Out of Africa

The tented safari, born in Kenya over a century ago, has been extolled by writers from Isak Dinesen to Ernest Hemingway—and the magic of it lives on. Our elegant tented safari is an “out of Africa” experience featuring elephants silhouetted beneath the snows of Kilimanjaro, the haunting call of the hyena in the night, dinners under the African sky, and lions on the prowl in golden savannas that are a realm apart from the ordinary world. We explore from small, exclusive camps in Amboseli, the private Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, Samburu National Park, and in the green and radiant utopia of the Masai Mara National Reserve, one of the most sublime wildlife paradises of our planet. Spectacular bush flights whisk us between our beautiful safari camps and grant us a fascinating perspective of this splendid land.

Itinerary at a Glance

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Days 1-3
Nairobi / Amboseli National Park / Tortilis Camp

Our first safari thrills come at award-winning Tortilis Camp, with its stunning location framing Kilimanjaro in the heart of Amboseli. Within minutes after our bush flight, we’re on our first game drive in the midst of Amboseli’s famed elephant herds, followed by a visit with the elephant researchers at the park.

Days 4-5
Lewa Wildlife Conservancy

Nestled in the foothills below Mt. Kenya, Lewa has been home for three generations to the Craig family, who made their beautiful highland ranch a sanctuary for endangered species in 1924. On wonderful game walks and game drives in open vehicles (allowed only in private reserves), we see rare rhinos as well as eland, hartebeest, Cape buffalo, lion, and leopard. Lewa is also an important refuge for elephants.

Days 6-8
Samburu National Reserve

In Samburu’s magnificent landscape of red earth and palm-fringed rivers, we search for Kenya’s unique northern species, including Grevy’s zebra, reticulated giraffe, and the graceful gerenuk. We also meet the traditional Samburu, with their bright red robes. Larsen’s Camp enjoys a romantic, lantern-lit setting along the Uaso Nyiro River.

Days 9-12
Masai Mara

The mile-high Masai Mara National Reserve is famed for its sheer numbers and diversity of wildlife. With our Masai guides, we find excitement in every direction, with prides of lions stalking wildebeest or zebra and solitary leopards surveying from their perches in acacia trees. Our camp, the Mara Explorer, offers total comfort in the wild—we can even watch elephants and giraffes at the river from the privacy of our verandas. An optional balloon safari here is an unforgettable experience. Depart from Nairobi on Day 12, or join our Gorilla Tracking Extension in spectacular Virunga Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda, or our Lamu Archipelago Extension, where you can enjoy snorkeling, swimming, and relaxation at an idyllic island paradise off the coast of Kenya.

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What the Trip is Like

The trip is rated Level 2+, moderate. This is a deluxe camping and lodge safari with gameviewing by 4WD vehicle and nature walks that can be enjoyed by anyone in reasonably good health. There are a few long driving days over rough roads and rugged dirt tracks. Although this is not a particularly rigorous trip, we still recommend that each participant undertake a preparatory program of physical conditioning. Any African safari is an adventure, and the traveler to Africa should bring along flexibility, a sense of humor, curiosity about new peoples and places, and an openness to the unexpected.

Explanation of Trip Levels