Safari and The Seychelles – Tour + Cruise

Jambo! Welcome to Nairobi, the vibrant heartbeat of Kenya. Upon arrival at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, you will be met and transferred to your central hotel. You’ll have the opportunity to meet your experienced Driver/Guide and then enjoy a delightful dinner at the hotel this evening.

Your African safari begins this morning as you head north, via Nanyuki, for the Samburu Game Reserve set in the rugged, semi-arid northern region of Kenya, with spectacular scenic landscape. Your first safari drive is in afternoon. Samburu is visited by large herds of elephants, drawn by the promise of water. It is one of the best places to find several endemic Northern species, including the Reticulated giraffe, the Somali ostrich and Grevy’s Zebra. The Samburu culture is a truly fascinating one, sharing a great deal of ancestral and linguistic ties to the Maasai.

Today, you’ll get to enjoy morning and afternoon game-viewing drives, giving you multiple opportunities to see the ‘Big Five’ (lion, elephant, buffalo, leopard and rhino). The entire Samburu region is a place of breathtaking and magical beauty, a place where the vision of a deep red sunset silhouetting the doum palms along the river brings the perfect end to a day on safari.

After breakfast, you will depart for Lake Nakuru National Park, with a brief stop at the Thompson Falls for a breathtaking view. Lake Nakuru National Park is one of the best game viewing parks, with various animal species including prides of lions, Cape buffalo, waterbucks, warthogs, the endangered Rothschild giraffe, the black & white Rhino, the Burchell’s zebra, impala, and the elusive leopard, among many others. Over 300 bird species have been recorded here too. It is one of the best places to see the endangered black and white Rhino. After a long day of game viewing, enjoy the African sunset experience with sundowners and canapes as you overnight in the National Park.

In the morning you’ll depart Lake Nakuru National Park to make your way to Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya’s most renowned game reserve. On the way, you’ll visit the Mission in Action Orphanage and hear the stories of how it was started by an Australian family. Upon arrival at Masai Mara, you’ll settiel in at your tented camp for lunch and a little bit of leisure time before you depart on an exciting game-viewing drive. The rolling plains and grasslands, stretching far into the horizons as far as the eye can see, is home to the black-maned lion, the savanna elephant, the Cape buffalo, wildebeest, the elusive leopard, cheetah, the spotted and stripped hyena, the rhino, Burchell’s zebra, the Maasai giraffe among many others.

Enjoy a full day in the Masai today with morning and afternoon game drives. Visit a traditional Maasai Village and experience the culture of this world-famous community. The Masai still live as they did for centuries – interact with these nomadic people and experience their way of life as you learn about their customs and traditions. Dine under the stars tonight.

DiscoverMORE: Optional Hot Air Balloon Safari (extra expense)

Another day of game drives with an opportunity to see more of the ‘Big Five’ that Maasai Mara is famous for. These include the lion, the Savanna (African) elephant, the Cape buffalo, the leopard and the black rhino.

Today, bid farewell to your Driver/Guide before your included flight back to Nairobi this morning. This afternoon you’ll visit the Giraffe Centre, followed by the Karen Blixen Museum. Enjoy an early dinner at the Carnivore Restaurant before transferring to the airport for your included flight to the Seychelles, where you will spend the night on Mahé Island.

Your tropical cruise begins in Mahé, Island, where you’ll be transferred to your Emerald Cruises luxury yacht and embark on your discovery of the Seychelles Islands. In the afternoon, you’ll sail to Sainte Anne Channel.

Experience the wonders of Sainte Anne Island, where you can dive into a marine paradise teeming with over 150 species of fish and discover the nesting site of majestic Hawksbill turtles. Then you’ll sail to the enchanting Cousin Island, a haven for seabirds, where you can witness the annual breeding of eleven seabird species and immerse yourself in the beauty of nature. Tonight, you’ll stay overnight in the captivating Praslin Island so your exploration can begin first thing in the morning.

Praslin, the second largest island in the Seychelles, is visually stunning with tropical jungle-fringed beaches, emerald waters and powdery sand. Anse Lazio beach has been voted one of the world’s best several times and there’s a dazzling reef just offshore that is brimming with coral and marine life. On land, you’ll find coconut palms and granite boulders that create a picture-postcard landscape. In the centre of the island, discover the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Vallée de Mai Nature Reserve.

Early in the morning, your luxury yacht will set sail to La Digue Island, the smallest of the three populated islands in the Seychelles. Like Praslin Island, it also possesses world-famous beaches, with one of the most recognisable being Anse Source d’Argent. It has pink-hued sands contrasting with granite boulders and aquamarine waters. Later in the evening you will sail to Curieuse Island.

Today you’ll get to step onto the enchanting island of Curieuse, where nature reigns supreme and it’s captivating history comes to life. Discover a rugged paradise intertwined with untouched wilderness, and be awed by the majestic Aldabra giant tortoises roaming freely. Immerse yourself in the island’s intriguing past as you explore the remnants of a former quarantine station, complete with a museum and visitor’s center housed within a quaint French colonial doctor’s house.

Early in the morning, you’ll set sail to Aride, a nature reserve in the Indian Ocean. Nature enthusiasts and wildlife photographers flock to this island, where more than thirty rare bird species nest in the verdant vegetation. The landscape is enticing with fine-sand beaches, coconut palms and soaring cliffs.

Mahé is the main island of the scenic Seychelles and the largest of the archipelago. It’s home to the capital Victoria, which was founded in the French settler period in 1778 and named later by the British, after Queen Victoria. The island of Mahé has pristine beaches dotted with huge rocks and tranquil nature trails threaded throughout the Morne Seychellois National Park. You will overnight in Mahé, before your cruise concludes tomorrow.

Today, your Emerald Cruises voyage comes to an end. From the yacht, you will be transferred to the airport for your journey home or to continue your holiday at your next destination.