Kenya Small Group Wildlife Conservation Safari

Feb 16: Arrive Nairobi

Upon arrival at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport you will be met by one of our representatives who will drive you to your accommodation. The rest of the day is yours to relax after your flight.

Overnight: House of Waine (L, D)

Feb 17: Nairobi

Today you'll have your first taste of conservation matters in Kenya, with visits to two projects found in Nairobi. First off is the Giraffe Centre, where you'll learn about the problems related to the decline of wild giraffes across Africa. The sanctuary also cares for a number of endangered Rothschild's giraffe, of which fewer than 2,000 remain. Lunch will be taken in the exclusive neighbourhood of Karen, where the famous Danish author Karen Blixen lived during colonial times. After this you'll pay a visit to the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, home to orphaned elephants who have lost their families due to poaching and human-wildlife conflict. At any one time, as many as 30 young orphaned elephants are cared for by the dedicated keepers here.

Overnight: House of Waine (B, L, D)

Feb 18: Nairobi - Lewa Wildlife Conservancy

This morning you will be collected by your professional English-speaking driver/guide and transferred to Nairobi Wilson Airport to catch your light aircraft flight to the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy. This conservancy uses a truly successful conservation model, recognised throughout Kenya. Resting on the northern slopes of Mount Kenya, this is an incredibly scenic area with rewarding game-viewing on offer. On arrival you will be transferred to your camp via a game drive, after which you can relax and prepare for your safari.

Feb 19-20: Lewa Wildlife Conservancy

During your stay at Lewa Wilderness, you will have the chance to visit the Elephant Underpass, a corridor that runs underneath a busy highway that was built to allow previously isolated elephant populations to reunite. You will be able to meet the local village chief to discuss how the local population are coexisting with the wildlife of Lewa Conservancy, which is home to the highest concentration of rhinos in East Africa. You will be able to visit the Operations Room at the conservancy's HQ and also meet the tracker dogs. Make sure to attend the evening lecture by David Kimiti, Lewa Conservancy's Head of Development, to learn more about the conservation methods at work here.

Feb 21: Lewa Wilderness Conservancy - Borana Conservancy

After a morning on safari, you will be driven by way of a game drive across into the Borana Conservancy, where you will stay at Borana Lodge for the next three nights.

Feb 22-23: Borana Conservancy

During your time in the Borana Conservancy, you will assist the rangers with the Borana Game Count, which involves monitoring and tracking rhino and lion populations using telemetry receivers, and using ear-notch and whisker-spot diagrams to identify individuals. You will also attend a conservation lecture from Michael Dyer, the CEO of the Borana Conservancy, and pay visits to local schools, the Borana Healthcare clinic, and the lodge's permaculture garden.

Feb 24: Borana Conservancy - Il Ngwesi Conservancy

Today accompanied by your guide, Kip, as well as armed rangers, you will make your way across the Borana Conservancy on foot to the Il Ngwesi Conservancy, Kip's ancestral home. The walk will take approximately four hours, allowing you to absorb the incredible surroundings of the conservancies and spot wildlife along the way, with the chance to spot the smaller aspects of the bush which you often miss on a game drive.

Feb 25: Il Ngwesi Conservancy

During your full day at Il Ngwesi you will be introduced to the Maasai community by Kip, visiting the local school and meeting with local pastoralists to learn more about the projects funded by your conservancy fees.

Feb 26: Borana Conservancy - Masai Mara

In the morning you will be transferred via game drive to Borana Airstrip, where you will meet your charter plane for your light aircraft flight to the Masai Mara. Upon landing you will be met and transferred via game drive to Saruni Camp. The sprawling plains of the Masai Mara are one of Africa's great natural wonders, and provide some of the best game-viewing on the continent.

Overnight: Saruni Mara (L, D)

Feb 27-28: Masai Mara

During your time in the Masai Mara, you will visit the Mara Elephant Project (MEP), a conservation project that is working to protect elephants using modern monitoring methods like drones, helicopters and satellite collaring. A tour of the MEP's HQ will allow for an in-depth understanding of the vital work the project does in the Masai Mara. At the current rate, elephants could be eradicated from the area within the next few years, which makes the MEP's anti-poaching patrols, rapid-response units and monitoring operations all the more important.

Overnight: Saruni Mara (B, L, D)

Feb 29: Masai Mara - Depart Nairobi

In the morning, you will say your goodbyes to Kip and the Masai Mara as you fly back to Nairobi, where you can catch an international flight home. Alternatively, you can choose to extend your safari with three nights at Manda Bay on Kenya's coastline, where you can learn all about marine conservation (a supplement will apply).