This East African country is famous for one of nature’s most spectacular phenomena, the annual migration of over a million wildebeest; which equally, this epic journey, has been watched by millions, on countless National Geographic documentaries the world over. Your adventure into Kenya will begin with a distinctly Colonial touch evident in Nairobi, the capital city. It’s a fitting taste of the stark contrasts encountered in this land of wide open plains, a country where Mount Kenya’s exquisite snow-capped peaks tower above the tinder dry grasslands beneath it. Kenya is a wildlife paradise. The rugged and remote Samburu National Reserve lies in the semi-desert area of Kenya’s Northern Frontier District. For sheer physical drama, the lava plain with the great Ololokwe Table Mountain in the background is pure magic. Big cat lovers will want to visit Kenya’s most pristine reserve, Shaba National Reserve, with its unique riverine swamp so superb for leopard viewing.

Migrations are further evidence of the great contrasts of Kenya. Flocks of greater and lesser flamingoes settle on Lake Nakuru, a shallow soda lake, and create these glorious pink ribbons along the lake’s edge. Masai Mara National Reserve is the 1 510 square kilometre northern extension of the Serengeti Plains in Tanzania, and is the hallowed site of the annual wildebeest migration as they trek south against some life-threatening odds – largely crocodiles - in search of fresh grasslands. For those who want to slip into something a little more comfortable after one of the wilder safari experiences on offer, little compares with a few days in the heart of lion country in the Tsavo Wilderness Area in the south, followed by time-out on the softest, whitest beaches of Mombasa, Kenya’s second largest town.

HIGHLIGHTS

• View the famous symbol of Africa - Mount Kilimanjaro.
• See huge flocks of flamingoes at the edge of Lake Nakuru.
• Experience a hot air balloon safari, over the endless plains of the Masai Mara.
• Witness the spectacular wildebeest migration across the Masai Mara.
• Explore the picturesque town of Mombasa, with its maze of narrow streets and quaint open-front shops.
• Enjoy a romantic candle-lit dinner on board the Tamarind Dhow.