A herd of elephant walking past a flat-topped acacia, snow-capped Kilimanjaro behind

Kenya · 10 days

SkySafari Kenya

Elewana's flagship Kenya flying safari, nine nights across Amboseli, the Loisaba Conservancy in Laikipia and the Maasai Mara, on SkySafari's own aircraft rather than scheduled flights.

Duration: 10 days, 9 nights · 4 flights
Where: Kenya
Experiences: Flying Safaris Road Safaris Camel Safaris Horseback Safaris
Board: Board varies by stay
Price: On request

Overview

The shape of the journey

Kenya's best parks are a long way apart and the roads between them are the worst part of most itineraries. SkySafari's answer is to own the aircraft: nine-seat planes, boarded on the runway rather than through a terminal, and no scheduled-flight timetable deciding when your day starts.

NairobiAmboseliLoisabaMaasai Mara

Ten days buys three nights in each of three places, which is the number at which a camp stops being a stopover. Amboseli for the elephant herds under Kilimanjaro. Loisaba, in Laikipia, where the activity list runs to camel and horseback safaris, guided bush walks and a night in a star bed. Then the Maasai Mara for the last three.

SkySafari also runs an eight-day Kenya version that swaps Amboseli for Meru National Park and keeps Loisaba and the Mara. Say which you would rather and we will price both.

Where you'll stay

The camps and hotels

Hemingways Hotel

The first night, or a property of the same standard if it is full. The rest of the route is on Elewana Collection camps and lodges.

Day by day

How the days run

A proposal, not a timetable. The routing, timings and inclusions are confirmed in writing before you pay anything.

Day 1
Nairobi
Fast-tracked through Jomo Kenyatta and driven straight to the hotel. Dinner there, and an early night before the flying starts.
Hemingways HotelDinner
Day 2Flight
South to Amboseli
The first SkySafari flight, down to Amboseli National Park. Kilimanjaro is on the skyline when the cloud lifts, and the elephant herds are the reason the park is on this route.
All meals
Day 3
Amboseli
A full day in the park. Open country, so the game is visible rather than hidden, and the light at both ends of the day is the point.
All meals
Day 4Flight
North to Loisaba
The flight north to the Loisaba Conservancy in Laikipia. Different country entirely: hills, escarpment and 57,000 acres of it.
All meals
Day 5
Loisaba on foot, or on a camel
The conservancy's own activity list: guided bush walks, camel safaris, horseback rides. Community conservation is the reason the wildlife is here, and it is worth asking about.
All meals
Day 6
A night under the stars
A third day at Loisaba, and the one to spend a night in a star bed if you want it. Wheel the bed out, drop the roof, and sleep on the escarpment.
All meals
Day 7Flight
Into the Maasai Mara
The flight south-west to the Mara. Afternoon game drive on arrival, and the shift in wildlife density is immediately obvious.
All meals
Day 8
A full day in the Mara
Out early, back through the heat, out again as the light drops. In season the migration herds are on the plains; out of it, the resident cats are.
All meals
Day 9
The Mara, again
Three nights here is what separates this from a two-day dash. Today is generally the one people remember.
All meals
Day 10Flight
Back to Nairobi
A last morning in the Mara, then the SkySafari flight back to Nairobi and your onward connection.
Breakfast

What's covered

Inclusions and exclusions

In line with the itinerary above. Your written quote is the version that counts.

Included

Fast-track through Jomo Kenyatta International Airport on arrival
Transfer to your Nairobi hotel, and dinner there the first night
SkySafari flights between Nairobi, Amboseli, Loisaba and the Maasai Mara
Accommodation throughout
Game viewing at each stop

Not included

International flights to and from Nairobi

Price & terms

What it costs

Priced on request. This itinerary is quoted for your dates, your party and the grade of camp you choose, which is why there is no single number on this page.

What this price covers

Rates are per person sharing unless the line above says otherwise.
Prices move with the season and with availability, and are held only once your quote is confirmed in writing.
The day-by-day above is a draft. Final routing, timings, inclusions and any park or permit fees are confirmed with your quote.

Before you go

Worth reading before this trip

The best time to visit Kenya, month by monthJanuary and February, then July to October, are the months we send most people.
Safari packing list for KenyaA working checklist for a week on safari in Kenya: the bag, the layers for a cold six o'clock start, optics, health and documents, with quantities for seven nights and what changes by season.
Kenya safari cost: where the money goesWhat you pay for on a Kenya safari, why two similar weeks can differ threefold, who sets the park fees, and how to get more from the same budget.
Practical facts by countryPlugs, currency, time zone, driving side, SIM, tipping and tap water.