Fairmont Collection of Hotels and Resorts in Kenya presents the ultimate wildlife experience, beyond the Great Migration, offering an immersive journey across three quintessential Kenyan destinations: Nairobi, Mount Kenya and Masai Mara. The guest experience goes beyond the typical safari, being deeply rooted in the protection of wildlife, and preservation of culture, as well as celebrating the three iconic properties’ heritage, all supported by unrivalled service excellence.
In the coming months, around 2 million zebras, wildebeests and antelopes will cross the Mara River in Kenya and travel to Tanzania as part of the Great Migration. This circular trek is the largest overland migration on Earth and attracts travelers from across the world to see the spectacular phenomenon. A breath-taking phenomenon that is a quick day trip from Fairmont Mara Safari Club.
Nils Rothbarth, Cluster General Manager of Fairmont Kenya Hotels & Resorts comments: “Kenya and the Great Migration are on the bucket list of the luxury travellers in East Africa, and we are delighted to welcome guests to witness great migration during the ultimate stop of our luxury Fairmont 3-stop safari in Kenya. Besides spotting the Big Five, we would like travelers to embrace the history of our properties, from Hollywood to Kenya and immerse into an educational journey through conservation”.
The three-stop trip includes multi-night stays at Fairmont The Norfolk, Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club, and Fairmont Mara Safari Club, various packages are available depending on the number of nights one needs to stay. Transfers vary from air, thanks to Bongo Expedition, to Landcruiser depending on the guest’s preference. Tailored for families, solo female travelers, groups and honeymooners, each individual guest will experience a unique and memorable once-in-a-lifetime trip, in a safe environment, highlighting the sense of privacy and luxury.
Guests embark on their journey starting at Fairmont The Norfolk, where they have the opportunity to indulge in the exotic garden and observe the Big Five at the Nairobi National Park. The itinerary then leads to Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club, located at the slopes of the second-highest peak in Africa. Here, guests get to learn about the importance of protecting wildlife and see them at close range (elephants, buffalos, hyenas, gazelles, the rare golden zebra and the magical but critically endangered mountain bongo). The peak of the journey takes safari lovers to Fairmont Mara Safari Club to experience the full phenomenon of the Great Migration, thanks to the proximity to Mara River – the transboundary river, shared between Kenya and Tanzania.
Fairmont The Norfolk in Nairobi welcomes guests to 125 luxurious rooms, a heated outdoor swimming pool, an intimate spa and multiple award-winning dining facilities. The property is located in heart of CBD area, surrounded by culture and heritage; however, it does not lack its own unique connection to wildlife thanks to its proximity to Nairobi National Park – Kenya’s oldest national park, which is home to black rhinos and African lions. Built in 1904 and lastly refurbished in 2022, Fairmont the Norfolk hosts a magnificent garden where guests can observe butterflies, bees and over ten rare exotic birds from hadada ibises to olive thrushes.
Reopened this month of June, the award-winning restaurant Tatu features the finest cuts of meats, fresh seafood and a variety of vegetarian options paired with premium drinks in a warm contemporary African themed setting. The property is part of the Chaine des Rotisseurs and offers a wide variety of culinary specialities, including an exclusive chef’s table.
Once the day passes, guests can relax with a cocktail at the beloved Cin Cin Bar. Visitors drink in style with the Big Five engraved or embroidered in the internal design of the recently updated iconic bar. The list includes the giant African elephant, the endangered rhinoceros, the brave African lion, the elusive African leopard, and the dangerous African buffalo. The exclusive bar offers a diverse collection of premium alcoholic beverages with a scenic view of the exotic garden.
Fairmont The Norfolk also offers excursions with professional guides into Kenya’s art and culture hub. Guests can visit iconic venues like the Karen Blixen Museum, Giraffe Centre and the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust as well as explore local art galleries and shopping streets for artefacts.
Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club sits at the base of Mount Kenya, the highest peak in Kenya and the second highest in Africa, after Mount Kilimanjaro. It hosts 100 units (from cottages to villas and suites) surrounded by scenic gardens that provide a peaceful setting for relaxation. Guests can enjoy the spa, heated pool, golf course, mountain adventures via hiking, plane or helicopter, horse riding safaris, and activities to support wildlife conservation.
Built in the early seventies by famous Hollywood celebrity William Holden, Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club sits within a private conservancy where guests can observe wildlife from proximity. Guests can learn about the local wildlife from conservation experts and support the conservancy’s purpose through donations, animal adoptions or tree planting. A standard conservancy fee goes towards wildlife conservation efforts. Recently, the conservancy’s Animal Orphanage, located near the Safari Club entrance, welcomed two lioness cubs who are under the care of a dedicated team of animal keepers. Guests at Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club can visit the two cubs as well as a variety of rescued wild animals such as the buffalo calf or stripped hyena pup. Over the past two decades, the Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy has put plans in place to restore the mountain bongo population in the wild, with a milestone recorded through the opening of the first Mountain Bongo Sanctuary in the world and the subsequent birth of Fanaka, the first bongo calf born in the wild Mawingu Sanctuary.
Apart from the Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy, guests can also enjoy nature’s beauty around Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club. As of 2023, a pathway has been opened up on the property, allowing wildlife to access the slopes of Mount Kenya. Guests can watch elephants, buffalos, 100 of variety of birds, gazelles, hyenas, warthogs, the unique and rare golden zebra, the magical but critically endangered mountain bongo, and soon giraffes, in close proximity.
The two restaurants and bars boast beautiful views and fresh ingredients locally sourced, culinary creations as well as traditional Kenyan dishes. From a fresh picnic breakfast overlooking the grazing bongos to cocktails by the Likki River with traditional Kenyan Nyama Choma (marinated grilled meat and vegetables) cooked on an open fire, guests have nature at their fingertips.
Fairmont Mara Safari Club presents a sophisticated private, intimate, tented lodge of 38 luxury tents, set in Ol Choro Oiroua Conservancy- the first to belong to the Maasai community that controls the number of safari cars at any sighting to allow for intimate game viewing. The property sits on the banks of the Mara River and allows guests to overview crocodiles and hippopotamus while dining. With a few hours of an early morning or night game drive, guests will reach the strategic point of crossing – as part of the Great Migration, at the boundary between Kenya and Tanzania. Whether they wait or reach the crossing zone, every minute will only be excitement and fascination in front of the spectacle of the big five and the savannah wildlife in its own natural environment.
Foot walk tracking, hot air balloon safari and river crossing are only a few of the many chances for guests to connect to wildlife when staying at Fairmont Mara Safari Club. The key experience to out-of-this-world adventures is to join a guided hike or a village tour by Maasai Chiefs. That is not the only exclusive sight found at the Fairmont Mara Safari Club, the Ol Choro Conservancy hosts the last two Southern White Rhinos, Kofi and Elizabeth, who are protected day and night.
Ol Choro Oiroua was the first conservancy in Kenya led by local communities. The families hosting the guests have at their heart, a passion for sharing their culture and their love for their land. Working hand-in-hand with the lodge, these local families have also crafted many of the decorative items found in the hotel. Every year, Fairmont Mara Safari Club trains and recruits young locals who are interested in a career in the hospitality industry, thanks to a partnership with the Accor Kenya Youth Empowerment Project. The conservancy fees collected by the hotel go directly to educational and female empowerment projects, to the protection of wildlife and Masai pastoral culture, and to generally benefit and enhance the lives of the community members who live here.
