1. The wildlife is the obvious place to start.  The chance to see lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino plus giraffe, zebra, gazelles and so much more is the number one reason people go on safari.  Our properties provide you with the chance to see all of these animals and so much more within the privacy of our private conservancies.

2. Cultural interaction with the local communities that are all part of our Bush and Beyond family.  You get a chance to meet, spend time with and learn from the Maasai and Samburu tribes in an authentic and in depth fashion.

3. Our owners and managers who treat you like part of the family.  At our properties we like to make you feel like you are visiting your favourite relatives who provide you with wonderful experiences, great meals, superb accommodations and no hassles.

4. Amazing landscapes which you are able to experience and interact with.  Our properties are found in some of the most amazing locations that you can possibly imagine – on the slopes of mountains, in the vast plains of the savannah, on scenic plateaus, on the green hills of Africa and within a park that borders as major city.

5. The chance to be active and adventurous.  Imagine riding amongst the zebra on horseback or striding out amongst the plains with your Maasai guide to explore the landscape.  Or being on top of a camel as you return from a night spent camping by the river or soaring above the earth in a replica biplane.  Or driving out under the stars to see what you can discover by spotlight.  All of these activities and many more are part of the Bush and Beyond experience.

6. A chance to reconnect with your family.  There is something magical about being on safari with your family away from all the distractions of everyday life.  The chance to experience new things with your children and learn together is one of the most powerful bonding moments and to be able to give the gift of travel is simply the best.

7. The food.  Yes, you might be in the bush and you may even be camping with no running water or electricity but you will still be experiencing fine dining and delicious cuisine.  Imagine a made to order omelette with homemade cinnamon rolls or individual cheese soufflés followed by roast lamb with all the trimmings.  Delectable tarts, pies, cakes and even ice cream will satisfy so sweet tooth as well.  Our chefs are famous for their incredible creations.

8. Experience one of the natural wonders of the world.  The annual migration of the wildebeest from the Serengeti to the Masai Mara is considered one of the eight natural wonders of the world and you can witness it from 5 of our different properties.  Picture being surrounding by hundreds of thousands of wildebeest and seeing them make their epic and dangerous river crossings.

9. To have a romantic interlude with your partner.  Imagine the two of you waking up together to the sounds of the birds singing and watching the sunrise from your verandah.  Or sipping champagne under the stars in your own private bath.  Or enjoying a private bush dinner for two with the wildlife and landscape spread out before you.  Nothing is more romantic than a safari!

10. The chance to slow down.  The best part of a safari is you get the chance to slow down and begin to move with the rhythms of the natural world.  You get up with the sun and the birds, you rest in the heat of the day and you retire when the sun goes down feeling that you have put in a full day.  You have time for meaningful conversations around the fire or table and you remember who you are and what your purpose in life is.

So that is our top 10 list and we think that any one of those reasons is reason enough to come on safari with Bush and Beyond in 2012.  We look forward to seeing you.

The Twins, the Hunter, the Hero and the Southern Cross are all constellations that you can see in the Kenyan night sky.  Now imagine seeing them while you are lying in your comfortable star bed on the roof of your cottage at ol Donyo Lodge or while sitting in a star bath full of bubbles at Ol Malo.  There is truly nothing more romantic.

To learn more about these constellations or to get a better look you can simply use the telescope on the library deck at The Sanctuary at Ol Lentille.  Or if you are staying at one of Nomadic Encounter’s houses and Jackson is around you might be lucky enough to learn all about the stars from a wonderful teacher.

But there is truly nothing better than camping out under the stars with a simple bedroll.  The Star Camp at Sarara was designed to give you just that kind of an experience.  The complete exclusivity of the Star Camp means that you can fully immerse yourself in the absolute peace and serenity of this remarkable wilderness.  But you can also sleep out under the stars when you are on a Walking Wild walking safari or a horseback riding safari with Ride Kenya.  All offer you a way to embrace the beauty of the night sky.

So come and rediscover what the stars really look like – they are so much bigger and brighter than you could have ever imagined.  We can’t wait to show you their beauty.  And remember when you wish upon a star your dreams come true.

Our private conservancies provide our guests with wide open spaces to explore on a game drive, on a game walk, from the back of a horse, camel or mountain bike and even gliding down the river in a tube or over the hills in a biplane.  Our private conservancies range in size from 45,000 acres to over 500,000 acres in which we are free to roam and experience the wildlife and the landscape in peace.  Imagine walking out amongst the giraffe or riding with herds of zebra or driving deep into the bush to see lions with their kill and having a sundowner while watching.  All of these experiences are on offer to our guests within our private conservancies.

One of the things that we take great pride in are the authentic cultural experiences that our guests can experience while they are staying with us.  Because the local communities are such an integral part of our properties, they welcome our guests into their villages, homes and celebrations.  The Singing Wells at Sarara, visiting your guides homes in the Mara, the women’s beading workshop at Ol Malo, walking with the warriors in Lewa and meeting the children at the school funded by Ol Lentille – all of these are experiences you can enjoy.

Our hosts and guides are truly our magical ingredient and without a doubt they are what make our guests’ experiences so special.  We believe that you are staying at our homes (and in many cases you are) when you visit our properties and we want you to feel at home.  There is nothing like sitting around the fire or the table and listening to the stories about growing up in the bush or out walking with your guide as he teaches you the art of bushcraft or spending an afternoon on horseback learning about ranch life or discovering the history of this magical place while out on a game drive.  All of this is possible thanks to our wonderful hosts and guides.

So come and discover our purpose and let us provide you with a life changing experience at any of our Bush and Beyond properties.

Kate joined the Lewa Wilderness team in 2010. She is from a small horse farm in Virginia, USA, and has come to Lewa because of her interest in wildlife conservation. Before coming to Wilderness, she worked in lodges in Greece and in Kenya, and she worked for an environmental organization in Virginia doing community outreach and advocacy.  Kate learned about Lewa when she saw the film, Milking the Rhino, at the National Geographic headquarters in Washington D.C., and that’s when she decided she wanted to get involved in sustainable tourism and conservation work in Kenya. “Lewa never ceases to amaze and inspire me. Just come here, take a ride in Will’s bi-plane, and you’ll see exactly what I’m talking about.”

Karmushu started at Lewa Wilderness over twelve years ago as a spotter. He then worked his way up to be a walking guide, then a driver guide, and then he became head guide at Wilderness. He has now been hosting at the lodge for over six years. His home is just outside the conservancy, so he has grown up knowing Lewa as a very special place. He developed a passion for wildlife as a young Maasai boy watching his family’s cows out in the bush, and the elders in his community trained him as a tracker. Karmushu enjoys sharing his knowledge of nature, bush skills and the traditional Maasai culture. He lives here at Wilderness with his lovely wife, Fatuma, and their four children, but he still goes home to his cows and his family in a nearby village.

The Francombe family own and run Ol Malo.  Colin and Rocky Francombe have lived in Northern Kenya for over 40 years and raised their family there.  They have opened their home and family ranch to guests so they can experience the beauty and wildlife of this special area.  Their children have also stayed involved with Ol Malo.  Their son, Andrew and his wife, Chyulu (who were married at Ol Malo this year) help with running the property and also act as hosts.  Their daughter Julia and her family live in the area and Julia runs the philanthropic arm of Ol Malo – you can often find her at the beading workshop or school which are both located on the property.

The Beaton and Looseyia families have been linked for three generations. Gerard Beaton and Jackson Looseyia grew up together and now own and operate Nomadic Encounters (Acacia, Mara and Topi Houses).  The unique combination of white Kenyan and Maasai Kenyan owners/friends provides an experience like no other for guests.  Add the artistic touches of Gerard’s wife, Rainee into the mix and it simply can’t be beat.  Gerard & Rainee are now raising their boys in the same area that Gerard and Jackson grew up – the legend continues.

Sarara is all about family.  Piers and Hilary Bastard manage Sarara and now Jeremy Bastard is working with his father and helping to run the property (as well as the walking safaris).  Sarara is really all about family, not just the Bastard family, but all the Samburu families who actually own Sarara.  Sarara is a community owned property and all the profits are dispersed among the local families.   So while you may only meet only one family while you are at Sarara know that this is about so many more families.

The Craig family have been at Lewa since the beginning of the 1900s and Will and his wife Emma own Lewa Wilderness.  The Craigs were instrumental in creating the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy which is one of the most successful and recognized private conservancies on the continent and a refuge to endangered species such as therhino and Grevy zebra.  A marvellous book about Deliah Craig (Will’s mother) has just been published and I highly recommend it – “From Oxcart to Email” tells the story of life at Lewa from its early days as a family ranch to its current success.  Now that’s a family story!

The Elias family is relatively new to Kenya but they have had a huge impact in their short time living here and their work with the local Masai & Samburu communities has made Ol Lentille a pioneer in the tourism industry.  Ol Lentille is a unique partnership between the Elias family, the local community and the African Wildlife Foundation.  John and Gil Elias manage the property and the conservancy on behalf of the local community and as such work hand in hand with the local families.  Another example of many families working together.

The Bonham family has been involved in the East African safari business for decades.  Richard Bonham and his sister, Trish Luke established ol Donyo Lodge and you can still find Richard, his wife Tara and their family living there.  Trish is busy in Nairobi as one of the partners of Bush and Beyond and her son, Richard Pye is now managing Mara Plains Camp.  Another generation of the Bonham family is following in the family business.

So as the famous disco hit says “We are Family” at Bush and Beyond.  We believe it is one of the things that make us and our properties so special.  We like to think that all of our guests feel like they are part of our families when they are staying with us.  So come and meet the family!

Born and bred in the Mara region, Daniel attended schools local to Mara Plains camp, and always strived to work in the tourism industry to meet people from all over the world and to share with them the beauty of his country. He graduated from Koiyaki Guiding School in 2007 with a certificate in Tour Guiding and First Aid, and furthered his education there in 2009 qualifying in Advanced Field Guiding. He was immediately employed by Ol Seki camp in the Mara, and later moved to the Chyulu Hills near Kilimanjaro, to guide at Ol Donyo Lodge, in one of the most extraordinary landscapes in Kenya, where his knowledge of birds and plants were especially enriched. Staying with Great Plains Conservation, Daniel joined Mara Plains in 2011, and is thrilled to come back home to his native lands. Most importantly Daniel strives to teach his guests about the rich diversity of wildlife here, as well as the desperate importance of protecting this priceless ecosystem. He feels extremely privileged to have the opportunity to deliver the message of wildlife and environmental conservation to a global audience for the benefit of generations to come.