day 4
Days and nights on the conservancy.
Game drives in the morning and afternoon, looking for rhino and the northern species found only here. Because this is a private conservancy, you can also go out after sunset with a red-filtered spotlight to look for leopard, lion and striped hyena.

StayLoisaba Tented Camp, Lewa Wilderness or Sirikoi

Black rhino with oxpeckers on its back among bush and prickly pear in the Loisaba Conservancy — 01 / 08

Pool lined with lanterns at Elewana Loisaba Tented Camp, reflecting the main tent and an orange sunset — 01 / 08

Where to stay · one of three

Choose one camp for both nights.

Photo: Elewana CollectionOption 1

Loisaba Conservancy

Loisaba Tented Camp

Fly to Loisaba airstrip

Why choose itThe camp is fenced and joined by level wooden walkways, so it is easy on the knees. Family tents connect, there is a pool, and the night drives here are known for leopard.

View the camp

Thatched cottages of Lewa Wilderness among trees on a hillside, with the plains of Lewa beyond in soft morning light

Photo: Lewa WildernessOption 2

Lewa Wildlife Conservancy

Lewa Wilderness

Fly to Lewa airstrip

Why choose itA family homestead with the feel of a house party. We book the garden cottages on the level lawns beside the main house, so there are no stairs at all. Night drives are allowed, and Lewa is one of the great rhino sanctuaries.

View the camp

Woman sitting at the edge of a pool watching zebras graze below a hill at Sirikoi

Photo: SirikoiOption 3

Lewa Wildlife Conservancy

Sirikoi

Fly to Lewa airstrip

Why choose itOur most private choice here. Level lawns run down to a busy waterhole, the lounge and dining areas are step-free, and a cottage and a private house can hold the whole family. The food is exceptional.

View the camp

Two days here, three ways.

For the energetic

Guided mountain biking across the open plains among zebra and giraffe
Horseback and camel rides
Tracking wild dogs with the researchers who study them, where the camp offers it

At a gentler pace

Slow, private game drives to find rhino, with extra cushions in the vehicle
Watching animals come to the waterhole from the lawn or the fire pit

All together

A night drive with red-filtered spotlights, looking for lion and leopard on the hunt

03 · The Maasai Mara · 3 nights

The great plains, together.

Day 5
Across the country to the Mara.
A last early game drive that ends at the airstrip, then a light aircraft straight to the Mara, with no need to go back through Nairobi. Your guides meet you and game-drive you into camp for lunch.
Days 6 and 7
Following the herds.
Morning and afternoon game drives, and in season the river crossings of the Great Migration. The family has its own private vehicle, and the rest of the group share two further vehicles kept just for you, so no one else ever joins your party.

StayKinara, JW Marriott Masai Mara Lodge, Angama Mara or Mara Bushtops

The Mara River flowing over rocks at sunset, with Kinara’s suites on the wooded bank above — 01 / 09

Day beds under shade on the deck beside Kinara’s pool, with trees overhead — 01 / 09

Where to stay · one of four

Choose one camp for all three nights.

Photo: KinaraOption 1

Mara River, Maasai Mara National Reserve

Kinara

Fly to Ol Kiombo airstrip

Why choose itOn the banks of the Mara River inside the reserve, with hippos often in view from your own heated plunge pool. Level wooden paths follow the riverbank instead of a hillside, and the larger suites have more than one bedroom.

View the camp

Elephants and other animals in silhouette on the Maasai Mara plains at sunset near JW Marriott Masai Mara Lodge

Photo: JW Marriott Masai Mara LodgeOption 2

Talek River, Maasai Mara National Reserve

JW Marriott Masai Mara Lodge

Fly to Ol Kiombo or Keekorok airstrip

Why choose itDeep in the reserve, with the service of a five-star hotel. Wide, raised boardwalks join everything, with no dirt tracks or slopes, which makes it the easiest choice for anyone with sore knees. Rooms connect for families.

View the camp

Tents and a deck with a red seating area on the wooded Oloololo Escarpment at Angama Mara, plains below

Photo: AngamaOption 3

Oloololo Escarpment, above the Mara Triangle

Angama Mara

Fly to Angama or Mara Serena airstrip

Why choose itGlass-fronted suites high on the escarpment, with the whole of the Mara below. Golf carts carry guests between their suite and the main lodge, one suite is built for step-free access, and suites connect for families.

View the camp

A tented suite at Mara Bushtops under a sweeping canvas roof, raised on a wooden deck among trees

Photo: BushtopsOption 4

A private conservancy beside the reserve

Mara Bushtops

Fly to Siana or Keekorok airstrip

Why choose itBecause it is on a private conservancy, night drives and walks are possible here. Large tents with wide viewing decks, a spa, butler service, and a family tent big enough for everyone.

View the camp

Three days here, three ways.