Wildlife and Wilderness

Day one – flight from London to Nairobi  
One night

Day two – Offbeat Meru, bordering Meru National Park  
Three nights – full board

Early morning arrival into Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Nairobi. After clearing customs and immigration, you will be met and transferred across to the smaller Wilson Airport where you connect with the scheduled morning light aircraft flight northwards to Meru National Park. On arrival here, you will be met and transferred to Offbeat Meru Camp. Arrive in the late morning. The rest of the day is at leisure to relax, settle-in and enjoy an afternoon game drive. Three nights are spent at Offbeat Meru in a double/twin tent.

Game-viewing activities are undertaken daily.

Offbeat Meru Camp is a lovely small tented camp situated in the Bisanadi National Reserve, in a picturesque setting under the shade of the trees on the edge of the Meru National Reserve. Guests are accommodated in six spacious tents (three twins and three doubles), all of which are comfortably furnished with iron beds with bedside tables. At the rear of the tents are the en suite bathrooms, with washbasin (for which water is provided in large jugs), flush toilet, and bucket showers. Lighting is provided through solar power in the tents and traditional tilley lamps elsewhere around the camp. The mess tent has comfortable sofas, a writing table and a bar, making it the ideal spot to relax during the heat of the day. Mealtimes are informal and meals are taken either in the mess tent or around the campfire. Activities include day game drives, walking safaris (when conditions allow), bush breakfasts and sundowners. Alternatively, you can try fishing in the nearby rivers, or perhaps cool off in the infinity edge swimming pool overlooking the Bisanadi River.

Day five – Offbeat Mara Camp, Maasai Mara
four nights – full board

Early morning at leisure before you transfer to the airstrip to connect with the scheduled light aircraft flight to Nairobi’s Wilson Airport. Here you will have a short wait before connect with the mid-afternoon scheduled light aircraft flight to the Maasai Mara. On arrival, you will be met and transferred to Offbeat Mara Camp where you spend four nights in a double/twin tent.

Game-viewing activities are undertaken daily on these famous plains

Offbeat Mara Camp is a 12-bed semi-permanent seasonal bush camp situated on the west bank of the Olare Orok River, outside the Maasai Mara Game Reserve. Guests are accommodated in six spacious tents, two of which are family tents. All tents are comfortably furnished with large cedar beds, writing desk and canvas wardrobe. The en suite facilities include double washbasin (for which water is provided in large jugs), flush toilet and bucket shower. Lighting is provided through solar power. A large lounge tent has a bar, library, comfortable sofas and writing table. There is a separate dining tent. Activities include game drives by day and night in custom-designed Land Rovers/Land Cruisers, nature walks, bush breakfasts and sundowners. You will also have the opportunity to visit the local villages.

Offbeat Mara Camp is located outside the official Maasai Mara Game Reserve within the Mara North Conservancy. Game viewing around the camp is superb and animals often wander through the camp at night. Lions, leopards, elephants, buffalos and giraffes are often seen from the verandas of the tents themselves, and zebras and buffalos help keep the lawns short!

Most game viewing will take place on the plains around the camp, but should you wish to visit the reserve itself (not necessary except for river crossings during the migration period when Offbeat include one reserve entry for every three nights spent in camp anyway), any reserve fees will be due in camp at the applicable rate.

Day nine – Nairobi to London
One night
Morning at leisure for further game-viewing. After lunch, you will be transferred back to the airstrip where you connect with the scheduled mid-afternoon light aircraft flight back to Wilson Airport, Nairobi. On arrival, you will be met and transferred to a suitable restaurant/hotel where you have the chance to have an early dinner (not included). Later, transfer to Jomo Kenyatta Airport in time for the overnight Kenya Airways flight to London.

Day 10 – early arrival into London