Kenya’s Private Conservancies

Experience a side of Kenya few tourists see

Kenya’s Private Conservancies

Experience a side of Kenya few tourists see

  • 12 – 26 June 2026
  • 15
  • Nairobi
  • Nairobi

Experience Kenya’s wildlife away from the crowds in exclusive private conservancies. Enjoy close encounters, night drives, and authentic camps that support local communities.

Kenya’s private conservancies offer an exclusive safari experience far from the crowds of the National Parks. These are peaceful havens where wildlife thrives, unbothered by the usual bustle, and you’ll have front-row seats to it all.

In these private conservancies, you won’t just see wildlife – you’ll feel a deep connection to the land. The air is rich with the scent of wild sage, and the musky, sun-warmed aroma of the African bush.

With no public access and strict limits on the number of vehicles, you’ll often find yourself alone with nature, whether it’s observing a lioness stalking through the tall grasses or watching a cheetah sprint across the plains. There’s no rush to get the perfect shot – it’s just you, the animals, and the spectacular African landscape unfolding before you.

The wildlife here is just as prolific as in the national parks. You’ll have the rare privilege of watching lion cubs playing, or spotting a leopard perched in a tree, without the usual traffic of jeeps jockeying for position. It’s your own exclusive, intimate safari experience.

On top of that, these private conservancies offer activities that aren’t permitted in national parks and reserves. Picture an evening night game drive under a blanket of stars. You’ll drive through the bush with your expert guide, quietly observing nocturnal creatures like the elusive aardvark or the striking African wildcat. Or take a walk with Maasai or Samburu rangers who will share their traditions and deep knowledge of the land with you.

With only 6-8 tents at most, these small, intimate camps offer an incredibly personal touch. Each tent is beautifully furnished with all the comforts of home—an en-suite bathroom, a soft, cosy bed, and sweeping views of the wilderness from your private veranda.

This is more than just a safari—it’s a chance to slow down, to really absorb the sounds, smells, and sights of Africa, and to connect with the local Maasai and Samburu communities who are dedicated to wildlife conservation. If you’re ready to go beyond the ordinary and explore some of Africa’s best-kept secrets, then this is the adventure for you.

Optional extensions: Your Private Conservancies safari combines perfectly with a Tanzania safari which can be added before or after your Kenya safari.

Or – add on a few relaxing days on exotic Zanzibar Island or Lamu Island on the Kenya coast…

Highlights

On your Kenya’s Private Conservancies safari you’ll stay in remote community-run sanctuaries where you’ll enjoy an authentic wilderness experience and cultural encounters – up close and personal! You’ll contribute to  community projects run by our partners, and visit small social enterprises providing people with new skills and income opportunities. And you’ll get to see first-hand the difference that conservation initiatives are making for both communities and wildlife.

 

  • Track endangered black rhinos on-foot with Samburu rangers
  • Visit remote Reteti Elephant Sanctuary – Africa’s first Indigenous community-run wildlife sanctuary
  • Bush picnics, sundowners, & dinners under the stars
  • Stay in exclusive community-owned conservancies – no crowds around wildlife sightings here!
  • Enjoy guided walks, night game drives and a village visit – activities that are not permitted in National Parks
  • Sleep under canvas in spacious, walk-in, permanent tents, with en suites and all the comforts of home.

Pricing

USD12,235

Twin Share: we’ll match you with another guest if you’re travelling solo, or choose a private room (surcharge)

Group Size

Max. 8

Trip Dates

12 – 26 June 2026

Starting Point

Nairobi

Ending Point

Nairobi

Included

  • Arrival & departure transfers
  • 14 nights in quality accommodation, all rooms with en-suite
  • All meals and drinks (mineral water, soft drinks, beer, wine and G&T)
  • Guided walks with professional guides
  • Day & night game drives
  • Track rare black rhinos on foot with Samburu rangers
  • Visit Reteti Elephant Sanctuary in remote northern Samburu
  • Cultural visits to local villages & communities
  • All Conservancy and National Park fees
  • And our famous surprises!

Not Included

  • International flights
  • Visa
  • Travel Insurance (mandatory)
  • Any personal expenses and optional activities
  • Tips & gratuities

You will be met on arrival at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and transferred to your accommodation.

This morning you’ll visit some of my favourite social enterprises which provide employment and vital income for local artisans. In the afternoon enjoy a game drive in Nairobi National Park, which is home to a profusion of wildlife including rhinos!

After breakfast transfer to Nairobi’s Wilson Airport for your 30 minute flight to Amboseli. You will be met by your driver/guide on arrival and enjoy your first game drive to your camp in time for lunch.

This afternoon you’ll have a game drive in the conservancy, followed by sundowners at a viewpoint, before returning to camp for dinner.

This camp is a favourite with our guests. It has 10 spacious guest tents and the charm and feel of the traditional mobile safari camps of days gone by – with much more comfort!

Activities here include include a day in Amboseli National Park, famous for it’s elephants, and a completely uncommercial visit to a nearby Maasai village. The local community sell their jewellery, leather goods and traditional weapons at fixed, marked prices in a shop at camp. It’s a refreshing change from the hustle at the roadside ‘curio markets’, where prices start sky-high, expecting to be beaten down.

Within the conservancy you’ll enjoy day and night game drives, guided walks and sundowners.

After breakfast fly back to Nairobi to connect with your one hour flight to Samburu. You will be met by your driver/guide on arrival and enjoy your first game drive on the 1.5 hour journey to your first camp.

This afternoon you’ll have a game drive in the conservancy, followed by sundowners at a viewpoint, before returning to camp for dinner.

Our rustic camp has just 5 bandas (stone cottages) with traditional thatched roofs. The bandas are situated along a dry river bed lined with beautiful doum palms. The camp is rustic, but very comfortable, with flushing loos, hot & cold water and natural stone showers. There is a swimming pool, a bar in the dry river bed, and a waterhole in front of camp provides game viewing right from your room. Herds of elephants roam this vast landscape, and there is amazing birdwatching as well as fascinating cultural experiences.

The highlight of your visit here is tracking critically-endangered black rhinos on foot, the only place in East Africa where this is possible. The black rhino sanctuary was established in 2015 when the first 10 black rhinos were reintroduced to the area. With the birth of several babies the population has since grown to 21, a tribute to the efforts of the community to protect these incredible animals. You’ll be escorted on your walk by an experienced guide and the Samburu rangers who look after the rhinos. This really is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Other activities here include game drives, and cultural interactions with the Samburu community.

On the drive to your next camp you’ll visit Reteti Elephant Sanctuary. Reteti is very successful Samburu community project which rescues young elephants, orphaned due to abandonment, drought, poaching, separation or falling into wells from which they cannot escape. You’ll meet their keepers and learn about the journey to rehabilitate these babies back into their own habitat, rather than relocating them to the larger, and more famous, facility in Nairobi.

Your stunning camp with just five beautifully designed tents, is in Kalama Conservancy, a community-owned wildlife reserve that borders Samburu National Reserve, with 200,000 acres of unspoiled wilderness to explore and enjoy exclusively. With breathtaking views of the sacred Mt. Ololokwe, revered by the Samburu people, the camp offers a front-row seat to the dramatic vistas and endless skies that define this unique region.

Samburu is known for the Samburu Special 5 – Beisa oryx, Grevy’s zebra, reticulated giraffe, Somali ostrich and gerenuk, all of which are endemic to this arid region. There is also a good population of predators and large herds of elephants that visit the Ewaso Nyiro River, a lifeline for wildlife in this arid region of northern Kenya. Your guides on game drives and walks are Samburu warriors who will share with you their fascinating customs and traditions, as well as their local knowledge – a truly authentic experience.

After breakfast you’ll board your plane for a 1.5 hour flight south to the Maasai Mara, a complete change of landscape from the arid north. Your authentic safari camp with just 5 tents is located in the heart of the Masai Mara plains, on the border between the Lemek and Mara North Conservancies. Surrounded by tens of thousands acres of untouched wilderness, wildlife regularly pass right through the camp.

Lemek Conservancy boasts exceptional wildlife viewing all year, thanks to its open grassland savannah and proximity to the Mara River. Big cats, including leopards, are often spotted here, as they favour the dotted trees along the riverbanks.

Enjoy an afternoon game drive, followed by dinner in camp and an optional night game drive.

Your days here will be filled with morning and afternoon  game drives within this wildlife-rich conservancy. With no boundary fences wildlife is free to roam between the Maasai Mara National Reserve and the surrounding conservancies. And the conservancies, where the animals aren’t hassled or surrounded by a multitude of safari vehicles, are becoming their preference. With only two camps in Lemek conservancy, guests are ensured of an exclusive and low-impact safari experience. You’ll also have access to the larger Mara North conservancy, an area known for having one of the highest densities of lions in Africa, and the wide open savannahs make it easy to spot the big cats in action. A highlight will be a visit to the Ol Chorro Rhino Sanctuary, a protected haven for rhinos where you can learn about conservation efforts and see these magnificent creatures up close in their natural habitat.

As this is a wildlife conservancy the rules are much more relaxed than in the Maasai Mara National Reserve. Here you can go on night drives to look for nocturnal species such as white-tailed mongoose and bush babies, participate in walks with Maasai guides and,  thanks to the limited number of vehicles in the conservancy, your driver is allowed to go off road – all activities that are not permitted in the National Reserve

Enjoy a bush dinner under the vast African sky, with traditional Maasai singing and dancing,

An optional hot air balloon flight can also be arranged here (extra).

After breakfast enjoy a last game drive through the conservancy to the airstrip for your flight back to Nairobi and transfer to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport for your flight home.

Your Private Conservancies safari combines perfectly with a Tanzania safari to the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater, which can be added before or after your Kenya safari.

Or – end your safari with a few relaxing days on stunning Lamu Island, on the Kenyan coast…

I just finished a fabulous safari to Kenya and Tanzania with Karen from African Encounters. We had a lovely small group who bonded quickly. The camps were fabulous, ranging from authentic, cultural experiences to absolute luxury. The food was delicious and the guides were knowledgeable, passionate and enthusiastic. I loved how close we were able to get to the animals and the varied experiences such as elephant rehabilitation sanctuary and rhino program. I LOVED the village visit and opportunity to meet locals and see the wonderful beads up close! Highly recommend African Encounters. Thanks Karen! Nicole Farrell, Australia

I joined Karen on her 2024 Kenya and Tanzania safari and it was truely a magical experience. What stood out for me was the ethical, eco-friendly and conservation-focused approach to tourism, where the importance of protecting the livelihoods of the animals and the local communities were highlighted. We had so many amazing animal sightings made possible by our very welcoming, insightful and experienced local guides. An unforgettable trip! Julia Nicholls, Christchurch

International airfares are not included.

As tour operators (not travel agents), we are not licensed to sell flights. We recommend that you contact your trusted local travel agent to book your flights.

Emirates, Qatar and Ethiopian airlines all offer flights from New Zealand or Australia to Nairobi, with stops in Dubai, Doha, and Addis Ababa respectively.

On 5 January 2024, Kenya’s visa requirements for foreigners travelling to Kenya were abolished, and replaced with an Electronic Travel Authorisation (eTA). Australian and New Zealand passport holders require an eTA to visit Kenya for up to 90 days. This must be purchased online prior to arrival in Kenya. Visas are no longer issued on arrival. Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months from your planned date of departure from Kenya.

There are no mandatory vaccinations, however malaria prophylaxis (tablets) is strongly recommended. Important: Several countries (including Tanzania and Uganda) require a Yellow Fever Certificate if you have visited Kenya prior to arrival in your next destination.

We are happy to arrange accommodation before or after your safari.

We are happy to arrange accommodation before or after your safari.