Safari in style

Beauty & the wildebeest

It’s Africa’s most iconic wildlife spectacle: the migration of around 1.4 million wildebeest, zebra and eland crossing the Kenya-Tanzanian border, as they chase better grazing. The journey covers around 1,800 miles, and usually happens between July and October.

Up, up & away

There’s something magical about seeing the Maasai Mara from above. Get up at the crack of dawn to watch your balloon being fired up, then hop on board for an hour-long flight. Back on solid ground, a cooked breakfast with Champagne awaits. maraballooning.com

Local life

Get a feel for Maasai culture by heading to the village of Olonana. Here, villagers teach local customs: from the adumu, a traditional jumping dance performed at coming-of-age ceremonies, to making a fire using stones and sticks.

Rolling on the river

The Mara river can be a frontier of life and death for wildebeest during the Great Migration — thanks to the world’s largest crocodiles roaming its banks. Flowing 245 miles through Kenya and Tanzania, it’s also the stomping ground of some 4,000 hippos, and your guide will know the best viewpoints.

Walk on the wild side

A walking tour with a naturalist will help you appreciate the smaller things — like signs of animals you’d fail to notice otherwise, bird calls and the creepy crawlies living around the wetlands. You can even plant a tree before heading back home.

Raising a glass

After a game drive, guides usually finish the day at one of the vantage points overlooking the plains. This is the time to kick back with sundowner, admire the searing hues of the Kenyan sunset and momentarily forget your worries.