Kenya Wildlife Safari & Yoga Retreat for Women

Day one is in Nairobi: you're met at the airport and taken to your hotel, then out to the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust for the 11am public visit, when the keepers bring the orphaned elephants down to the mud bath and explain each one's history. In the afternoon there's usually a stop at the Giraffe Centre or a local market before dinner. The next morning you drive north-west to Lake Naivasha, roughly two hours on good tarmac, arriving in time for lunch at the lodge.

Naivasha is where the trip slows down. The lodge sits on the lake shore and the resident wildlife wanders through the grounds — zebra and waterbuck graze on the lawns during the day, and hippos come out after dark to feed, which is why you're walked to and from your room by a guard after dinner. There's a boat safari out to Crescent Island, where you get out and walk among giraffe, zebra and wildebeest on foot, and a guided walk along the shoreline. Yoga and stretching sessions happen on the lawn or the deck, depending on the weather.

From Naivasha you continue to Lake Nakuru, a soda lake ringed by acacia forest and famous for both black and white rhino. Game drives here are in the early morning and late afternoon, and the birdlife is exceptional — flamingos when the water levels are right, plus pelicans, cormorants and fish eagles. The park is small enough that you can cover a lot of it in a day without long transfers.

The final three or four nights are in the Masai Mara, which is the highlight for most people. The lodge overlooks the Mara River, where the wildebeest migration crosses in season, and hippos are visible from the terrace most of the day. Game drives run morning and evening in search of lion, cheetah and leopard, and there's a full-day drive with a picnic lunch out on the plains. One afternoon is set aside for a visit to a Maasai village, where you're shown around and can buy beadwork directly from the women who make it. The last morning usually includes a final short drive before the flight or drive back to Nairobi.

Karen and Samira lead the trip themselves rather than handing the group to a third-party tour operator, so the yoga and meditation sessions are run by them and the daily rhythm is set around what the group wants to see. The guides are Kenyan and have worked these parks for years — they know where the cats are denning and which waterholes are worth a detour. Karen has been running retreats in Africa for several years; this is a repeat of an earlier Kenya itinerary with a few changes to the lodges and an extra night in the Mara.

What's included

- 9 nights accommodation in lodges and tented camps - All meals from dinner on day 1 to breakfast on day 10 - Private 4x4 safari vehicles with pop-up roofs throughout - Professional Kenyan driver-guides - All game drives in Nairobi, Lake Naivasha, Lake Nakuru and the Masai Mara - Boat safari and guided walking safari at Lake Naivasha - Entry to the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust elephant orphanage - Maasai village visit - Yoga, meditation and stretching sessions led by Karen Best and Samira - Airport transfers in Nairobi - Park and conservancy fees where applicable

What's not included

- International flights to and from Nairobi - Travel insurance - Kenya entry visa or travel authorisation - Drinks (alcoholic and soft) - Tips for guides, drivers and lodge staff - Optional light-aircraft flight from the Mara back to Nairobi - Spa treatments and optional excursions - Personal shopping, crafts and souvenirs - Anything not listed as included