Why this journey is different.
Off the standard Kenya safari trail into the country's lesser-visited north. Meru National Park (Joy Adamson's Born Free country), the arid Samburu reserve, conservation-first Ol Pejeta, then a closing three-night flourish on the Maasai Mara. For return visitors and travellers who want the parks without the crowds.
Moments you will remember.
- 1★ Meru National Park, Kenya's most under-visited big-cat park
- 2★ Samburu Special Five
- 3★ Ol Pejeta rhino sanctuary
- 4★ Three closing Maasai Mara nights
Your itinerary.
- 1. Meru NP
- 2. Samburu
- 3. Ol Pejeta Conservancy
- 4. Maasai Mara
- Day 1Nairobi → Meru National Park
Morning pickup and long scenic drive north-east across the equator into Meru. Afternoon game drive through Joy Adamson's Born Free country.
- Day 2Meru, full day
A full day of quiet drives, you'll go hours without seeing another vehicle. Elephant, buffalo, reticulated giraffe and the rare Grévy's zebra.
- Day 3Meru → Samburu National Reserve
Cross into Samburu country, arriving for an afternoon drive along the Ewaso Nyiro river.
- Day 4Samburu, full day
Full day among the Samburu Special Five, riverside picnics under doum palms.
- Day 5Samburu → Ol Pejeta Conservancy
Scenic transfer south. Afternoon rhino drive and visit to Baraka the blind black rhino.
- Day 6Ol Pejeta, full day
Chimpanzee sanctuary, the last northern white rhinos, and a full day of Big Five tracking.
- Day 7Ol Pejeta → Maasai Mara
Long transfer south to the Mara, arriving for a sundowner drive.
- Day 8Masai Mara, full day
A full day chasing the Big Five and the Great Migration in season.
- Day 9Masai Mara, second full day
Second full day means room to slow down. Optional balloon safari at dawn.
- Day 10Maasai Mara → Nairobi
Final morning drive, road transfer back to Nairobi.
- Private guided game drives in an open-roof 4x4 Land Cruiser
- All park & conservancy entry fees
- Airport meet-and-greet and all ground transfers
- Full board, meals and drinking water throughout
- Bottled water, sundowners and picnic lunches on drive days
- 24/7 in-country concierge on WhatsApp
- International flights
- Kenya / Tanzania e-Visa (we help you apply)
- Personal travel insurance
- Gratuities for guides and camp staff
- Optional balloon safaris and spa treatments
Scenes from this journey.
Photographs from our own guests and guides on this exact route. Tap any image to view full-screen, swipe to browse.
Everything packed, nothing guessed.
This is the same preparation brief we send every confirmed guest on the 10-Day Off the Beaten Path Kenya Safari, written from fifteen years of running these parks ourselves. Read it now and you will already know exactly what your safari asks of you.
What to wear on safari
Neutral, breathable fabrics photograph better and keep wildlife relaxed. Skip bright white, neon and anything camouflage, camouflage is restricted in Kenya and Tanzania.
- Long trousers2 to 3
One zip-off pair is ideal for long game drives
- Shorts2
Knee-length, for warm midday hours
- Long-sleeve shirts3
Your best defence against sun and insects
- T-shirts2
Quick-dry fabric, our laundry turnaround is same-day at most lodges
- Fleece or light jacket1
Mara and Amboseli mornings start cold in an open roof 4x4
- Windbreaker1
Waterproof if you travel April, May or November
- Hat, beanie or scarf1 each
Beanie for dawn, wide-brim hat for the equator sun
- Walking shoes1 pair
Closed and comfortable for Hell's Gate and Crescent Island walks
- Sandals1 pair
For camp, lodge decks and pool time
Stay well, so nothing interrupts the wildlife
Our vehicles carry a stocked first-aid kit and every guide is first-aid certified, but personal medication is yours to bring.
- Repellent with DEET or picaridin
- Long sleeves for evenings around the fire
- Calamine or hydrocortisone cream
- Anti-malarial tablets, started before you fly
- Prescription medication for the full trip, in original packaging
- Painkillers, allergy tablets, plasters, antiseptic
- Rehydration sachets, the equator sun is deceptive
- Motion sickness tablets for murram park roads
- Eye drops, sanitiser, tweezers
Paperwork we double-check before you board
Once your dates are confirmed we send a personal checklist and verify your visa and park-entry requirements ourselves.
- Passport valid 6+ months beyond travel
- Kenya or Tanzania e-visa, we send the exact link
- Vaccination certificate where required
- Travel insurance including medical evacuation
- Emergency contact list, ours included
- Photocopies plus a cloud backup
- USD notes printed after 2009, small bills for tips
- Split your cash across two secure places
- Leave heavy jewellery at home, travel quietly
- M-Pesa and card work in Nairobi, carry cash for the parks
- Save your insurer's 24/7 line in your phone and on paper. We keep a copy in the vehicle file too.
We plan around the youngest and the eldest guest
Tell us who is travelling and we adjust drive lengths, seating and meal timing before you arrive, not on the road.
- Daypack with snacks, wipes, sunscreen and games
- Offline films and music, lodge Wi-Fi is limited
- Child-safe insect repellent
- Enough nappies and formula, stock up in Nairobi
- Tell us allergies early, we brief the lodge kitchens
- Extra prescriptions and a spare pair of glasses
- Tell your guide about mobility needs, we reseat and shorten drives
- A portable cushion or cane travels well
- Hydrate often, we pause in shade through midday
We supply the rest: refrigerated drinking water on every drive, binoculars in each vehicle, charging points, a stocked first-aid kit, and a guide who has driven these parks for over a decade. You bring the list above, we bring everything else.
Read us where it counts.
Good to know.
How do I secure my booking?+
A 30% deposit confirms your dates and it is fully refundable up to 30 days before departure. The balance is due on arrival, before your safari begins. All client funds are held in a bonded escrow account.
Can the itinerary be tailored?+
Absolutely. Every trip is designed one-to-one. Extend nights, swap camps, add a honeymoon suite or a helicopter transfer, just ask.
What happens if we need to cancel?+
Free cancellation up to 30 days before departure. Between 30 and 15 days you receive a credit valid for 18 months.
Are your guides KPSGA certified?+
Every head guide holds a minimum silver-level Kenya Professional Safari Guides Association qualification. Most of ours are gold.
