The Journal — field notes · 01°17′S · 36°49′E
Everything worth knowing before you go.
Candid, expert guidance from the people who design these journeys for a living — on cost, timing, private aviation, safety and the decisions that shape a great safari. No brochure gloss; just what we would tell a friend.
Start here
New to planning a Kenya safari? Begin with these three.
If you read nothing else, read these. Together they answer the questions every traveller asks first.
How to Plan a VIP Kenya Safari
The whole process, step by step — priorities, regions, pacing and lead times.
Read the guide → The honest numbersHow Much a VIP Safari Costs
What drives the price, what’s included, and honest budget ranges — no surprises.
Read the guide → The timingBest Time for a Private Safari
Migration, green season, weather by region — when to go for what you want to see.
Read the guide →The library
Every guide, by the question it answers.
Choose a theme to browse. Each guide is written by our travel designers and links to the journeys and destinations it relates to.
Planning & Cost
From first idea to confirmed itinerary — how it works, what it costs, and when to go.
The complete process — priorities, regions, pacing, lead times.
Read → How Much a VIP Kenya Safari CostsWhat drives price, what’s included, and honest budget ranges.
Read → Best Time for a Private Kenya SafariThe dry season, the green season, and the migration window.
Read → Kenya Safari Seasons, Month by MonthWeather, wildlife and crowds through the year, region by region.
Read → How to Reserve an Entire Safari CampExclusive-use and camp buyouts — numbers, lead times, what’s included.
Read → How Far Ahead to BookLead times by season, and why the best camps sell out.
Read → Tipping on a VIP Kenya SafariWho to tip, how much, and how it’s handled discreetly.
Read → Cancellation & Contingency PlanningTerms, travel credits, and how disruptions are absorbed.
Read →Logistics & Arrival
The seamless in-between — arriving, connecting, flying and packing for a private safari.
Meet-and-assist, fast-track, visas and the ETA, handled discreetly.
Read → JKIA to Wilson: A Transfer GuideWhy it matters, how long it takes, and how to avoid the traffic.
Read → Private Charter Flights for SafarisCharter vs scheduled, aircraft types, and when a charter is worth it.
Read → Luggage Rules for Flying SafarisWeight, soft bags, excess and forwarding on light aircraft.
Read → The VIP Safari Packing GuideWhat to bring, what’s provided, and packing for bush and beach.
Read →Safety, Health & Access
The reassurance behind the comfort — safety, medical cover, privacy, children and accessibility.
An honest look at safety in camps, cities and the bush.
Read → Medical Evacuation & InsuranceFlying Doctors, cover, vaccinations and on-call care.
Read → Safari Privacy for Public FiguresAnonymous travel, NDAs and keeping a trip out of sight.
Read → Planning a Safari With ChildrenAges, safety, child-friendly camps and keeping them engaged.
Read → Accessible Luxury SafarisMobility, dietary, religious and special requirements, handled.
Read →Decisions & Comparisons
The choices that shape a safari — weighed honestly, so you can decide with confidence.
Why the land beside the parks is often the real prize.
Read → Masai Mara vs LaikipiaMigration and big cats, or rhino and wide horizons.
Read → Flying Safari vs Road SafariTime, comfort and cost — and when to mix both.
Read → Kenya vs Tanzania for a VIP SafariAn even-handed comparison — and how to do both.
Read → Private Jet vs CharterWhich aircraft for which journey, and the trade-offs.
Read → How to Choose a VIP Safari OperatorWhat genuinely premium looks like — and the red flags.
Read →Wildlife & Experiences
The reasons you’re going — the migration, the rhino, the conservancies and the coast.
Timing, river crossings and private viewing away from crowds.
Read → Kenya’s Best Private ConservanciesWhere exclusivity, wildlife and access come together.
Read → Best Exclusive-Use PropertiesPrivate houses and villas to have entirely to yourself.
Read → Rhino Conservation ExperiencesWhere to see black, white and northern white rhino.
Read → Hot-Air Balloon Safari GuideWhere, when and how to do it privately.
Read → Combining Safari With a Beach StayBush and ocean — sequencing, transfers and where to go.
Read →A note on what you’ll read here: every guide is written to be genuinely useful, not to sell — including the honest caveats, like why wildlife sightings can never be guaranteed. When you’re ready to turn reading into a journey, a travel designer is a message away.
Begin
Prefer to just ask?
The guides answer most questions — but yours may be particular. Tell us what you’re planning and a travel designer will reply personally, in confidence.