Ithumba, Amboseli & Mara

The capital of Kenya, Nairobi is a major city and the primary transport hub for East Africa. It's a typically hectic place, but with some pleasant quiet suburbs, a good range of hotels and some interesting activities, notably the famous giraffe and baby elephant sanctuaries.

Set 260 km southeast of Nairobi, Tsavo East is a vast arid reserve, reasonably scenic in parts, but with naturally sparse desert wildlife. The southern part of the reserve is busy with budget traffic along the Nairobi-Mombasa road, but the north is much more remote and home to a fabulous elephant rescue and rehabilitation project.

Set 180 km southeast of Nairobi, Chyulu Hills is a peaceful safari area which has the same iconic views of Kilimanjaro as Amboseli, but without the visitor traffic. Guest accommodation is in just a handful of high quality lodges, offering an unusually wide range of safari, active and cultural experiences.

Set 200 km west of Nairobi, Mara Confluence is the sector of the Maasai Mara which is best known for migration river crossings Jul-Oct and has a very wide range of lodge options. But some serious traffic issues.