Three nights on safari in the Maasai Mara, then four nights of beach and pool time on the Kenya coast.
The best of both worlds for families: three nights on safari in the Maasai Mara, followed by four nights of sand, sea and pool on the Kenya coast. Children get the wildlife thrill first, then unwind with sandcastles, snorkelling and a beach resort that welcomes families. A short flight from the Mara to the coast makes the switch easy.
You are met at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and transferred to your hotel. If your flight lands early, the afternoon is ideal for the Giraffe Centre, where children (and adults) can hand-feed Rothschild's giraffes from a raised platform.
After breakfast, travel from Nairobi to Maasai Mara (about 5 to 6 hours), with a picnic lunch or lunch stop on the way. You arrive at your camp in time for lunch, then head out on your first game drive across the open plains of the Maasai Mara, home to lion, cheetah, elephant, buffalo and vast herds of zebra and wildebeest. Dinner and a night of lion calls follow.
Children learn to read tracks and dung with your guide, try fire-making with Maasai hosts and spot birds with binoculars, followed by an afternoon game drive.
Leave at first light with a packed breakfast to find big cats on the open plains. Enjoy a bush picnic lunch near the hippo pools, then spend the afternoon tracking lion, cheetah, elephant and buffalo before returning at dusk.
Fly to the coast via Nairobi or Arusha (about 3 hours in total, connections arranged by us) and transfer to your beach resort. You arrive at your beach resort in time for lunch. The afternoon is for swimming, sandcastles and the pool, with the whole family settling into beach time after the safari.
A relaxed family day of rock-pool exploring, sandcastle building and pool time, with a kids' beach lunch and an easy evening.
Sail by traditional dhow to a marine park for snorkelling over coral gardens, with dolphins often seen on the way, and enjoy a seafood lunch served on board or on the beach.
Paddle a dugout canoe through quiet mangrove channels with a local guide, learning about the ecosystem and watching for birdlife, followed by a fresh seafood lunch.
Enjoy a final swim and a relaxed breakfast. You are then transferred to the airport for your onward flight, with an easy hand-over to your international connection.
