Safari and The Seychelles Island hopping: 18 days Nairobi to Mahé, Seychelles

JAMBO – Welcome to Kenya. Upon arrival at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, you will be met and transferred to your hotel in Nairobi, Kenya’s colourful capital city. Meet your experienced Driver – Guide at the hotel this evening.
Overnight Stay: Nairobi 

Your thrilling African safari begins this morning as you head north via Nanyuki to the Samburu Game Reserve. Set in the rugged, semi-arid northern region of Kenya, Samburu enchants visitors with spectacular landscapes. Within the Reserve, enjoy a two-night stay at the Saroya Shaba Game Lodge.

Set off on your first safari drive this afternoon. Samburu is visited by large herds of elephants, drawn by the promise of water. This is one of the best places to find several endemic northern species, including the reticulated giraffe, the Somali ostrich and the endangered Grévy's zebra. The Samburu culture is a truly fascinating one, sharing a great deal of ancestral and linguistic ties to the Maasai.
Two-night Stay: Samburu Game Reserve

Today, enjoy morning and afternoon game drives. The entire Samburu region is a place of breathtaking beauty, a place where the vision of a deep red sunset silhouetting the doum palms along the river brings a magical end to a memorable day on safari. Visit a Samburu Manyatta (or village) and see what daily life is like in this harsh landscape.

After breakfast, depart for Lake Nakuru National Park with a brief stop en route at Thompson’s Falls for a breathtaking view of the magnificent views.

Lake Nakuru ranks as one of Africa’s finest game-viewing parks and a natural habitat for a variety of animal species, including prides of lions, Cape buffalo, waterbucks, warthogs, the endangered Rothschild giraffe, Burchell’s zebra, impala and the elusive leopard, among many others. Lake Nakuru National Park is also one of the best places to spot the endangered black and white rhino, while more than 300 bird species have been recorded here.

Visit the Mission in Action Orphanage and hear the fascinating tale of how it was established by an Australian family. Continue to the Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya’s most famous game reserve, which offers breathtaking landscapes and abundant wildlife. Arrive at your tented camp, your home for the next three nights. Enjoy lunch and some time at leisure before you depart on an exciting game drive. The rolling plains and grasslands, stretching into the horizon as far as the eye can see, are the habitat of the black-maned lion, the savannah elephant, the Cape buffalo, wildebeest, the elusive leopard, cheetah, the spotted and striped hyena, the rhino, topi, Burchell’s zebra and the Maasai giraffe, among many others.

Enjoy a full day in the Masai Mara with morning and afternoon game drives.

Visit a traditional Maasai Village and experience the culture of this world-famous community. The Maasai still live as they have done for centuries. This is an incredible opportunity to interact with these East African semi-nomadic people and experience their way of life, as you learn first-hand about their customs and traditions.

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Hot Air Balloon Safari (extra expense)

Today, enjoy another day of game drives with an opportunity to see more of Africa’s ‘Big Five’ that the Masai Mara is world-famous for: the lion, savannah (African) elephant, Cape buffalo, leopard and the black rhino. This evening, enjoy dining under the starry African skies.

This morning, bid farewell to your Driver-Guide and thrilling safari before your flight back to the Kenyan capital, Nairobi. This afternoon, you’ll pay a visit to the Giraffe Centre, followed by the fascinating Karen Blixen Museum. Enjoy an early dinner at the Carnivore Restaurant before transferring to your hotel
Overnight Stay: Nairobi

Transfer to the airport for your flight to Mahe, The Seychelles.

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. In the afternoon, we sail to Sainte Anne Channel.

Late this morning, cruise to Sainte Anne Island. It is encircled by the Sainte Anne Marine National Park, home to incredible marine life, including more than 150 species of fish. Sainte Anne is also a significant nesting site for Hawksbill turtles, with the nesting season running from October to March.

Sail to Thérèse Island in the morning. Sitting just one kilometre off the coast of Mahé, this jewel of the Seychelles is a tiny, uninhabited island with rugged rock formations, long white-sand beaches and lush vegetation. The island has two imposing rocky peaks, which are thought to resemble a giant’s staircase. A reef wraps around the southern edge of the island and offers incredible snorkelling. 

Early in the morning, cruise to Cousin, a small island renowned as a haven for seabirds. The granitic islet was a private property until 1968, when it was purchased by Nature Seychelles (formerly International Council for Bird Preservation) to transform it into a nature reserve. It’s the most protected island in the archipelago, providing a breeding ground for 11 migrating sea bird species annually and a habitat for five birds native to the Seychelles. Later, you will sail to Praslin to stay overnight.

Praslin, the second largest island in the Seychelles, is visually stunning with tropical jungle-fringed beaches, azure 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 brimming with coral and marine life. On land, coconut palms and granite boulders create a picture-postcard landscape. In the centre of the island, discover the World Heritage-listed Vallée de Mai Nature Reserve, a compact area of palm forest that has remained almost unchanged since prehistoric times. Sail to La Digue Island later in the afternoon. 

La Digue is the smallest of the three populated islands in the Seychelles. Things move slowly here, with almost no cars on the island and most transport undertaken by horse or ox cart. It has exquisite natural wonders and incredible wildlife, like the population of giant Aldabra tortoises. Like Praslin Island, it is also fringed by world-famous beaches. One of the most recognisable is Anse Source d'Argent – it has pink-hued sands contrasting with rock formations and aquamarine waters. Sail to Curieuse later in the evening and dock overnight.

Curieuse is a rugged island swathed in unspoilt wilderness and home to hundreds of Aldabra giant tortoises. One of the largest species of tortoise in the world, they can reach up to 350kg and live for more than 150 years. Apart from its obvious natural beauty, it has a fascinating history. The island was once a quarantine station, and the original French colonial doctor’s house has a museum and a visitor’s centre. Paths wind through mangrove swamps and groves of coco de mer palms.

Early in the morning, cruise to the lush, green island of Aride, a nature reserve managed by the Island Conservation Society. Nature enthusiasts and wildlife photographers flock to this island, where more than 30 rare bird species nest in the verdant vegetation. The landscape is enticing with fine-sand beaches, coconut palms and soaring cliffs.

Return to Mahé for the final days of your voyage. The capital city, Victoria, was founded in the French settler period in 1778 and was later named by the British for Queen Victoria. One of the smallest capital cities in the world, it’s home to around 30,000 people, and you could walk around its central area in just 10 minutes. The island of Mahé has pristine beaches dotted with huge rocks and tranquil nature trails threaded through the Morne Seychellois National Park.

Your Emerald Cruises voyage concludes here. From the yacht, you’ll be transferred to the airport for your journey home or to continue your holiday. 

Please book your flight to depart out of Mahé, Seychelles after 11:00 AM.

The itinerary is a guide only and may be amended for operational reasons. As such, Emerald Cruises cannot guarantee the cruise will be operated unaltered from the itinerary stated above.