Essence of Kenya

Samburu is named after the colorful local tribe who dye their hair with ochre—the same color as the soil found in the landscape. The Samburu are known as the “butterfly people” because of their brightly-colored clothing accentuated against the sun-baked earth. The Ewaso Nyiro River winds through the park and animal sightings along the river are common. A baby elephant plays in the water as its mom and dad drink voraciously from the river while keeping a careful eye out for predators vibrating with attitude. Samburu boasts animals rarely found elsewhere—Grevy’s zebra, gorgeously-patterned reticulated giraffe, bluish Somali ostrich, and giraffe-necked gerenuk, for example. Lions, cheetahs, leopards, elephants, buffaloes, Guenther’s dik-diks, crocodiles, and hippos along the river banks are also present. Bird enthusiasts will be happy to hear that it is possible to spot as many as one hundred species of birds in a single day.

“They say that Mt. Kenya Safari Club was born of a love affair, and one that had all the ingredients of an epic Romance.”

Surrounded by superbly manicured grounds and sitting right on the equator, enjoy a drink and breath the fresh air close to the Afro-alpine forest—such a striking contrast to the semi-arid wildlands of Samburu. Prehistoric-looking marabou storks approach while you spy colobus monkeys as they climb the rooftops. Worldly travelers from the four corners of the globe, families on holiday, British soldiers on leave, and business people meeting for unknown reasons give this world-famous resort a sophisticated elegance of a bygone era. Straddling the equator surrounded by lush rainforest, the Mount Kenya Safari Club is sprawled out on the slopes of majestic Mount Kenya and is one of the world’s most exotic and luxurious holiday resorts. Views of Mount Kenya, Africa’s second-highest peak, loom in the distance.

An enthralling early morning guided nature walk through the forest starts your day out just right, leaving the rest of the day to soak up the old-world charm and ambiance the Mount Kenya Safari Club is known for. Go on horseback rides through the forest, play golf right on the equator, visit the on-site animal orphanage and learn about the care and eventual release of these wild animals. Originally the retreat of movie star and club founder, William Holden, the club’s illustrious former members have included Winston Churchill, Bing Crosby, Charlie Chaplin, Bob Hope, President Lyndon Johnson, Conrad Hilton, Mrs. Anwar Sadat, among many others and has treated visitors like Queen Elizabeth and footballer Joe Montana. During your stay, enjoy optional activities including horseback riding, golf, croquet, swimming, and a visit to the on-site animal orphanage—an experience you simply should not skip.

Hemingway said it best: “I never knew of a morning in Africa where I woke up that I was not happy.” Fly as high as your spirits this morning above the Great Rift Valley to Kenya’s most famous game park, the Maasai Mara. There is really no predicting what will happen next on this epic life-changing adventure. After all, you have the best seats in the house for unparalleled game viewing opportunities. The park, located on the northern extension of the Serengeti Plains, is without a doubt one of the greatest safari destinations in Africa. Between July and October over a million wildebeest and zebras make the dangerous trek across the croc-infested Mara River in search of new grazing territory. Nowhere in the world is there a movement of animals as immense as the wildebeest migration.

After your morning safari, enjoy a cup of Kenyan coffee on your veranda with endless views over the vast open clearings of the ecosystem. Back at your luxury tented camp, where relaxation and romance dance together in one of the most beautiful settings imaginable, soak up all of the wide-open breathing space that is often lost in our usual day-to-day existence back home. Maasai Mara—a vast savanna grassland, dotted with acacia trees, with rolling hills and breathtaking panoramas in every direction—is one of the best places in all of Africa to spot the Big Five. Also called “The Mara,” this park is well-known for its great herds of plains game like black-maned lions, leopards, cheetahs, and elephants, as well as virtually every other kind of animal found in Kenya. Culturally, the reserve is extraordinary because of the proud and colorful Maasai who inhabit the area. Highlights during our time here include phenomenal game viewing, a walk along the banks of The Mara River—where hippos and crocodiles are often seen in great numbers—and exploring the optional activities in The Mara, like bush dinners and sundowners, visits to a local school and other cultural experiences, and of course the legendary early morning hot air balloon safaris over The Mara.

Enjoy a final early morning game drive before bidding reluctant farewells to your guides and lodge staff. Fly back to Nairobi where day rooms await you. What is it about Africa that has gotten under your skin as happens to so many of us? Certainly, it’s the gentleness and infectious joy of the people. It is also the vastness and sheer beauty of the land that seems to extend forever. You came to Africa for adventure, to live your dreams, to lead your family and friends to new experiences. In the end, you leave Africa but it is not able to leave you. It gets inside your heart, mind, and soul. Your story is a reflection of your imagination and we are immensely happy to be its guide.

Our journeys are rich in contrast, experience, and are enlightened adventures. While geographically you will move in pretty much a straight line north to south, topographically there is a great variance as you travel from the semi-arid northern frontier to the lush rainforests on the slopes of Mount Kenya and on to the safari grasslands of the Serengeti Plains of Maasai Mara.