Upon arrival at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, you will be met by a representative and transferred to the Sarova Stanley Hotel or similar. This legendary establishment traces its origins all the way back to 1902 when its late Victorian splendour made it Kenya’s first luxury hotel. The Stanley soon became a byword for opulence and sophistication, attracting big game enthusiasts and colonial administrators. Its immortal status was cemented by the experiences here of Nobel Prize-winning novelist Ernest Hemingway, whose short story, The Snows of Kilimanjaro, did so much to popularise safaris. Hemingway would gather with fellow adventurers at the Thorn Tree Café – named after the tree on which travellers would pin messages – to plan safaris or regale them with tales of ones just completed. The Stanley has long since been modernised but the spirit of the past is still palpable in every corner. All 220 rooms are en-suite and comfortable, and facilities include an excellent gym, a large rooftop swimming pool and an Edwardian lounge bar.

We leave Nairobi very early, after breakfast, and travel northwards to Samburu, passing near Thika. Continue through breath-taking scenery dotted with rushing mountain streams and plantations of tea and coffee in the shadows of Mount Kenya, the country’s highest mountain and second in Africa. Circumventing Mount Kenya, pass through the town of Nanyuki before reaching the dusty outpost of Isiolo, the last major stop on the journey to the remote northern frontier district. From here, it’s a fairly short hop to Shaba National Reserve. It earned worldwide fame in the 1960s as the setting of the popular movie, Born Free, which chronicled the lives of Joy and Robert Adamson, and Elsa, the lioness cub they reared. Arrive at Sarova Shaba Lodge in time for lunch and then head off for an afternoon game drive returning to the lodge as the sun sets. Surrounded by trees and located on a rocky bend of the River Ewaso Ngiro, the Sarova Shaba offers a luxury seldom found in a large African bush lodge. There are 80 chalet rooms and four luxurious junior suites as well as one honeymoon suite. The tranquil flow of sparkling spring waters throughout the grounds creates an atmosphere of peace and serenity as they collect and cascade, attracting a great variety of birds. Crocodile feeding demonstrations and evening entertainment are provided by local Samburu villagers. In the evening, enjoy dinner at the lodge. 

Breakfast follows an early morning game drive in the lush and verdant Shaba National Reserve, which was also the setting for the multiple Oscar-winning classic, Out of Africa. There is a large pride of lions as well as elephants, leopards, gerenuks, and elands while rare species such as the reticulated giraffe also make this habitat their stomping ground. For the remainder of the morning, you can relax by the pool, which features an island reached by a bridge from the bar, or the terrace, which overlooks the river. After lunch, there will be another game drive, returning to the lodge for sunset. In the evening, enjoy dinner at the lodge. 

Bid farewell to Shaba National Reserve after breakfast and travel south through Isiolo, crossing the northernmost foothills of Mount Kenya, passing through Nanyuki, and continuing in a north-westerly direction towards Nyahururu, still known by many as Thomson’s Falls because of its 75-metre waterfall, which can be spotted in the distance. Turn south and head to the next destination, the spectacular Lake Nakuru, enjoying a game drive en route to Sarova Lion Hill Game Lodge. The waters of the lake are often shimmering pink, from the thousands of flamingos that line the shores. After lunch, depart for an afternoon game drive in Lake Nakuru National Park. Like all the beautiful flamingos, both black and white rhinos are being carefully protected and given a new lease of life in this fully fenced 188 square kilometre park. The rhino population numbers more than 50 and continues to multiply. The Rothschild’s giraffe is another rarity and the park has its fair share of buffaloes, leopards, zebras, elands, waterbucks and lions. Sarova Lion Hill Game Lodge is situated in the heart of what is Kenya's most densely populated wetland national park, which is one of six internationally protected marsh areas, known as Ramsar sites, in the country. The lodge is in the eastern ecological niche of the park, located on a plateau by the eastern shore. It boasts commanding views of the lake and what seems like millions of flamingos, pelicans and marabou storks. Lush gardens surround the lodge and cottage, and there is an exciting programme of activities and evening entertainment. Here the ornithological landscape appears to bloom as if it were natural foliage. The lodge has 65 modern en-suite bedrooms, and meals are served inside the lodge, by the pool or under a forest of towering acacia trees. The Rift Valley bar on the ground floor has great views of the lake. In the evening, enjoy dinner at the lodge. 

Indulge in a tasty breakfast before leaving the flamingo-fringed Lake Nakuru to continue the adventure at the Maasai Mara National Reserve. Drive to the town of Njoro, where you begin your ascent over the top of the Mau Escarpment. Then, heading south, travel across the ‘breadbasket’ of Kenya, covered with acres of wheat and barley, towards Narok, the gateway to the Maasai Mara. Check-in at Sarova Mara Game Camp and enjoy lunch before departing for an afternoon game drive. Return to the lodge as the sun sets. The camp is located inside the eastern section of the Maasai Mara and hidden in a wonderful little-forested valley. During the annual Great Migration, the camp is teeming with wildebeests, gazelles and zebras as it situated right in the centre of their migration path. The 75 tents are luxurious with a permanent roof and floor, zip-up fronts, attached bathroom, running hot water supply and electricity. Wooden walkways, built over wide lily ponds, link the tents and manicured lawns with the main dining and bar areas. Birdlife is abundant, with kingfishers particularly common. The impressive main building consists of a high-thatched lobby, the Oloip Bar with its cosy log fireplace, a large dining area and outdoor terrace with sweeping views, as well as a small area by the pond for private meals if needed. There is also a sparkling swimming pool surrounded by sun loungers. In the evening, enjoy dinner at the camp. 

Enjoy an early breakfast before departing on a morning game drive. The Maasai Mara National Reserve is home to millions of wild animals, including the fabled Big Five of lions, leopards, elephants, buffaloes and black rhinos. There are also antelopes, gazelles, wildebeests, and many others. Return to the lodge for lunch and perhaps a siesta before setting off for an afternoon game drive and a visit to a Maasai village. Return to the camp as the sun sets. In the evening, wrap the day up with dinner. 

Say goodbye to the Maasai Mara before passing through acres of rolling wheat and barley farms, heading to Narok. From here, cross the vast plains on the floor of the Great Rift Valley while keeping an eye out for herds of giraffe and gazelle. Head up the rift escarpment and then arrive in Kenya’s bustling capital for drop off at around 01:30 pm and ongoing travel arrangements.