Experiences
A honeymoon is a different rhythm, not a different route
Fewer parks, longer stays, smaller camps, and water at the end. We build these around late starts as much as early ones, because nobody should feel obliged to see a fifth lion.
In short
Three nights in one camp beats one night in three. Everything else follows from that.
Standard itineraries are built to cover ground. Honeymoons should not be. We would rather give you three nights at one well positioned camp, with drives that leave when you want them to, than four parks in six days.
We favour small tented camps over large lodges. Twelve tents means dinner without a queue, and staff who learn your names on the first evening. Several of the camps we use will lay a private dinner or a bush breakfast if we arrange it in advance.
Then a real change of scene. Diani on the Kenyan coast is the simplest and cheapest finish, the Seychelles is a direct flight from Nairobi, and the Maldives is the top end. Four nights minimum, wherever you choose.
Safari nights
Four to six
Water nights
Four to seven
Total length
10 to 14 days
Safari from
USD 1,450 pp
Vehicle
Always private
The afternoon between game drives
What we build in
The details that make it a honeymoon rather than a tour
A private vehicle always, so no shared drives and no fixed departure times. If you want to skip the dawn drive one morning, that is a plan rather than a problem.
Camps chosen for position over facilities, and flagged to every property as a honeymoon. Upgrades and small gestures are not guaranteed, but they are asked for, and we will never tell you a property has confirmed something it has not.
Bush breakfasts and private dinners arranged before you arrive and then not mentioned again, which is the correct way to do it.
Combinations
Three that work, in order of value
Amboseli, the Mara, then Diani
Kenya · best value
Two nights Amboseli, three in the Mara, four all inclusive on the Indian Ocean, back to Nairobi on the SGR train.
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The Mara, then the Seychelles
Kenya and islands
Three nights in the Mara, then a direct flight to Mahe and five nights across two islands. The strongest contrast of the three.
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The Serengeti, then the Maldives
Tanzania and islands
The Ngorongoro and Serengeti circuit, then a week on a house reef. The most expensive, and the most requested by people doing this once.
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Routes
Routes that need the fewest changes
Any of our safaris can be run as a honeymoon. These three need almost no adjusting.
Most requested
Extend to four nights in one camp
Code UTS-MAMA-00
Three days, Maasai Mara
The simplest honeymoon safari, and the one we adjust most often.
From, per person sharing
USD 1,450 to 1,810
Details
5 days / 4 nights
Code UTS-ANAM-05
Five days, Tsavo and Amboseli
Kenya
Short drives, dramatic scenery, and a natural link on to the coast.
From, per person sharing
USD 1,740 to 2,130
Details
5 days / 4 nights
Code UTS-ANSE-05
Five days, crater and Serengeti
Tanzania
Two nights each side, then fly straight to Zanzibar or on to the Maldives.
From, per person sharing
USD 2,310 to 3,320
Details
Beach and island extensions are quoted separately once we know how many nights you want and where.
How we pace it
Safari first, water second, and not the other way round
Early mornings are easier before you have settled into holiday mode, and a beach is a better place to finish than to start. Four to six safari nights is the window where dawn starts stay enjoyable. After that, at least four nights somewhere with water, because a safari on its own is a holiday but it is not a honeymoon.
Order
Safari, then water
Camps
Twelve tents or fewer
Drives
Private, on your timing
Flagged
Honeymoon, to every property
Questions
Honeymoon safari questions
Safari first or beach first?–
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Safari first, almost always. Early mornings are easier at the start of a trip, and the beach is the better ending.
How many nights should we spend on safari?+
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Four to six. Enough to see a great deal, short enough that dawn starts stay a pleasure.
Can we have private dinners and bush breakfasts?+
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Yes, at most of the camps we use, arranged before arrival. We will tell you which properties do it well and which only say they do.
Is the Kenyan coast good enough?+
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Diani and Watamu are genuinely good and much cheaper than the islands. If you want the postcard version, the Seychelles is a direct flight and the Maldives is the top end.
Do you tell the camps it is a honeymoon?+
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Always. It often results in an upgrade or something arranged on arrival, though we never promise what a property has not confirmed.
Kenya registered tour operator
TRA registered
Our own 4×4 safari vehicles
In-house driver guides
Westlands, Nairobi
Start planning
Give us your dates, your total number of nights, and whether you want a coast or an island finish.