Ongeri Expeditions / Bush & Beach / Kenya and Zanzibar
A Bush & Beach Journey · Ready to Book
Kenya and
Zanzibar
Big cat mornings on the Mara, elephants beneath Kilimanjaro, then the warm hush of the Zanzibar coast.
Big cat mornings on the Mara, elephants beneath Kilimanjaro, then the warm hush of the Zanzibar coast.
This is a journey of two clear moods. The high drama of a Kenyan safari, then the slow, salted calm of the Zanzibar coast. You begin in the Naboisho Conservancy, a private corner of the greater Mara where predator density is among the highest in Africa and the vehicles are few.
Four nights at Hemingways Ol Seki set the tone, with morning and evening game drives, walking safaris and sundowners on the plains. Then a short flight south brings Kilimanjaro into view and the elephants of Amboseli into focus.
Two nights at Kitirua Plains place you on a private conservancy beside Amboseli, with the mountain filling the southern sky. Then the journey lifts off for Zanzibar, where four nights at Tulia on the northeast coast close the trip with reef warm swimming, dhow sunsets and the spice scented lanes of Stone Town within reach.
Why we love this journey: it pairs two of Kenya's most rewarding wildlife settings, Naboisho and Amboseli, with a beach that still feels like a discovery. The flying is easy, the contrast is complete, and the rhythm is exactly right.
Hemingways Ol Seki · A hilltop tented camp in the Naboisho Conservancy, with sweeping plains views and some of the Mara's richest predator country.
The big cats of Naboisho · Lion, leopard and cheetah at close range, with the off road access and night drives a private conservancy allows.
Kitirua Plains · An intimate camp on a private conservancy beside Amboseli, with Kilimanjaro filling the southern sky.
Amboseli's elephants · Great herds beneath the snows of Kilimanjaro, among the most photographed wildlife scenes in Africa.
Tulia Zanzibar · Four nights on the northeast coast, with reef protected swimming, dhow sunsets and Stone Town within reach.
Flying throughout · Light aircraft connections between each stay. No long road hauls, and no day lost in a vehicle.
You are met at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and transferred to Wilson Airport for a light aircraft flight to the Naboisho Conservancy. A short game drive brings you to Hemingways Ol Seki in time for lunch, with an afternoon drive to settle into the rhythm of the plains.
Three unhurried days of morning and evening game drives, guided bush walks and sundowners on the plains. The Naboisho Conservancy holds exceptional numbers of lion, leopard and cheetah, and its private status allows off road sightings and night drives the main reserve does not. Crossings on the wider Mara are within reach between July and October.
A final morning drive and breakfast, then a flight via Wilson Airport to Amboseli. You are met on the airstrip and transferred to Kitirua Plains on a private conservancy beside the park, with Kilimanjaro rising to the south. An afternoon drive introduces Amboseli's great elephant herds.
A full day in Amboseli, famous for its big tusker elephants and the unmatched backdrop of Kilimanjaro. Morning and evening drives, a visit to Observation Hill for sweeping views over the swamps, and the chance of the mountain clearing at dawn and dusk. Maasai cultural visits can be arranged from camp.
A morning drive and breakfast, then a flight to Nairobi for your connection to Zanzibar. On arrival at Abeid Amani Karume International Airport you are met and transferred to Tulia on the northeast coast, in time to settle in before sunset.
Three full days to slow down. Swim and snorkel the reef protected lagoon, sail a traditional dhow at sunset, and take an optional day trip to Mnemba Atoll for diving, or to Stone Town for the spice markets, the old fort and a guided walk through its UNESCO lanes. Days are yours to shape, with the spa and long quiet beach walks at low tide.
A final morning on the beach or by the pool, then a private transfer to Abeid Amani Karume International Airport for your onward flight.
Two camps and a beach retreat, each chosen for its setting first. Open any of them to see the rooms, the dining and what there is to do.
A hilltop tented camp in the Naboisho Conservancy, with sweeping plains views and some of the Mara's richest predator country.
View the camp →
An intimate tented camp on a private conservancy beside Amboseli, with Kilimanjaro filling the southern sky.
View the camp →
A barefoot luxury beach retreat on Zanzibar's northeast coast, with reef protected swimming and dhow sunsets.
View the camp →From USD 9,025 per person sharing for eleven days and ten nights. That covers all accommodation, light aircraft flights between Nairobi, the Maasai Mara and Amboseli, the flight to Zanzibar, all meals and house drinks on safari, breakfast on the coast, every game drive and conservancy activity, and all park fees. Ongeri Expeditions quotes the whole journey together rather than piece by piece.
By air, via Nairobi. A light aircraft brings you from the Amboseli airstrip to Wilson Airport, and you connect onward to Abeid Amani Karume International Airport in Zanzibar. The transition takes a morning rather than a day, and there is no long road transfer at any point on this journey.
Naboisho is a private conservancy bordering the reserve. Vehicle numbers are strictly limited, which means quieter sightings, and its private status permits off road driving, night drives and walking safaris, none of which are allowed inside the national reserve. Predator density in Naboisho is among the highest in the greater Mara ecosystem.
July to October is the strongest window, with the Great Migration in the wider Mara and dry weather on both the safari and the coast. December to February is excellent too. Avoid April and May, when the long rains make Zanzibar and the Kenyan coast unpleasant. High season and festive periods carry seasonal supplements.
Both the Kenyan safari areas and Zanzibar are malaria areas, and prophylaxis is generally advised. Take medical advice from your own doctor or a travel clinic well before you travel. If you would rather avoid prophylaxis entirely, the Seychelles and Mauritius are malaria free alternatives for the beach half.
Yes. The length of each stay can be changed, the beach half can be swapped for Diani, the Seychelles or Mauritius, and private vehicles and larger tents are available throughout. Ongeri Expeditions builds every one of these to the party rather than selling a fixed package.
Share a few considered details, and your Safari Advisor will be in touch within 24 hours.
Ol Seki sits on a rocky ridge in the Naboisho Conservancy, a private wildlife area bordering the Maasai Mara National Reserve. With limited vehicle numbers and exclusive traversing rights, it offers a quieter, more intimate safari than the main reserve, with off road game viewing and night drives.
Spacious canvas tents are raised on platforms to catch the views, with king beds, en suite bathrooms and private decks overlooking the plains. Family units are available for travelling groups.
Meals are served in the main mess and on the terrace, with bush breakfasts, sundowners and private dinners under the stars arranged on request.
Set on a private conservancy on the edge of Amboseli National Park, Kitirua Plains pairs front row access to Amboseli's great elephant herds with the exclusivity of a private wildlife area. The camp is small and unhurried, with the mountain as its constant companion.
Canvas tents are appointed with king beds, en suite bathrooms and private verandas facing the plains and, on clear mornings, Kilimanjaro. The scale is deliberately intimate.
Meals are served in the mess tent and outdoors, with bush breakfasts and sundowners arranged across the conservancy.
Tulia sits on the quieter northeast shore at Pongwe, away from the crowds of the north. The reef lies close offshore, which keeps the lagoon swimmable through the tide, and the beach runs long and empty in both directions. Stone Town and the spice farms are within reach for a day, and easily ignored for a week.
Suites and villas open directly onto the sand or the garden, with private terraces, outdoor showers and, in the higher categories, a plunge pool of your own.
Seafood landed that morning, Swahili spice and long breakfasts that drift. Dinner can be taken in the restaurant, on the sand, or privately on your terrace.
Curated, tested, and refined over years. Our most loved luxury safari itineraries across East Africa and the Indian Ocean Islands.
