Fifteen lions drink at a water hole as a herd of elephants approaches.
The first arrival is a giant bull with long, heavy tusks. The lions are hungry and circle the bull, who whips around with his ears pinned back and thrusts his trunk high with a shrill trumpet. There is an uneasy tension around the water hole as the lions back away to a rock kopje.
The magnificent bull sucks up gallons of water into his trunk, curls the end into his mouth, and drinks deeply as water dribbles down his chin.
Five lionesses materialize behind him. He senses them, spins around with a shrill scream, and lunges forward, flapping his ears. They scatter, except for a lioness who stands her ground and roars as her drool splatters the muddy ground. This fires up the other lions, who circle the bull with hunting grunts and snarls.
Are you prepared for the circle of life?
Fly into Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi (NBO) and be met by one of our owner guides. They’ll handle your luggage and escort you to the House of Waine, your Nairobi luxury boutique hotel in Karen (Hemingway’s CEO often stays there). This will allow you to catch up on sleep from long international flights.
Luxuriate in a 1-hour massage per person and relax fully in your new surroundings.
We’ll pick you up for a private chartered flight to Amboseli National Park in the morning.
Elewana Tortilis Camp is Amboseli’s best luxury camp. The views of elephants eating in the marshlands and Mt. Kilimanjaro is breathtaking, and words can not describe the sheer number and variety of animals in any given view. All game drives are on your schedule, which we discuss the evening before.
An early morning hot air balloon flight with Kilimanjaro Balloon Safaris includes champagne and a made-to-order hot breakfast by their chef in the bush. If you spot some cool wildlife action from the air, let us know once we pick you up, and we will head that way.
The day’s game drive explores Amboseli’s bush country and wetlands with sundowners at dusk.
Visit a Maasai manyatta (village) to watch their famous jumping dance and learn about their culture.
Your game drive explores the marshlands of Kilimanjaro’s ecosystem. The mountain looms over the landscape, a superb backdrop for photographing big game. Sundowner game drives are always exceptional in Amboseli.
Photo tip: On average, when photographing wildlife, their action-packed moments are between 5 and 20 seconds.
A morning chartered flight is to Finch Hatton’s Luxury Tented Camp in Tsavo West.
Finch Hatton’s combines its love of Tsavo with a world-class facility. The camp is entirely isolated, so much so that you would be forgiven for forgetting that the rest of the world exists.
Finch Hattons has everything you need in the bush. Enjoy their exceptional cuisine, the star gazing terrace, Karen Blixen bar and lounge, a cigar lounge for connoisseurs, and more…
In addition to the day’s game drives, you have a 3-hour survival training with Maasai warriors called Moran. They can adapt and survive in the toughest conditions, making them one of the bravest and fiercest tribes in Kenya’s history. Their bushcraft is legendary, and they will tell you their secrets…
Tsavo West’s deep bush country is reminiscent of the old days. If you want to know what the bush was like at the turn of the century, then Tsavo West is the place.
And, of course, sundowners are on evening game drives. The early settlers and big game hunters preferred gin & tonic because of the quinine in the tonic. They felt that the more they drank, the greater their protection against malaria.
Explore Tsavo’s depths or hang out at Finch’s water hole to view the non-stop wildlife coming from all directions to slake their thirst while you’re quenching yours.
The photo opportunities are limitless…
A 2-hour bush walk allows you to explore the surrounding bush and instills a first-hand appreciation of flora and fauna.
One of Finch Hatton’s experienced bushmen and an armed Ranger will accompany you.
Enjoy your last morning with a bush breakfast, an alfresco creation by the chef in the magic of Tsavo’s wilderness.
We added 2 hours to your return flight to Nairobi as your pilot, Captain Ryan, has an extraordinary air safari planned on your way out of Kenya.
The Captain will do a low-level flight around Amboseli’s wetlands and lake and continue into the Rift Valley for a scenic flight along the Kenya-Tanzania border. He’ll fly over a surprise location and do a low-level flight over Lake Magadi before climbing to Nairobi.
Exclusive use of a bush plane or helicopter is available upon request. It allows you to fly daily within the itineraries locations.
If your safari lodge or camp is sold out, we use a comparable property in location, price and services. Alternate dates are helpful.
