Inspiration for your own tailor-made trip
Nairobi - Lake Naivasha - Masai Mara - Ukunda Diani
100% customisable for you
Get to the airport, glide through security and head to the lounge, where you can enjoy nibbles and refreshments before boarding. Your overnight flight to Nairobi takes around eight-and-a-half hours, touching down in the small hours of the following morning. On arrival, you’ll be whisked through passport control and customs, and privately transferred to Nairobi’s domestic airport – a 30-minute drive away.
Your next flight is a mere 20-minute hop, skimming over the Great Rift Valley before dropping you into the spectacular Lake Naivasha region. By mid-morning, you’ll be stepping onto the dusty airstrip, where your private driver will be waiting to take you to your home for the next two nights: a luxurious country-style guesthouse, tucked beneath ancient acacia trees.
Today is about unwinding at your own pace in the beautiful setting of Lake Naivasha. With views of the extinct volcano, Mount Longonot, your charming lakeside hotel is just the place to take a breath and settle into your holiday.
Drift in the infinity pool, indulge in a soothing spa treatment or grab your binoculars to spy on your four-legged and winged neighbours. The shimmering freshwater lake is home to a mighty hippo population, and over 400 bird species – from Goliath herons to bee-eaters – so you’ll likely spot wildlife without even trying.
Located northwest of Nairobi in the Great Rift Valley, Naivasha was made famous by Joy Adamson’s novel Born Free. Elasmere Lodge, the home where Joy and her husband George raised and rewilded Elsa the lioness, is situated on the lake’s southern shore.
If you’re already itching to explore, your hosts can arrange an array of activities, including a visit to Elasmere, guided game drives, or a canoe trip to Crescent Island. Packed with plains mammals, including giraffes, zebras, wildebeest and antelope, this predator-free reserve is perfect for a post-flight leg stretch.
Later, sip sundowners on your hotel’s veranda, before enjoying a delicious dinner.
This morning, it’s time to bid your idyllic guesthouse goodbye and fly south to the Maasai Mara. Chances are the weather will be much warmer when you land, so you might want to dress accordingly (and bring out the factor 50 sun cream, as the UV index is very high here).
Your home for the next three nights is a small yet lavish tented camp with jaw-dropping views across the game-abundant plains. This is glamping at its finest, so whether this is your first time sleeping under canvas or your fiftieth, prepare to be impressed.
A landscape barely touched by time, the sunsets here are spectacular, speedy (you’re just south of the Equator, after all) and best enjoyed with a sundowner in hand. Watch the sun sink below the horizon before tucking into a fabulous dinner. Later, snuggled up in your comfy tent, drift off to a lullaby unlike any other: the sounds of the African bush.
While it’s world-famous for the Great Migration – the annual arrival of around two million wildebeest, zebra and gazelle in search of water and grazing – the Maasai Mara National Reserve offers an unforgettable safari experience at any time of year. Home to nearly 100 mammal species – including the Big Five – it remains one of Africa’s most important wildlife conservation areas.
Your exclusive camp is located in a secluded spot, miles from other lodges, allowing for unrivalled game viewing. Offering the best of both worlds, over the next two days you can expect bush breakfasts and picnics, atmospheric night drives (one of the huge perks of your camp’s private location), plus full access to the reserve and the Mara River.
Throughout, your expert guide and spotter team will go all out to deliver your wildlife wishlist. It’s up to you whether that means majestic lions, an elusive leopard, great herds of elephants or a deep dive into the Mara’s astonishingly diverse birdlife – just let your hosts know where your passions lie. Remember, keep your cameras and binoculars at the ready – you never know what you’ll encounter on the great plains.
After each full day of exploring, return to camp to unwind on one of the stylish viewing decks with a glass of wine as you debrief on the day’s excitements. In the evenings, enjoy dinner on your private veranda or out in the bush. The food here is excellent, with cuisine inspired by familiar European favourites with a contemporary Kenyan twist. Come nighttime, retire to your elegant, tented room for a blissful night’s sleep.
Sadly, it’s your final morning in the Mara, so soak up the dawn chorus and sunrise before enjoying your last breakfast on the veranda. For the next leg of your trip, you’ll be privately transferred to the nearby airstrip for the roughly two-hour flight to Ukunda, where you’ll be met by your driver and transferred to your hotel.
After the Mara’s thrills and early morning starts, the next three days are dedicated to serious R&R. You’ll be staying in a sumptuous boutique lodge on a tranquil beach – the ultimate wind-down to your safari adventure.
Good morning, paradise! With no early game drive to wake up for, you can ease into the day with a gentle explore of the lodge’s lush, palm-fringed grounds, and maybe a pootle along the shore. Repeatedly crowned as one of Africa’s finest beaches, Diani’s chalk white, powder soft sands unfurl for mile after mile.
On today’s agenda is a private guided bike ride along the coast, taking in Ukunda market and nearby villages. Feel the sea breeze as you pedal past colourful stalls, meeting locals and getting a glimpse of everyday coastal life along the way. The scenic four-hour ride wraps up back at the beach, leaving your afternoon free to roam the glorious coastline, soak up the sun and dive into the cerulean Indian Ocean.
This evening, take a seat in your hotel’s restaurant and savour vibrant, locally sourced dishes (the fish and seafood here couldn’t be fresher) infused with African flavour. Trust us, you’re in for a treat.
Another day in this idyllic beach haven lies ahead, and it can be as sprightly or slothlike as you please. If you’re craving downtime, grab your sunnies and a good book and hit the dazzling white sands for a day spent doing absolutely nothing. Lazy? Not remotely – after all the excitement so far, you’ve earned it.
If you do want more action, you’ll find loads here to keep you entertained, including tennis, yoga and exercise classes, and various watersports and boat trips.
However you spend your day, we recommend toasting its end from a hammock or secluded spot on the beach. And if you’ve yet to sample a Dawa, now’s your chance – it’s Swahili for medicine and is Kenya’s de facto national cocktail. This vodka, lime and honey concoction is delicious... and deceptively strong.
Today is your final morning in Diani Beach, so savour it. Linger over breakfast and coffee on your veranda, then head out for one last wander along the shoreline and a dip in the calm, warm waters. Your private transfer will collect you in the early afternoon for your short journey to the airport.
Next stop: Nairobi, the country’s colourful, bustling capital, just a one-hour flight away. On landing, you’ll be privately transferred to your hotel for the next two nights. Nestled in a leafy residential suburb, just 30 minutes from the airport, your small, charming guesthouse feels more like a welcoming home than a hotel. With its warm interiors and cosy corners, it’s perfect for a gentle reset at the end of each day.
Prepare for cuteness overload. After a hearty breakfast, it’s time for a private visit to the nearby Elephant Orphanage and Giraffe Centre. The orphanage is world-renowned for its groundbreaking work rescuing and rehabilitating baby elephants: an intensive labour of love that, from a calf’s initial rescue to its final rewilding, can take a decade or so. You’ll have a front-row seat for one of the best shows in town: the calves’ feeding time. A madcap delight of flapping ears, swirling trunks and guzzled milk, the heartwarming experience will stay with you long after you leave.
Then it’s on to the Giraffe Centre to meet the world’s tallest creatures. Over the last thirty years, giraffe numbers have plummeted by up to 40%. You’ll learn about their conservation and, if you’re feeling brave enough, get involved with feeding the gentle giants themselves. Don’t worry if you get slobbered on by a giant purple tongue – the giraffes’ sticky saliva has antiseptic properties!
After a day packed with unforgettable animal antics, head back to your guesthouse for some downtime. Cool off in the pool, challenge your travel companions to a board game or simply settle onto the veranda with a good book.
It’s a bright and early start this morning as you’re privately transferred to the airport for your direct nine-hour flight back to the UK. Touching down in the mid-afternoon, it’s likely you’ll be hit hard with the holiday blues. Don’t panic. It’s a common side-effect of a Kenyan holiday, best eased by a camera crammed with photos and a heart full of memories, both of which you should have by now! Still, Kenya gets into your bones, so don’t blame us if you’re soon planning to return: it’s the only known cure.
Each of our trips is entirely tailor-made with originality, quality and cultural immersion in mind. Our team of destination specialists will craft itineraries based on your tastes, using their first-hand knowledge and the help of our in-country team of Concierges and guides. All trips are accompanied by a wide range of additional services, including a 24-hour helpline, the Original Travel app, fast-track airport services and much more.
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Our team of destination experts will get to know you and your unique requirements for your holiday
We work with you to build an ultra-personalised holiday itinerary with your choice of accommodation, experiences and activities
All of our holidays include little extras designed to make a big difference to your trip, from fast-tracking you through airport check-in and security to our network of local Concierges
