Virtuoso Exceptional Experiences (10 days)

Arrive at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. After clearing customs and immigration formalities, you will be met by an A&K representative transferred to the Hemingways Nairobi.

Hemingways Nairobi is a boutique hotel in the serene, green suburb of Karen. The hotel bears South Carolina plantation style dimensions, huge verandahs and enormous windows that let all the light in and deliver views across the knuckles of the Ngong Hills. Inside a graciously winding Gone with the Wind staircase leads from the lobby to the top floor.

The hotel sports 45 beautifully furnished rooms with high ceilings and king sized beds. And, despite an elegant retro feel - punkahs gently paddle the air to keep it cool, potted palms dot the interior - is up to the minute modern with express check in, WiFi, spa and gym.

Hemingways prides itself on a uniquely individual service which includes a personal butler who will assist with unpacking as necessary, pressing anything that's creased in transit, delivering morning tea and generally anticipating your every whim.

After breakfast, transfer to Nairobi's Wilson Airport for your private charter flight to Segera Conservancy, Laikipia.

Set in the wild heart of 50,000 acres of working cattle ranch on the Laikipia Plains in northern Kenya, Segera Retreat was established by conservationist, art collector and former CEO of Puma, Jochen Zeitz

Six timber and thatch villas, which perfectly combine wild Africa living with sleek, contemporary touches, are elevated on wooden platforms that lend long views to Mt Kenya in the distance. Each is fabulously, thoughtfully furnished, down to swing beds where guests can either while away afternoons daydreaming or use, draped in mosquito net, to sleep under the stars

Villa Segera, tucked away as the quintessential romantic hideaway for a couple, means you can dine privately if you like and swim in your own salt water pool. Larger Segera House is perfect for families. Its ornate north African doors, testament to Jochen's passion for arts, swing open to a huge living area lit with elaborate chandeliers. The galleried staircase leads to two vast bedrooms with en suite bathrooms that look across the surrounding bush.

The Retreat's philosophy - based on a 4C approach: Conservation, Community, Culture and Commerce - means real sustainability, and activities are organized to promote the same values - guided walks, game drives and getting to know the local tribes. At the end of a busy day, you can take in the view with a sundowner and either enjoy dinner al fresco, in your own villa or at the top of the Wine Tower,: a concrete, cone-shaped, above-ground cellar with optimum storage conditions for over 2 000 bottles, it's cooled by solar energy with a rainwater harvesting tank at its foundation.

There’s plenty of adventure to be had on Segera - from camel and horseback riding, walking safaris, quad biking and even river rafting!

Experience the unique exhilaration of riding on the plains with a herd of zebra, walking gently through a graceful forest of giraffe or past a herd of elephant.

The camel is the traditional mode of transport in the dry land of Northern Kenya and another great way to experience Laikipia.

A great way to view the stunning diversity of Laikipia is on foot. You will be accompanied by traditional Samburu guides whose knowledge of local flora, fauna, cultural and history is unmatched.

After breakfast this morning, hop on to a helicopter and go for an amazing aerial excursion to Lake Turkana.

The world’s largest permanent desert lake, Turkana (formally Lake Rudolf) is wild in character, with its parched volcanic beaches, granite outcrops and remoteness. Nile crocodile in abundance live here, alongside hippos, and hundreds of species of bird and fish. The lakes shores have revealed the oldest-known fossil remains of Homo habilis. Today, more than a quarter million indigenous peoples from several different tribes depend on this lake.

Fly over the breathtaking Rift Valley escarpment soaring 4,000ft above the wilds of the Suguta Valley. The scenery is magnificent; fly down into the Suguta and through gorges of multi‐coloured rock strata, possibly spotting small elusive groups of Lesser Kudu. Continue past the shallow soda Lake Logipi. The sight of hundreds of thousands of flamingos over the lake is a unique experience, which is followed a few minutes later by the first view of Lake Turkana, also known as the Jade Sea, because of its bright turquoise colour of its waters. This desert lake is home to the famous and warlike Turkana tribe and you will start to see their basic settlements as you get closer to the lake. This area is also an active volcanic region and is strewn with dormant as well as extinct volcanic cones and lava flows, the most impressive of these being Nabuyatom Cone on the southern point of Lake Turkana.

Continue around the Western shore of Lake Turkana before a short water crossing to the South Island. It is possible to spot the gigantic Nile crocodile (the lake has the world’s single largest crocodile population) from the air basking on the desolate beaches. For keen fishermen permissions can be obtained to land on the island and fish for giant Nile Perch from the shores (while keeping a sharp eye out for crocodiles)!

Morning at leisure at Desert Rose. It is a small family hosted lodge nestled 6000ft into the side of Mount Nyiru. This sacred mountain has fresh water springs, cedar forests and a sparkling, gushing river that runs from the top of the mountain all the way down into the luggas down on the Desert floor.

Enjoy brunch at a riverside dining spot nearby the mountain stream. You can enjoy an exciting rock slide to cool off.

In the early afternoon, leave for the airstrip for your private charter flight to the Maasai Mara. The flight will allow you to follow the edge of the Great Rift Valley, over the lunar landscape of the Suguta with its river, sand dunes, volcanoes, lava flows; climbing up over the spectacular Silali Volcano crater, towards Lake Baringo, where we might stop if time permits. Then over the alkaline Lake of Lake Bogoria and Lake Nakuru, surrounded by a rim of pink flamingos and to the Maasai Mara.

On arrival in Angama Mara airstrip, you will be met and transferred to camp.

Perched high up on the Olololoo escarpment, Angama - the name derives from the Swahili for 'suspended in mid air' - lends an extraordinary view across the world renowned Maasai Mara; you can see for hundreds of miles from your tent - whether lying in bed, eating breakfast on the deck or brushing your teeth - . Africa is even reflected in the mirrors above the handwash basins in the bathroom. It floods in, none of it's wasted.

Angama - two intimate camps of just fifteen tented suites each - is seriously funky, the design and furnishing fabulously interesting. There's masses to do in camp as well as out - there's a pool, a spa, a gym, even a beading studio where Maasai women work their incredible, intricate craft. There are delicious meals to be eaten - picnics, bush barbeques, sumptuous afternoon teas. There's walks, game drive, balloon drives. And the view; always that view.

You have the day to explore this reserve.

The jewel in Africa's crown, Maasai Mara is host to the most spectacular array of wildlife. Her 1,510 square kilometers of open savannah, woodlands and tree-lined rivers creates an eco-system which supports huge numbers of bird and mammal species. Lion are found in abundance throughout the park as are elephant, giraffe, a variety of gazelle species and zebra. Cheetah and leopard are also regularly seen and, if lucky, you may also find rhino.

Game viewing is never dull in the Mara, and patience is often rewarded with unique sightings. The annual wildebeest migration traditionally is present in the Mara from July-September and at this time nature's dramas unfold before your very eyes at every turn.

Early morning wake up with hot drink of your choice and depart for your private early morning balloon ride.

As the balloon is inflated against the first rays of sunrise your pilot will go through safety procedures. It's then time to climb aboard. Once aloft, the balloon floats gently over the plains, giving a bird's eye view of the game below as the sun creeps slowly over the horizon. Spread beneath you is a panorama of Africa - elephants looking improbably small; giraffe browsing amongst the treetops; antelope grazing; a pair of lionesses stalking a herd of wildebeest; an eagle guarding his eerie; and cheetah glancing up as the shadow of the huge balloon crosses their paths.

Later in the day, go on a Maasai Village visit. The colourful and vibrant Maasai people are one of the few communities in Kenya to retain their culture and traditions. Clients will be welcomed into the village with a traditional dance followed by a guided tour by the chief. He will also give a brief talk to the group about the life style of the Maasai people. They will then be introduced to some of the families and invited into their homes where they will have the unique opportunity to see how they live.

Browse the beautiful traditional handiwork of the Maasai Women. Join in the jumping dance and later learn how to light a fire with just two sticks!

After a day spent in the Mara, sharing the experiences of the day with a gin and tonic or a nice cocktail in your hand is the best way to meet the sunsets over the Masai Mara. Watch as the sun dips over the horizon from a carefully selected vantage point as you listen to your guide spin tales about his culture, the flora and fauna of the Mara.

After breakfast you will be transferred to Wilson Airport for the scheduled 07:30 flight to Tsavo.

You will arrive at 08:30 at the airstrip where you will be met by your host and transferred to the camp with a game-drive en-route. Once you have arrived at the camp you will check in and be shown to your room where you can freshen up in time for lunch.

After lunch there are a few hours to relax and enjoy the view from your veranda before setting off into the bush for an afternoon game drive.

Alternatively described as 'Kenya's finest camp' and 'the most luxurious tented camp in Africa', Finch Hatton’s is richly deserving of the superlatives. Situated along three spring-fed pools on the southwestern edge of Tsavo West, this luxurious camp offers a wildlife-rich oasis in an otherwise dry and barren land. But what Finch Hatton’s really does best is the luxury business. Its namesake, the hunter and Karen Blixen's lover, Denys Finch Hatton, was renowned for going on safari with a bathtub, a gramophone player and the finest French wines. Finch Hatton’s certainly lives up to his name, with its glinting chandeliers, crystal glasses and discreet kanzu-clad waiters. The 35 tents are a picture of sophistication, with broad beds, antique furniture, minibars and luxurious bathrooms. The camp has a large fleet of safari vehicles and, for those who miss its thrice-weekly flight from Nairobi, its own plane.

Here you will get to experience a little of the views and wildlife that Denys looked upon when he first came to Africa. It is in fact in this very park that Denys met his early end. In May 1931 Denys flew to his cottage near Mombasa in his Gypsy Moth for a few days of rest and relaxation. On his way back to Nairobi he stopped off in Voi – the town closest to Tsavo National Park - to do an aerial search for the Tsavo elephant herds that had eluded him for some time. However as his plane lifted off the next day – May 14th 1931 – it unexpectedly stalled and came crashing to the ground killing both Denys and Hamisi his employee. He died at the young age of 44 leaving behind a bereaved Karen Blixen – as per his wishes he was buried on the side of the Ngong Hills on the outskirts of Nairobi.

The section of Tsavo National Park south of the Mombasa Road, 9,000-square-kilometre Tsavo West provides a unique step back in time - to the days when tens of thousands of giant beasts roamed this forested land. Today, the forests are gone - the result of too many elephants and too little rain - but, thanks to the abundant snowmelt from Kilimanjaro, the land continues to water a huge variety of wildlife, from elephant and buffalo to lion, leopard, oryx, lesser kudu and klipspringer.

Even the dangerously depleted black rhino are making a minor comeback in a small, fiercely-guarded 70-square-kilometre sanctuary. Tsavo West's boundaries encompass a huge variety of habitats, from the lush forests on the Chyulu Hills to arid desert plains, rich riverine groves to the haunting lava-flows of Shaitani. The park's undisputed showpiece is the crystal clear bounty of Mzima Springs, where in an oasis of raffia palms and fig trees the melting snows of Kilimanjaro pump over 50 million gallons of water out of the ground each day. An underwater observation post here offers a novel close encounter with the large crocodile and pods of hippo that flourish in the cold waters.

Following breakfast, bid farewell to your lodge staff as you leave the Tsavo and transfer to the airstrip for your charter flight across the Rift Valley and to Karen.

You have day rooms reserved at the Hemingways. You have the option of going on some last minute shopping at the nearby stores.

Later you will be transferred to the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport for your departure flight.