A Private Journey · Ready to Book
The Mountain
and the Mara.
Two of the country's defining landscapes paired into one elegant fly in journey.
Two of the country's defining landscapes paired into one elegant fly in journey.
This is the signature short safari pairing, the journey we recommend most often when guests have a week to give the bush. Three nights on the banks of the Mara River at Sanctuary Olonana, followed by two nights beneath Kilimanjaro at Kitirua Plains Lodge. A sunrise balloon flight included, all connections by fly in, and the kind of pacing that makes a week feel like a fortnight.
You begin in the Maasai Mara, where the great cats hunt and the migration moves through in season. Olonana sits in a private corner of the Mara North Conservancy, on a curve of the river where hippos call through the night and elephants come down to drink in the early morning. The camp is gracious and grown up, with the river at its centre and the bush at its door.
You then fly south to Amboseli, to a quieter landscape and a softer rhythm. Kitirua Plains Lodge sits in the private Kitirua Conservancy, an elephant corridor between Amboseli and the Chyulu Hills. Kilimanjaro fills the southern sky, the tuskers move across the pans at dawn and dusk, and the days are spent in unhurried game drives, walking safaris, and long evenings under the stars.
Why we love this journey — the contrast is everything. The Mara is theatre. Amboseli is meditation. Putting them together inside a single week is one of the most satisfying short journeys we sell. You leave Kenya feeling you have seen the country, not just sampled it.
Sanctuary Olonana — a gracious river camp on a private corner of Mara North Conservancy, with suites overlooking the Mara River and an unhurried, grown up sense of welcome.
Kitirua Plains Lodge — set in the private Kitirua Conservancy, an elephant corridor between Amboseli and the Chyulu Hills, with Kilimanjaro filling the southern view.
Two ecosystems, one journey — the theatre of the Mara's big cats followed by the timeless calm of Amboseli's elephant herds, paired into a single elegant circuit.
Sunrise balloon flight — a champagne hot air balloon ride over the Mara plains at dawn, finished with a bush breakfast on the savannah.
Fly in throughout — light aircraft connections between Nairobi, the Mara, and Amboseli. No long road hauls. Every hour given to the bush.
Masterful guiding — gourmet cuisine, attentive service, and Ongeri's 24/7 concierge from first transfer to final farewell.
Arrive into Nairobi and be met by your Ongeri representative. A private transfer carries you to your hotel for a complimentary opening night, included as part of every short safari package. Settle in, gather yourself, and rest before tomorrow's flight to the Mara.
A morning transfer to Wilson Airport for the scheduled flight to the Maasai Mara. You are met on the airstrip and driven through the conservancy to Sanctuary Olonana, set on a private bend of the Mara River. Settle into your suite, where the sound of hippos comes up from the water all day long.
Late afternoon brings your first game drive into the conservancy. Lions are common along this part of the river, and the golden hour over the Mara is something you carry with you long after the trip is over. Drinks in the bush at dusk, then back to camp for dinner with the river still murmuring below.
Rise before first light for the sunrise balloon flight. You lift off as the plains catch the early gold, drifting silently over herds and rivers and the long shadows of waking lions. The flight ends with a champagne bush breakfast on the savannah, in the company of your pilot and guide.
The rest of the morning is yours to spend back at camp, easing into the day with a long brunch or a quiet hour overlooking the river. After lunch and a short rest, head out again for an afternoon and golden hour game drive. The Mara North Conservancy offers off road driving and far fewer vehicles than the main reserve, which means more time at the sightings that matter and almost none of the queueing you sometimes see elsewhere.
A full day in the Mara, shaped around what the season offers. In the great migration months, your guide may take you deeper into the conservancy in search of the herds and the river crossings. In the green season, the focus shifts to predators, newborn antelope, and bird life that is almost overwhelming in its variety.
The camp can also arrange a private bush brunch, a visit to a Maasai community, or a quiet morning by your tent. Whatever you choose, the evening drive brings the day to a familiar close, with sundowners on a rise above the river and dinner waiting back at camp.
An early game drive in the Mara, then breakfast at camp and a short transfer to the airstrip. The flight south to Amboseli is one of the finest internal journeys in Kenya, with the Rift Valley falling away beneath you and Kilimanjaro rising from the plains as you bank in to land.
You are met on the airstrip and driven into the private Kitirua Conservancy to Kitirua Plains Lodge. Lunch is unhurried, and the afternoon yields to your first Amboseli game drive. The light over the marshes at sundown is unlike anywhere else, soft and pink and gold, with elephants moving home through it as they always have. A sundowner stop, then dinner under the stars.
A final morning game drive at first light. Kilimanjaro is often at its clearest just after dawn, and your guide will have you positioned for the best of it. Watch the elephants drift back from the springs, then return to camp for breakfast and farewells. A short transfer to the airstrip, the flight back to Nairobi, and onward connections timed and handled by your Ongeri concierge.
| Season | Travel Period | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Mid Season | January – March, 1 June – 15 June | USD 7,350 |
| Low Season | April – May, 1 November – 20 December | USD 7,075 |
| Peak Season | 16 June – October, 21 December – 2 January | USD 13,675 |
All rates in USD per person sharing. Single supplement available on request. Subject to availability at time of booking.
A gracious river camp on a private bend of the Mara River, set within Mara North Conservancy. Suites overlooking the water, attentive service, and direct access to one of the Mara ecosystem's most rewarding wildlife areas.
A private conservancy lodge set in the Kitirua elephant corridor, with Kilimanjaro filling the southern sky. Off road driving, walking safaris, and the kind of stillness Amboseli is famous for.
Every short safari opens with a complimentary night at Hemingways Nairobi or Villa Rosa Kempinski, giving you time to settle in before the bush begins. Meal basis confirmed at the time of booking.
Share a few considered details, and your Safari Advisor will be in touch within 24 hours.
An exclusive 45-suite boutique hotel set between Nairobi National Park and the foot of the Ngong Hills, with full butler service, a Michelin-starred Dining Room, and Karen's most tranquil gardens.
The Dining Room serves cuisine from the hotel's Michelin-starred chef — contemporary European with international accents. The Brasserie offers light lunches overlooking the gardens.
Sanctuary Olonana — part of the A&K Sanctuary collection — is set in a forested concession on a private stretch of the Mara River, just north of the Mara Triangle. Originally Sanctuary Retreats' first camp when it opened in 1999, the lodge has been rebuilt as a pared-down contemporary essay in design, softened by local woods and stone, homespun textiles, and African art.
Fourteen glass-sided suites — three with an extra bedroom for families — feature plush king-sized beds, overhead fans, and indulgent daybeds on the deck. Floor-to-ceiling glass doors fold open onto Mara River views. Bathrooms are slate and marble, with tubs, rain showers, and double vanities. The flagship Geoffrey Kent Suite offers two ensuite bedrooms, private dining, an infinity pool, a private chef, and a dedicated vehicle and guide.
Olonana's chefs draw on the camp's own organic herb and vegetable garden, with menus served in the river-facing dining room, on the sweeping terrace, on a picnic out on the plains, or at a secluded spot beneath the stars. An all-day snack menu has replaced traditional afternoon tea — small plates available whenever the day calls for it.
Set on the Kitirua Conservancy bordering Amboseli National Park, the lodge offers intimate accommodation with cinematic views of Kilimanjaro across the plains. The conservancy setting allows for walking safaris, night drives, and off-road game viewing — activities not permitted within Amboseli National Park itself. Elephant herds frequent the area, making it one of the finest places in Kenya for elephant photography.
A note: specific suite counts and amenities at Kitirua Plains Lodge to be confirmed with the operator at time of booking.
Villa Rosa Kempinski is Nairobi's contemporary five-star city hotel — 200 rooms and suites in the heart of the business district, with multiple restaurants, a spa, and the polished service Kempinski is known for. Ideal for travellers arriving on later flights or wanting the sophistication of a city hotel before heading into the bush.
Compact, considered journeys for travellers who want the very best of the wild in less time — or a wild beginning to something longer.
