A hot air balloon drifting over the savanna at sunrise

Ultra-Private East Africa

Three countries, zero friction. Every leg by air, every camp the region’s reference point, and the same team hosting from Nairobi’s jet bridge to Zanzibar’s sand.

10 days · 9 nights Route: Nairobi → Mara conservancy → Serengeti → Zanzibar All flights internal — longest road transfer 45 minutes Best months: Jul–Oct for crossings; superb year-round

The journey in three chapters

  1. Days 1–4 · Kenya

    The Mara, privately

    Met at the aircraft door in Nairobi (our guests’ reviews describe exactly this), overnight at a quiet suburban estate, then forty-five minutes by air to a private conservancy bordering the reserve. Capped vehicle numbers, off-road positioning at sightings, walking safaris and night drives the reserve cannot offer — with the crossing points minutes away in season.

    Conservancy flagship camp — 3 nights

  2. Days 5–7 · Tanzania

    The Serengeti, at altitude and on it

    Cross the ecosystem by air (the border handled invisibly en route), landing where the herds are. Three days of private guiding from a flagship camp; on day seven, the balloon — an hour of silence over the plains, then champagne and eggs Benedict wherever you land.

    Serengeti flagship camp — 3 nights

  3. Days 8–10 · Zanzibar

    The private finish

    Ninety minutes from airstrip to a beach house that is yours alone — chef, boat and boat captain included. A dhow sail, a reef morning at Mnemba, dinners barefoot on your own sand. Home on day ten, or honestly, later — most guests extend.

    Private beach house — 2+ nights

What it costs — honestly

ConfigurationFrom, per personNotes
Couple$9,500All internal flights, balloon, private vehicles and beach house included
Family / group of 4–6$8,200Private camps and the beach house price better shared
Peak crossing season+15–20%August–September commands premiums everywhere; we say so upfront

Includes every internal flight, all park, conservancy and crossing fees, balloon safari, private guiding throughout, full board and the staffed beach house. Excluded: international flights, visas, gratuities.

What “ultra” means here

  • One WhatsApp thread, one hosting team, three countries — no handoffs, ever
  • Longest road transfer: 45 minutes. Total flying time: under 5 hours across the trip
  • Rooms held at the reference camps before you commit — we ask for days, not deposits, to check fit