Nairobi, Kenya
The only capital city on earth with a national park on its doorstep — and a far better first or last night than most people expect.
Most itineraries treat Nairobi as an airport to escape. That is a mistake, particularly at the end of a trip when you are not yet ready to go home.
Nairobi National Park sits seven kilometres from the city centre: black rhino, lion and giraffe against a skyline of office towers. Beyond it, the Sheldrick elephant orphanage and the Giraffe Centre are genuine conservation operations rather than attractions dressed as one.
The city itself has become a good place to eat, and Karen and Langata offer quiet garden hotels well away from the traffic.
Signature
A short, concentrated trip built entirely around big tusker elephants and the mountain behind them.
From
USD 3,450
pp
KES 98,000 residents
Signature
Two ecosystems that could not be less alike — the Mara grasslands and the arid north — linked by a single short flight.
From
USD 7,900
pp
KES 285,000 residents
Southern Rift
Open grassland, the highest predator density in Kenya, and between July and October, the river crossings that draw people back for a lifetime.
Southern Kenya
Big-tusked elephants on open pans beneath Kilimanjaro — the most photographed view in East Africa, and it earns the reputation.
Northern Kenya
Arid northern country along the Ewaso Nyiro, home to species you will not see anywhere further south.
No obligation
Leave a number and a specialist will ring you back — usually the same day.