8 DAYS AFRICA PURE ROMANCE

Arrival at Jomo Kenyatta Airport met and assisted by our representative. Transfer to Ole Sereni Hotel. Having driven only 25 minutes from the airport and through one of Africa’s busiest city, you might be surprised to find yourself on the edge of Nairobi National Park where resident wildlife roams freely within feet of the lodge’s terrace and restaurant. Nairobi National Park is the only park worldwide located in such proximity to a major urban center. Home to endangered species including the black rhinoceros, and progressive conservation centers, this park emphasizes Kenya’s absolute passion for protecting its wild places. You will spend your first African afternoon adjusting and relaxing amidst the lodge’s peaceful setting. Whether that involves a swim in the lodge’s top floor heated pool, a massage at the spa, or a workout in their high quality gym, you will spend the afternoon completely at your leisure. Enjoy a dinner at one of the hotel’s two restaurants that look out either over the Nairobi skyline or the contrasting national park, before retiring for the night.

This morning you will wake up for an early flight to Meru. From Meru, you will transfer to Elsa’s Kopje in the heart of Meru National Park. Located on a rocky kopje – a granite outcropping in an otherwise flat landscape – this lodge offers spectacular views of the surrounding plains, streams and Mount Kenya. It is the only operational lodge within the park boundaries, meaning that in addition to these sweeping views, you will also enjoy near exclusivity when exploring this unique and quiet landscape. Historically, the lodge’s site is of great importance. Just below the kopje is the site of George and Joy Adamson’s safari camp. The Adamson's story and the rehabilitation of their orphaned lioness, Elsa, was documented through the 1966 British drama based upon Joy’s bestselling autobiographical novel, Born Free. The story has inspired conservationists worldwide, and today numerous foundations continue to operate in the Adamson’s name. There will be no better way to prepare for this journey than through renting the movie. Since the days of the Adamson’s, this property has been developed into a luxury unique eco-lodge. Each guest stays in a private cottage tucked away into the sides of the kopje. With an entirely open front looking out onto the plains below, there truly is no better location to read a book or drift into daydream. The open face can be closed in the evening with curtains that still permit a calming African breeze to sweep through your room. You will spend your first afternoon in Meru with a brief orientation of the property and park, summarizing the various activities you can participate in over the coming days. Life at Elsa’s Kopje is relaxed and the activities and schedules will depend largely on your whims and preferences. The following itinerary is more of a recommendation than it is a schedule, and you will be free to choose between them. That said, this afternoon we recommend enjoying the lodge facilities, including the infinity pool and spa before joining the lodge for an Italian-inspired dinner.

Today you will rise early to begin exploring the landscape that fueled the Adamson’s passions, and became home to Elsa and her family. There is no better way to orientate yourself in this landscape than through a guided game drive and a picnic breakfast in the bush. The guides at Elsa’s Kopje live in Meru National Park and know the area intimately. With a fleet of new Toyota Land Cruisers, outfitted with photographic equipment stands and charging sockets, you will experience total comfort as you exclusively explore this seldom-visited bush. Over the course of the morning, you will explore the unique landscape of Meru as you pass under mammoth baobab trees and across the savannah, entirely against the backdrop of Mount Kenya. As you trail zebra and impala in search of the Big Five, be sure to keep your eyes open for some of the rare species that make this park home. The caracal, lesser kudu and aardwolf all live within this region, revealing themselves for a lucky few. Within the park, you will also have the opportunity to visit an important rhino sanctuary that works to conserve and reintroduce the threatened species to the wilderness, from which they were totally eradicated in the 1990s. As you return from your afternoon activities, you will likely migrate towards the infinity pool with its unending views over the plains below. There are few better locations on the property to enjoy a sundowner before dinner with fellow guests and lodge staff. As the night winds to a close, you can prepare for an inventive dinner influenced by northern Italian recipes and the vegetables in the local garden. Undoubtedly full and tired, you will then retire to your quiet and breezy cottage.

This morning you may plan for another game drive or perhaps a walking safari. Exploring the bush on foot under the guidance of Meru’s park guides often offers guests a level of intimacy that is often impossible to attain at larger more populated parks. Following animal tracks, investigating insects and learning of the micro-ecosystems offers insight into the minute dynamics and behaviors that sustain this truly spectacular ecosystem. Elsa’s Kopje also offers walks that climb to the top of Mughwango Hill, where you can experience great panoramic views. As the sun sets tonight, you may choose to combine a sundowner cocktail with a nighttime game drive. Witnessing the bush transform under the moonlight is a unique and magical experience. In the evening, you are able to observe the impossibly adorable bush babies as they fly through the trees, graceful owls as they stalk prey and numerous predators that come alive to hunt. Following a night drive, you will return for another incredible meal before again retiring to your cottage.

After an activity-packed two days at Elsa’s Kopje, it will be time to move on from this private sanctuary to the rolling plains of the Masai Mara. You will leave Meru on a private charter that will fly via Nanyuki to the Mara. Be sure to look out your window as you touch down temporarily in Nanyuki – this airport is located right at the base of the snow-capped Mount Kenya. From the air, you are sure to receive your most impressive views. Descending into the Mara, a representative will transfer you to Cottar’s 1920s Safari Camp. Elegant and timeless, this lodge is located on a stunning conservancy a kilometer from the Mara park gates. The Cottar family has a deep history with the region that began with a family of professional hunters and adventurers, and transformed into a family of photographic safari enthusiasts. Now in its fourth generation – with a fifth generation growing up on the property – there are few areas to experience the bush with more personality and passion. The family’s understanding of elegance, quality, privacy and luxury has attracted the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, in addition to numerous other high profile guests. Traverse the picturesque plains of the Masai Mara under the seemingly endless and ever-changing African skies. The conservancy itself is strategically located, bordering the Masai Mara, the Serengeti and Loliondo, and has some of the richest wildlife populations in Africa. With no fences and limited human interaction, your time in the region will truly send you into the bush. Led by some of Kenya’s most highly rated professional guides, you will begin a series of close encounters with Africa’s richest wildlife. They avoid the throngs of safari trucks, characteristic of some regions of the Mara, and encourage engagement rather than ‘animal box ticking’ during your days in the bush. You can look forward to top quality meals in the lodge’s tented dining room, before retiring to your private tent. Be sure to take a minute to admire the spectacularly starry African skies.

This morning you will pack your belongings and return to the present day from the 1920s as you depart the Mara on a flight to Nairobi. As your flight departs, you will have one final glimpse of the endless plains of the Masai Mara before returning to the rapidly developing Nairobi skyline.