A Kenya Honeymoon

From encounters with the world’s tallest mammal to exploring local culture, there’s plenty to keep you entertained during your stay, both within the manor’s grounds and in the local area.

Enjoy a visit to The Retreat – a magnificent building just a short stroll from the Main Manor, offering a once-in-a-lifetime wellness experience for both guests of Giraffe Manor, and guests of The Safari Collection portfolio who require a stopover in Nairobi.

Enjoy delicious Kenyan cuisine at Daisy’s Café, sample a cocktail at the rooftop bar-garden or unwind in bliss with an indulgent massage followed by a swim in the tranquil infinity pool – a truly glorious setting to catch a glimpse of the Rothschild’s giraffe.

Area Overview

West Gate Conservancy stretches along Ewaso Nyiro River to the west of Samburu National Reserve – hence its name. Its landscape is dominated by acacia scrubland dotted with rocky outcrops and a green ribbon of riparian plant growth along the Ewaso Nyiro.

Westgate Community Conservancy (WCC) is The Safari Collection’s community partnership in Samburu where Sasaab is located. Set up in 2008, Sasaab is run in partnership with the Samburu community of about 10,000 people. Sasaab protects a core area dedicated to wildlife conservation and the lodge predominantly employs its staff directly from the local community.

Property Overview

Sasaab is close to the Buffalo Springs and Samburu National Reserves in Kenya’s Northern Frontier District. It’s a place of rich natural diversity with an astounding number of animals from huge majestic elephant to lion, leopard and cheetah, and the “Samburu Special Five” – the Beisa oryx, reticulated giraffe, Grevy’s zebra, Gerenuk antelope, and Somali ostrich. Sasaab prides itself on its hospitality and its friendly and attentive staff strive to make each guest’s experience unforgettable.

The lodge has been designed in a Moroccan style to embrace the African heat and the expansive surrounding landscape; open archways allow for a cooling breeze to flow through, as well as stunning vistas out onto the savannah and mountains beyond. The design complements Sasaab’s open tent design, thatched roofs and private plunge pools, all of which enable guests to stay comfortable and cool.

Experience & Activities

Enjoy guided walks, bird watching, stargazing or a visit to SpaSaab for world-class beauty treatments. For the more adventurous take a game drive, camel ride or spend a night or two in the further reaches of the conservation. The local Samburu guides speak excellent English and will take children under their wing to teach them how to make a traditional bow and arrow or a toothbrush from the “toothbrush tree.”

For a special experience guests can spend a night or two fly-camping under mosquito net tents in the wilderness. This amazing trip starts with a 4–5 hour walk along the banks of the Ewaso Nyiro River, taking in the sights, sounds and smells of this untamed and romantic part of Kenya.

Area Overview

The Mara (as it is affectionately known) covers 1510 km2 (583 mi2) and is widely considered to be Africa’s greatest reserve. The backdrop of the Siria escarpment in the west overlooks sweeping savannas, riverine woodlands, and forests on a deceptively flat landscape that extends eastwards towards the Sekenani Hills and northwards towards the Aitong Hills. The Mara is in essence the northern extension of the Mara-Serengeti ecosystem and plays host to one of nature’s greatest phenomenons, the Great Wildebeest Migration.

Because of the quality of wildlife viewing, the Mara has for generations been the setting for hundreds of wildlife documentaries, including Disney’s African Cats, and the BBC’s Big Cat Diaries and Planet Earth. It is a wildlife photographer’s paradise and every year visitors come to capture the spectacular wildlife. The reserve and its conservancies contain some of the highest densities of predators in Africa and this only increases as nomads and vagrants follow the huge herds back and forth through this ecosystem during the seasonal wildebeest migration.

Property Overview

Sala’s Camp sits in one of the best locations in the whole of the Masai Mara National Reserve. Intimate and secluded, it is nestled along the tree lined banks of the Sand River in the southern tip of the reserve. As such, it is less than two kilometres away from the Tanzanian border and enjoys a splendid wild outlook and wonderful views into the Serengeti National Park. This also means that it is one of the first camps in the Mara to witness the legendary annual wildebeest migration which thunders by from June to September each year.

Sala’s Camp is renowned for delivering an authentic Masai Mara safari experience with exceptional personalised service and fine dining. Seamlessly combining a traditional ‘under canvas’ safari experience with contemporary comfort, including private plunge pools and glass fronted tents, Sala’s Camp offers an unforgettable and magical Mara retreat.

Experience & Activities

Explore one the world’s most prolific game areas with expert safari guides. Home to the Big Five, the annual wildebeest migration and mind-blowing wildlife sightings year round, the Masai Mara is a true nature lover’s paradise. Wildlife is abundant and photographic opportunities are endless. Sala’s Camp’s customised safari vehicles are fully kitted out for ultimate comfort on game drives.

Enjoy world class bird watching, spectacular star-gazing and epic sundowners on the savannah with our vintage mobile bar. When you’re not out discovering the wonderful wildlife there’s plenty to do back at camp, including games in the Sand River. Bush breakfasts are a highlight whilst spa treatments and private plunge pools make relaxation easy.

Area Overview

To visit the mystical island of Lamu is to take a step back in time. There is only one vehicle on the island, otherwise people walk, ride donkeys, or sail on traditional Arab sailboats called Dhows or Ngalawas. The ocean side of the island is fronted by a huge, eight mile long deserted beach, with commanding dunes that shield the coconut and mango plantations and small villages behind. At the heart of the island is the Old Town, where narrow winding paths and traditional Swahili architecture reflect the combined influences of the Omani, Indian, and Portuguese merchants and explorers over a thousand years of spirited trade.

Shela is the small beach community that has developed in walking distance from Old Town and become a favorite refuge for celebrities and European elite who don’t want to be recognised. Everyone is treated equally by locals who have welcomed visitors since the early white hunters took to visiting Lamu after their long early safaris of the 1920s and 30s. Safari-goers enjoy the laid back nature, amazing food, vibrant art scene, Swahili culture, and distinctive characters of Shela Town, said to contain some of Kenya’s most expensive real estate.

Property Overview

Manda Bay is a small privately owned boutique lodge located on the northern tip of Manda Island in the Lamu archipelago on Kenya’s coast. An unspoilt, secluded location where you can switch off from the rest of the world, take your shoes off and enjoy simplistic beauty in palm thatched cottages and open living spaces. The only access to Manda Bay is by speedboat so guests can enjoy this private island all to themselves. Manda Bay combines the ultimate bush and beach experience with miles of soft white sand on a private beach and coconut palms mixed with doum palms, Acacia Tortilis and a variety of wildlife.

Manda Bay is the perfect escape for families, honeymooners, and couples looking for the ultimate ‘no shoes, no news’ experience and is renowned for its wonderfully relaxed atmosphere with a variety of activities on offer.

Experience & Activities

There are numerous water based activities available at Manda Bay, from deep sea fishing, snorkelling, and fishing from the beach. If fishing is not for you but you are still keen on water-sports, then try out out our paddle boarding & kayaking, water skiing or take a simple Dhow sunset trip in the evening.

For those who really do want to relax, then take a game drive in the early evening to visit the Manda ruins and see if you can spot the elusive Leopard or Hyena. If your interest is purely cultural then the ancient Arab town of Lamu – now a world heritage site – is a 20 minute boat ride away.