Northern Kenya & the Great Migration (Laikipia & the Masai Mara)

Board a light aircraft for your flight from Nairobi to Nanyuki, where you’ll be met at the airstrip by your driver, who’ll take you further north into the Karisia Hills. The journey takes around two hours, and you should enjoy some lovely views of Mount Kenya and animal sightings on the way. Settle into camp before enjoying an afternoon safari.

Karisia Walking Safaris are based out of their permanent Tumaren Tented Camp, where you can enjoy a range of included activities — however, the highlight is the walking safaris. Each day is different: at times, you'll stop to enjoy the wildlife; at others, you'll wander through tiny remote villages and enjoy the varied landscape. Camels accompany many walks to carry any supplies and offer the option for a ride if you get tired.

You might spend your day walking or perhaps head out on a morning safari. In the afternoon, relax by the river with a drink or try some fishing before going for an evening stroll and sundowners. All meals at camp are home-cooked and served alfresco under the shade of a tree, or beneath the stars.

Departing from Tumaren, you’ll travel overland to Loisaba Conservancy, a journey of around two hours. Spend your first night tonight settling in at the main Loisaba Tented Camp. The camp is perched on the edge of an escarpment and offers sweeping views — you can soak them up as you relax by the pool or your own private veranda before heading out on a sundowner safari drive.

Loisaba offers a variety of activities, including walks, safari drives, camel rides, mountain e-biking, and horseback riding. Alternatively, you might visit a local Samburu village or meet the conservancy’s anti-poaching sniffer dogs. In the evening, you’ll head out for one of the highlights of the trip, a stay at Loisaba Starbeds, where you can drift off to sleep as you listen to the animals and gaze at the stars.

Depart the Laikipia Plateau and fly south to the Masai Mara. Between July and September, the herds of the Great Migration move north from Tanzania into Kenya’s Masai Mara, moving back and forth across the Mara and Talek rivers in search of water and grass. Spend the next few nights at Sand River — its location right on the migration route is ideal for witnessing all the action.

Head out in search of the migration herds and — if you’re lucky — watch a life-and-death river crossing as zebra and wildebeest plunge through the waters, dodging a feeding frenzy of crocodiles.

For your final day enjoy morning and afternoon safari from your camp. As well as the migration herds, the Mara is one of the best places in the world to spot big cats and other predators so be sure to keep your eyes peeled.

Fly back to Nairobi today. Your driver will meet you at Wilson Aerodrome to take you to the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport for your onward flight home.