Virgin Red is again offering a discount on redemptions for Finch Hattons, an all-inclusive safari camp in Kenya. Redemptions cost 100,000 Virgin Red points for two people per night, with a two-night minimum. That price includes two game drives per day, all meals, and transfers to and from the local airstrip to the lodge if you choose to fly to Nairobi. Additionally, each person gets a complimentary massage if they stay for five nights or more.
Bookings are open for two months, between October 16th and December 16th. November is usually considered the wettest time of the year in Tsavo West National Park, where the lodge is located, so aiming for late October is probably the best bet for good weather.
It’s worth noting that Virgin has run a 30-40% transfer bonus from Chase Ultimate Rewards between May and June the last four years in a row. We didn’t see one in May this year; it could be delayed or it just won’t happen. If it does, it could be great use of your Ultimate Rewards points.
The Deal
- Book an award stay at the Virgin Limited Edition property, Finch Hattons, in Kenya for 100,000 Virgin Red points per night.
- Two-night minimum
Key Terms
- Redemptions valid for stays from 16 October to 19 December in 2026.
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The points price is based on two people sharing a Luxury Tent for two nights and includes all meals, all drinks (including alcohol), twice-daily game drives, and transfers to and from Finch Hattons’ private airstrip.
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A minimum two-night stay applies to all bookings.
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Bookings must be made no later than 3 days (72 hours) prior to arrival, which is the final opportunity to secure and confirm a reservation. All bookings must be fully confirmed and Virgin Points redeemed by this deadline; requests within 3 days (72 hours) of arrival cannot be accommodated.
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Park Fees are not included and will be charged separately. These fees are valid for 24 hours from the time of entry. If you stay in the park beyond this period, an additional full 24-hour fee will apply. Additionally, please be aware that park fees are subject to change in accordance with the Kenya Wildlife Service guidelines.
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For stays of 5 nights or more, you will receive a complimentary massage per person, up to 2 people per stay.
Quick Thoughts
There are a few things to unpack here. For starters, the 100,000 redemption covers the cost for two people to visit and includes the following:
- Stay in a luxury tent
- All meals
- All drinks (including alcohol)
- Twice-daily game drives
- Transfer to and from the Finch Hattons’ private airstrip
Redemptions normally cost 190,000 points per night, and the cash rate appears to be ~$2,800 per night, so you’d be getting good value from your points, even if it is a large number of points to drop per night. Bear in mind, though, that you’re not only getting accommodation – all your food and drink is included, as are two game drives each day that you’re there.
You do have to get yourself to Finch Hattons, though. The Virgin Limited Edition website recommends flying into Wilson Airport in Nairobi, then getting a scheduled or charter flight from there. One airline that flies that route is Safarilink; one-way flights cost $265 each way, but a round trip is a little cheaper at $425. The site also mentions that it’s possible to drive from Nairobi in ~4 hours.
Another thing to be aware of is that you’d be booking through Virgin Red rather than Virgin Atlantic. If you only have a Virgin Atlantic account, you’ll need to create a Virgin Red account and link the two. You’ll then be able to use your Virgin Atlantic points for Virgin Red bookings.
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Any insight on cost for 4 people in a tent, if allowed at all? Would have to bring the two teens along
They do have one or two larger family “tents” though I didn’t see pricing for these in points terms.
Good idea to bring the whole family. Unforgettable experience. Terms state: “100,000 Virgin Red points for two people per night, with a two-night minimum.” So, if you wanna use points, you’d probably want to secure two rooms, 400K minimum (two rooms, two nights, four persons total, two in each room). Or, pay a cash surcharge (probably $1,000s per person per night) to upgrade to a two-bedroom family suite, but it takes a lot of extra coordinating directly with the property/travel agent to ensure that’s done right (far fewer availability). If you have points (or ability to transfer), go with the two rooms. Far better value.
Morning! Have the FM team been on this trip before? I may have missed it if yes. Can you clarify what the included transport from the airstrip is? I assume you have to fly to NBO, then WIL, charter flight to then fly to the FH airstrip, and from there the included transport commences? Or is WIL = FH airstrip? I’d love to do this trip, but even to get to NBO from the west coast would be a 1-2 stop flight for me, so I’m trying to figure out if this is 4 or 5 step process to/fro. Thank you!
We went to Virgin Ltd Mahali Mzuri in December – and paid much more points – so this is a good deal. Fly into Nairobi NBO and take taxi to Wilson (an educational +/- 30 minutes in itself). Pay for regularly scheduled flights from Wilson to the camp airstrip (find schedules on Skyscanner and book on carrier’s website). Picked up at airstrip in camp’s Land Rover or similar – this last road vehicle transport is what is included.
Yes. Included transport is just the safari vehicle coming to pick you up from the airstrip and taking you the short trip back to the Finch Hattons camp. The driver will be the same person as guides/drives for your safaris, so this first trip is itself something of a mini safari trip. WIL is Wilson airport in Nairobi.
Haven’t stayed at Virgin in Kenya, but have been to Nairobi and the Mara. Yes, you usually fly international into NBO; and all ‘domestic’ flights into the bush via Wilson. My itinerary involved flying into Keekorok, then Land Cruiser to lodge. Depending on your international flight times, it is often wise to stay a night in Nairobi, before and after. Four Points by Sheraton at NBO is decent (can even use Marriott points.)
Hemingways is a fantastic SLH property in the Nairobi Karen district that can be an interesting use of Hilton points or FNCs. There’s something a little poetic about a visit to Karen on the way to Finch Hattons also, as Karen=Meryl Streep character in the movie “Out of Africa” and Finch Hatton= Robert Redford character.