The 1923

Upon your arrival at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO), you will be met by your private F&K representative and transferred to Hemingways Nairobi in Karen. You will look forward to the drive into Karen, which begins the transition from international traveller to safari guest. The leafy suburbs and the elegant architecture of Hemingways set the tone for the journey ahead.

At Hemingways Nairobi, you will check in and settle into the hotel. You will look forward to time to relax after your international flight, enjoy the hotel gardens, have lunch or afternoon tea, swim or enjoy the spa, and recover from jet lag. The hotel's serene atmosphere and beautiful gardens provide the perfect introduction to Kenya.

In the late afternoon, you will be introduced to your F&K safari host and guide. Rather than giving you a generic welcome briefing, this becomes the beginning of the story. You will receive The 1923 Expedition Journal, a beautifully designed physical journal containing a Kenya safari map, expedition notes, wildlife checklist, space for observations, historical notes, places for photographs, and F&K's story of The 1923.

In the evening, you will enjoy a private dinner at Hemingways Nairobi. The evening is deliberately relaxed. You will be told: "Tomorrow, Nairobi disappears behind you."

You will wake at Hemingways and enjoy breakfast. Then your private vehicle will transfer you to Wilson Airport. You will look forward to Wilson Airport, the gateway to Kenya's safari country, where the flight itself forms part of the experience.

You will board a small safari aircraft. As Nairobi disappears beneath you, the landscape changes: city, farms, Rift Valley, savannah, Mara. This is the moment the expedition truly begins. You will look forward to the spectacular aerial views of the Great Rift Valley, with its dramatic escarpments and volcanic lakes, before the vast savannah plains of the Maasai Mara unfold beneath you.

You will land at Cottar's private airstrip, and a short transfer takes you to camp. You will look forward to the arrival at Cottar's 1920s Camp, where the concept comes alive — vintage 1920s luxury, with eleven tented suites, an Explorers Tent, authentic safari pieces, historic photography, and original explorer equipment.

You will be welcomed into camp and enjoy lunch, then settle into your tent, with its vintage furnishings, canvas walls, and the sounds of the African bush surrounding you. In the afternoon, you will embark on your first gentle game drive — not a "Big Five hunt", the objective is simply: welcome to the wilderness.

At sunset, you will stop somewhere overlooking the Mara for your first 1923 Sundowner. In the evening, you will return to camp for dinner around the fire, where your guide introduces the history of safari — from early expeditions to today's conservation-focused safari.

You will wake before sunrise. The camp is quiet. You will look forward to coffee and a light breakfast before departing. This is the first full expedition. The philosophy is: slow down, observe, understand. You will learn how to read animal tracks, identify birds, understand predator behaviour, read the landscape, recognise different ecosystems, and follow animal movements — rather than simply ticking animals off a list, your guide teaches you how to see the bush.

Instead of returning to camp, you will stop in a carefully selected wilderness location for The 1923 Bush Picnic — a beautiful expedition-style picnic prepared with canvas, wood, leather and linen, with traditional safari-inspired presentation, but underneath the aesthetic is excellent modern Kenyan cuisine.

In the afternoon, you will continue the game drive, with possible sightings of lions, elephants, buffalo, leopards, cheetahs, giraffes, zebra, wildebeest, hippos, and hundreds of bird species. In the evening, you will return to camp for a hot shower or one of Cottar's signature canvas bush baths, followed by cocktails around the fire. Dinner is served under the stars.

Today changes the pace. In the morning, where conditions and guiding regulations permit, you will embark on a guided walking safari. Instead of sitting inside a vehicle, you will experience the smaller wilderness — tracks, plants, birds, insects, animal trails, sounds and scents. This is what makes the experience feel like an expedition rather than an ordinary game drive.

At midday, you will return to camp for lunch, rest, and pool or spa time. In the afternoon, you will head back into the Mara on a private game drive — your guide will follow current wildlife activity rather than a rigid itinerary.

In the evening, you will return to camp and sit with your Expedition Journal, recording species encountered, interesting behaviour, location, weather and personal observations. This becomes one of the souvenirs of The 1923. Dinner will be served beneath the stars.

The original safari story cannot be told only through wildlife. Today explores the relationship between people, land and wildlife. In the morning, you will visit a local Maasai community through a respectful, community-led experience — learning about traditional pastoralism, cattle, community life, architecture, crafts, beadwork and contemporary Maasai life. The focus is cultural exchange rather than staged entertainment.

In the afternoon, you will return towards the conservancy for a conservation experience, learning about wildlife protection, community land, human-wildlife coexistence, conservation economics, habitat protection, and why private conservancies matter — particularly appropriate given Cottar's operates within Olderkesi Conservancy and positions its safari around conservation, culture and community.

At sunset, you will find a beautiful location for the 1923 Sundowner — drinks, canapés, savannah and golden light. No rush. In the evening, you will return to camp for dinner around the fireplace.

This is the signature day of The 1923. You will wake before dawn, enjoy coffee, and depart with your guide for The Great Mara Expedition. You will spend the entire day exploring — no returning to camp for lunch, no rushing, no fixed timetable. The guide follows the wilderness.

In the morning, you will look forward to predators, herds, birdlife, elephants and open plains. At midday, you will stop for the Great Expedition Lunch — one of the most visually distinctive moments of the package: a private table in the wilderness, canvas, leather, brass-inspired details, safari chairs and fresh Kenyan cuisine. In the afternoon, you will continue deeper into the ecosystem, spending serious time with whichever wildlife you encounter. If the season coincides with the Great Migration, the itinerary naturally adapts to the movement of the herds.

At golden hour, you will look forward to photography, landscape, wildlife silhouettes, and the final drive back towards camp. In the evening, you will return to Cottar's for the 1923 Farewell Dinner — lanterns, fire, canvas, linen, storytelling, Kenyan cuisine and champagne. Your guide will share stories of the evolution of safari, from the early expedition era to modern conservation tourism, and you will receive your Expedition Journal as a keepsake.

You will wake naturally — no early alarm unless you want one. You will look forward to breakfast at camp, with the sounds of the bush and the gentle morning light. If flight timing allows, you will take one final short game drive. This isn't about adding another animal to the list. It is about saying goodbye.

You will return to camp, pack, and transfer to Cottar's private airstrip, boarding the light aircraft back to Wilson Airport as the reverse journey begins: savannah, Rift Valley, farms, Nairobi. Upon arrival in Nairobi, you will be met by your private transfer. Depending on your international flight: Option A — same-day international departure, transfer directly to JKIA; Option B — late departure, lunch or relaxation in Nairobi first; Option C — extension, continue the journey to another Kenyan destination.