Ol Pejeta, Laikipia & Masai Mara, Kenya
Kenya Private Conservancy Safari
Overview
Kenya's private conservancies offer something national parks cannot — exclusivity. With limited vehicles, off-road driving privileges, night drives, and walking safaris, the conservancy experience transforms safari from observation into immersion. This eight-day journey connects three of Kenya's finest private properties. Begin at Ol Pejeta Conservancy, home to the last two northern white rhinos on Earth and one of East Africa's highest black rhino densities. Continue to the Laikipia Plateau, where Segera Retreat combines contemporary art with bush walks alongside Maasai guides and reticulated giraffe. Finish with three nights at Angama Mara, perched on the rim of the Great Rift Valley overlooking the Masai Mara — the lodge that redefined luxury safari when it opened in the exact location where Out of Africa's iconic flying scene was filmed. Track lion prides, witness cheetah hunts, and photograph leopards at dusk. Every conservancy restricts visitor numbers, ensuring intimate encounters that mass-tourism parks cannot match.
Safari Highlights
- Ol Pejeta — last two northern white rhinos on Earth
- Laikipia walking safaris with Maasai guides
- Segera Retreat — contemporary art meets African bush
- Angama Mara — Out of Africa location with Rift Valley views
- Night drives revealing nocturnal species
- Off-road driving and exclusive conservancy access
- Maximum 3 vehicles per sighting
Day-by-Day Itinerary
Arrive Nairobi — Hemingways Welcome
Arrive at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. Transfer to Hemingways Nairobi, a plantation-style boutique hotel in the leafy Karen suburb. Enjoy a welcome dinner on the terrace overlooking the Ngong Hills — the same hills that inspired Karen Blixen. Your guide joins dinner to discuss Kenya's conservancy model and the week ahead.
Overnight: Hemingways Nairobi
Meals: Dinner
Fly to Ol Pejeta — Rhino Sanctuary
Morning flight to Nanyuki airstrip, then transfer to Ol Pejeta Conservancy. After lunch, visit the northern white rhino enclosure — Najin and Fatu, the last two of their subspecies on Earth, protected around the clock by armed rangers. Continue with a game drive across the conservancy, tracking black rhino, lion, and elephant. Night drive after dinner reveals a hidden world — aardvark, spring hare, and hunting leopards.
Overnight: Lewa Safari Camp
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Ol Pejeta — Dawn Tracking & Bush Walk
Dawn game drive with armed rangers, tracking black rhino through the bush. Ol Pejeta has the highest density of black rhino in East Africa — your chances of close encounters are excellent. After breakfast, join a guided bush walk with a Maasai guide who reads animal tracks and medicinal plants. Afternoon game drive targets the conservancy's lion prides and cheetah. Return to camp as the sun sets over Mount Kenya.
Overnight: Lewa Safari Camp
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Transfer to Laikipia — Segera Retreat
Drive to Segera Retreat on the Laikipia Plateau — a property that pairs world-class African art with raw bush experience. The retreat's contemporary art collection includes pieces by El Anatsui and William Kentridge, displayed among wild olive trees and acacia groves. Afternoon walking safari through Segera's reforestation project, spotting reticulated giraffe and Grevy's zebra — two species found nowhere else.
Overnight: Segera Retreat, Laikipia
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Laikipia — Full Day Exploration
A full day at Segera. Morning game drive through the plateau's mixed woodland and savannah, where elephant, buffalo, and wild dog roam. The Laikipia Plateau supports Kenya's second-largest elephant population and its most important wild dog habitat. Afternoon camel-back safari — a uniquely East African way to move silently through the bush, getting closer to wildlife than any vehicle allows. Evening star-gazing session with the retreat's resident astronomer.
Overnight: Segera Retreat, Laikipia
Meals: Breakfast, Bush lunch, Dinner
Fly to Masai Mara — Angama Mara
Morning flight from Laikipia to the Masai Mara. Arrive at Angama Mara, perched on the rim of the Great Rift Valley at the exact spot where the 'I had a farm in Africa' flying scene from Out of Africa was filmed. The views from your tented suite are staggering — the Mara Triangle spreads below in an ocean of golden grass. Afternoon game drive into the Mara Triangle, tracking the resident lion prides and searching for leopard along the Mara River.
Overnight: Angama Mara
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Masai Mara — Big Cat Day
A full day dedicated to the Mara's legendary big cats. Dawn drive to track the Marsh Pride — one of the most filmed lion prides in the world. Your Angama guide has tracked these lions for years and knows every individual by name. Search for cheetah on the open plains and leopard in the riverine forest. Angama's exclusive traversing rights mean maximum three vehicles per sighting. Sundowner on the escarpment, then a Maasai-inspired dinner at the lodge's outdoor boma.
Overnight: Angama Mara
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Final Drive — Fly to Nairobi
An early morning game drive for any remaining wish-list sightings. The Mara at dawn is magical — mist lifts from the river, hippos return to their pools, and hyenas carry the last of the night's hunt to their dens. Return to Angama for brunch, then fly to Nairobi's Wilson Airport. Transfer to JKIA for your international departure, or extend your stay with a Nairobi city experience.
Meals: Breakfast, Brunch
What's Included
- Nairobi airport transfers and internal flights
- All conservancy and park entrance fees
- Full-board luxury accommodation (7 nights)
- Private guide at each property
- 4x4 safari vehicle with exclusive access
- Walking safaris, night drives, bush meals
- All house drinks including wines and spirits
- Laundry service
What's Excluded
- ✕ International flights
- ✕ Kenya e-Visa ($52)
- ✕ Travel insurance (mandatory)
- ✕ Tips & gratuities ($30–50/day)
- ✕ Hot air balloon safari ($450 pp)
- ✕ Premium champagne
- ✕ Spa treatments
Where to Stay
TENTED_CAMPAngama Mara
Masai Mara
Suspended above the Great Rift Valley on the edge of the Masai Mara, this award-winning tented camp delivers one of Africa's most dramatic views and finest safari experiences.
from $1,500/night
BOUTIQUE_HOTELGiraffe Manor
Nairobi
A stately 1930s manor house where endangered Rothschild's giraffes join guests for breakfast, creating one of the world's most iconic boutique hotel experiences.
from $800/night
BUSH_CAMPOl Pejeta Bush Camp
Laikipia
An intimate bush camp on Ol Pejeta Conservancy, home to the last two northern white rhinos on Earth and offering authentic, conservation-driven safari experiences.
from $350/night