AFRICAN SAFARI: FOR A WELL-TRAVELED LIFE
Elephant herds abound under the watch of Mt. Kilimanjaro
Having crisscrossed southern Africa over the years with my family, a love of safari was keenly developed. Which is why, when the game viewing powerhouses in East Africa opened, I was ready to go! There was a good chance that the Great Migration between Kenya and Tanzania would take place during my visit but this is dependent on local weather patterns . With climate change putting everything in flux around the globe, the herds had moved on before I arrived in September. Even so, the Kenyan game was plentiful and I saw more in these 10 days in the bush than I had ever seen before.
Elewana Tortilis Camp is located in a private conservancy bordering Amboseli NP with incredible views across the plains to towering Mt. Kilimanjaro. The private access camp ensures the land is pristine for guests and game which is imperative for the best experience. The camp guides are highly qualified and at your service sharing their experience and knowledge about Kenya and its legendary wildlife. With the same guide throughout your stay, you will learn about their childhood and families, building personal connections that make farewells bittersweet. (Sidebar: the guides also know how to mix a mean “sundowner” cocktail every evening game drive which is a time-honored safari tradition.) Tortilis was the first ecolodge in Kenya, is 100% solar, and proudly employs many local Maasai in good jobs with training and dependable wages. The camp is built with natural materials including thatched roofs, the spacious ensuite tents enjoy private terraces, and the food/beverage offerings are 5*.
Sarara Treehouse tents have a front row view to the wildlife wandering below
Sarara Treehouse Camp, located on an 850,000 acre wildlife conservancy in northern Kenya, is managed and staffed by the local Samburu community who are as much a part of the land as the wildlife. The Sarara Foundation is a unique conservation model that supports local people to conserve wildlife. After years of poaching in the area, the conservancy is now home to Kenya’s largest herd of endangered Reticulated Giraffe, the second largest herd of elephants, plus leopard, zebra, wild dog, and more. The setting in the Mathews Range is dramatic and the eight beautiful tents are perched in the woodland canopy allowing wildlife to roam freely below. The ensuite tents are expansive with solar heated outdoor showers and large verandas. Beverages and meals are wonderfully inspired and will warm the heart of any foodie.
Mara Plains is designed in the style of an 1800s safari expedition
Mara Plains is a luxury safari camp located in a private conservancy on the edge of Maasai Mara National Reserve. It is one of Kenya’s only three Relais & Chateaux properties and guest fees help ensure the natural habitat flourishes including nearby resident Maasai families. The camp blends into the landscape and was crafted of recycled materials with no permanent infrastructure altering the environment. The well-appointed ensuite tents include large copper soaking tubs, extensive private verandas, deep canopied ceilings, rough-hewn wood floors, antiques, and other details to transport guests to a time and land far away. The meals were fit for royalty, the service perfect, and the guiding highly skilled. Of note, the conservancy has the lowest vehicle density in the region and the highest concentration of big cats anywhere. After dark, large mammals frequent the camp and Maasai warriors escort guests to/from their rooms as resident hippos snort and bellow and shy leopards bark into the night.
Planning a safari is a process designed for travel professionals who have a network in the destination to ensure all goes smoothly. I learned this lesson years ago after planning my family’s international travel for years; Africa is different and I needed a travel advisor who could put it all together swiftly and seamlessly. To be sure, the most desirable camps do not allow travelers to book direct; all reservations must flow through professional advisors. Heed the advice from a recent safari client: “Book with a professional and let them do the work for you. It was so worth it. Everything was flawless - the lodges, guides, and transit teams treated us like royalty and we left feeling like we saw everything we wanted to see and truly experienced the place. All in a short 11-day stay. Kirsten’s connections and advance planning made it possible.”
Are you ready for the adventure of a lifetime?