Having a job which demands I keep up to date with the very latest and greatest African safari experiences is a hardship I’m willing to bear!
With so many options on offer, there is nothing like a personal recommendation based on first-hand experience, so I recently returned to one of my favourite safari destinations – Kenya, revisiting some old favourites and checking out some stunning new additions to the World Journeys safari portfolio.
First up was Elsa’s Kopje in Meru National Park. Named after Elsa the lioness from the film ‘Born Free’, this lodge is the only fully operational lodge within the park and is built just above the site of George Adamson’s original campsite. I love the fact you virtually have the whole Park to yourself as a guest here, it is such a special place, with a wonderful backstory.
Next up was the recently opened andBeyond Suyian Lodge in the Laikipia area. Set within the 17,806-hectare unfenced Suyian conservancy, this lodge offers an exclusive, conservation-in-action style safari.
Home to rare and elusive black leopards, the Samburu guides here take you along ancestral trails and the elegant lodge blends perfectly into the rock formations, with panoramic views from every corner, including the rim-flow plunge pool. Definitely one I will remember, and not hesitate to recommend.
andBeyond Kichwa Tembo Camp
Total seclusion. Abundant wildlife.
It’s no wonder this is Kenya’s best-loved
safari camp.
On to the vast grassy plains of the Masai Mara, to andBeyond Kichwa Tembo Tented Camp. Set at the base of an escarpment just below the spot where Out of Africa’s most famous scene was shot. Total seclusion. Abundant and varied wildlife. It’s no wonder this is Kenya’s best-loved safari camp.
Another camp I enjoyed here has also attracted high praise recently. andBeyond Bateleur Camp was named Best Hotel in the World in Travel + Leisure’s 2025 World’s Best Awards! So much more than a hotel of course, this camp allows easy access to some of the Mara’s best river crossings, and is simply the most stunning camp, complete with infinity pool, gin bar, and the best and warmest of African hospitality. It took all my inner strength to get me to leave this place.
Although the Masai Mara is best known for its annual Great Migration of more than two million wildebeest, game-viewing is actually excellent throughout the year. A birder’s paradise, there are more than 500 species of bird here, and spectacular wildlife includes the majestic black-maned lion. My hot-air balloon safari was a fitting end to a spectacular stay in the Masai Mara. Definitely something worth adding on if time and budget allows!
From here I headed south to Amboseli National Park for a stay at Elewana Tortilis Camp, set against the backdrop of a snow-capped Mt Kilimanjaro. Kilimanjaro was once part of Kenya, but on the marriage of Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany, Queen Victoria gifted it to her beloved grandson, whose colony Tanzania then was, as the perfect wedding present. The mountain now provides water for the park, wonderful views and, of course, the most glorious background for animal photography.
Here, I love the fact that the camp’s walking guides are Maasai from the local community who have been walking over these plains since childhood. They are genuinely happy to share their knowledge of the terrain, traditional uses of wild herbs and barks and the Maasai way of life.
Last, and anything but least, was my stay at Finch Hattons Luxury Safari Camp in the Chyulu Hills of Kenya’s oldest National Park – Tsavo. Here, as well as game drives, you can enjoy walks through the mystical Cloud Forest, to the Shetani Lava Flow or to the summit of the Ol Doinyo Ololarami volcano, community visits and stargazing. A great place to appreciate that safaris are about more than wildlife. The landscapes and the people were just amazing. My first time in Tsavo, but I will be back!
In fact, Kenya….I will be back! Purely in the interests of professional development of course…..
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