LUXURY KENYA HONEYMOON 16 nights/17 days

Transcription

1 MILD TO WILD HOLIDAYS LUXURY KENYA HONEYMOON 16 nights/17 days This is a honeymoon for the active, adventurous couple who want to have time to relax but also have options to discover together the wonders that Kenya has to offer. We have chosen private, off the beaten track locations, where couples can have time to themselves in comfortable and excitingly original lodges and camps that we guarantee offer an authentic Kenya experience couples with contrast, culture, comfort and wow factor. This will be an unforgettable way to begin your life together. Itinerary Overview Day Location Accommodation Meal Plan 1-4 Laikipia Sosian Lodge Full Board 5-8 Laikipia Tassia Lodge Full Board 9-11 Mara North Conservancy Offbeat Mara Camp Full Board Diani Beach Funzi Keys Full Board This is an example itinerary, one choice of many. If you are interested in this programme but want to make a few changes, Outposts Travel Africa can tailor-make any itinerary to suit you. Please contact us for our latest offers or call to discuss alternative options. Full Itinerary DAY 1 4 LAIKIPIA On arrival at JKIA International Airport Nairobi, you will transfer across Nairobi to Wilson airport for your scheduled flight to Loisaba Airstrip. Transfer to Sosian Lodge by road (approx. 1hr drive). 4 NIGHTS SOSIAN LODGE Sosian, the Samburu word for Wild Date Palm, combines the tame with the wild; ideal for those looking for a unique and intimate bush experience. The 24,000-acre private, working ranch sits on the Laikipia plateau, 80kms west of Mt Kenya, offering pure wilderness, with more than 250 species of birdlife and an abundance of game species with four of the big five being found at Sosian Ranch, plus rare species such as Wild dogs,

2 Jackson s hartebeest and Grevy s zebra. Guests are accommodated in an elegant 1940 s farmhouse that has been beautifully renovated. The lodge sleeps 14 people with more space for children if needed and has a swimming pool, tennis court, and organic vegetable garden. Activities Sosian offers a huge range of activities including walking, horse-riding, camel safaris, game-drives, night-drives, fishing, archery, tennis and swimming in the waterfalls behind the ranch house. Guests are also encouraged to participate in ranch life, such as dipping cattle. The guiding is known to be of the highest standard and Sosian is well known for its delicious home cooking using fresh ingredients from the garden. DAY 5-8 LAIKIPIA You will depart Sosian Lodge and transfer to Tassia Lodge by road, enjoying a ride though some beautiful and exciting country giving you a chance to experience real Kenya life (approx. 4hrs drive). 4 NIGHTS TASSIA LODGE Tassia is the ideal escape from the world. It captures all elements of the African bush, tranquil beauty combined with excitement and adventure. The dramatic setting of the lodge, perched on the edge of the Mokogodo escarpment, gives a mesmerising view of the Northern Frontier District and the sacred Lolokwe Mountain. The Laikipiak (Mokogodo) Maasai have been guardians of the Mokogodo forest for over a hundred years and this community Lodge is owned by them but has White Kenyans as managers. The lodge's six bedrooms all with en-suite bathrooms offer comfortable and inviting accommodation to the weary adventurer at the end of a full and exciting day. Tassia guests can be as sociable or reclusive as they choose, either enjoying the excellent cuisine in the tranquillity of their bedrooms or on the pool veranda or joining others at the bar and dining room. Quote from Conde Nast Traveller Gold Standard Hotels, Best Wilderness Hotel 2013: There are few lodges in Africa as wonderfully embedded in the community and landscape as Tassia, set as high as eagles fly on conservation land owned and managed by the Mokogodo Maasai. To stay here is to disconnect from any semblance of life as you know it; to allow yourself to be absorbed into the wilderness while being caressed by the hot thermals that rise from the plains to this isolated eyrie of extraordinary, open-sided structures built of mud and timber and thatch. Local lore and culture are at the heart of Tassia. With a maximum of 12 guests, and 60,000 acres to explore, this is a place of serenity and peace. YOUR HOSTS: Martin Wheeler, Anikia and their daughter Kailini and the Mokogodo Maasai, running Tassia is not a job, it s a way of life. Martin is fourth generation Kenyan. He was brought up in the bush. He is a renowned guide and has a great empathy and knowledge of the wildlife. He is a talented falconer and fly fisherman. His other interests include motor biking and paragliding. ACTIVITIES: At Tassia the game is not habituated to vehicles and people, and can often be well dispersed, which makes tracking with your guide on foot more exciting. The amount of game is dependent on the water in the area. There are Elephant, Buffalo, Giraffe, Greater and Lesser Kudu, Gerenuk, Waterbuck, Grevy Zebra. They also have sightings of leopard, wild dog, spotted and stripped hyena. After the rains in November and April, the number of game increases; particularly elephant. Walks & Game drives: The most exhilarating way to explore the wilderness around Tassia is on foot. There are a variety of exciting walks and expeditions. There are gentle botanical walks, led by one of the Maasai guides, where you'll learn about the medicinal uses of the plants in the area, such as cures for malaria and aphrodisiacs!

3 Bush walks: which are led by Martin, involve tracking wildlife and embarking on more rigorous treks and climbs. You can also take the rare opportunity of visiting the caves and rock shelters where the Mokogodo Maasai lived for yrs until recently changing their ethnicity. *Excursions to explore the Mokogodo forest give you a chance to see an entirely different ecosystem. It is especially enjoyable for those keen on birds. This involves a morning game drive up to the forest followed by a forest walk and a picnic lunch. Bird of Prey rehabilitation: after a morning walk you can visit Martin's sanctuary for injured birds. Martin is a passionate falconer, he rescues injured birds, trains them and rehabilitates them back into the wild. In the evening after your walk you can enjoy watching Martin and free fly his falcons from the rocky escarpment, whilst sipping your G&T! Game drives are best undertaken early morning or evening, and can be combined with a gentle walk and/or bush breakfast, picnic lunch or sun downer drinks in the evening. Spear throwing & archery: has become a very popular activity amongst guests in friendly competition with the Maasai. Village Visit: This is a working Maasai village, where members of staff and their families live a traditional lifestyle. It offers an authentic insight into their culture and way of life. Horse riding at Borana Ranch: an early morning drive through the Mokogodo forest onto the high plains of Borana ranch is an exciting start to an exhilarating experience of riding close to wildlife. This is for experienced riders only and must be booked in advance. They now keep a few Ethiopian ponies at Tassia enabling you to ride out on a quieter steed to enjoy the local surroundings if you so choose. Community Projects: Waste not want not - woman s group project, School, Anti soil erosion, Tree protection, Bird of prey sanctuary, Buy a brick, Holistic management: metal bomas. DAY 9-11 SAFARI IN MARA NORTH CONSERVANCY, MAASAI MARA You will depart Tassia Lodge and transfer to Lewa airstrip (game viewing on the way,) by road (approx. 2hrs drive) to catch your scheduled flight to Mara North. On arrival, you will be transferred to Offbeat Mara Camp. 3 NIGHTS OFFBEAT MARA CAMP Offbeat Mara Camp is a 12 bed traditional semi-permanent camp situated on the Olare Orok water system, on the newly formed Mara North Conservancy (formerly Koyiaki), north of the Masai Mara Game Reserve. This unspoilt part of Masailand is an area full of wildlife but far from any other camp or lodge. Offbeat Mara Camp works with the local Masai community employing many in the camp staff in all departments. All our guides are graduates of the Koyiaki Guiding School and 2 out of 3 have KPSGA Silver badges. The Mara offers amazing gameviewing throughout the year and features the annual wildebeest migration in July September. The camp sleeps only twelve guests in six large tents three doubles and three twins (an extra bed can be added to your tent). Each tent has its own en-suite bathroom with hot bucket showers, wash basins and flush loos. The spacious tents are all furnished with large, handmade cedar beds, 24 hour solar lighting and the finest linen. Informal dining is hosted in the mess tent or around the campfire. Delicious English breakfasts, lighter lunches and three course dinners are served each evening. Guests can also relax in the bar and living room tent, which is furnished with comfortable sofas, a writing desk, and library and fully stocked bar. Activities: Day and afternoon/evening game drives in fully equipped custom-designed Landover s/landcruisers Bush Breakfasts and sundowners Full day picnic lunch drives (to the wildebeest crossing points c. 1.5 hrs game drive each way- during the migration only.) Visits to the local Masai villages, visits to the Koyiaki Guiding School, visits to Aitong Primary School (c. 1 hour each way from camp) Visits to the Rhino Sanctuary (c. 1.5 hrs game drive each way) Hot Air Balloon Safaris (from Governors Camp 1 hr drive away)

4 DAY OBLIGITORY BEACH FOR RELAXING DIANI BEACH You will depart Offbeat Mara Camp and transfer to Mara North airstrip for your scheduled flight to Diani airstrip. On arrival you will be transferred to Funzi Keys for your relaxing beach stay. 5 NIGHTS FUNZI KEYS Voted one of the "top six private island resorts in the world" by Conde Nast Traveller, Funzi Keys is tucked away on an unspoilt island in the Indian Ocean and offers luxurious accommodation in 10 spacious cottages constructed from stone and thatch, with large netted windows open to the sea breezes. The rooms are imaginatively furnished with carved wood and local artefacts and, in addition to a large four-poster bed, each room has a jacuzzi and spectacular sea views. In front of each cottage is a private beachfront sitting area where a campfire is lit each night. Delicious meals are served in the main dining room, on the beach or privately in your room, and naturally seafood is a speciality. Activities on Offer These include snorkelling, windsurfing, sailing, canoeing and water-skiing, deep-sea fishing and scuba diving, although many guests only get as far as the sun-loungers around the large free-form swimming pool. Boats are available to see the dolphins that regularly visit Funzi Creek and sunset dhow cruises and beach barbecues are a special feature of the hotel. Funzi have just built 8 garden cottages to compliment the extravagant Sea View cottages. These cottages are slightly smaller than the sea view cottages and are set back about 40 metres from the beach. The rooms are similarly decorated to their larger counterparts with lots of locally carved wood and huge four poster beds. This means that Funzi is now available to those who would like to enjoy this fabulous atmosphere at a slightly reduced price. DAY 17 DIANI BEACH - DEPART You will depart Funzi Keys and transfer to Diani airstrip by road for your scheduled flight to Wilson airport. On arrival, you will transfer across Nairobi to JKIA for your international flight home. Further Information ** END OF YOUR SAFARI ** Included at Sosian Full board accommodation All drinks (except Champagne) Day & evening game drives Walking Camel riding Horse riding Fly camping Fishing Ranching activities SOSIAN airstrip transfers Exclusive use of vehicle (subject to availability) *please note that self-game drives are not allowed on Sosian and we do not therefore offer non-package rates* Excluded at Sosian Champagne Extra lunch: US$35 per adult & teen, US$20 per child For guaranteed exclusive use of vehicle: US$350 per vehicle per day

5 Included at Tassia Lodge All meals, soft drinks, beer, wine and local spirits Game drives, game walks, Maasai Olympics and our cultural experience Excluded at Tassia Lodge Maasai village walk at a cost of US$20 per person which goes directly to the community Horse Riding at Borana at a cost of US$85 per person (approx. 2 hour drive) * Horse Riding at Tassia at a cost of US$150 per person * Fly Camping at a cost of US$100 per person * Massage and beauty treatments Gratuities (we recommend $10 per guest per day to be split between general camp staff and US$10 - $20 per day for your guide) Visa, travel and medical insurance Included at Offbeat Mara Full board accommodation Conservation fees All drinks (except Champagne) Day & evening game drives Bush breakfasts & BBQ Lunches Visits to local market Visits to Koiyaki Guiding School, Aitong School MARA NORTH airstrip transfers Exclusive use of vehicle (subject to availability) 1 free full day visit to the Mara reserve with picnic breakfast and lunch for every 3 nights 1 free single supplement per booking - SRS/single rate applies to subsequent singles *please note that self-game drives are not allowed in the Mara North Conservancy and we do not therefore offer non-package rates* Excluded at Offbeat Mara Late departure (after 2pm) - US$100 pp (inc. lunch & game drives). Guests must vacate their tent by 10am (changing facilities provided) Visit to Masai Village - US$15 per person payable direct in camp Balloon Safaris - US$490 per adult per flight (rate subject to change) Visit to Rhino Sanctuary - US$5 per person For guaranteed exclusive use of vehicle - US$350 per vehicle per day Included at Funzi Keys Full breakfast, lunch and dinner Filtered drinking water Tea & coffee with meals Visits to the sand bank Funzi airstrip transfers or boat transfers to Shirazi jetty mainland Excluded at Funzi Keys Watersports, boat excursions beverages, bottled water & speciality coffees tips and items of a personal nature