East Africa is packed with game reserves, lakes, mountains, beaches, and cultural and historical attractions. Choosing where to go and what to do is a daunting task. But here you can have two holidays rolled into one by combining a bush safari with a tropical island experience where you can snorkel.
Your journey begins in the famous Masai Mara, very close to where the final scene of the "Out of Africa" movie was filmed. The Masai Mara safari delivers many attractions, as the reserve is home to a great concentration of game all year round, including the more than two million wildebeest, zebras, and other antelopes that migrate annually. The reserve is a photographer’s and naturalist’s paradise, with an abundance of wildlife, including elephant, buffalo, giraffe, lion, and cheetah. You will spend the next three days at Bateleur Camp on guided game drives and nature walks. You also have the option to interact with the Maasai people and take a hot air balloon ride.
Tucked away at the foot of the scenic Oloololo escarpment (the rim of the Great Rift Valley) in Kenya’s iconic Masai Mara National Reserve, is the classic and elegant Bateleur Camp. This romantic and private camp reflects the ambiance of Kenyan safaris of the ‘20s and ‘30s. The camp has a vintage safari elegance with intriguing antiques, hand-crafted artifacts, and keepsakes of bygone times mingle with cushy sofas and polished leather chairs. The warm glow of torches and candles welcome you home from your evening drive.
Next, you jet off for four days to the exotic island of Zanzibar for some serious relaxation, warm Indian Ocean water, and palm trees galore. Sun-kissed beaches, pristine coral reefs, cobbled streets, and a taste of the East - a Zanzibar holiday is a unique African experience.
Be among just twenty guests at the romantic Mnemba Island Lodge and experience an array of outdoor activities such as snorkeling, swimming, kayaking, and massages on the beach.
Promising a little adventure and some relaxation, this tour is ideal for couples looking for the ultimate romantic setting, solo travelers, and families looking to spend some quality time together.
Accommodation: Bateleur Camp
On arrival in Nairobi, you will be transferred to Wilson Airport for a flight to the airstrip of the popular Bateleur Tented Camp in the Masai Mara Game Reserve. Enjoy lunch at camp before meeting your guide for high tea and setting out on a late afternoon game drive in the Masai Mara Reserve.
Enjoy dawn and dusk game drives in open 4x4 safari vehicles and night drives on the camp's private wilderness concession.
Accommodation: Mnemba Island Lodge
After breakfast, you bid farewell to the Mara as you drive to the airstrip for a scheduled flight to Nairobi's Wilson airport and then take a connecting flight with Safarilink to Zanzibar. It is a 1½-hour road trip followed by 10 – 15 minutes boat ride to Mnemba Island Lodge where you will be greeted with a refreshing island cocktail and have the rest of the day to relax beside the beach.
Discover sheer, unpretentious paradise on this private island, where the simple pleasures become your most treasured of memories for many years to come. Relax and unwind in the exclusivity of your own stretch of beachfront or perhaps you will consider one of the many non-motorized water activities on offer.
Enjoy your last day in Zanzibar with an early morning snorkel followed by breakfast on the beach. Once you’ve gathered your belongings together, you will take the boat ride across to Zanzibar and then to the airport. On arrival, you will take a light aircraft flight back to Nairobi or to Dar es Salaam Airport for your onward travel arrangements.
Please note:
Mnemba Island is closed from 8 Apr to 20 May
"Amazing trip We stayed at Bateleur for three nights and were warmly welcomed by all the staff on arrival. Our "tent" had a lovely view across the Mara where we regularly saw giraffe, wildebeest and eland sauntering slowly and eating."
- Clothcat9
"Our favourite safari camp This was the third of the four safari camps we stayed in, and can easily say it was the best. In general, &Beyond seems to pay attention to the details at their camps and it was definitely evident here."
- gbruels
"Amazing!! few days We had an amazing few days at bateleur camp. I really don't think there is a better camp in the Masai Mara. We had our three kids, 8 14 and 16. Our hosts were very accommodating."
- Samantha C
"Spectacular One of those places you have to see to believe. First class accommodations and service. Incredible views, wonderful food, and the Maasai Mara outside your tent as far as the eye can see."
- 510mark510
* rates may vary according to season
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