The SkySafari Kenya is an 8 or 10-day flying safari that delivers maximum variety and adventure in high style, with high efficiency. There’s no needless waiting or stops en route. Not a minute wasted. You’ll be driven straight onto the strip to board elegant private aircraft to soar straight to your next exquisite home, deep in the wilderness. That means more time tracking big cats on foot, learning bird calls, searching for the Big Five and chinking G&T glasses as the sun sinks below the horizon.
The SkySafari Kenya is A-list decadence at an affordable price. And it is kind to the planet too. Every one of the trips contributes to Land & Life. A foundation committed to a sustainable future that sees local communities benefit from tourism, safeguarding nature for the next generation.
SkySafari Kenya 8 or 10-day Flying Safari
There are two options for SkySafari Kenya. The 8-day / 7-night itinerary stays 1 night at Hemingways Nairobi, 2 nights at Elsa’s Kopje in Meru National Park, 2 nights at Loisaba Tented Camp (Loisaba Conservancy in Laikipia), and 2 nights at Sand River Masai Mara Camp (Masai Mara).
The 10 day / 9 night itinerary stays 1 night at Hemingways Nairobi, 2 nights at Elewana Tortilis Camp (Amboseli), 2 nights at Elewana Loisaba Tented Camp, 1 night at Elewana Loisaba Star Beds (both in Loisaba Conservancy in Laikipia), and 3 nights at Sand River Masai Mara Camp (Masai Mara).
Skip to SkySafari Kenya Rates or SkySafari Kenya Specials Offers
Day 1
A city where giraffe and zebra roam right in the city limits. The hubbub can seem overwhelming. But we’ll ease your arrival, fast-tracking you from airport to Hemingways, an enclave of sophisticated calm. This five-star all-suite retreat sits at the foot of the Ngong Hills, in extensive gardens with abundant bird life. It’s the perfect spot for sinking into holiday mode. Enjoying a delicious dinner, toasting the start of your Kenya SkySafari with a cocktail or two.
Accommodation Hemingways Nairobi in deluxe room on half board basis (includes breakfast, dinner, and selected local drinks). Excludes lunches, premium drinks and laundry.
Day 2
Rise and shine: it’s your first morning in Africa. After breakfast, we’ll drive you right onto the runway for your SkySafari flight. Direct to Meru National Park.
A vast wilderness, Meru National Park features jungle, coursing rivers, swampland, khaki grasslands and gaunt termite cathedrals, all intertwined under a seemingly endless African sky. Little visited and utterly unspoiled, few places are comparable.
Meru was brought to fame in the 1960s through Joy Adamson’s best-selling book, Born Free. The true story of Elsa the lioness, and her release into the wild. The 1966 feature film of the same starred Virginia McKenna and Bill Travers. It was the first of its kind to depict wild animals as endearing creatures, whose plight the audience could sympathize with. George Adamson continued to work with lions, living to the south of Meru National Park, until his death in 1989. Both Joy Adamson, and Elsa the lioness, are buried there.
Elsa’s Kopje is in the heart of the park, perched around the rocky Mughwango hill and offering 360 degree views that stretch from the 17,000 foot peak of Mt Kenya to the east, to virtually infinity to the west. Below the hill is the site of George Adamson’s camp, and the hill was the playground of Elsa the lion. There is a fertile spring to the east of the hill and guests can watch vast herds of elephant, buffalo and giraffe make their way across the plains below. Elsa’s Kopje is one of only two lodges in the National Park, and so guests will have this vast wilderness practically to themselves.
Accommodation Elewana Elsa’s Kopje on full board basis including all meals, bottled water, juice, local beer, house wine by the glass and non-premium spirits plus laundry
Day 3
An early start this morning for your game drive. This is when the plains are a-stir, the animals most active. And the big cats are returning from a night on the hunt. Enjoy a bush breakfast before returning to camp.
Meru has enormous diversity of habitat and wildlife, from cool forests at 3400 ft to the west, dropping down to 1000 ft semi-desert plains with giant baobab and commiphora trees. It has thirteen clear spring fed rivers lined with palms and riverine forest, and home to basking hippo. This is lion and elephant country, but you’ll also discover rare species including caracal, the beautiful Lesser Kudu, aardwolf, and over 400 species of birds. The park also has an 84 sq km rhino sanctuary housing over 60 black and white rhino.
There’s time to relax back at camp before a buffet lunch. Enjoy a swim, massage, or a good book in the sun. Then prepare for your most intimate encounter with the bush. Local guides, who know almost every blade grass, will lead you on a walking safari. You’ll follow animal tracks, taste bush herbs, revel in the tiny details, perhaps encounter something larger. It’s a fresh, thrilling perspective.
As the day draws to a close, raise a classic African sun downer. Nothing says safari like an ice-cool G&T. Sipped as the sun disappears, before a private dinner under the stars.
Accommodation Elewana Elsa’s Kopje on full board basis including all meals, bottled water, juice, local beer, house wine by the glass and non-premium spirits plus laundry.
Day 4
Take it all in, before venturing out in the camp’s custom-designed 4WDs for one last game drive. Then we’ll whisk you to the airstrip for a seamless and spectacular flight to Loisaba Conservancy on the Laikipia Plateau. With the second-highest density of wildlife in the country and a groundbreaking attitude to conservation, this is one of the most exciting destinations in Kenya.
You’ll be met like a VIP and plunged right into the action. The transfer from airstrip to Loisaba Tented Camp doubles as a game drive. Laikipia is one of only a few places in Africa where wildlife numbers are on the increase. From the Big Five to the endangered Grevy’s zebra.
Gold Eco-rated Loisaba Tented Camp sits perched on the edge of an escarpment, with unhindered views over rolling river valleys, rich forests and open plains to Mt Kenya. Intimate and elegant in design, the camp is also a hub for cutting-edge conservation. Find out more over drinks and dinner. Before retiring to your tent, where floor-to-ceiling windows invite the outside in and the night sky views are unmatched.
Accommodation Elewana Loisaba Tented Camp on full board basis including all meals, bottled water, juice, local beer, house wine by the glass and non-premium spirits plus laundry.
Day 5
There’s nothing quite like stepping out into the wilderness at dawn. The cool, the colors, the frisson of being at one with the wilderness. A Samburu guide will lead you on an early walk, so you can watch, smell, feel the bush wake up. Take breakfast back at camp, then enjoy some down time. Relaxing on the deck or dipping in one of Africa’s most astonishing infinity pools.
After lunch, the choice is yours. Head out on a game drive for more marvelous wildlife-spotting. Rarities like patas monkey, reticulated giraffe or wild dog might be seen. Try casting a line in Loisaba’s great rivers. Or pay a visit to the conservancy headquarters to meet the sniffer dogs and the anti-poaching team to find out how they safeguard the wilderness.
End the day the only way. With sun downers as the sun sinks and dinner under the stars.
Accommodation Elewana Loisaba Tented Camp on full board basis including all meals, bottled water, juice, local beer, house wine by the glass and non-premium spirits plus laundry.
Day 6
If you can bear to leave your bed in the bush, tuck into breakfast and scour this astonishing wilderness one last time on your game-drive ride to Loisaba’s airstrip. Then hop aboard your SkySafari flight and prepare to touch down in an African icon: the matchless Masai Mara.
Your ride from the airstrip to Sand River Masai Mara Camp, a secluded spot in the southern area of reserve, is your first game drive. Don’t be surprised if you meet most of the Big Five before lunch. Even if you don’t, your afternoon game drive might oblige. These acacia-dotted plains are dense with game. Keep your eyes peeled for lion, leopard and cheetah, hyena, giraffe and elephant, and 500-plus species of bird.
Raising a classic sun downer in this classic tranche of wilderness is the perfect way to toast the day. Returning to Sand River Masai Mara is the icing on the cake. There are few more elegant places to stay than this camp, which oozes 1920s glamour.
Accommodation Elewana Sand River Masai Mara on full board basis including all meals, bottled water, juice, local beer, house wine by the glass and non-premium spirits plus laundry.
Day 7
After a dawn breakfast, set off with a packed picnic hamper for a full day’s game drive. Delve deeper into the reserve. Nowhere in Africa is wildlife more abundant than the Masai Mara National Reserve. 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 in the Mara, from 450 species of bird to the Big Five, makes it one of the best safari spots year round.
The area is culturally fascinating too. Much of the Greater Mara-Serengeti Ecosystem falls under the ownership of Masai communities. A village visit to see traditional Maasai homes and rituals, or even (for the kids) to try warrior training; makes for an eye-opening afternoon. There’s also the chance to visit a local school supported by Land & Life Foundation so you can see its work in action.
Of course, you might enjoy your best sightings without going anywhere at all. The Sand River Masai Mara sits right on the annual migration route. So the drama may play out just beyond your verandah.
Accommodation Elewana Sand River Masai Mara on full board basis including all meals, bottled water, juice, local beer, house wine by the glass and non-premium spirits plus laundry.
Day 8
Enjoy your last few hours, gazing out from camp across the watercourse and riverine forest, looking out for breakfasting beasts and birds. Before driving back to the airstrip for your final SkySafari flight to Nairobi. Rather than hang around the airport, we’ll deliver you to the tranquility of Hemingways. Where you can freshen up in a day room and enjoy that last ice-cold Tusker (popular Kenya beer) before flying home.
Day 1
A city where giraffe and zebra roam right in the city limits. The hubbub can seem overwhelming. But we’ll ease your arrival, fast-tracking you from airport to Hemingways, an enclave of sophisticated calm. This five-star all-suite retreat sits at the foot of the Ngong Hills, in extensive bird flittered gardens. It’s the perfect spot for sinking into holiday mode. Enjoying a delicious dinner, toasting the start of your Kenya SkySafari with a cocktail or two.
Accommodation Hemingways Nairobi in deluxe room on half board basis (includes breakfast, dinner, and selected local drinks). Excludes lunches, premium drinks and laundry.
Day 2
Rise and shine: it’s your first morning in Africa. After breakfast, we’ll drive you right onto the runway for your SkySafari flight, direct to Amboseli National Park.
In no time you’ll be kicking back at Elewana Tortilis Camp, eating lunch in the shadow of Mount Kilimanjaro. Unlike most Amboseli lodges, which are in the middle of the park, Gold Eco-rated Tortilis is set away from the rest. On the pristine southwest border, with the best mountain views and full access to both Amboseli and an exclusive private conservancy.
Tortilis has been key in developing community-owned conservancies, where land outside national parks is secured for wildlife preservation. It’s beneficial for animals and local people, and for you too. Encounters with big game here tend to be higher quality, more frequent, more electrifying.
Also, few other travelers explore this area. When you head out on your afternoon game drive, you’re unlikely to see anyone else. Just prolific wildlife. From huge herds of habituated elephant (Tortilis’ guides know all the elephant families and their histories) to cape buffalo and hyena, giraffe and zebra, and over 600 species of birds.
Discuss the late-afternoon’s action over a delicious dinner back at camp. Before a night in your luxe tent, sleeping soundly in the bush.
Accommodation Elewana Tortilis Camp on full board basis including all meals, bottled water, juice, local beer, house wine by the glass and non-premium spirits plus laundry.
Day 3
Be prepared: your alarm will ring rudely early. But it’s worth the 5am wake-up to get out for that morning game drive when the plains are a-stir. The animals most active, and the big cats returning from a night on the hunt. These are also the golden hours for photographers. As dawn light rose-tints the savanna and Kilimanjaro is most likely to be free of cloud. After a wild start, enjoy a lavish bush breakfast amid the acacia trees.
There’s time to relax back at camp. Enjoy a swim, massage, or a good book in the sun before a buffet lunch. Then prepare for your most intimate encounter with the bush. Local guides, who know almost every blade grass, will lead you on a walking safari. You’ll follow animal tracks, taste bush herbs, revel in the tiny details, perhaps encounter something larger. It’s a fresh, thrilling perspective.
As the day draws to a close, raise a classic African sun downer. Nothing says safari like an ice-cool G&T, sipped as the sun disappears, before a private dinner under the stars.
Accommodation Elewana Tortilis Camp on full board basis including all meals, bottled water, juice, local beer, house wine by the glass and non-premium spirits plus laundry.
Day 4
Breakfast will never be the same again, now you’ve eaten it with Kilimanjaro looming beyond the coffee cups.
Take it all in, before venturing out in the camp’s custom-designed 4WDs for one last game drive. One last chance to see Amboseli’s big cats, big herds, big drama. Then we’ll whisk you to the airstrip for a seamless and spectacular flight to Loisaba Conservancy on the Laikipia Plateau. With the second-highest density of wildlife in the country and a groundbreaking attitude to conservation, this is one of the most exciting destinations in Kenya.
You’ll be met like a VIP and plunged right into the action. The transfer from airstrip to Loisaba Tented Camp doubles as a game drive. Laikipia is one of only a few places in Africa where wildlife numbers are on the increase. From the Big Five to the endangered Grevy’s zebra.
Gold Eco-rated Loisaba Tented Camp sits perched on the edge of an escarpment, with unhindered views over rolling river valleys, rich forests and open plains to Mt Kenya. Intimate and elegant in design, the camp is also a hub for cutting-edge conservation. Find out more over drinks and dinner. Before retiring to your tent, where floor-to-ceiling windows invite the outside in and the night sky views are unmatched.
Accommodation Elewana Loisaba Tented Camp on full board basis including all meals, bottled water, juice, local beer, house wine by the glass and non-premium spirits plus laundry.
Day 5
There’s nothing quite like stepping out into the wilderness at dawn. The cool, the colors, the frisson of being at one with the wilderness. A Samburu guide will lead you on an early walk, so you can watch, smell, feel the bush wake up. Take breakfast back at camp, then enjoy some down time. Relaxing on the deck or dipping in one of Africa’s most astonishing infinity pools.
After lunch, the choice is yours. Head out on a game drive for more marvelous wildlife-spotting. Rarities like patas monkey, reticulated giraffe or wild dog might be seen. Try casting a line in Loisaba’s great rivers. Or pay a visit to the conservancy headquarters to meet the sniffer dogs and the anti-poaching team to find out how they safeguard the wilderness.
End the day the only way. With sun downers as the sun sinks and dinner under the stars.
Accommodation Elewana Loisaba Tented Camp on full board basis including all meals, bottled water, juice, local beer, house wine by the glass and non-premium spirits plus laundry.
Day 6
You get to choose how your day begins. Another game drive, perhaps? Or how about a bush walk (or run) with your Samburu guide? Or maybe an outing on horse or camel back. An exhilarating way to get unusually close to wild animals. Whatever activity you pick, follow it up with breakfast in the bush and a rejuvenating pamper in the spa.
Linger over lunch on the deck before your final afternoon game drive. Loisaba is an important migration area for Laikipia’s huge elephant population. So excellent sightings are frequent. Unusual species such as greater kudu and beisa oryx are found here too.
Tonight, you could choose something rather special. Poised on a rocky kopje, Elewana Loisaba Star Beds offers the chance to sleep outside in style. Roll your rustic four-poster out onto the verandah. Lay back and look up at the endless, unpolluted, star-spangled African sky. Those not wishing to spend the night under the stars remain at Loisaba Tented Camp.
Accommodation Elewana Loisaba Star Beds or Elewana Loisaba Tented Camp on full board basis including all meals, bottled water, juice, local beer, house wine by the glass and non-premium spirits plus laundry.
Day 7
If you can bear to leave your bed in the bush, tuck into breakfast and scour this astonishing wilderness one last time on your game-drive ride to Loisaba’s airstrip. Then hop aboard your SkySafari flight and prepare to touch down in an African icon: the matchless Masai Mara.
Your ride from the airstrip to Sand River Masai Mara Camp, a secluded spot in the southern area of reserve, is your first game drive. Don’t be surprised if you meet most of the Big Five before lunch. Even if you don’t, your afternoon game drive might oblige. These acacia-dotted plains are dense with game. Keep your eyes peeled for lion, leopard and cheetah, hyena, giraffe and elephant, and 500-plus species of bird.
Raising a classic sun downer in this classic tranche of wilderness is the perfect way to toast the day. Returning to Sand River Masai Mara is the icing on the cake. There are few more elegant places to stay than this camp, which oozes 1920s glamour.
Accommodation Sand River Masai Mara on full board basis including all meals, bottled water, juice, local beer, house wine by the glass and non-premium spirits plus laundry.
Day 8
After a dawn breakfast, set off with a packed picnic hamper for a full day’s game drive. Delve deeper into the reserve. Nowhere in Africa is wildlife more abundant than the Masai Mara National Reserve. 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 in the Mara, from 450 species of bird to the Big Five, makes it one of the best safari spots year round.
The area is culturally fascinating too. Much of the Greater Mara-Serengeti Ecosystem falls under the ownership of Masai communities. A village visit to see traditional Maasai homes and rituals, or even (for the kids) to try warrior training; makes for an eye-opening afternoon. There’s also the chance to visit a local school supported by Land & Life Foundation so you can see its work in action.
Of course, you might enjoy your best sightings without going anywhere at all. The Sand River Masai Mara sits right on the annual migration route. So the drama may play out just beyond your verandah.
Accommodation Sand River Masai Mara on full board basis including all meals, bottled water, juice, local beer, house wine by the glass and non-premium spirits plus laundry.
Day 9
Another day, another wonderful dawn wake-up. This morning’s game drive will seek out big cats and small birds, roaming wildebeest and rare black rhino. The Masai Mara is a stronghold for these increasingly rare creatures. Watch the sun rise over the peaceful plains and tuck into breakfast in the bush.
By now you’ll be at one with the rhythms of the wilderness. You’ll be used to rising early, and then dozing before lunch. Eating while watching the comings and goings by the riverbank. Then setting out on an afternoon drive. You’ll have seen so much. Though there’s always more and the camp’s expert guides will ensure you don’t miss a thing.
After a sun downer in the bush, return to base for the most dazzling of endings. A private table, set up in the wilderness, for dinner under the stars.
Accommodation Sand River Masai Mara on full board basis including all meals, bottled water, juice, local beer, house wine by the glass and non-premium spirits plus laundry.
Day 10
Enjoy your last few hours, gazing out from camp across the watercourse and riverine forest, looking out for breakfasting beasts and birds. Before driving back to the airstrip for your final SkySafari flight to Nairobi. Rather than hang around the airport, we’ll deliver you to the tranquility of Hemingways. Where you can freshen up in a day room and enjoy that last ice-cold Tusker (popular Kenya beer) before flying home.
Extensions to your SkySafari Kenya
We know that Africa is apt to get under your skin; you probably won’t want to leave. So we’re happy to help you extend your stay beyond the regular SkySafaris, in whatever way you choose.
We can organize additional time at any of the opulent Elewana Collection properties (or any other properties). Perhaps you’d like to spend longer in the Masai Mara to maximize your immersion in the Great Migration? Or maybe you’d like extra days in one of East Africa’s unique conservancies, so you can fit in more activities. Perhaps a camel trek, river raft or hot-air balloon ride?
We can also arrange some well-earned R&R by the ocean. After all those early starts on safari, you might fancy a few days – or weeks – simply lazing on the beach. And we know just the spots.
Kenya’s Elewana Afrochic Diani Beach* sits right on one of the country’s most dazzling stretches of sand. With only ten elegant rooms, it’s an intimate escape, where you can lounge by the pool, snorkel teeming coral reefs, drift off on dhow cruises and watch humpback whales pass by.
*Currently closed for a major refurbishment.
Head for Elewana Kilindi Zanzibar, arguably the spice island’s most romantic retreat. Sink into one of its dreamy pavilions (each with private plunge pool and butler) and unwind amid the coconut palms and casuarina trees. Have a post-safari pamper in the spa, explore the ocean by kayak, paddle board or boat, and toast your trip with a candlelit dinner on the beach.
Whether you want more time in the bush or on the beach, we can make it happen.
About SkySafari Kenya Planes
Want to travel like a VIP? Each of the small fleet of executive-class planes has an air of opulence and exclusivity. Huge white-leather seats, and a maximum of only nine passengers (with one seat next to the pilot). They undergo rigorous and regular maintenance, too. The flights are private, personal and direct. Scheduled flights make stops along the way, before you get to your lodge airstrip. On SkySafari, there’s no needless waiting or stops en route. You’ll be whisked straight into the wilderness. Another big advantage of a SkySafari is a generous luggage allowance. Normal flights for safaris have a 15kg luggage allowance. SkySafari has a 20kg allowance plus 3kg hand luggage.
Best time for SkySafari Kenya
There is no best time, each season has its own special features. Travel in the Green Season from April to May and the less dry period from mid-October to mid-December. The landscape changes and becomes beautifully green. The dust has settled and there are fewer visitors on safari. The grass is fertile and tall which makes spotting game more challenging but rewarding.
The remainder of the year tends to be drier, with less chance of precipitation, so animals tend to congregate around existing water sources and the landscapes are drier. The High Season period of July to October also tends to attract more visitors on safari.
SkySafari Kenya Departure Dates and Rates
Rates are per person sharing and don’t reflect any special offers that may be available on your dates so please use them as indicative only. Don’t forget about our Single supplement offer.
SkySafari Kenya Rates Includes
The Nairobi overnight is at Hemingways on a half-board basis, drinks* included
All domestic flights in SkySafari’s executive aircraft
All statutory taxes for the flights mentioned above at the time of booking (subject to change)
Full board accommodation, drinks* and laundry services at lodges mentioned
Shared daytime game drives in specially adapted 4×4 game drive vehicles
Services of an English-speaking driver-guide
Safari activities such as: Bush breakfast, Walking safari, Scenic sun downers, Spa treatment at Loisaba, Nature walk, Authentic Masai village visit, Farewell dinner
All transfers, including to / from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport
Medical Emergency Evacuation Insurance
VIP fast track at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport
Tourism Development Levy is included in the rates.
* Drinks include: mineral water, soft drinks, juices, tea/coffee, beer, house wines, selected spirits
SkySafari Kenya Rates Exclude
Park & Conservancy Fees**
Airport taxes except on tickets we issue
Passport and visa fees
COVID-19 testing and certification fees if required
Hot air balloon safaris
Personal travel, baggage, and medical insurance
Gratuities to porters, drivers/guides & lodge/camp staff
Drinks (except where specified)
Telephone bills and any items of a personal nature
**Park & Conservancy Fees:
8-day SkySafari Kenya | Per adult | Per child |
| 1st July to 31st December 2023 | $560 | $280 |
| 1st January – 22nd June 2024 | $720 | $400 |
| 23rd June 2024 – 7th January 2025 | $1020 | $580 |
10-day SkySafari Kenya | Per adult | Per child |
| 1st July to 31st December 2023 | $800 | $385 |
| 1st January – 22nd June 2024 | $1050 | $535 |
| 23rd June 2024 – 7th January 2025 | $1450 | $775 |
*Park & Conservancy Fees are based on current rates and are subject to change. These rates are NOT included in the per person price and must be added to the total cost.
Child Policy
Children in own room (minimum 2 / maximum 3): 75% of the per person adult rate
Children under 12 sharing with 1 adult: Child(ren) are paying under 12 child rate and the adult is paying adult single room rate.
SkySafari Kenya Special Offer
SkySafari Kenya Single Special Offer
Single room supplement will not be charged for the first single room per booking. However, a minimum of 2 participants are required to operate SkySafari Kenya. Additional single room occupants pay the single supplement shown. A maximum of 3 x singles is permitted on any booking.
SkySafari Last Minute Special Offers
Take advantage of a special last-minute offer with 12% off select departure dates in October 2023
Incredible savings can be had on prime peak season departures dates for a spectacular private plane safari.
Kenya Departures: October 13th, 16th, 22nd, 30th
Or:
Finish off 2023 with a memorable safari adventure and enjoy special green season rates on mid-season departure dates from 1st November to 19th December 2023. This popular travel time can now be booked with an average savings of US $1000 per person.
We are still working on this and have many more Kenyan safaris available if you get in touch with us.
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