Kenya SkySafari – Amboseli, Laikipia & Masai Mara

Kenya’s capital and the tech hub of Africa, with a national park spread beneath its skyscrapers, Nairobi is unique. We’ll whisk you away from the hubbub to Hemingways, a sumptuous haven of calm, built on an old coffee plantation at the foot of the Ngong Hills. It’s ideally placed for exploring – perhaps to feed the inmates at the Giraffe Centre, meet orphaned elephants at the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust or visit the Karen Blixen Museum. Or you might simply feel like relaxing on site, where you can wander the bird-filled gardens, dip in the pool, take afternoon tea on the terrace or sip cocktails in the Hemingways bar.

Amboseli is Africa at its most iconic. This vastness of open plains, swampland, thorn bush and fever trees unfurls below snow-capped Kilimanjaro, the world’s highest freestanding peak and an unrivalled safari backdrop. And what a safari: part of a two million acre ecosystem, crossing from Kenya into Tanzania, Amboseli is one of the best wildlife-viewing locations around. Most notable are its 100-strong herds of elephants – including big old tuskers – but there’s an abundance of other species too, from buffalo and hyena to lion and cheetah as well as over 600 types of birds.

The opulent thatched tents of Tortilis Camp, your Amboseli base, nestle in a private conservancy, gazing across at Kilimanjaro. An ecotourism award-winner, Tortilis delivers high comfort with a low environmental impact. It also employs some of the best guides in the business, who will reveal both Amboseli’s star attractions and its minute, magical details. Set your alarm to early for the morning game drives. This is when the plains stir, the animals are most active, the big cats are returning from a night of hunting. These are also the golden hours for photographers, as dawn light rose-tints the savannah and Kilimanjaro is most likely to be free of cloud. A lavish breakfast, devoured out in the bush, more than makes up for the 5am start. Your days don’t end there. Head out on afternoon drives for more encounters – maybe elephants upclose, giraffes drinking at the waterholes and raptors swooping above. Or stride out on a walking safari for a fresh and exhilarating perspective: follow animal tracks, taste bush herbs, meet the Small Five and be amazed by the antics of insects, while completely (but safely) exposed to the bush. As the day draws to a close, raise a classic African Sundowner: nothing says safari like an ice-cool G&T, sipped as the sun disappears.

Great game, good looks, high adventure, an exclusive feel and a groundbreaking attitude to conservation make the Loisaba Conservancy one of the most exciting destinations in Kenya. Sitting within Northern Laikipia, it’s a ravishing landscape of rolling river valleys, rich forests and open plains, home to the Big Five, endangered rarities like wild dog and more than 260 species of birds. As the wildlife is varied here, so are your options for getting out among it. The contemporary-luxe Loisaba Tented Camp – perched on an escarpment, with unhindered views to Mt Kenya – offers excellent game drives, of course. But you can also ride through the bush on horse-back – a thrilling way to get unusually close to wild animals. Or you could bound down the ridges by mountain bike, raft through canyons and take a sunset trek by camel. Or witness Loisaba’s cutting-edge conservation first hand. Visit the conservancy headquarters to see the extraordinary work being done here and meet the sniffer dogs – Warrior, Machine, Memusi and Nanyokie – and the anti-poaching team to find out how they safeguard the wilderness. For the ultimate unwind, sink into the camp’s infinity pool before a very special night’s sleep… Roll a fourposter Starbed out onto your decking and drift off to the tweets, snaps, howls and bellows of the bush, with nothing between you and the galaxies above.

Nowhere in Africa is wildlife more abundant than the magnificent Masai Mara. Creatures galore roam these sweeping, acacia-dotted plains. And while the seasonal migration of two million wildebeest, zebra and gazelle crossing from the Serengeti is one of Mother Nature’s greatest spectacles, the profusion of wildlife here – from 450 species of bird to the Big Five – makes it one of the best safari spots year round. The Mara will never disappoint. The animal encounters – often so close you hardly dare breathe – are just too good. But at  Sand River Masai Mara, it goes above and beyond. You’ll feel a little bit movie star at this opulent 1920s-style camp, with its dark wood, draped four-posters and antique furnishings adding bygone glamour to the bush. Even better is the camp’s location, on the banks of the serene Sand River: you might spot herds of ungulates crossing from the comfort of your own verandah. Head further afield, in the camp’s custom-designed 4WDs, with expert Maasai guides, to look for roaming elephants and lions on the hunt. Then return to base for the most dazzling of endings: a private table, set up in the wilderness, for dinner under the stars.

Relax over breakfast before jetting back to Nairobi, where cocktails at Hemingways await – whether you’re about to fly home or continue your journey, you’ll want to toast this sublime Kenyan adventure.