The Supreme Saruni Safari

Samburu | Masai Mara

A 6 nights / 7 days journey combining two of Kenya’s most exciting and wildlife-rich wildernesses. Experience the elegant and luxurious Saruni Samburu and Saruni Mara.

All inclusive from US$3,860 per person sharing.
Valid from 3rd January-19th December 2018.

Including: All-inclusive accommodation (Full board accommodation including soft drinks, beers, house wines and select non-luxury spirits), one complimentary Back & Neck massage (30 min) per room per stay at our Wellbeing Space, airport assistance, temporary Flying Doctors cover, shared day & night game drives in 4×4 vehicles, guided bush walks, bush meals, sundowner & picnic excursions, limited laundry service, cultural visits transfers, all internal flights and return airstrip transfers, conservation fees, VAT & taxes.

This is a truly life-enriching journey that perfectly combines serenity and adventure, luxury and authenticity, wildlife and culture, and classic and unique safari experiences.

 

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Delight in unending views of pristine, untouched wilderness in complete seclusion and exclusivity, from the teeming open plains of the Masai Mara and the private forested-valley in which Saruni Mara is nestled, to the rugged and varied Samburu landscape and giant rocky outcrop on which Saruni Samburu is perched.

Discover two of Africa’s most authentic and fascinating tribes – the Maasai and the Samburu – learning first-hand about their cultures, ancient customs and local knowledge of the wildlife and wilderness as they guide you throughout your safari.

Encounter Africa’s iconic and diverse wildlife up close in their natural habitat. Experience the most wildlife-abundant ecosystem in the world and Mother Nature’s most incredible natural spectacle – the Great Migration in the Masai Mara. Witness the enormous herds of famous Samburu elephant, elusive leopard, African wild dog, and the Samburu Five – rare endemic species only found in Samburu.

The Saruni Lodges

Saruni Samburu

Saruni Samburu’s six luxury villas are open and spacious, heralding spectacular views over Kenya’s Northern Frontier District and Mount Kenya in the distance. The warm and welcoming hospitality makes for an intimate and exceptional experience. The lodge is revered for its innovative, eco-chic architecture and interesting design and décor, as well as its Italian-inspired cuisine. Guests can enjoy the vast panoramas from the dining and lounge area, the infinity pool and the Samburu Wellbeing Space. Saruni Samburu is the only lodge in Kalama Conservancy, which borders Samburu National Reserve, with 200,000 acres of unspoiled wilderness to explore and enjoy exclusively. You are guided from start to finish by Samburu warriors who are passionate about their land and their culture, learning first-hand about their fascinating customs and traditions and gaining ancient, local knowledge about the land and the animals – a truly authentic experience.

Activities and amenities: day and night game drives, photographic hide, bush meals, guided walks, birdwatching, Samburu Wellbeing Space treatments (payable extra), picnics, two swimming pools, helicopter excursions (payable extra), Samburu cultural visits (payable extra), Saruni Shop.

Saruni Mara

Saruni Mara has one family villa, one private villa and five elegant cottages, and is the only small boutique lodge in the Mara, making it very intimate and exclusive. The beautifully decorated themed rooms have a luxurious and classic safari feel. The lodge is tucked away in a secluded valley in the private Mara North Conservancy, a prime and private game viewing area, which borders the Masai Mara National Reserve – the most renowned wildlife park in Africa. Enjoy the Italian-inspired cuisine and being immersed in nature from your private verandah, the Maasai Wellbeing Space and the open lounge and dining area. Maasai warriors will guide you throughout your stay, sharing their ancient wisdom and local knowledge of the area and the animals, their way of life and their secret corners of the most loved wildlife reserve in Kenya.

Activities and amenities: day and night game drives, bush meals, guided walks, birdwatching, Maasai Wellbeing Space treatments (payable extra), picnics, library, balloon safaris (payable extra), Saruni Shop.

Saruni Wild

Saruni Wild is a tented camp elegantly and comfortably furnished with all the necessary luxuries of a wild yet classic safari. The camp is located in the heart of the Masai Mara plains, on the border between Lemek Conservancy and Mara North Conservancy. Surrounded by tens of thousands acres of pristine, untouched wilderness, the camp has the most classic Masai Mara setting. The wildlife thrive right next to its tents. Enjoy endless views, fire-lit meals under the vast African sky, guided game drives led by Maasai warriors.

Activities and amenities: day and night game drives, bush meals, guided walks, birdwatching, Maasai Wellbeing Space treatments (payable extra), picnics, library, balloon safaris (payable extra), Saruni Shop.

Sample Itinerary

Day 1: Saruni Samburu

  • Arrive at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, where a Saruni vehicle will transfer you to Wilson Airport for your flight to Samburu.
  • Depart Nairobi in the morning*, arriving at Samburu an hour later, where your Saruni Samburu guide will meet you and transfer you to the lodge, or take you on a game drive.
  • Afternoon game drive on Kalama Conservancy exploring over 200,000 acres of pristine wilderness in total privacy and sundowners with a breathtaking view.

Day 2: Saruni Samburu

  • Early morning game drive into Samburu National Reserve to seek out the ‘Samburu Special Five’: the reticulated giraffe, the Grevy zebra, the beisa oryx, the Somali ostrich and the gerenuk, all rare species that occur only in this part of the country, and look for its well known larger wildlife including elephants, lion and leopard. Enjoy a picnic lunch before heading back to the lodge to relax for the afternoon.
  • Enjoy a complimentary half hour Back & Neck massage upon arriving back at the lodge at the Samburu Wellbeing Space.

Day 3: Saruni Samburu

  • Continue to explore the wonders of Samburu with a morning game drive and after lunch possibly head out on a nature walk discovering animals, plants and the caves in the local area with rock paintings, led by your skillful and knowledgeable Samburu guides.
  • Evening game drive in Kalama Conservancy, the 200,000-acre private wildlife conservancy in which Saruni Samburu is located, ending with a bush dinner under the stars in the middle of the wilderness, and a night drive back to the lodge. The Samburu warriors dancing, candles and fire under the vast African skies, make this a truly magical experience, and one of the highlights of your stay.

Day 4: Saruni Mara / Saruni Wild

  • Depart Samburu on your flight in the morning* and arrive in the Masai Mara an hour and a half later.
  • Game drive with a picnic lunch to enjoy under an acacia tree or by the river next to a pod of hippos. Or head to Saruni Mara or Saruni Wild for some rest and an exclusive game drive later in the afternoon in Mara North Conservancy – over 30,000 acres of plentiful, protected land bordering the Masai Mara National Reserve. Enjoy a completely different and less-explored corner of the Mara ecosystem in total privacy, brimming with wildlife.

Day 5: Saruni Mara / Saruni Wild

  • Early morning game drive to look for the big cats and other predators of the Mara, returning to the camp or lodge for lunch and treatments at the Maasai Wellbeing Space.
  • In the afternoon, a game drive will take you to a special area where the largest tower of giraffe can be seen, followed by dinner at the lodge or camp and an optional night game drive.

Day 6: Masai Mara / Saruni Wild

  • Walk through the valleys and plains surrounding Saruni Mara, accompanied by a vehicle, or a game drive up to the top of Kilileoni, the highest mountain in the Serengeti-Masai Mara ecosystem – led by your skillful and knowledgeable Maasai guides.
  • In the afternoon you will discover more of Mara North and its neighbouring conservancies and experience first-hand what makes the Mara one of the most exciting wildernesses in the world.
  • Weather permitting, experience a bush dinner in the middle of nature under the vast African sky, with Maasai warriors singing and dancing around the fire.

Day 7: Departure

  • Visit the rhino sanctuary on the way to the airstrip and once again admire the hippos and the crocodiles of the Mara River.
  • The flight back to Nairobi leaves the Mara at 11:00 AM and arrives in Nairobi at 12:20 PM.
  • Transfer to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport with Saruni driver and vehicle. Depending on the time of your international flight, stop at the Talisman or Carnivore restaurant for dinner.

The Wilderness

The Masai Mara

The Masai Mara is a 5,000 square km ecosystem bordering with the Serengeti in Tanzania and made of a national reserve and several private conservancies. The national reserve covers 1,672 square kilometres (more than 400,000 acres) and is situated between 1,500 and 2,100 metres above sea level. It is part of the Serengeti ecosystem that extends from northern Tanzania into southern Kenya. Of the conservancies, the main one (where Saruni is located) is the Mara North Conservancy, 74,000 acres of amazing wilderness, where the most of the wildlife is concentrated most of the year. The Masai Mara region is considered the jewel of African wildlife and nowhere on the continent can you find the same abundance and variety of wild animals. Millions of wildebeest, gazelle, zebra, buffalo, impala, topi, hartebeest, giraffe, eland, elephant, dik-dik, hippo and warthog live their natural lifecycle alongside the largest population of lions in Kenya. For our safaris we use comfortable, fully-open Land Rovers, specially designed to give you maximum visibility over the landscape and the animals. On our foot safaris we walk, on the plains and in the mountains that surround Saruni.

The Samburu Ecosystem

Is one of the most exciting in East Africa and is made of several national reserves, private ranches and communally-owned group ranches that are more and more interconnected. Famous for its large population of elephants, Samburu stands out for the abundance of northern species that cannot befound in other areas of Kenya. Kalama Conservation area, the wildlife sanctuary bordering with Samburu National Reserve where we are located, has an abundance of other rare species, like the leopard, the striped hyena, the civet. We’d love to take you to our secret spots, especially for bush dinner, or to the river for a picnic lunch that allows us to be with elephants, waterbuck, lion, impala, giraffe and all the Samburu species that go and drink water. If you are passionate about birds, Samburu is your preferred park: not only are the species abundant, but the birds tend to be very tame and can easily be spotted and photographed.

Note: The Saruni Tours team can modify and tailor this itinerary to suit your personal preference. Baggage allowance on internal flights is 15kg per person, preferably in small, soft bags without wheels. Seats on the schedule flights are subject to availability at confirmation. Rates with children or single occupancy are available upon request. *Flight times and durations may vary depending on airline and routing, and are subject to change. All guests travelling into Kenya with duty free plastic bags shall be required to leave the bags at the entry points and seek alternative carrier bags. We request that you do not carry plastic bags whilst visiting or working in Kenya as there are strict penalties for those caught with them.