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FROM US$5,010-US$8,850

Big Cat Fly-in Safari

Combining two of Kenya’s best wildlife-viewing areas, this slow-paced safari to the Lewa Conservancy and Maasai Mara guarantees iconic wildlife. The long-established, well-rated camps are great value, too.

Big Cat Fly-in Safari: Summary

Big Cat Fly-in Safari in a nutshell

This eight-night safari combines the superb Lewa Conservancy in Laikipia in northern Kenya with the outstanding Maasai Mara National Reserve in the south-west. Offering some of the best game viewing anywhere in Africa it is a great trip for those going on their first safari or for more seasoned safari goers.

Both camps are located in prime wildlife-viewing areas. As soon as you arrive at either camp’s airstrip you are immediately aware of the large mammals. Zebra and giraffe are common. In the Lewa Conservancy, you stand a very good chance of sighting both species of rhino, elephant and the elegant gerenuk. Wild dogs are also a possibility. Big cats are plentiful in the Masai Mara, one of the best places in Africa to find leopard, lion and cheetah.

Visit between (roughly) late July and the end of September to witness the Great Migration in the Maasai Mara, when hundreds and thousands of migratory wildebeest pour over the plains and criss-cross the Mara River.

At a glance

Starts: JKI Airport Nairobi
4 nights Lewa Safari Camp - Laikipia, Kenya Full Board & Activities
4 nights Governors' Camp - Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya Full Board & Activities
Ends: JKI Airport Nairobi

Lewa Safari Camp

Days 1-5

Lewa Safari Camp is one of five permanent places to stay on the 250km² Lewa Conservancy, and though it is run by a well-known safari outfit, it is the only one that is owned by the conservancy itself. Profits are all ploughed back into conservation and the surrounding communities. Comfortable tented rooms add to the overall feel-good factor.

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Governors' Camp

Days 5-9

One of the oldest camps in the Mara, located on a thickly forested meander of the Mara River, Governors' Camp is also one of the biggest. This is really the main location of a giant camp split into three neighbouring sites, consisting of this the main Governors' camp, Little Governors' and Governors' Il Moran camps, all clustered around the river in the northwest corner of the Maasai Mara National Reserve. The name refers to the site supposedly being favoured by the colonial governors of Kenya.

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Lewa Safari Camp

Lewa Safari Camp

Laikipia, Kenya

Governors' Camp

Governors' Camp

Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya

About image

Highlights

Our thoughts on five of the top experiences of this Big Cat Fly-in Safari.

  • Sighting Lewa's black and white rhino
  • Learning about the anti-poaching work at Lewa HQ
  • Enjoying superb sightings of big cats on the Mara plains
  • Seeking the great wildebeest migration
  • Stunning views of Mount Kenya on a clear day

Activities

Some activities which can be included in the Big Cat Fly-in Safari: talk to us about those which interest you.

  • 4WD Safari

  • Birdwatching

  • Cultural excursion

  • Guided walking safari

  • Horse-riding

  • Hot air ballooning

  • Night drive

About image

Key species to see on the Big Cat Fly-in Safari

Based on our travellers' observations, we’ve estimated the likelihood of seeing these species during the Big Cat Fly-in Safari. Click on the animals and our wildlife surveys page for more info.


Lion

100% chance

Black Rhino

100% chance

Buffalo

100% chance

Elephant

100% chance

Giraffe

100% chance

Hippo

100% chance

Spotted Hyena

100% chance

White Rhino

100% chance

Wildebeest

100% chance

Zebra

100% chance

Eland

99% chance

Cheetah

75% chance

Leopard

68% chance

Wild dog

9% chance

Aardvark

0% chance

Pangolin

0% chance

Striped Hyena

0% chance

Side-trips whilst on this safari

We may be able to build in some of these optional excursions from the Big Cat Fly-in Safari. Talk to us: they’re usually best arranged when you book.


Balloon flight over the Mara

Balloon flight over the Mara

3 hours in total - morning only

With the sun rising over the Loita Hills, you scramble into the balloon basket for the start of a once-in-a-lifetime experience. You’re about to go drifting with the breeze above the trees and plains of one of the world’s greatest wildlife regions.

More about Balloon Safari
96% (29 reviews)
Scenic Biplane Flight on Lewa Conservancy

Scenic Biplane Flight on Lewa Conservancy

30 or 60 minute flights

Soar high and fly low over the rolling hills and plains of Laikipia’s famed Lewa Conservancy, on a scenic biplane flight. Offering you the chance to spot wildlife from the air, this flight takes place in an open-cockpit WACO biplane – a truly unique excursion in Kenya.

More about Scenic Bi-plane Flight

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