[music playing]
HOLLY FIRFER: In a land that is timeless, in a space that seems
endless, a natural wonder is full of life
in a secluded part of Kenya.
RICHARD PYE: Well, the Mara, I think is--
I would say it's one of the jewels of Safari
because you can come to this place
and in a very, very short period,
in a very short distance, you can
see what would take a lot longer to do in a much larger area
elsewhere.
HOLLY FIRFER: On this Safari, you
do it all in the lap of luxury.
With just seven opulent tents at the Mara Plains Camp,
no detail has been missed in this all inclusive adventure.
Relax in your room and listen to the hippos
that call from the river below.
Sit back and watch the giraffes, gazelles, zebras,
baboons wander by.
Enjoy five-star open air dining from some of Kenya's top chefs.
And when you're ready to begin your journey
over the 30,000 natural acres, your private guide awaits.
There are five small caps here on about 30,000 acres
of conservancy land, and only jeeps from those camps
are allowed on this property, which is why game
drives here are so private.
RICHARD PYE: The more exclusive the camp, the more exclusive
the car, the most exclusive the experience.
And you can sit, like I was this morning,
with a cheetah hunting.
And I was the only vehicle there.
You can't get that many places.
HOLLY FIRFER: For those who want a more immersive safari
on the conservancy land, create your own adventure on horseback
without having to do any of the work.
MARTIN DODWELL: We have the breeches,
jumpers, the boots, we have helmets,
troxel helmets, gloves.
If you forget your socks, we'll have
water with us, cold drinks.
We got everything.
Well, it's East Africa, which, it's go to a remoteness
still about it.
It's got an innocence about it.
It's just nature at its best.
You're on a horse.
All horse riders know that to be on a horse
is one thing, but to look out and to have an endless vista.
And then if you have a herd of Toby
or wildebeest come past you, you can actually
go and join them, and just get in the excitement
of the whole thing.
RICHARD PYE: When you're in any beautiful place like this,
and you're looking around and seeing beautiful things
and hearing beautiful things and eating,
and you're just-- you're just filling
all your senses with goodness.
And that's good soul food.
So when you're lying in bed at night,
and you're listening to lions roaring and hyenas and a zebra,
and it-- it just-- it really is where we came from as humans.
This is our route.
HOLLY FIRFER: In the outskirts of Nairobi,
in the shadows of sunrise, comes a once in a lifetime encounter.
As guests awaken, these gentle giants beckon at Giraffe Manor,
a 1930s hunting lodge transformed
into a 10-room bespoke all inclusive hotel
that sits on a 140-acre sanctuary aimed at protecting
a threatened species.
MICKEY CARR-HARTLEY: They know through a bit like Pavlov's
dog, with habituation.
They know that first thing in the morning as the sun
comes out, the guests come out, there's a little bit of noise,
and they walk up to the house as the sun is rising
and basically stick their heads through the windows
of the manor in the breakfast rooms
and have breakfast with you.
The Giraffe Manor experience is not replicated
anywhere in the world.
It is a Nairobi city icon.
It is one of those amazing bucket list type things
that people really, really want to do,
and often save up for years to come and experience.
And that's why we try and make it as special for each
and every guest as we can.
You know, Kenya is this amazing country.
You know, where safari came from,
the word safari means journey.
It's a Swahili word from Kenya.
It is the icon of African Safari.
HOLLY FIRFER: Holly Firfer, CNN, Kenya.