The Safari Experience
The Safari Experience
This is a journey built entirely around private conservancies, three of Kenya’s finest, each offering a genuinely different character and a level of exclusivity rarely found within the busier national reserves. Eleven days take you from Ol Pejeta’s rhino and chimpanzee sanctuaries in Laikipia to Samburu’s rugged northern wilderness, and finally three nights in the Mara Naboisho Conservancy bordering the world-famous Maasai Mara.
Flying between each stop rather than driving, this itinerary maximises your time in the field and minimises the hours spent getting there. Every camp on this route has been chosen for the same reason: small guest numbers, strictly controlled vehicle density, and direct access to land that delivers consistently exceptional wildlife without the crowds.
Detailed Safari
Day 1: Arrival in Nairobi
You are met on arrival at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and transferred to the Tamarind Tree Hotel, where you’ll spend the night on a bed and breakfast basis, with breakfast served the following morning.
Day 2: Fly to Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Laikipia
After breakfast, you’re collected from the hotel and transferred to Wilson Airport for a scheduled Air Kenya flight to Kamok airstrip in Laikipia, departing at 10:00hrs and arriving at 11:00hrs. Your guide meets you on arrival for the roughly one-hour transfer to Kicheche Laikipia Camp within Ol Pejeta Conservancy.
Lunch awaits at camp, followed by time to relax before afternoon tea is served. You’ll then head out onto the rolling plains for a game drive through this wilderness zone, before returning to camp for drinks around the campfire or in the cosy lounge tent ahead of dinner with your hosts. All meals and your overnight stay are at Kicheche Laikipia.
Day 3 & 4: Three Nights of Rhinos, Chimps, and The Big Five at Ol Pejeta Conservancy
You’ll spend three nights at Ol Pejeta, one of Kenya’s most rewarding conservancies and home to the Big Five alongside a thriving chimpanzee sanctuary, the only place in Kenya to see these rescued primates. The conservancy is similarly renowned for its rhino population, with close-range sightings a genuine highlight of any stay here. Mountain biking and horseback riding are also on offer for those wanting a different pace.
Days here follow an unhurried, well-built rhythm: piping hot coffee, tea, or hot chocolate brought to your tent before an early game drive, with a sumptuous picnic breakfast served out on the plains. You’ll return to camp for an al-fresco lunch, with the afternoons free to relax and watch the game and birdlife drifting past camp. Later, you have the option of visiting the Chimpanzee Sanctuary before continuing on into an evening game drive until dusk. Night drives are also available for those keen to spot Ol Pejeta’s nocturnal species under the beam of a filtered spotlight.
Day 5: Fly to Samburu National Reserve
After breakfast, you’re transferred to the airstrip for a chartered flight to Samburu National Reserve. On arrival, you’re met and transferred to Saruni Samburu, perched on a rocky outcrop within the private Kalama Conservancy with sweeping views toward Mount Kenya. After lunch, a game drive runs until sunset across the reserve, where a substantial antelope population has drawn strong numbers of lion and leopard.
The reticulated giraffe and Grevy’s zebra, rare elsewhere in Kenya, are common here, alongside the unmistakable, long-necked gerenuk. Dinner and your overnight stay are at Saruni Samburu.
Day 6 & 7: Two full Days at Samburu Game Reserve
You’ll spend two full days in Samburu, with early morning and late afternoon game drives bracketing a relaxed midday at the lodge. Samburu is a beautiful, game-abundant reserve, home to species rarely found elsewhere in Kenya: the Beisa oryx, Grevy’s zebra, blue-necked Somali ostrich, and reticulated giraffe, all found only north of the equator. Saruni Samburu’s own elephant-proof, sunken photographic hide offers a genuinely unique vantage point at ground level, where elephant, leopard, and a constant stream of birdlife come to drink at the waterhole below.
Optional activities include a visit to a local Samburu village, camel riding, and guided nature and bird walks. All meals and your overnight stay are at Saruni Samburu.
Day 8: Fly South to Maasai Mara Game Reserve
Following a leisurely breakfast, you’ll depart for the airstrip and a morning Air Kenya flight to the Maasai Mara. Your Kicheche guide welcomes you on arrival and drives you to camp, with a short game drive en route. Kicheche Valley Camp offers time for leisure, lunch, and afternoon tea before you set off on your afternoon game drive, followed by evening sundowner drinks overlooking the plains. You’ll arrive back at camp in time for a shower and drinks around the campfire.
Day 9 & 10: Three Nights Exploring the Maasai Mara Conservancy and Reserve
You’ll rise early each morning to tea or coffee brought to your tent, followed by a full breakfast at camp before setting off on a full day’s game drive into either the reserve or a neighbouring conservancy. Expect varied terrain and a wealth of animal and bird species along the way, with a break at one of the area’s many scenic viewpoints for a picnic lunch before continuing your drive back to camp in the late afternoon.
An escorted game walk, lasting roughly two hours, offers an entirely different perspective on the terrain and its wildlife as you cross the plains on foot, and you may also wish to visit a traditional Maasai manyatta or head out on an additional evening game drive. After an exhilarating day in the field, evenings wind down around the campfire with an aperitif before dinner is served. All meals and your overnight stay are at Kicheche Valley Camp.
Day 11: Journey’s End – Fly to Nairobi
After breakfast, you’re transferred to the airstrip for a scheduled flight back to Wilson Airport. Depending on your onward departure time, a final transfer carries you to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, marking the end of your safari.
This itinerary is a starting point. Every Trevaron journey is shaped around you. Speak to our safari designers to tailor the camps, timing, and details of your own Ol Pejeta, Samburu, and Maasai Mara conservancy safari.
Every Trevaron safari is shaped around you. Tell us what you’re dreaming of and our safari designers will tailor every detail around your pace, your group, and the moments that matter most.
