Kenya Safari of Discovery

After an overnight flight, arrive in Kenya’s bustling capital of Nairobi. Our staff will meet you at the airport and transfer you to our quaint guesthouse for the evening. Enjoy fresh local fruits and rest by the gardens and the pool before our orientation dinner and our first group meeting this evening. Overnight at Macushla House, set in a quiet, garden suburb of Nairobi.

After breakfast and a morning meditation, we head out overland in our four-by-four safari trucks northward to Ol Pejeta Reserve, one of Kenya’s famed wildlife hotspots. Located on the Equator, Ol Pejeta is a conservation story of great note, boasting the largest population of black rhino in all East Africa and the only two northern white rhinoceros remaining in the world – Najin and Fatu (both female) – living under constant protection from poachers. An afternoon game drive en route to our camp will surely provide close encounters with myriad African wildlife, including predators and plains game. Our deluxe tented camp, Sweetwaters, has been selected to allow our group an opportunity to experience the wilds of Africa in a comfortable manner, each private walk-in tent providing full beds and bedding, private flush toilets, and hot and cold running showers.

After early morning coffee, tea and snacks and a mindfulness exercise, we head out in our specialized safari trucks into the bush in search of game. We traverse the savannas and riverine forests where we can find Africa’s “Big Five” – lion, leopard, black rhino, elephant, and African buffalo. Ol Pejata is one of East Africa’s best spots for wildlife viewing and with the use of our four-wheel-drive truck we will access some of the remote corners of the reserve. We return to camp midday to enjoy brunch and then have some time to rest on the grounds before gathering for a meeting. In the afternoon, when temperatures cool and the game once again begins to get active, we head out on an afternoon/early evening game drive in search of wildlife, returning in time for dinner in Africa’s wild. Alternative to an afternoon drive, we may have the option for an African bush walk, giving us an eye-level look at the African ecosystem.

Along with typical African game, Ol Pejeta is home to one of Africa’s few chimpanzee sanctuaries and we will have the rare opportunity to enter the sanctuary and gain a behind the scenes look at the day-to-day care of the chimpanzees. Created through an agreement between the sanctuary, the government and the Jane Goodall Institute, the chimpanzee reserve is home to 35 chimps divided into two groups. We may observe them exploring the forest or feeding as we walk the trails or view from the specially built platforms. The experience of encountering our closest animal relatives in the wild becomes a deeply meaningful takeaway from our African adventure. In the afternoon we once again head out on a game drive, returning to camp for our evening meal and a meeting under the African stars.

After an early morning meditation and some breakfast, we head out of Ol Pejeta, searching for wildlife as we depart the reserve. Our drive to Nairobi takes us through small African villages and gives us a chance for cultural experiences that most travelers miss. Arriving in Nairobi in the afternoon, we rest at the hotel grounds before dinner and a meeting.

We depart from Nairobi for a private conservancy in the Masai Mara, giving us an exclusive away-from-the-crowds safari experience in one of the most impressive ecosystems in all of Africa! The Lemek Conservancy is home to all the wildlife of the Masai Mara National Reserve, which is Kenya’s wildlife jewel, but with very few other visitors around. We arrive mid-afternoon and enjoy an afternoon/evening game drive, staying out well after dark – a privilege unavailable in the neighboring national reserve. While here, we will also have the chance to meet with the Maasai people and gain an understanding of their culture and historic way of life. Our tented camp, Losokwan, provides a special treat, with luxury tented suites scattered throughout the private setting.

Today we journey into the plains on a full-day safari, enjoying a picnic lunch in the bush. With a full day in the field, we gain an understanding of natural life in the African wild, the rhythms of nature dictating the movement and activity of the wildlife. Our efforts may reveal lion hunting prey, leopard protecting their meal in a tree, and herds of gazelle prancing through the savanna. If we are lucky, we may get a chance to witness Africa’s great migration – thousands of wildebeest and zebra crossing the plain in search of ever-moving water and lush grasses. Regardless, the wildlife viewing in this region is prolific and our experience will send us home with close encounters with remarkable animals that will last a lifetime in our memory.

Once again, we awaken to the sounds of Africa and head out into the bush seeking close-up wildlife encounters. Mid-morning, we return to our private camp for a yoga-stretching session and a meeting, enjoying the peace and privacy provided by this special locale. After a midday rest, we journey back to the savanna for a final game drive, enjoying the view of the sun setting along the rolling hills of the Masai Mara.

A final morning in the African bush provides the sounds of nature that have become a part of our daily existence. After breakfast, we journey through the reserve, bidding farewell to the wildlife that have accompanied us on our journey. We arrive in Nairobi in the late afternoon in time to board evening flights homeward.