Wildlife Safari: Around the World by Private Jet

Arrive in Seattle and transfer to your accommodations at the Four Seasons Hotel Seattle, where you meet your tour leadership team and fellow guests over cocktails and dinner.

Set off on your private jet for Tokyo, Japan (crossing the International Date Line en route), and arrive to an evening dinner of sushi and sake. Travel to Joshinetsu Kogen National Park in Nagano and take a pleasant walk through the park to meet the Japanese macaque, commonly known as the snow monkey. Enjoy a special talk conducted by the director of the national park before heading to lunch. Dine at your choice of one of A&K’s handpicked restaurants in Tokyo. Design Your Day with a guided exploration of Tokyo, taking in the Meiji Jingu and Asakusa Kannon Temple, and stroll through Tsukiji Market. Alternately, take a day trip to the charming seaside city of Kamakura, or enjoy a Zen meditation session and learn the art of Japanese calligraphy from a master artist. Tonight, attend a celebratory dinner hosted by expert geisha.

Celebrate your arrival in Cebu, the first Spanish settlement in the Philippines, during a beachfront Playa del Fuego cocktail reception and dinner. The next morning, set out via private helicopter for Tagbilaran City, Bohol, flying over the undulating Chocolate Hills en route. Visit the Philippine Tarsier Sanctuary in Corella for a chance to see one of the world’s smallest, and rarest, primates in its natural habitat. These shy creatures are difficult to keep in captivity, and seeing them in person is a rare treat. Continue to Loboc, where you have the opportunity to interact with local children as they perform traditional songs and dances. Enjoy a private recital by the renowned Loboc children’s choir. Design Your Day the next day with your choice of activities. Swim with the majestic whale shark — the world’s largest fish, and despite its name, a placid and harmless creature — and observe this one-of-a-kind species up close; enjoy a leisurely 18 holes at a nearby golf course; or take your pick from the many activities offered by your resort. On your last evening here, take part in a local cultural feast featuring an array of traditional Filipino dishes and lively entertainment.

Board your private jet this morning for your flight to exotic Borneo. Set out on an excursion to the wildlife sanctuaries of Sepilok, starting with the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Center. There are 44 rescued bears at the center, thriving within a natural environment while being prepared to re-enter the wild. Continue to the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Center, one of the best places to observe this critically endangered primate, and enjoy a behind-the-scenes opportunity to observe young orangutans as they are conditioned to return to the jungle. Proceed to the hotel for time at leisure, or continue on to Labuk Bay Sanctuary for a private feeding of proboscis monkeys. The next day, embark on an Abai River cruise in search of wildlife away from the crowds. Abai village is your entry to the lower Kinabatangan Segama Wetlands, located about an hour’s boat ride from Sandakan. The diversity of this area is stunning, with a record of more than 200 bird species, 90 fish species and 50 mammal species. Tonight, gather with fellow guests for a celebratory evening that begins with a private visit to the Agnes Keith Museum, followed by dinner at English Tea House, with local jazz musicians providing entertainment.

Arrive in Jaipur, India’s fabled “Pink City,” where you are greeted with a traditional maharajah’s welcome. This evening, enjoy a village-themed dinner. The next day, drive to Ranthambore National Park, where you and your expert trackers search for the greatest of all the great cats, the Bengal tiger, so endangered that there are more specimens in captivity in the United States than remain in the wild. Spanning about 250 square miles, the forests of Ranthambore were once the private hunting grounds of the maharajahs of Jaipur, and their desire to preserve game in these forests is partially responsible for making Ranthambore the finest habitat in the world to see wild tigers. Explore on morning and afternoon jungle drives, watching for these magnificent predators as well as the numerous other species that call the park home, including the wild boar, deer, antelope and sloth bear. Mughal ruins, palaces and tombs also dot the tree-clad hills. Gather for dinner in the Mango Orchard, an intimate natural space hung with lanterns and suffused with the scent of blossoming mango trees. Design Your Day the next day with a choice of a cultural encounter at a local village; a visit to historic Ranthambore Fort; a lesson in Indian cuisine; or a relaxing spa afternoon. Enjoy a farewell feast at a torchlit, open-air amphitheater.

Your next stop is Madagascar, where life proceeds at a slower pace and hospitable Malagasies welcome you with serene smiles. Arrive on the island of Nosy Be — known as “the Perfumed Island” for the fragrant ylang-ylang that grows everywhere — and receive a festive local welcome. Tonight, gather for a talk conducted by one of Madagascar’s leading experts in the conservation of lemurs. Take an excursion to the Nosy Antsoha Reserve for an encounter with Madagascar’s endemic primates, the lemurs. These curious creatures are a mesmerizing sight as they forage, play and interact with each other. Pause for refreshments on the beach, or, if you wish, take a dip in the crystal-clear waters before heading to lunch. Sip cocktails as the sun sets over neighboring Sakatia Island and enjoy a festive dinner featuring an unforgettable seafood selection accompanied by local dancers and musicians. Return to Nosy Be’s airport the next day and rejoin your private jet for the next stage of your wildlife adventure.

Arrive at Rwanda’s Kigali International Airport and continue to Musanze, your gateway to Volcanoes National Park, where you set out on your once-in-a-lifetime chance to encounter the mountain gorillas of the Parc Nationale des Volcanes, part of a worldwide population of just 600 individuals. This is one of the world’s truly memorable experiences — a look into these magnificent creatures’ eyes brings home the bond that exists between them and us. It also brings home the poignant fact that they are on the edge of extinction, and that your presence here contributes to their continued survival. Learn the ins and outs of gorilla conservation at a talk with a Gorilla Doctor. Your Design Your Day choices are a trek to spot the jungle’s resident golden monkeys or an opportunity to relax at your lodge and enjoy a massage, compliments of A&K. This afternoon, pay a visit to the research center established by Dian Fossey in 1967, and attend a talk by a conservation expert. Later, enjoy a private visit to the Iby’iwacu Cultural Center for an in-depth immersion into traditional Rwandan culture.

Arrive in Nairobi and board your private charter flight to the Masai Mara, where a party of tribal dancers is on hand to welcome you when you touch down. Spend two days observing the amazing variety of wildlife that populates the Masai Mara, including the iconic Big Five: lions, elephants, leopards, rhinos and Cape buffalo. Explore on game drives, a guided bush walk and even an early-morning balloon safari complete with a Champagne breakfast served in the bush. Retire to your luxurious lodge at the end of each day, reliving the day’s adventures over a gourmet dinner. You also have the opportunity to visit a Maasai village, where you meet the nomadic herders who have acted as stewards of this land for hundreds of years. A visit to a local school provides a glimpse of how A&K Philanthropy is working to make lives better in the Mara. Your last evening includes an informal talk from a wildlife conservation expert.

This evening, arrive in Boston, where you bid farewell to your crew and fellow guests. Transfer to the Four Seasons Hotel Boston and settle in for a relaxing evening in the heart of this historic city.

Today you are transferred to the airport to board your departure flight.