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A great choice of camps throughout Kenya, making this safari indeed the superior choice, ending with a stay at North Island on the Seychelles, for the number of days of your choice!
Day 1 – Nairobi
Your flight will land at Jomo Kenyatta Airport . Welcome to Africa! Look forward to a journey through majestic, unspoiled landscapes to fabulous game reserves where the dark continents incomparable wildlife is protected in its natural habitat. After disembarking from the aircraft you will clear customs and immigration formalities and proceed to the arrivals lounge where you will be met by our Rep and assisted to the transfer vehicles. Overnight at House of Waine on bed and breakfast basis.
House of Waine is an intimate and exclusive hotel situated in delightful grounds on the outskirts of Nairobi. Blending the elegance of gracious living with the spirit of modern Africa, the aim here is to provide guests with an experience that exceeds all their expectations of city hotels with truly personalized, friendly and excellent service and cuisine in beautiful and serene surroundings. House of Waine still retains much of the charm of a family home. Little has been done to change the structure of the house and so guests are assured of a relaxed and informal atmosphere where they can be free to do as much or as little as they like.
Guests are accommodated in eleven bedrooms, all individually styled and named to reflect their different themes. Each bedroom features a large marble bathroom with plenty of natural light and most bathrooms have a separate shower and bath. All rooms also have satellite TV, complimentary mini bar, safe and complimentary tea and pastries are served daily.
Meals are served in various locations on the property and there are also two bars which are exclusively for the use of guests staying at the hotel. The menu is varied and reflects the diversity to be found in Nairobi today.
Day 2 – Nairobi / Chyulu Hills
Breakfast. Transfer to Wilson Airport for your charter flight with Boskovic-to Chyulu Hills (maximum luggage space of strictly 15 kg per person in soft bags). On arrival, you will be met and transferred to your beautiful lodge. Afternoon game activities. Overnight at Ol Donyo Lodge on full board basis.
All bedrooms now have spacious en-suite bathrooms with superb views, a shower and bath, twin vanities, a flush loo with an additional outdoor shower for those who prefer the outdoors.
All room (except the Hide) have their own rooftop sundowner / "star-beds" spot where guests enjoy dramatic views over the plains and onto Mount Kilimanjaro. More adventurous guests have the option to sleep out safely on these rooftops to enjoy a night sleeping under the stars.
The lighting is solar powered as is the hot water of the showers, with an emergency back-up system for overcast days. Activities :- shared game drives, day and night, guided walks and maasai cultural visits, horse riding.
Day 3 – Chyulu Hills
Breakfast at your camp. Day spent participating in the activities offered by the camp. Overnight at Ol Donyo Lodge on full board basis.
As the rooms are so comfortable and the food so delicious (not to mention our extensive wine list) one might be tempted to just laze around the lodge and the swimming pool, our menu of activities is so exciting that you won't want to miss a minute. Over 7000 wild animals make their home in and around the environs of Ol Donyo Lodge and our guests can search for them in vehicles, on foot, or by horseback. Not only are the "BIG FIVE" here - rhino, elephant, lion, leopard and buffalo - but also cheetah, the rare fringe-eared oryx, the shy gerenuk, and the lordly giraffe among many others share this magical landscape. It is out on a drive or walk or ride that the exclusivity of Ol Donyo Lodge becomes apparent: you and the few other privileged guests are alone with the animals - no other Tourists, no fleets of noisy mini buses are there to disturb the magic of your experiences. Night drives are a feature for those who would like to better opportunity to view the shyer nocturnal wildlife.
Day 4 –Chyulu Hills / Samburu-Sasaab
After breakfast, you will be transferred to the airstrip for your charter flight to Sasaab airstrip. On arrival, you will be met and transferred to your camp. Afternoon game activities. Overnight at Sasaab on full board basis.
Majestically situated on the high banks of the Ewaso Nyiro River (Kenya’s third largest watercourse), Sasaab commands breathtaking views across the arid landscape of the Northern Frontier District towards the jagged peak of Mt Kenya, and offers a truly exceptional safari experience in an area renowned for its variant species.
Day 5 – Samburu-Sasaab
Breakfast. Full day game activities. Overnight at Sasaab on full board basis.
The safari experience in Samburu land is vastly different to that found in any other part of Kenya. The Samburu Special Five (Grevy’s Zebra, Reticulated Giraffe, Somali Ostrich, Gerenuk and Beisa Oryx) are found in the area, whilst a strong cultural aspect complements the wildlife watching. The Samburu people are fiercely proud of their cultural tradition, and delight in sharing their customs with guests, making interaction with locals a major highlight in any visit to Sasaab.
Community involvement and strong environmental ethics pervade Sasaab’s operation, and over 70% of the staff at the lodge are local employees. Water is solar heated, and recycled where possible, whilst every effort is made to purchase food and source materials locally.
Day 6- Samburu-Sasaab / Masai Mara
Breakfast. Transfer to the airstrip for your Boskovic charter flight to Masai Mara (maximum luggage space of strictly 15 kg per person in soft bags). You will be met at the airstrip by your driver guide who will transfer you to your beautiful camp. Afternoon game activities. Overnight at Mara Plains Camp on a full board basis.
Day 7 and 8 – Masai Mara
Breakfast. Morning and afternoon game activities all with superb photographic opportunities. The most spectacular feature is the annual migration of wildebeest, zebra and gazelle from the plains of Serengeti that cross the Tanzanian border and rivers to reach the Mara’s grasslands from late June, tracked by predators: lion, leopard, cheetah, hyena and circled by vultures as the journey unfolds.
Apart from the seasonal migration, game viewing is excellent year round. Game includes: - elephant, Black Rhino, buffalo, wildebeest, Burchell’s zebra, hartebeest, various antelope and gazelle, lion, leopard, giraffe, elephant cheetah, hippo, crocodile and much more. Overnight at Mara Plains Camp on a full board basis.
Day 9 - Nairobi / Depart
Breakfast at your camp. Transfer to the airstrip for your morning charter flight to Nairobi –JKI Airport. Catch your connecting onward flight to Kilimanjaro Airport, in time to make your connection with your international flight to the Seychelles.
Day 10:- Seychelles - North Island (Seychelles)
North Island is one of forty inner granitic islands of the Seychelles that are located around the two main islands of Mahé and Praslin. These granitic islands and their beaches are often referred to as the most beautiful on Earth. North Island Lodge is a rare sanctuary for guests seeking a gorgeous, unspoiled tropical haven on a large and private island. With three mountains, a small lake and four beaches that are located at each end of the compass, North Island is able to offer a year-round tropical beach and island experience. North Island is a sanctuary, in harmony with nature, surrounded by warm tropical waters in colors of blue and aquamarine. A Noah’s Ark, where natural habitats have been rehabilitated and endangered Seychelles fauna and flora reintroduced, and given a place to regenerate. In this beautiful island escape we have built an exclusive luxury lodge using materials reaped from the rehabilitation process. This refuge unashamedly aims at providing the very best in privacy, location, accommodation, services, facilities and experience. Eleven guest villas and a health spa have been exquisitely designed to celebrate nature and offer an authentic home-from-home experience. We have endeavored to capture the true essence of North Island – a rare encounter that is in harmony with the environment and one that touches the lives of our guests, inspiring them long after they have left.
Accommodation:
There are only 11 handcrafted guest villas on the entire island. Each villa is about 5000 square feet in size, is completely self-contained and comprises a luxuriously proportioned air-conditioned bedroom with overhead fans, fully retracting sliding windows with views onto the beach, and a writing and change-room area with a huge en-suite bathroom. Each villa is a home for a couple or family, lovingly and individually handcrafted by Seychellois and African craftsmen from wood, local-hewn stone and glass. With a ylang-ylang thatched roof, the villas melt into the environment. Island textures and comfort blend, piles of cushions, plump luxurious towels and walls carved with enticing patterns. Nothing interrupts the feeling of serene solitude. Massages in the privacy of the villa, delectable meals on the deck and a private pool with reed-covered sala. Each villa is a sanctuary, your own domain, a warm inviting space in which to relax and enjoy a complete sense of ease and freedom.
Each bathroom has a large bath, double vanities as well as an indoor and outdoor shower. An additional study or bedroom is equipped with a DVD/CD system and Internet access if requested; this room can be rearranged as a second bedroom to accommodate children. Each villa has its own mini-kitchen, a large sun deck and covered lounge area, a private plunge pool and ’sala,’ all of which creates a private sanctuary within a sanctuary. A full butler service caters for every need, from in-villa light meals to picnics on secluded beaches. Each villa has its own mountain bicycles and an ’island buggy‘ to get guests around the island.
Facilities:
A warm and genuine welcome awaits at our Piazza, the natural focal point of the Island. Elegant buildings cluster around a magnificent Indian Almond tree. The architecture celebrates nature with lines that lead the eye to uninterrupted views. The furnishings symbolize lightness and escape and a wide deck leads seamlessly onto the beach and the endless horizon. The complete openness of the lounge and bar area is transparent and minimalist, yet offers a high degree of comfort. The library, a custodian of history and former times, enfolds the reader in quiet reflection with its walls of white beach-rock and arched openings. A short step away nestled into the hill lies the swimming pool, a meandering vision of white stone plaster that mirrors the color of the sand, while the water matches the sea. All the structures at North Island Lodge have been individually handcrafted to give it a unique atmosphere and the distinctly flavor of the Seychelles. The main areas and all the villas are built directly on the eastern beach. A lounge, dining room and library, beautifully located health spa and gym, world-class dive center, and a beautiful swimming pool are all built into a granitic outcrop. A sunset bar and restaurant are tucked away on the western beach of the island.
Our Spa is a place of exquisite natural beauty and timeless relaxation. A rich luxurious experience in which to be pampered. Surrender to the sound of the ocean lapping gently - in touch, in tune, and at peace. To rejuvenate the mind, body and soul requires holistic treatment and a spa devoted wholly to such pursuits. North Island has aligned itself with ESPA, a holistic spa , with a commitment to innovative products and treatments that work effectively.
Personalized treatments relieve stress, detoxify, cleanse and purify organically and naturally. The North Island spa experience is about getting in touch with one's consciousness and senses.
Besides its exceptional beauty, North Island has long been renowned for its fertility and the richness of the surrounding fishing grounds. We draw upon these exceptional resources to prepare a sumptuous array of exotic dishes. The cuisine of North Island is based on the diversity and cultural influences which make up the Seychellois Creole flavor. Culinary aspects of Seychelles, France and southern Indian spices are combined with the organic resources of North Island and the abundance on offer from the Indian Ocean simply and beautifully balanced. Expect a feast that will awaken all of your senses.
There is a “no menu” concept of dining on North Island
and our chef speaks to each guest, explains the North Island
cuisine idea, finds out personal food preferences and then
develops the menus daily. Island meals are complemented by a
choice of exotic dining settings. Our dining area is set
against a backdrop of natural granite with superb views over
the sea. Other locations include all the island’s secluded
beaches, the pool deck, West Beach bar and the privacy of
your own villa. All in all, this is a memorable culinary
experience at your own choice of time and place,
complimented by an impressive cellar with some of the
world’s great wines and champagnes.
Activities:
Whether you prefer to be active or just want to relax and unwind, the island offering is about fitting in with your interests and desires. There are several hiking trails which are easy to follow, either on your own or with one of our environmentalists as a guide. Mountain bikes are a wonderful way to explore the island, or sea kayak along our gentle shores. Game fish and corals are plentiful just off the island - snorkeling or scuba diving in warm aquamarine waters is a lift for the spirit. There is excellent fishing for game fish just off shore, or our boats can be used for leisurely day trips to other islands. An evening cruise complete with an Indian Ocean sunset is the perfect way to finish the day.
Four idyllic beaches offer sanctuary all year round. East Beach extends off the piazza and in front of the villas. As the sun sets, West Beach is washed in pastel colors and the Sunset Bar is the perfect place for a relaxing evening cocktail. Honeymoon Cove is an idyllic hideaway and Petit Anse offers shelter and seclusion. On the island, both the soul and the natural habitat are restored. With ample fresh water, North Island is a fertile paradise – the perfect setting for our Noah’s Ark conservation program.
Indigenous plant species have been grown in our nursery
and then transplanted to restore lost island habitat.
Rodents have been successfully eradicated and we are
thrilled that sea birds have recently been enticed back to
breeding grounds that they used long ago. We have 15 baby
tortoises and there has been a wonderful increase of turtle
numbers coming to nest on our beaches. Our effort to
rehabilitate the island has taken time, but to our great joy
it is beginning to bear fruit. The next phase involves
bringing in indigenous insects, introducing birds, continued
clearing of alien species and planting of endemic plant
species throughout the island, and reef and beach
monitoring. We encourage our guests to spend time with our
environmentalists and see what has been done to create a
true Noah’s Ark. Access is by air to Mahe and then by
helicopter transfer to North Island.
Please contact us for a quote - Truly a safari for
the connoisseur!