Luxury Kenya Safari
Exclusive Lodges & Fly-in Experiences
The Masai Mara in migration season is the densest wildlife spectacle on the continent – and the private conservancies bordering it let you watch it without forty other vehicles. Fly in from Nairobi in 45 minutes, land on a grass strip, be on a game drive by lunchtime.
5.0★ Google · owner-led from Cape Town
Best time for a safari in Kenya, month by month
The herds arrive in the Mara from the Serengeti in late July or August and stay until the short rains push them south again in late October. Everything else in Kenya is good year-round.
Where we send guests paying luxury rates
Community-owned land bordering the national reserve, with a strict bed limit and vehicles capped per sighting. Off-road driving, night drives and walking are all permitted. Wildlife moves freely between the two – the animals do not know where the boundary is.
- Typically 5 vehicles maximum at a sighting
- Night drives and walking safaris
- Conservancy fee goes to Maasai landowners
Where the crossings happen - and the crowds
The Mara Triangle and the Talek river crossings are inside the reserve, and in September a crossing can draw dozens of vehicles. You still want to go – you just do not want to sleep there. Day trips in from a conservancy camp give you both.
- On-track driving only, gates close at dusk
- Unlimited vehicles at a sighting
- Lower nightly rates
Our recommendation: sleep in a conservancy, drive into the reserve on the mornings the herds are crossing. You pay the conservancy premium and the reserve entry fee, and you get the spectacle without the queue.
How the fly-in circuit works
“Abby and Quinton are very caring planners… the most impressive part about the trip was the pre-planning.”
“Brilliant planning, impeccable service! Quinton and Abby communicated attentively to plan a trip tailored to our specific preferences.”
How much is a luxury Kenya safari?
Conservancy camps in migration season sit at the top of the East African range, and the internal flights and conservancy fees are real line items. The figure shown above is indicative for a costing conversation only – AES pricing is pending.
Kenya or Tanzania for a first safari?
Kenya is easier: shorter internal flights, a compact circuit and the conservancy model. Tanzania is bigger and wilder, with the Serengeti and Ngorongoro. We have a full comparison page coming in week 8.
Do I need a visa?
Kenya uses an online electronic travel authorisation which you apply for before departure. We send the link and a checklist with your confirmation, and we will flag yellow fever certificate requirements for your routing.
Is the luggage limit really 15kg?
On most Kenyan light-aircraft carriers, yes – 15kg in soft bags including hand luggage. Camps do laundry daily. You will need less than you think, and we send a packing list that works.