Kenya and Tanzania: bush and beach
From the Mara to the Serengeti, and on to the sea
A journey across both halves of the migration country. You start with a night in Nairobi, spend three nights in the Maasai Mara at House in the Wild, then cross into Tanzania by air for three nights in the northern Serengeti, three in the eastern Serengeti and two at the Ngorongoro Crater. You finish with three nights on Zanzibar. A private guide, a private vehicle and flights between every stop, so nothing is rushed.
Night 1
Kwetu Nairobi, Nairobi
1 night · Nairobi · Best for: a calm first night
A quiet hotel in a leafy suburb near Karura Forest, away from the city centre. Your driver meets you at the airport, and the evening is for resting after the flight.
- A swimming pool for the first afternoon
- Horse riding, cycling or birdwatching nearby, if you arrive early
Optional extra night: If your flight lands late or you arrive tired, add a second night in Nairobi so you can rest before heading to the Mara.
Nights 2 to 4
House in the Wild, Maasai Mara
3 nights · Enonkishu Conservancy, Maasai Mara · Best for: unhurried days in the Mara
You fly from Nairobi to the Mara, where I live. Three nights is long enough to stop rushing and let the conservancy set the pace. Days start with game drives and can go as slowly or as actively as you like.
- E-biking safari
- Horse riding safari
- Bush breakfast and shamba breakfast
- Sundowners at the end of the day
- Spa treatments to finish
Why I chose it: it is the base I would send a guest to for a proper Mara stay, with more than game drives to fill the days.
Optional upgrade: Wild Hill, also in Enonkishu Conservancy, yours alone for the whole stay. No other guests, just your own team and your own pace. Ask me about it when we plan.
Nights 5 to 7
Sayari Retreats, Northern Serengeti
3 nights · Northern Serengeti · Best for: the Mara River country
You fly to the Kenyan border, clear immigration, and fly on into the far north of the Serengeti, so you cross from Kenya to Tanzania without a long drive. Your stay here is private: your own guide, your own vehicle and your own chef.
- Game drives and walking safaris
- Sundowners at the end of the day
- Spa and pool time between drives
Nights 8 to 10
Namiri Retreats, Eastern Serengeti
3 nights · Eastern Serengeti · Best for: open plains and big cats
You fly south across the Serengeti and drive slowly to camp. The eastern plains are open, with plenty of room to see cats hunting. Plan each day with your private guide, from a long picnic drive to a walk.
- Game drives and walking safaris
- Picnic-lunch excursions
- Spa and pool at camp
Nights 11 and 12
Nomad Entamanu Private, Ngorongoro Crater
2 nights · Ngorongoro Conservation Area · Best for: the crater, without the crowds
You fly to Lake Manyara and drive up to the crater rim. The next morning you descend early for a picnic breakfast on the crater floor, one of the great wildlife spectacles in Africa.
- A picnic lunch with a view over the crater
- An early descent, with breakfast on the crater floor
- A walk in the crater highlands, or a visit to a Maasai boma
Nights 13 to 15
Zanzibar White Sand Luxury Villas and Spa, Zanzibar
3 nights · Southeast coast, Paje · Best for: switching off after safari
Fly from Lake Manyara to Zanzibar and transfer privately to the south-east coast. After twelve nights of early starts, three days on the beach is the right way to finish.
- Time on Paje beach
- Kitesurfing and watersports for the active
- Yoga and spa
Journeys like this start from US$1,500 per person per night.
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