Maasai Mara Safari & Kenyan Coast

Your Kenyan adventure starts in one of the most famous reserves in the world, the illustrious Maasai Mara. It's not the biggest reserve in Kenya, but nowhere else has the same abundance of wildlife or concentration of predators. Your home for your big game safari is Ilkeliani Camp, an eco-friendly, permanent tented camp on the Talek River. The camp combines traditional safari style with a modern and fresh feel. Seventeen tents cluster under shady indigenous trees that overlook the vast plains of the Mara and provide excellent views of wildlife action throughout the day. The river glade is a favourite area for elephants coming to drink, and you'll be sure to see plenty of these gentle giants during your stay. You'll enjoy morning and afternoon game drives with experienced guides, while other options include early morning walking safaris, a picnic at the Musiara Marsh and the adrenaline rush of a hot air balloon ride over the golden plains as herds of elephant, buffalo and zebra run with the winds below you. At the end of your action-packed day, you'll return to camp in time for a shower before relaxing with a sundowner round the campfire with your fellow guests. Dinner by candlelight completes your experience, after which an askari will guide you to your tent.

After one final game drive and a leisurely breakfast, you'll bid your newfound friends at Ilkeliani farewell and head back to the airstrip for your flight to Mombasa or Ukundu on the Kenyan coast. You'll be met and transferred to Diani Blue, a charming and exclusive beach lodge on sought-after Diani Beach. In 2019, Diani Beach was voted Africa's leading beach destination for the 6th time running at the “Oscars of the travel industry”, the World Travel Awards, and a quick google image search shows you why. This popular beach resort is a flawless stretch of powdery white sand hugged by lush forest, as teal waves break on the flat shores. It draws a diverse crowd with backpackers and party people mixing seamlessly with families and honeymooners. Most of the accommodation is spread along the beach road behind a line of forest, so the beach itself has an unspoilt, pristine feel. Diani Blue has just six guest rooms decorated with a combination of African fabrics, Afghan rugs, Swahili ceilings and European artworks. The rooms are clustered around a central pool that overlooks the silver-white sands of the beach. The lodge is set in tropical gardens which are home to a troop of Colobus monkeys. Expect al fresco dining on the terrace, sundowners in the communal lounge with private bar, a palm-shaded on-site beach restaurant and a beach spa for all the pampering. When you've had enough of lazing in a hammock, venture into the verdant forests where trees that speak in their ancestors’ voices, get active in one of the many water sports on offer or visit the monkey sanctuary. This stretch of coastline will deliver on beauty, entertainment and relaxation for the perfect beach break.

You'll reluctantly drag yourself away from paradise and make your way back to Nairobi for your return flight home.