Wings Over Kenya

Luxury Small Group Journeys: The finest small-group travel experience

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Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive Nairobi, Kenya

Arrive in Nairobi, where an Abercrombie & Kent representative meets and transfers you to your hotel. Probably Kenya’s most renowned hotel — and certainly its oldest — Fairmont The Norfolk has been drawing the rich and famous to its hallowed doors since it first opened on Christmas Day in 1904. In many respects, Nairobi grew up around the hotel, which occupies a central but quiet location opposite the National Theater. The comfortable rooms circle a large inner garden laden with flowering shrubs and heavy with birdsong. Its inviting restaurants offer delectable dining in elegant surroundings, while the front terrace is a popular location for watching modern Nairobi go by.

Fairmont The Norfolk

Day 2: Nairobi/Amboseli National Park

Fly to Amboseli National Park, fringed by Maasai villages and located in the Great Rift Valley province. The 150-square-mile reserve is renowned for its breathtaking views of Mount Kilimanjaro. Begin your safari adventure in search of big game — elephants, in particular — while absorbing views of Africa’s highest peak amid acacia woodland, freshwater swamps, scrub brush and open plains. Return from your game drive as the sun sinks beneath the horizon.

Tortilis Camp   |   Meals: B L D

Day 3: Amboseli National Park

Rise for your morning game drive, followed by a visit to Dr. Cynthia Moss’ longstanding, in-depth Amboseli Elephant Research Project to learn about elephant family structure, life cycle and behavior. Look for lions and cheetahs on an afternoon game drive. This is an ideal time of day to see predators as they amble out of the shade and roam onto the plains in search of prey. From prehistoric Observation Hill, which overlooks Mount Kilimanjaro and the elephant-filled grasslands, watch as the spectrum of colors shifts at sunset.

Tortilis Camp   |   Meals: B L D

Day 4: Amboseli/Nairobi/Laikipia Plateau

Board a flight to the Laikipia Plateau, at the foothills of Mount Kenya. Then, drive to your luxurious tented camp in the scenic Northern Frontier District, where snow-capped peaks dominate the view to the south. Take to the bush this afternoon, keeping your eyes peeled for glimpses of unique, indigenous northern species, such as reticulated giraffe, Grevy’s zebra, beisa oryx, Somali ostrich and the long-necked gerenuk. You may also encounter elephants, elands, impalas, Grant’s gazelles, dik-diks and many others. All the big cats can also be found here, including leopards and lions. After dinner, sleep safe and warm in superbly appointed tents, serenaded by the sounds of the African night.

Lewa Safari Camp   |   Meals: B L D

Day 5: Laikipia Plateau

The morning and afternoon are spent game viewing in this undisturbed area, where eagles and vultures fly overhead. You may set out in safari vehicles or on an optional horseback safari in search of great cats, black and white rhinos, elephants, oryx and dik-diks. Explore as your guide lends insight about the bush and its inhabitants, taking breaks to indulge in gourmet meals and remote sundowners prepared by your attentive staff.

Lewa Safari Camp   |   Meals: B L D

Day 6: Laikipia Plateau/Masai Mara Game Reserve

Fly across the Great Rift Valley to the Masai Mara Game Reserve and your intimate, award-winning luxury camp. Its 14 elegant tents feature four-poster beds and verandas that overlook a private stretch of the Mara River, where hippos wallow. After a late-afternoon game drive, return to camp for dinner.

A&K Philanthropy supports the camp’s wetlands project as well as a native tree nursery where you may plant your own tree.

Sanctuary Olonana   |   Meals: B L D

Days 7-8: Masai Mara Game Reserve

Spend the next two days exploring the vast plains by safari vehicle. Running along the Tanzanian border, the Masai Mara forms an essential part of the Serengeti ecosystem, the very place where the annual wildebeest migration occurs. Rich in game, the rolling grasslands and acacia savanna have frequently been captured on film — Out of Africa is the most famous — and no landscape is more quintessentially “African.” The action never seems to stop here, and the chain of command begins with the Mara’s lion population, the largest in the country. You may also search for zebras, spotted hyenas, black-backed jackals, hippos, giraffes, eland and wildebeests. On your final evening, join fellow guests for a farewell dinner.

Sanctuary Olonana   |   Meals: B L D

Day 9: Masai Mara/Nairobi/Depart

Fly back to Nairobi, where a dayroom is waiting. This evening, board your international flight.

Fairmont The Norfolk (dayroom)   |   Meals: B