Kenya - Short Safari and Beach combo

[rookiemere]

Hi
So we need to use up BA companion flights and Kenya looks like a good potential option, looking for any ideas or thoughts for itineraries please.
It would just be DH and I, possibly staying 10-14 days. DH is not overly keen on doing a safari, so I thought we could maybe do a short 3 day one, then on to somewhere on the coast.
Has anyone been and has any recommendations. We don't need luxury accommodation, but do want to be safe.

I've been to Southern Palms Beach Resort in Diani Beach twice and from there you can go on safari to Tsavo East Park. Safaris are between 1 and 5 days so something for everyone.
Always felt safe.
Have also done a safari to the base of Mount Kilimanjaro and stayed over in a tent next to the lake. Amazing watching the hippos leaving the lake at night to forage. We did a guided dawn walk with an armed guide - he had a stick! Didn't feel terribly safe as we were tracking animal footprints. It was an amazing experience; young DD was fine and nobody was eaten by a lion.
There are other things you can do from Diani beach such as sea trips/snorkelling, local markets etc.

I was also going to suggest Diani Beach and Tsavo. That's what we did. Long time ago though, and I don't know what security is like in the region now.

Lamu is fabulous. Peponi hotel is a must. Otherwise Diani, Malindi, or Watamu are nice. Would not recommend Mombasa.

3 day safari is perfectly long enough. Tons of options to choose from but the Mara generally has the best game viewing.

What time of year are you thinking of going?

Some great suggestions thank you.
@shardash late October/early November is when we are thinking of going.

We have recently been to Kenya. We spent 2 days in Nairobi and visited the elephant orphanage and giraffe manor, then did 2 nights safari in the Masai Mara, then another night at Lake Nakuru, stopping in Lake Navaisha on the way back to do a water safari and see hippos. We then flew to Mombassa for 4 nights.

The whole experience was amazing. We stayed in Sopa Lodges whilst on safari which were excellent. All booked through Trailfinders. I think it was called ‘Through the Rift Valley’.

Oct/ Nov is a good time for the mara but it will be busy/ more expensive than other parks. Be aware that there is a short rainy season in November- so oct may be a better bet, especially for the coast.

I went in August a few years ago and the weather was good. We did safari over 7 days starting in Nairobi, travelling up towards the Somali border. I imagine they don't do that now. We travelled through the Masai Mara, Mt Kenya, Lake Naivash, Lake Nakuru and back to Nairobi. Then transferred to Diani Beach in Mombasa to stay at the Indian Ocean Beach Club (not a club) which has now been renamed Jacaranda Indian Ocean Beach Resort.

I would really recommend trying to go during the great migration. Also if budget allows take a hot air balloon trip over the Masai Mara, it was absolutely magical and a memory I treasure. Have fun OP, it will be a fabulous holiday.

I think a 3 day safari is very short. It will be one park. Tsavo is huge and near the coat. The Mara is better but a trek by road for 3 days. You can fly but it’s more money. As is staying in the park. Sopa lodges have been around for a long time. We’ve stayed at Governors camp (Big Cat Diary) and Mara Explorer Camp. Highly recommend both.

We’ve done walking safaris in Zambia. The accompanying ranger had a gun. So I did feel safe and we did see lions. Six. They smelt us and ran off. You really don’t want to meet a buffalo on a walk.

We went on a Kenyan Safari and beach holiday with Kuoni in August 25 years ago! We started in Nairobi and went overland to Samburu (involved driving over the equator) then Lake Nakuru and Navasha (remember staying at tree tops) followed by a few days in the Masai Mara and back to Nairobi where we boarded a flight to the turtle bay beach club in malindi where we enjoyed learning to wind surf.

the safari experience was amazing and this itinerary meant we visited a lot of places. It was good having the safari and beach combination with the beach at the end.

obviously this was 25 years ago so whilst the scenery would be the same I do not have up to date info on security, hotels or the state of the roads.
I am not the most relaxed passenger and remember finding some of the drives a bit hair raising. I am also not that good with creepy crawlies and did not enjoy jumping into bed at treetops and realising I had a large spider in my bed! However it is one of the more adventurous holidays I’ve done and I still have great memories of it.

We did Tsavo and Nyali beach combo about 20yrs ago .
Was amazing but we were advised not to leave the hotel complex for safety / security. Didn't spoil the holiday though .

Thanks everyone.

I'm now thinking that it would be best to go with a tour company for safety as most people here have done, but that means can't use the BA companion flights, which is a bit of a pickle.

Have a look at Pollman Tours. That’s who our safari was with, and who Trailfinders use. You can book the safari directly with them which includes accommodation and everything else, and you would still be able to use your flights.

@SpottyElephant thank you I will check them out.

@rookiemere Yes you can!!! We do this all the time! You hold your flights asap. At the same time talk to a company like Audley Travel who put together the bespoke Kenya bit. You might need some flexibility but it’s easy enough to do. They know what time the flight comes in and work out everything from then on until you get the flight back. We have done this all over the world!

I really would be careful about who you book with though. Kenya roads are death traps. Use a respectable operator who will use a 4x4 for you and fly of you can. Depends on itinerary. Assuming you are ok with smaller planes of course. I’ve done mini bus in Kenya decades ago and it’s a bit of an adventure but also a slog! Bush camps are wonderful though! We’ve seen numerous creatures in bush camps!

@TizerorFizz thank you will have a look atAudley travel as well.

They will be more expensive than some but it’s down to where you stay. In a national park is better then travelling into a park every day, twice a day. You also need to be aware that different parks support different wildlife. They are not all the same. Samburu is very different to Lake Naivasha and the Great Rift Valley.

Diani Beach and Tsavo as suggested by previous posters sounds perfect for what you're looking for. We went end of November and it was extremely hot, I remember feeling the sweat trickling down my back while sitting in open air restaurants at night in the resort. There was zero sea breeze. We stayed all inclusive at Baobab Beach Resort and it was fab, great food, several pools to choose from and set on a lovely big clean white sand beach. It was really amazing value for money too.

We didn't go through a tour company, there was no need as it was all so easy to book online. We flew in to Mombasa and spent a couple nights in a nice hotel in the city, then we had a 3 day private safari in Tsavo East, the local safari company we'd booked collected us from our Mombasa hotel and dropped us to our resort in Diani after the safari. The resort booked us a private transfer back to the airport on the last day.

We stayed at Manyata Camp in Tsavo East, highly recommend it. We had private plunge pools outside our tents and it was absolutely magical having a view of wild elephants and zebras during our morning swim. The included meals were really good, the restaurant overlooks a water area where you can spot hippos. It wasn't expensive either.

After writing this out I now really want to book a trip back! I have very young children now though and malaria is a concern.

I've been to Kenya several times most recently earlier this year.
I would recommend flying into Nairobi, visiting the elephant orphanage and giraffe centre then getting a private safari to Amboseli or Tsavo.
Amboseli has amazing numbers of elephants but we saw more cats in Tsavo.
We book the safari through a Kenyan company called Natural World.they are reliable and safe.
There is an airstrip at Amboseli where you can fly directly to Diani or drive/ train from Tsavo.
I would highly recommend ol Tukai at amboseli. Ziwani voyager at Tsavo West and Satao camp at Tsavo west.

Thanks for the most recent posts, some great suggestions.

Natural World Safaris are based in Brighton. The uk version anyway.

@rookiemere I think you're quite local to me from other threads. The ladies at Garstang travel are excellent and will put together the Kenya part of the package for you. You use your BA flights, let them sort the rest.

Let us know how it goes, I'm planning a similar trip but will be a few years off yet.

@JingleBellsBatman thank you, I'm in Edinburgh.
Having priced it up I'm not sure we'll be going ahead with it for a couple of years. The safari element is looking more costly than I had envisaged, but it may be worth me trying Garstang.

We did 5 days in the Mara with a night in Nairobi afterwards and then Seychelles. Stayed in eco luxury safari resort called elephant pepper.
Was amazing....but very spendy.

Hello. Jumping on this old thread to ask if anyone has taken the new express train from Nairobi to Voi or Mombassa? We're planning to do that and just wonder if they are generally reliable and on time.
We're doing Nairobi, Tsavo East and Diani in October.
Any recommendations appreciated :)

It doesn’t a company will let you book your own flights. We do.

Can I just add I never had any interest in safari but the Masi was stunning and beyond my expectations. 3 days is far too short IMO, you’ll want the experience of different areas

edit - didn’t see the date! Sorry, but hope you’ve planned it now!