Three giraffes striding across the Masai Mara savannah
Safari & beach
Kenya · Masai Mara — Diani Beach

Kenya: Safari & the Coast

Duration
6 nights · 7 days
Starting from
6,900 c.u.

Classic Kenya in two acts: three days of game drives in the Masai Mara reserve — land of the Great Migration, lions and cheetahs — then a flight to the Indian Ocean coast, the white sand of Diani Beach and the coral reefs of the Kisite-Mpunguti marine park.

Day-by-day itinerary
  1. Day
    01

    Nairobi → Masai Mara

    Giraffes on the savannah at sunset

    Arrival in Nairobi and a light-aircraft flight to the Masai Mara — one of Kenya’s crown jewels in the south-west of the country. The reserve borders Tanzania’s Serengeti and is in effect its continuation: this is where the Great Migration of the antelope takes place every year, the signature event of both parks. The name comes from the Maasai people, who own these lands, and the Mara river that flows through them.

    That is why the Masai Mara is not, strictly, a national park — the correct word is “reserve”, since the land is not state-owned. Its flora and fauna, however, belong to Kenya and enjoy the highest level of protection. After checking in at your camp, a first evening game drive.

  2. Day
    02

    Game drives in the Masai Mara

    A herd of wildebeest crossing the Mara river

    A journey through the wild in Kenya is called a “safari” — in Swahili the word simply means “journey”. A Masai Mara safari is above all about heading out in open 4×4s to meet the wildlife; each outing is known as a game drive.

    You explore plains and hills that are home to more than 450 species of birds and animals: lions, cheetahs, leopards, hyenas, antelope, waterbuck, gazelles, hippos, giraffes, ostriches, vultures, marabou storks and many more. Return to camp for lunch — or have a picnic laid out for you in the savannah.

  3. Day
    03

    Masai Mara: a second day in the savannah

    A leopard resting on an acacia branch

    Another full day of game drives — at dawn and in the late afternoon, when the savannah comes alive. On request, a hot-air balloon flight over the Mara or a visit to a Maasai village.

    Climate

    The Masai Mara climate is mild. Days can be hot, so breathable clothing in natural fabrics is best. There are two rainy periods — March to April and November. The reserve lies at 1,650 metres, so despite its proximity to the equator it never gets oppressively hot.

    Where you stay

    Accommodation in the Masai Mara means lodges and camps. A “lodge” originally meant a shelter; today it is a hotel in the wild, in a remote place. A camp is a cluster of bungalows, cottages or tents, often raised on stilts as protection from wildlife. We select camps of the highest class, with private guides and open 4×4s.

  4. Day
    04

    Flight to the coast · Diani Beach

    A dhow off a white sandbar in the turquoise water of Diani

    A morning game drive, breakfast and the flight from the Mara to the Indian Ocean coast. Diani Beach is 17 kilometres of white coral sand beneath the palms south of Mombasa — one of the most beautiful beaches in Africa. Check in at your hotel and unwind by the ocean.

  5. Day
    05

    Kisite-Mpunguti marine park

    A dhow excursion to the Kisite-Mpunguti marine reserve. The heart of the park is four islands ringed by extraordinary coral reefs, with a remarkably rich underwater world: moray eels, angelfish, butterflyfish, parrotfish, groupers, Napoleon wrasse, scorpionfish and rays, as well as green and hawksbill turtles, dolphins, humpback whales and whale sharks.

    Snorkelling over the reefs, a seafood lunch on Wasini Island and the return to Diani towards evening.

  6. Day
    06

    Diani Beach

    A free day on the beach: the ocean, the spa, kitesurfing or diving if you wish. In the evening, a candlelit dinner on the shore.

  7. Day
    07

    Diani → Nairobi — departure

    Breakfast, the flight to Nairobi and your connection to the international flight home.