The Great African Safari, Masai Mara Edition

Seven nights across Kenya, self-driven in convoy with support, from Nairobi to Amboseli, the Rift Valley lakes and the Masai Mara.

Self-driving in Kenya is less common than in southern Africa and the convoy is what makes it sensible: the parks have their own rules, the tracks are unmarked and the distances between them run through busy country.

Nairobi opens it with the handover, then Amboseli, with a full day there under Kilimanjaro, which rises across the Tanzanian border and dominates every view when the cloud lifts. Lake Naivasha follows through the Rift Valley, with a boat safari and a walking safari on Crescent Island, which has game but no predators and so can be walked. Lake Nakuru comes next with a game drive, then the Masai Mara, with a full day of drives on the plains where the migration crosses between July and October.

The 4×4 pick-up shared between two guests, the national park permits, the game drives in all three parks, the Naivasha boat safari, the Crescent Island walk, premium twin-share stays and the meals throughout are all included; a chauffeur-driven option costs extra. The price shown is per person sharing. The dry seasons from January to March and July to October are the windows, with the migration in the latter. No wildlife sighting can be promised. Eight days is short for East Africa, but the three parks chosen are the right three, and having a convoy leader handling the park formalities removes most of what puts people off driving themselves here.