Couture Kenya

Exclusive, elegant, exciting and unique – pamper yourself with our couture Kenya, boutique travel with brilliant flair. From winging your way through the air on charter planes, to staying in the toniest camps with the most interesting people anywhere – from Giraffe Manor and Loisaba, to Oria Douglas-Hamilton’s Elephant Watch, to the romance intertwined with adventure at Cottars and Shompole Safari Camps, home to some of the most stunning views anywhere.

Days 1/2/3 - New York/Europe/Nairobi

Depart New York for Europe and connect with your flight to East Africa. Upon arrival in Nairobi, you are escorted to your luxurious hotel, Giraffe Manor, built in 1932 by Sir David Duncan. The house is situated on 120 acres of land just outside the center of Nairobi. In 1974 Betty and Jock Leslie-Melville bought the Manor and founded the African Fund for Endangered Wildlife (AFEW) nearby to help educate young African children about conservation. They successfully reared five babies of the endangered Rothschild giraffe on the manor’s property, now an exclusive, spacious and elegant hotel run by their charming son, Rick and his wife Bryoni. Next day, visit the AFEW Nature Center and hand-feed the Rothschild giraffe. You may see eye-to-eye with these 18-foot high beauties thanks to the elevated walkway. Also visit Daphne Sheldrick’s Elephant Orphanage. Daphne, the first person to succeed in raising orphan infant elephants, has dedicated her life to conservation. Continue to the home and beautiful grounds of Karen Blixen, author of Out Of Africa. Now a museum, much of the original furniture is on display from when Karen lived here from 1914 to 1931. THE GIRAFFE MANOR. (Meals Aloft, B)

Days 4/5/6 - Nairobi/Laikipia/Loisaba Camp

Fly to Loisaba and your sumptuous lodge perched high on the edge of the plateau looking south towards Mount Kenya. Each room has large French windows that open onto a private deck cantilevered off the escarpment overlooking a waterhole that draws a continuous parade of wildlife. In addition to excellent wildlife viewing, you can ride mountain bikes, horses and camels. Enjoy the spa and a romantic open-air bubble bath, all with a tranquil view of the unspoiled Karissia Hills. Experience an exciting evening beneath a canopy of stars at one of two sets of Star Beds, either among a kopje of rocks overlooking the “Kiboko” waterhole or further south cantilevered over the flowing Uaso Nyiro River below. LOISABA CAMP. (B,L,D Daily)

Days 7/8/9 - Samburu Game Reserve/Elephant Watch Camp

Wing your way to the Samburu Game Reserve on the arid fringes of the vast northern district of Kenya. You will be the honored guests of Oria Douglas-Hamilton at Elephant Watch Safaris. Her exotically-beautiful camp is perched on the sand banks of the Uaso Nyiro River. Your tents are decorated with bright swathes of cotton fanning in the breeze, huge cushioned sofas, woven local mats, special beds and furniture, spacious ensuite showers and toilets. Meals are a fusion of bush gourmet, with a selection of fine wine. Home to some of the largest bull elephants in Samburu, this is no ordinary safari destination for you will have the rare privilege of bush walks with an experienced English-speaking Samburu guide along well-traveled elephant paths, collecting medicinal plants and honey. Witness great river crossings of camels and cattle, fire-making, or Samburu ceremonies. Oria will provide an insider’s visit to the research camp of Save the Elephants (STE), founded by her husband, renowned conservationist and elephant researcher Dr. Iain Douglas-Hamilton. ELEPHANT WATCH SAFARIS. (All Meals Daily)

Days 10/11 – Great Rift Valley/Shompole

Your home for the next two nights lies on the edge of the Great Rift Valley overlooking sun-baked plains and riverrine forest, great creased volcanic mountains and lush green wetlands. The variety of landscape available at Shompole allows for a great range of activities from nature walks and horse and camel rides to picnics, sundowners at Lake Natron, night drives and nights spent out in romantic fly-camps. The pre-historic site of Olorgesaille offers an interesting day’s adventure. There is an abundance of plains game and night animals including leopard and striped hyena. Elephant, lion and cheetah are found in the swamp and grassy plains, while the birdlife is varied and beautiful. Situated on the side of the Nguruman escarpment, overlooking the stunning expanse of the Great Rift Valley, your camp is able to make the most of both an incredible view and breeze. Constructed from white quartz stone and pale thatch, and using water as a prime feature each of the six tented rooms provides a very spacious, shady oasis in this desert environment. Your tented room consists of a cool-pool and informal sitting areas, a bathroom with a view and a specially-designed tent which includes vast windows and a high canopied roof. The main lounge and dining area overlook Mount Shompole and the Rift Valley. SHOMPOLE SAFARI CAMP. (All Meals Daily)

Days 12/13/14 – Maasai Mara Game Reserve

The legendary Maasai Mara is last. This classic, seemingly endless savannah is home to lion, cheetah, elephant, leopard, rhino and hippo, and over 500 species of birds. Each year up to two million wildebeest and thousands of zebra cross the Serengeti in search of fertile grasslands. Your accommodations are at Cottars 1920s Mara Safari Camp with its romantic safari tents furnished with original safari antiques. Experience exciting wildlife viewing in modern 4WD vehicles, traditional old wooden cars or by oxen pulling a wagon. As Cottars is located outside the boundaries of the park, you will be able to experience the magic of guided walks and night drives in search of nocturnal animals. COTTARS 1920s MARA SAFARI CAMP. (All Meals Daily)

Days 15/16 – Nairobi/Europe/New York

Fly to Nairobi where you will have the use of a dayroom at the historic NORFOLK HOTEL before departing on your flights home. (B, Meals Aloft)

Your Safari Includes:

Roundtrip air from New York.
All flights within Kenya as specified.
Superior accommodations throughout as indicated or similar.
All meals as specified.
All soft drinks, house wines, local brand spirits and beers are included throughout.
Laundry is included while on safari.
All wildlife viewing by open vehicles or landcruisers, driven by a naturalist driver/guide.
Complimentary bottled water in vehicles and during meals.
All applicable hotel and lodge taxes and gratuities.
All game park entry fees.
Complimentary backpack, baggage tags and passport wallet.