Four great landscapes and a private island to finish. The Maasai Mara, the western Serengeti, the Ngorongoro Crater, then Mnemba.
The Luxury Kenya, Tanzania and Zanzibar Safari is a 13 day, 12 night bush and beach journey across three countries. Guests stay one night at Hemingways Nairobi, three at andBeyond Kichwa Tembo in the Maasai Mara, three at Grumeti Serengeti River Lodge in the western Serengeti, two at Lemala Osonjoi on the Ngorongoro Crater rim and three at andBeyond Mnemba Island, a private island of twelve bandas off Zanzibar. The border is crossed on a single through fare voucher and Mnemba include the flight in from the Serengeti. Prices start at USD 21,750 per person sharing.
Most bush and beach journeys treat the beach as an afterthought. A safari, then whatever hotel happened to be available. This one does not.
The safari half runs across two countries and three ecosystems. Kichwa Tembo at the foot of the Oloololo Escarpment in the Maasai Mara, then across the border to Grumeti Serengeti River Lodge in the western corridor, the least visited stretch of the Serengeti, then two nights on the Ngorongoro Crater rim.
Then Mnemba. A coral island of twelve bandas inside its own marine reserve, reachable only by boat, with twenty four guests on it at most. You can walk around it in twenty minutes and for most of that walk you will see nobody.
The border crossing between Kenya and Tanzania is booked as a single through fare voucher, with our team handling customs at Migori and Tarime. It costs a morning.
Why we love this journey: of the shape of it. Twelve nights that go from open plains to dense river country to a volcanic caldera and then, when everyone has had enough of early starts, three days where the only decision is whether to dive before or after breakfast.
A private island to finish · Mnemba is twelve bandas inside its own marine reserve, reached by boat, with twenty four guests at most.
The flight to Mnemba is free · andBeyond include a flight in from the Serengeti, Nairobi, Kilimanjaro or Arusha, and the boat transfer with it.
The western corridor · Grumeti Serengeti River Lodge sits in the least visited stretch of the Serengeti, on the migration's route north.
Two dives a day · Included at Mnemba for certified divers, on reef inside a protected marine conservation area.
The crater at first light · Lemala Osonjoi is fifteen minutes from the crater floor, so you descend ahead of the vehicles from Karatu.
One voucher across the border · Migori to Tarime, both customs stops and the flight on to the Serengeti, all on a single ticket.
Met at Jomo Kenyatta International and driven to Hemingways in Karen, on the southern edge of the city looking out at the Ngong Hills. Every room is a suite with full butler service. The afternoon is yours to reset after the flight, and your Safari Advisor will call by to walk you through the days ahead, including the border formalities on day five.
A short transfer to Wilson Airport and a light aircraft south west across the Rift Valley. Kichwa Tembo sits at the foot of the Oloololo Escarpment where the Sabaringo forest meets the open plains, and the name means head of the elephant. Broad lawns, old fig trees and a pool facing the plains. Afternoon game drive as the light goes long.
A full day in the reserve with a picnic lunch. The Mara holds the highest density of large predators in Kenya, and between July and October the wildebeest columns pour across it. Your guide will work the river line and the open ground beyond according to what is moving.
A hot air balloon at first light over the plains, then a champagne breakfast on the grass. Later, a guided walk on the Oloololo Escarpment with the valley beneath you, or a visit to a Maasai homestead. Game moves through camp regularly enough that a guide escorts you back after dinner.
The crossing day, and it costs a morning rather than a day. Fly from the Mara to Migori, where our team walks you through Kenyan customs, then a short road transfer to Tarime for Tanzanian entry and a second flight into the Grumeti Reserve. The whole leg sits on one voucher. Grumeti Serengeti River Lodge is on the riverbank in the western corridor, and you are in camp for a late afternoon drive.
A full day out with a picnic. The western corridor follows the Grumeti River between the central plains and Lake Victoria, and it carries a fraction of the traffic of the Seronera valley. Large crocodile in the river, colobus in the riverine forest, and resident lion and leopard that never leave.
A balloon over the plains at dawn, a full day chasing the herds if they are close, or a slower day with two drives and a long lunch by the pool. andBeyond run behind the scenes visits with their conservation team, which are worth the early start.
Fly south east and climb through the forest to the crater rim. Lemala Osonjoi sits in forest on the quiet eastern rim, fifteen minutes from the crater floor. The altitude is 7,500 feet and the evenings are cold, so the fires in the rooms earn their place. The afternoon is for the view.
An early descent to be on the floor as the light comes up, well ahead of the vehicles coming up from Karatu. The Ngorongoro Crater is the largest intact volcanic caldera in the world, holding around 25,000 large animals year round including black rhino, with the highest lion density recorded anywhere. Picnic lunch by the hippo pool, then the climb back out.
Down to the Lake Manyara airstrip and the flight to Zanzibar, which andBeyond include, then a short drive and a boat out to Mnemba. There is no reception and nothing to sign. Twelve bandas among the casuarina trees, each with its own stretch of sand, and a reef a few strokes offshore. The rest of the day is yours.
Two dives are included daily for certified divers, on reef inside a protected marine conservation area. If you do not dive, the snorkelling off the beach is as good as the diving elsewhere. Kayaks, a traditional ngalawa under sail, and a spa treatment on your own deck are all there if you want them.
Green turtles nest on these beaches and the island runs a conservation programme that guests can join, which between hatchings is quiet work and between February and June is not. Otherwise the day has no shape at all, which after eleven nights of early starts is the entire point.
A last swim, then the boat back to the mainland and a short drive to Zanzibar International for your onward flight. Guests connecting through Nairobi or Dar es Salaam do so the same day, and we hold a dayroom in Stone Town if the connection is a long one.
With sweeping views of the Ngong Hills and interiors that reflect the grace of Kenya's heritage, Hemingways Nairobi blends timeless hospitality with thoughtful design.
Set between Nairobi National Park and the foot of the Ngong Hills, Hemingways Nairobi is an exclusive boutique hotel far from the bustle of central Nairobi. An all suite property providing full butler service, a brasserie and a bar, it is perfectly placed for trips to Nairobi National Park and the capital.
Hemingways Nairobi has a sophisticated and tranquil ambiance. Each of the 45 suites is a generous size, all with walk in dressing rooms and a terrace with magnificent views of the Ngong Hills.
Hemingways' 45 loftily ceilinged rooms are bright, open and fresh, decorated with soothing, muted colours and canopied beds, with touches of brass and mahogany. Large Italian marbled bathrooms, a personalised bar, in room dining and the attentive service of your butler are testimony to Hemingways' dedication to surpassing the very highest expectations.
The Dining Room serves delectable cuisine from the hotel's Michelin starred chef. Top notch culinary creations have placed Hemingways on Africa's gourmet food map, with contemporary European styled dishes and a variety of international flavours to suit every palate.
The utterly unique Nairobi National Park, offering authentic big game viewing with a city skyline, lies just a few minutes away, while the Karen Blixen Museum, Giraffe Centre and Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage are also nearby.
Timeless safari elegance beneath ancient fig trees at the foot of the Oloololo Escarpment, on the edge of the Mara Triangle.
Kichwa Tembo means head of the elephant in Kiswahili, and the camp sits where the forest of the Sabaringo River meets the open plains. The escarpment rises behind, and the Mara Triangle opens out in front.
It is a classic camp rather than a design statement, and that is its strength. Broad lawns, old trees, a pool facing the plains, and game moving through camp regularly enough that a guide escorts you after dark.
Forty tents in classic safari style, with polished wooden floors, ceiling fans, en suite bathrooms and private verandas. Superior View tents face the open plains directly, and family tents interconnect for larger parties.
Meals in the open sided dining room, on the lawn under the fig trees, or out in the bush. andBeyond's kitchens are consistently strong, and dietary requirements are handled without fuss.
Twice daily game drives into the Mara Triangle and the national reserve, guided walks on the Oloololo Escarpment, hot air ballooning at dawn, visits to a Maasai homestead, and a spa set among the trees.
Contemporary suites on the banks of the Grumeti River in the western corridor, the least visited stretch of the Serengeti and the migration's route north between May and July.
The western corridor follows the Grumeti River between the central plains and Lake Victoria. It carries a fraction of the traffic of the Seronera valley, and the lodge is one of very few properties in it. The result is a Serengeti that feels considerably emptier than the one most visitors see.
The design is contemporary rather than colonial, glass and pale timber built low along the riverbank, with the water and the resident hippo directly below the deck. andBeyond's guiding is among the most consistent in Africa, and the team here know the corridor intimately.
Ten glass fronted suites raised along the riverbank, each with a private plunge pool, a wide deck over the water, indoor and outdoor showers and a separate lounge. A two bedroom family suite sits apart from the main camp with its own pool and dining area.
Meals move with the day, from the main deck above the river to a table set out in the bush or a private dinner on your own terrace. andBeyond's kitchens are strong and the wine list is properly kept, which is not a given this far into the Serengeti.
Twice daily and full day game drives through the corridor, guided walks where the park permits them, hot air ballooning at dawn, and behind the scenes visits with the conservation team. Between May and July the migration passes through on its way north.
Forest suites on the quiet eastern rim of the Ngorongoro Crater, fifteen minutes from the crater floor.
Osonjoi sits in forest on the quiet eastern rim, screened from the road and facing out over the caldera. Being fifteen minutes from the floor is the point: you descend for first light, well ahead of the vehicles coming up from Karatu.
The highland setting is cool and often misty, and the lodge is built for it, with fires in the rooms and a warm, low lit main area.
Spacious suites with wood burning fireplaces, freestanding baths, large windows facing the crater or the forest, and private decks. Underfloor heating and hot water bottles at turndown are welcome at 7,500 feet.
The dining room and lounge both look out towards the caldera. Picnic lunches are packed for the descent, and dinner is unhurried, served beside the fire after a long day below.
The crater descent with a picnic on the floor, guided forest walks along the rim, visits to Maasai communities within the conservation area, and Olduvai Gorge within reach as a half day excursion.
Twelve bandas on a private island off the north east corner of Zanzibar, with twenty four guests at most and no roads at all.
Mnemba is a small coral island inside its own marine conservation area, ringed by reef and reachable only by boat. You can walk around it in about twenty minutes, and for most of that walk you will not see anyone.
The bandas are open sided, thatched, and set back among the casuarina trees a few paces from the sand. There is no reception, no keys and nothing to sign. Two dives a day are included, as is everything else.
Twelve bandas, each with a private stretch of beach, an open sided living area, a large bed under netting and an outdoor shower. There is no glass and no air conditioning, because the sea breeze does the work.
Fully inclusive of all meals and drinks. Meals appear wherever you happen to be, on the sand, on your own deck, or at a communal table. The kitchen works almost entirely from what comes off the boats that morning.
Two dives a day for certified divers, snorkelling on the reef, kayaking, sailing a traditional ngalawa, and turtle conservation work on the island itself. Green turtles nest on the beaches and the hatchings are protected and monitored.
This journey runs on request rather than on fixed departure dates. You choose the dates, we hold the camps. What changes is the season you travel in, and each band below is priced from our contracted rates for that window.
| Travel Window | Season & Availability | From | Quote |
|---|---|---|---|
11 January – 28 February 2027 Peak |
Limited | USD 26,650per person sharing | Get a Quote |
1 – 31 March 2027 Shoulder |
Good availability | USD 23,650per person sharing | Get a Quote |
1 April – 31 May 2027 Closed |
Mnemba closed for maintenance | — | |
1 – 30 June 2027 Shoulder |
Good availability | USD 25,550per person sharing | Get a Quote |
1 July – 30 September 2027 Peak, Migration |
Limited, book early | USD 31,000per person sharing | Get a Quote |
1 – 31 October 2027 Peak |
Limited | USD 29,150per person sharing | Get a Quote |
1 November – 20 December 2027 Green |
Wide open Best Value | USD 21,750per person sharing | Get a Quote |
21 December 2027 – 4 January 2028 Festive |
Very limited | USD 31,000per person sharing | Get a Quote |
Rates are per person sharing in United States dollars, based on two adults travelling together, and cover every flight, the cross border crossing, all park and conservancy fees and the Ngorongoro Crater descent. Mnemba Island closes for maintenance through April and May, so those two months are not available on this routing. Mnemba also include a complimentary flight in from the Serengeti, Nairobi, Kilimanjaro or Arusha, along with the boat transfer, which is why the Tanzania to Zanzibar leg costs nothing. A single supplement applies in Peak and Festive seasons. Prices are held for 14 days from the date of quotation and confirmed on receipt of a 30 percent deposit, with the balance due 60 days before departure.
This thirteen day journey starts at USD 21,750 per person sharing in November and December and rises to USD 31,000 through the July to September migration. That covers every flight, the border crossing, all park and conservancy fees and three nights on a private island.
Yes, and it costs nothing extra. andBeyond include a complimentary flight in to Mnemba from the Serengeti, Nairobi, Kilimanjaro or Arusha, along with the boat transfer out to the island. It is one of the better inclusions in the market.
You fly from the Maasai Mara to Migori, where our team walks you through Kenyan customs, then take a short road transfer to Tarime for Tanzanian entry and fly on into the Serengeti. The whole leg is booked as a single through fare voucher rather than three separate bookings, and it costs a morning.
Through April and May for annual maintenance, which is why those two months are not available on this routing. If your dates fall in that window we will substitute another Zanzibar property and reprice.
Not at all. Two dives a day are included for certified divers, but the snorkelling straight off the beach at Mnemba is better than the diving at most places, and the reef is a few strokes from the sand. Non divers lose nothing.
July to September for the migration in both the Mara and the Serengeti, which is also the peak price. November and December are green, quiet and the best value of the year. January and February are excellent for the Serengeti calving and still good on the island.
Share a few details and your Safari Advisor will reply within 24 hours with dates, availability and a costing built around you.
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