Meet the Big Five, Meru National Park is the land of the Big Five; elephant, rhino, lion, buffalo, and leopard. The park is famous for it lions, and is especially associated with Elsa the Lioness and the film Born Free, a 1966 Technicolor British drama film starring Virginia McKenna and Bill Travers as Joy and George Adamson, a real-life couple who raised Elsa, an orphaned lion cub, to adulthood. Some of Kenya’s largest herds of buffalo are found here and so is the elusive leopard. Other animals you can look forward to seeing include. cheetah, hippo, zebra, giraffe, hartebeest, oryx, oribi, waterbuck, … and abundant birdlife with over 400 recorded species. You will stay in a luxury tented camp for the two nights as you explore the park.

Full day at Meru national park

You will be transferred by road to Samburu Intrepids Camp, located in the heart of the semi-desert Samburu National Reserve, along the Rift Valley province. Here elephants, lions, buffalo, giraffe and zebra move along the the river that cuts through this reserve, crocodiles often found lounging on the riverbanks. Drawing its name from the Samburu people of Kenya who call the area home, and made famous by the Adamsons' who inspired the book and movie Born Free, this comfortable tented camp is a wonderful introduction to safari style in Kenya. Game driving happens twice a day along the savannah amidst acacia trees, forest and thorn trees to spot the many different animals that can be found in the reserve. They have camel rides lead by the local villagers, where you can get a different vantage point of the area and the wildlife as well as support the community. The Samburu are well know star gazers so taking part in a star gazing experience to learn from them is well worth it.

Full day at Samburu National Reserve

In the heart of Kenya’s Laikipia region, Ol Pejeta Conservancy is a shining example of conservation for the entire continent. Home to the last 3 Northern white rhino in the world, it’s also a sanctuary for Southern whites and critically endangered black rhino, as well as chimpanzee. In the heart of it all is Alex Hunter’s charming bush camp of the same name, where traditional game drives and walks in Big 5 territory are offered alongside visits to the projects - truly a place to discover the best of both worlds. There is a definite focus on conservation at Ol Pejeta and visits to the Endangered Species Enclosure to see the Northern white rhino and to the chimpanzee sanctuary take place daily. There are also opportunities to spend a morning with the lion research team and track the cats in the area, as well as with the rhino patrol guards. Intersperse these with traditional Big 5 game drives and walking safaris and this is a safari that’s very hard to beat!

Enjoy a morning game drive at sunrise and later return to the camp for a full breakfast after which you will leave this exotic conservancy for Nairobi arriving in the afternoon where you can be dropped off at your Nairobi hotel or the airport bringing to an end what we believe is an amazing experience.