14-Day Relaxed Luxury Kenya & Tanzania Safari

Arrival in Nairobi is followed by the transfer to The Boma Nairobi, a luxury hotel in the city, where the room is ready for a rest after the journey. Depending on the flight time, the afternoon may be free to relax.

In the evening, a welcome dinner brings everyone together, followed by a safari briefing that walks through the fourteen days ahead: the route across two countries, the camps and lodges, and the relaxed pace that shapes the whole trip.

After breakfast the road runs south out of Nairobi across the wide, dry plains of Maasai country, and as the morning goes on, Kilimanjaro begins to show itself ahead, its snow capped summit floating above the haze. Amboseli National Park lies at its foot.

The night is at Amboseli Serena Safari Lodge, and the afternoon game drive is gentle and unhurried. Amboseli's large elephant herds are the main attraction, and lion, cheetah and buffalo are all possible on the open ground around the swamps.

A full day in Amboseli, with game drives timed to suit. Early light is the best chance of seeing Kilimanjaro's summit clear of cloud, and watching elephants walk beneath the mountain as the sun comes up is one of those moments that stays with people.

The park's wetlands and acacia country are superb for wildlife viewing and photography. The elephants spend the heat of the day in the green swamps, drinking and bathing, while buffalo, zebra, wildebeest and a wealth of birds share the water with them. The middle of the day can be spent back at the lodge, with a second drive when the light softens.

The safari crosses into Tanzania at the Namanga border, where the formalities are handled for the party, and continues south toward Arusha and then west into the Rift Valley. The landscape changes as it goes, from open plains to farmland, and finally to the lush groundwater forest of Lake Manyara, lying at the foot of a towering escarpment.

An afternoon game drive explores the park, where baboons, elephants and giraffe move between the forest and the lake shore. The night is at Escarpment Luxury Lodge Manyara, set high on the escarpment above the park, with views across the lake.

The road climbs from Manyara up into the Ngorongoro Highlands, through farms and coffee country and then into cool, misty forest. The air changes, the temperature drops, and the dramatic volcanic scenery of the highlands takes over from the lowland plains.

The night is at Ngorongoro Lion's Paw Camp, on the rim of the crater, and the arrival leaves plenty of time to take in the view: a vast caldera, its floor far below, with the animals on it just visible as specks. The evening is cool enough to be glad of a fire.

The descent into the crater starts early, the road winding down the steep wall onto a floor that holds one of the densest concentrations of wildlife on earth. This is one of the best places in Africa to see the Big Five in a single outing: rhino, lion, elephant, buffalo and leopard can all be found here, alongside great herds of zebra and wildebeest, hippo in the pools and flamingos on the soda lake.

Lunch is a picnic on the crater floor, surrounded by the caldera walls. In the afternoon the road climbs back up to the rim, and the night is at Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge, built into the crater wall.

Leaving the highlands, the road drops west and the land flattens into the Serengeti's endless grassland. Plains game is often visible from the vehicle well before the park boundary, gazelle and zebra scattered across the open ground, and the sense of scale grows with every kilometre.

Arrival at Enkirari Wilderness Camp, a luxury tented camp in the Central Serengeti, is in time for an afternoon game drive in country rich in predators. After the enclosed world of the crater, the size of the Serengeti comes as a revelation.

The Serengeti is explored at an easy pace, with the day left open to follow the wildlife wherever it is. The migration moves through the park across the year, and the guide keeps track of where the herds are, so the day can be built around them when they are within reach.

Otherwise, the Central Serengeti's resident lions, leopards and cheetah give plenty to fill the hours. There is time for photography, for staying with a good sighting until it plays out, and for simply taking in the sheer size of the plains.

The day starts early, crossing back over the border into Kenya and heading for the Maasai Mara. It is a long drive, but the reward is arrival in one of Africa's most celebrated wildlife reserves, the northern end of the same great ecosystem as the Serengeti.

The night is at Mara Intrepids Camp, a luxury tented camp inside the reserve, and the day ends with a late afternoon game drive, as the light turns gold and the animals start to move again after the heat.

Morning and afternoon game drives cover the Mara's golden plains, where lion, cheetah, elephant and leopard are all regularly seen. The morning drive catches the predators while they are still active, and the afternoon drive brings the best light for photography.

For anyone who wants to see the Mara from the air, an optional sunrise hot air balloon safari drifts silently over the grass as the herds wake below, and lands for breakfast out on the plains.

A second full day on the Mara allows deeper exploration without any rush. The guide can head for different parts of the reserve, follow up on the best sightings of the previous day, or simply find a quiet spot to watch the plains.

As the light changes through the day, the savannah changes with it, from the soft greys of early morning to the deep gold of evening. Before the return to camp there is the chance of a sundowner, a cold drink out on the plains as the sun sets.

The road runs north east out of the Mara, crossing the Great Rift Valley to Lake Nakuru, a park renowned for rhino conservation and for its birdlife. The night is at Sarova Lion Hill Game Lodge, overlooking the lake.

The afternoon game drive concentrates on what Nakuru does best: its black and white rhino, protected inside the park's fence, and the Rothschild's giraffe, one of the rarest giraffe subspecies, which browse the acacia woodland. Buffalo, waterbuck and flocks of pelicans complete the picture.

A short, scenic drive along the Rift Valley reaches Lake Naivasha, a freshwater lake fringed with papyrus and fever trees. The pace slows right down.

An optional boat safari on the lake brings hippo and fish eagle up close, and the rest of the day is relaxed time at Enashipai Resort & Spa, on the lake shore, a fitting place for the last night of the safari.

After breakfast, the road climbs back out of the Rift Valley to Nairobi, with a last look across the valley from the escarpment on the way. An optional lunch stop can be arranged in the city, before the transfer to the airport for the onward flight, closing two relaxed weeks across Kenya and Tanzania.