Intimate bush encounters and the Indian Ocean beach will complement a romantic vacation that transports you into an entirely different world. This two-week vacation celebrates the beauty of Kenya and the inimitability of its atmosphere. Escape the stress of home and bask in the wilderness where animals are your close neighbors in three contrasting safari destinations: Lewa, Meru, and the Masai Mara. After eight days of intimate encounters, you fly to Diani where silence and solitude complete your getaway.
Upon arrival you will be picked up by your safari guide and transferred to Macushla House. Owner-run Macushla House offers a quiet oasis about 18 kilometres from central Nairobi in the suburb of Karen. Breakfasts are delicious, the staff are friendly, they have great local knowledge and are happy to help with ordering taxis and arranging tours. The whole vibe is unpretentious and relaxed, and when it comes to the garden and the cool stone veranda – well, you could spend hours there enjoying a cup of tea, or a glass of wine in the company of monkeys and exotic birds. Relax on the comfortable veranda furniture, overlooking a peaceful, green garden and enjoying the soothing sounds of birds in the trees. A lovely, mosaic-tiled swimming pool invites guests to take a refreshing dip on a hot day. Otherwise, there is a variety of activities available in the area to keep children and guests entertained, including a visit to the Elephant Orphanage, Karen Blixen Museum, Daphne Sheldrick Animal Orphanage, The Matbronze Art Gallery and Foundry. Nairobi National Park is very nearby, making it the only wildlife reserve in the world located right next to a major city and provides guests with the opportunity to take safari day trips.
Traveling by light aircraft, you will reach the Laikipia Plateau, which is a wilderness area that is has been converted into a series of private conservancies. Wildlife will move and migrate freely between the conservancies, and territorial animals tend to control their part of the conservancy. Local guides know exactly where the animals roam, so it will easy to gain first impressions of Africa’s famous wildlife. Both lions and leopards will be a feature of Lewa Wildlife Conservancy. Elephants and buffalo will start to blur into the landscape as they are so numerous in this part of the world. Then, you will witness the rhinos, which are a thriving population of both black and white beasts that will offer superlative encounters during your first day of the safari. You will check in at the luxurious Lewa Wilderness Lodge - your home for the next 3 nights.
Lewa Wilderness is situated on the edge of one of Kenya’s most private game sanctuaries, the wildlife-rich Lewa Conservancy. Guests are accommodated in charming cottages which include spacious bedrooms, ensuite bathrooms, fireplaces and verandas. Guest areas include a cosy sitting room, an open-air dining area and a saltwater pool boasting breathtaking panoramas of the valley below. Healthy and delicious meals are prepared with fresh produce from the lodge’s verdant organic garden. Adventures include game drives into the wildlife-rich Lewa Conservancy, camel riding, nature walks, horseriding, tennis and cultural visits to a nearby Maasai village. Those in need of leisure time can simply relax with a book in the pretty garden or take a refreshing dip in the inviting pool.
This morning you will wake up for an early flight to Meru. On arrival, you will be assisted to transfer to Elsa Kopje. Located on a rocky kopje – a granite outcropping in an otherwise flat landscape – this lodge offers spectacular views of the surrounding plains, streams and Mount Kenya. It is the only operational lodge within the park boundaries, meaning that in addition to these sweeping views, you will also enjoy near exclusivity when exploring this unique and quiet landscape. Made famous by conservationist Joy Adamson and the film based on her book “Born Free”, Meru National Park is home to 13 rivers, as well as a wide range of diverse habitats. It is a paradise for bird watchers, as several rare bird species are found here. A small but highly diverse park, Meru has the feeling of a far larger wilderness and was home to Elsa the lioness of “Born Free” fame.
Barely visible on approach, Elsa’s Kopje blends seamlessly into its surrounds. Perched high on top of Mughwango Hill, this superb lodge stands as tribute to Elsa, the orphaned lioness made famous in the movie Born Free. Charming cottages are crafted around the natural features of the hill, each with a spacious bedroom, open sitting rooms, ensuite bathroom and large veranda with breath-taking views of the savannah below. Elsa’s Private House – with double rooms, a sitting room, veranda and plunge pool – is ideal for families. The menu is Northern Italian, peppered with both local and international dishes, accompanied by freshly baked bread, crisp salads and locally grown vegetables. Lamp-lit pathways lead towards guest areas that include an open bar, sitting room and dining area, with an exceptionally inviting infinity pool overlooking the Meru plains. Adventures include game drives, guided nature walks, bush meals, excursions to the Tana River and cultural visits to a local village.
Explore the unique landscape of Meru as you pass under mammoth baobab trees and across the savannah, entirely against the backdrop of Mount Kenya. As you trail zebra and impala in search of the Big Five, be sure to keep your eyes open for some of the rare species that make this park home. The caracal, lesser kudu and aardwolf all live within this region, revealing themselves for a lucky few. Within the park, you will also have the opportunity to visit an important rhino sanctuary that works to conserve and reintroduce the threatened species to the wilderness, from which they were totally eradicated in the 1990s.
You will leave Meru on a private charter that will fly via Nanyuki to the Mara. Be sure to look out your window as you touch down temporarily in Nanyuki – this airport is located right at the base of the snow-capped Mount Kenya. From the air, you are sure to receive your most impressive views. The Maasai Mara under the seemingly endless and ever-changing African skies. The conservancy itself is strategically located, bordering the Masai Mara, the Serengeti and Loliondo, and has some of the richest wildlife populations in Africa. With no fences and limited human interaction, your time in the region will truly send you into the bush. Led by some of Kenya’s most highly rated professional guides, you will begin a series of close encounters with Africa’s richest wildlife. They avoid the throngs of safari trucks, characteristic of some regions of the Mara, and encourage engagement rather than ‘animal box ticking’ during your days in the bush. You will have the opportunity to visit one of the local Masai communities with which the lodge works in partnership. The Masai are the original owners of the land, and as such, the safari property has made it a longstanding priority to support the development of these communities through aid, business opportunities and environmental conservation.
Hemingways Ol Seki Mara is located in the heart of the Naboisho Conservancy which borders the Maasai Mara Reserve. This stunning private tented camp is your enclave of luxury in the wildest terrain of Kenya. 9 exclusive luxury tents with 270° panoramic views of the Mara plains. The name Ol Seki means ‘sandpaper tree’, a tree that symbolises peace and harmony for the Maasai people. And everything about the camp is intended to bring the same peace and harmony to travellers here! One of the most sophisticated camps in this part of Kenya, Ol Seki is highly recommended for travellers looking for a retreat-style property well away from large crowds. Accommodation is booked on an all-inclusive basis, featuring all meals, a selection of alcoholic and soft drinks, all scheduled activities, transfers between the camp and Ol Seki Naboisho airstrip, and Wi-Fi. The camp is open all year, apart from mid-April to end of May.
After a final morning game drive, you will fly from the Maasai Mara to Mombasa. From here, it will be a 30-minute drive south to Diani Beach. Once the beach begins, it does not seem to end. Palms will rise the highest in the thick, overhanging forest, and monkeys will shout from the trees. The forest protects the beach, casting it adrift from everything else. So, when you walk on the beach, all you will see is the white sand and the trees along with the Indian Ocean. A reef will catch most of the waves about a mile offshore, so the tidal waters will be more like a lagoon: perfect for splashing your feet during your first day on the coast. Check in at the Alfajiri Villas - considered by many as the finest villas on the east African coast, the Alfajiri Villas are perfectly situated on popular Diani Beach, an hour south of Mombasa. Perfect for small groups, choose from three private villa options: Cliff, Garden or Beach – each with a stunning ocean view, sublimely spacious and breathtakingly decorated to reflect the traditions of the region or the spectacular natural surrounds. The four-bedroomed villas include lovely ensuite bathrooms, a lounge and a large veranda with a private gazebo.
Guest areas include lush gardens and a swimming pool at the edge of a small cliff jutting into the sea. Feast on impossibly-fresh seafood and Mediterranean-inspired menus, paired with a selection of fine wines. The retreat’s chefs will expertly design tailormade menus served in the comforts of your villa. Golf enthusiasts will be thrilled with the 18-hole championship golf course, located just two minutes away. Non-golfers can throw on some fins and explore the coral reef on a snorkelling trip, relax with a massage or, at an additional cost, can partake in a scuba diving adventure, deep-sea fishing, kite surfing, quad biking or safari activity.
By now you will have spent four days resting around the beach, and unfortunately, it is time to return to the real world, although your safari will have taught you to redefine what areal world means. You will fly from Mombasa back to Nairobi where you will meet your international outbound flight.
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