Heavenly Escape: Masai Mara Safari & Pemba Island Getaway

Lioness and lion cub on the African savanna

What to expect on this itinerary

Escape into the wild with wildebeest as your only neighbors while the exotic Indian Ocean waters lap gently. Intimate camps overlook the plains, and the exclusivity is absolute in the midst of the African landscape. With only handpicked the most escapist of East African destinations, this two-week getaway will take you on a surreal Masai Mara safari and then leave you with the luxury of Pemba Island. Serenity reigns as nature’s spell holds you captive as the dreamy wildlife of the Mara rolls past the opulent tents.

Countries Visited

Kenya, Tanzania

Places Visited

Nairobi, Mara Naboisho Conservancy, Masai Mara National Reserve, Pemba Island, Zanzibar Archipelago

Suggested Duration

14 Days

Customizable Itinerary

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Day 1

Mara Naboisho Conservancy – Luxury and Serenity

Gaze out from your bed at your camp to a herd of wildebeest grazing on the move with their great beards flowing in the soft breeze. A few moments later, an elephant will amble past with enormous tusks curling out beside their melancholy eyes.  Just behind them, a small herd of buffalo will grunt as they pass providing quite the parade of wildlife. Return to your book to soak up the solitude of the plains and then lift your eyes to discover a zebra herd just a few meters away. Elegant and exclusive, your camp balances the beauty of the wilderness with the opulence of today. You will enjoy a beautiful and spacious tent with en-suite bathroom and the facilities you would expect in a luxury hotel yet as you look out, the safari comes to you.

Earlier, you will have landed at Nairobi International Airport, where it is a short private transfer to the domestic Nairobi Wilson Airport. A small plane will bring you into the Mara where you will land at the Mara Ol Seki airstrip, tucked away in the Mara’s private conservancies. Mara Naboisho covers 210 square kilometers of unfenced, wildlife-filled grasslands, yet the only people are those that are staying at one of the exclusive tents. It will feel as if you have the magic of the African bush all to yourself and for safari solitude there are few better places on the continent, especially as located one of Africa’s most revered safari destinations. Spend the afternoon relaxing at your camp, and then head out for a short game drive to admire the wildlife at close quarters before returning to enjoy the sights and sounds after dusk.

What's Included:

Accommodation
Transfer
Activity
Dinner
Day 2 - 3

Mara Naboisho Conservancy – Exquisite Safari

Day 4

Masai Mara National Reserve – Surrounded by the Herds

Day 5 - 6

Masai Mara National Reserve – The Mara’s Most Relaxed Safari

Day 7

Pemba Island – Tropical White Sand and a Dreamy Lodge

Day 8 - 13

Pemba – Barefoot Beauty on an Exotic Indian Ocean Island

Day 14

Pemba – Departure

Trip Highlights

  • Relax in the luxury of the Masai Mara’s most exclusive camps as the wildebeest herds beat a path past your verandah and the wildlife sings you a lullaby
  • Discover an exclusive corner of the Masai Mara with a stay in the Mara Naboisho Conservancy, where the charm of nature is abounding
  • Lie back and watch the wildlife roll past with nights spent at an escapist camp in the heart of the Masai Mara National Reserve
  • Enjoy limited travel times as your centrally located camps ensure that you never have to go far to enjoy all of the enchantment of safari, from game drives encountering prowling lions to bush walks with zebra
  • Remove your shoes and soak up the exotic splendor of Pemba, an untouched white-sand island in the Zanzibar archipelago
  • Getaway into the beauty and tranquility that an Indian Ocean island promises, enjoying a week of pampering spa treatments, romantic sunset cruises, and a seemingly endless beach

Starting Price

$11,200 per person (excluding international flights)

Your Zicasso trip is fully customizable, and this sample itinerary is a starting place for your travel plans. Actual costs are dynamic, and your selection of accommodations and activities, your season of travel, and other such variables will bring this budget guideline up or down. Throughout your planning experience with your Zicasso specialist, your itinerary is designed around your budget. You can book your trip when you are satisfied with every detail. Planning your trip with a Zicasso travel specialist is a free service.

What's Included

  • Accommodations
  • In-country transportation
  • Some or all activities and tours
  • Expert trip planning
  • 24x7 support during your trip

Your final trip cost will vary based on your selected accommodations, activities, meals, and other trip elements that you opt to include.

4.9

Verified Traveler Reviews

Based on 787 reviews

Gina I.
Tanzania Travel Review: Safari, 8 Nights

This was an amazing trip. It was well planned by Zicasso's travel company and executed to perfection. The lodges were beautiful and strategically located. The game drives were so much fun. The guides were tremendous. I have never been on such a well-designed trip.

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Margarita M.
Tanzania, Kenya Vacation Review: 12 Nights

We had a wonderful journey, with every step detailed and escorted from end to end. Our Zicasso travel experts did a great job and were always available for support.

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Stephanie L.
Tanzania, Kenya Travel Review: Balloon Safari, Boat Ride, Culture, 12 Days

Without exaggeration, this was the most amazing trip of my life. Everything was perfect, from the itinerary to the lodging, food, and guides. We saw so much and so many varied topographies. We also got such a great flavor of the culture, people, and way of life in both countries. It truly was incredible from start to finish.

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Tracy C.
Kenya Travel Review: Nairobi, Elephant Experience, Local Cuisine, 8-Night Trip

We had a fantastic trip. There were a few hiccups, but they were minor and were resolved very quickly.

This was pretty much the trip we had envisioned coming to life! Zicasso's travel agents on the ground, assisting us, were on top of things and made the trip go super-smooth. Thanks!

The camps we stayed at were amazing, the food was fabulous at both camps, the hotel in Nairobi was very nice; all in all, a great trip. Thank you so much for putting together my bucket list, including the experience with elephants in Tsavo East National Park!

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Cathy W.
Tanzania, Rwanda Tour Review: Tented Cabins, Gorillas, 11 Nights

Zicasso's travel designer was easy to work with and, most importantly, listened to what we wanted our trip to be. He is a true professional and helped guide us to some truly spectacular places in Tanzania and Rwanda. We highly recommend his travel company!

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Jim K.
Kenya Vacation Review: Family Bonding, Wildlife, 10 Nights

There aren't enough superlatives to describe our safari. Every single aspect exceeded expectations. The Zicasso trip designer, who handled the in-country arrangements, was terrific, and literally every arrangement went smoothly. A few last-minute changes on the front and back end were handled effectively. 

Each of the camps was different, but wonderful in its own way. We liked the variation. The accommodations were great and the food was great. But the people – hosts, driver/guides, spotters, service personnel were really great – friendly, fun, helpful, enjoyable to be with, and really great. It's difficult to put into words how much we enjoyed being with them and with each other (me, my five adult children, and their spouses). And the wildlife and landscapes, again, quite different over the three camps, were spectacular. Every game drive was a much-anticipated adventure and the guides were, to a person, superb in helping us understand the animal behaviors we observed. 

There is nothing we would have done differently and we were constantly amazed at how smoothly everything worked out (literally no hitches, even minor ones), how much fun we had with each other and our hosts, and how much the people we were with contributed to our experience. I'm not given to hyperbole, but I'm left without words to describe how great the experiences we had were and how seamless the arrangements seemed to be.

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Customizable Itinerary

This is a sample itinerary to inspire a personalized trip designed with your travel specialist.

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