SVAH 008: 15 Nights/16 Days Luxury Honeymoon Kenya

Planning a romantic wedding and honeymoon holiday in Africa? There is no better way to do it in style than Britain’s Queen Elizabeth royal family. Kenya is a country Queen Elizabeth and her grandchild, Prince William, holds with dear and romantic memories. Due to its most stunning romantic getaways, Kenya has a special place in the history of the British monarchy.

Royal history was first made in Kenya in 1952. Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip, while on a holiday in Kenya, were staying at the remote Treetops Lodge in the Aberdares National Park in the foothills of Mount Kenya when the news reached her that her father, King George VI, had died at Sandringham, Norfolk. Her tour had to be abandoned and the young Princess returned home a monarch.
And 58 years later, in 2010, Queen Elizabeth’s grandson, Prince William, and his long-time girlfriend Kate Middleton set off for a holiday in Kenya. Not far away from Treetops Lodge, Prince William chose Lake Ellis on the slopes of Mount Kenya, more than 12,500ft above sea level, as the perfect site to propose marriage to Kate.

During their vacation, Prince William and Kate also visited Manda Bay a romantic island where each cottage overlooks the beach and water. Manda Bay is a small Boutique Hotel, located on the North Western tip of Manda Island, in the Indian Ocean on the Kenyan coast offering personalised luxury beach holidays. This is a perfect retreat for couples on honeymoon. Manda Bay is an exotic beach hotel located on one of the many unspoilt, idyllic islands within the Lamu archipelago. An exclusive resort, Manda Bay offers beautiful beach front accommodation, informal pampering and barefoot luxury. All the buildings are in keeping with the local landscape and are constructed using palm and driftwood and local building techniques.

This amazing Kenya honeymoon safari captures the royal history. The holiday combines Mount Kenya climbing with a wildlife safari in Lake Nakuru and Masai mara game reserve, ending with a romantic beach holiday in Manda Bay in Lamu.

Find the full itinerary below:

Day 1: Nairobi

Our Kenyan representative will receive you at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and transfer you to Nairobi Serena Hotel where accommodation will be on bed and breakfast.

Meals: Bed and Breakfast
Accommodation: Nairobi Serena Hotel

Day 2: Nairobi – Mt Kenya Bandas (2,900m)

After breakfast, a representative of Alliance Naro Moro Lodge and drive through agricultural Central Kenya up to Chogoria town for lunch. Lunch at Alliance Naro Moro Lodge and then drive up to the edge of the bamboo forest where you start your trekking through the dense bamboo forest for a distance of 10 km to the Mt Kenya Bandas.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Meru Mount Kenya Bandas

Day 3: Mt Kenya Bandas – Lake Ellis Campsite (3,600m)

After breakfast and sorting of porter loads we set off up the mountain at a nice and easy pace . A slightly longer walk via Lake Ellis gives scenic views of Mugi, Ithanguni and the Giants Billiards Table, whilst if we follow the river near road head, upstream for about 3 km, the foreground scenery and flora is particularly beautiful. Lunch on the banks of a stream, then it’s time to cut up the left hand hillside to our camp at about 3,600m, well away from any of the more “touristy" areas

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Lake Ellis Campsite

Day 4: Lake Ellis – Minto’s Camp (4,200m)

Similar early start. Again well off the beaten track to follow a ridge up the mountain for about 3 hours to eventually join the tourist track on the normal Chogoria route at an altitude of about 4,100m. Breath taking views over the Gorges Valley and back over towards Ithanguni and the Northern Moorlands. Lunch is served at a small stream crossing, before continuing for a further hour to the Mintos Hut area at 4200m and our night’s rest. Afternoon is spent relaxing at camp, though a 10 minute walk to the “Temple" is well worth the effort. This is a 150 meters vertical cliff that gets its name from the position visitors often adopt when peering over the edge – they look as if they are praying. An early night is recommended as you are attempting the summit next day.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Minto’s Camp

Day 5: Minto’s – Pt Lenana (4,985m) – Old Moses camp

Predawn attempt of the summit starts at 0300hrs and you hike for about three hours up to Point Lenana (4985m), the hiker’s summit, arriving there in time to watch the African sunrise. Descend to Shipton’s camp for breakfast and a whole day’s rest. Dinner and overnight at Shipton’s camp (4200m)

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Shipton’s camp

Day 6: Old Moses camp – Alliance Naro Moro Lodge

After breakfast, begin a 5-6 hour descent to Sirimon Park gate (2600m). The descent is gentle and it offers ample time to enjoy fascinating scenery which includes the moorlands and forests. A representative of Alliance Naro Moro Lodge will pick you and transfer you to their lodge for relaxing and overnight.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Alliance Naro Moro Lodge

Day 7: Mt Kenya – Aberdares

After breakfast, you’ll be picked up our driver/guide and drive to Aberdares National Park. Arrive at Outspan Hotel in Nyeri for the 1330hrs transfer to Treetops Lodge. The Treetops Lodge overlooks a floodlit waterhole and salt lick which attracts a host of awesome wildlife at night and tourists view the wildlife from the balcony of their rooms or lodge verandah.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Treetops Lodge

Day 8: Aberdare – Lake Nakuru

After breakfast, a representative of Treetops Lodge will transfer you back to Outspan Hotel where you’ll reconnect with your driver/guide and depart for Lake Nakuru with a brief stop at Nyahururu Thompson Falls. Then proceed to Lake Nakuru. Lunch at Flamingo Tented Hill Camp. Afternoon game drives in the park. Besides the flamingos that the lake is famous for, there are approx 400 other species of birds visiting the lake. Also, many species of game can be found in the park including the introduced Rothschild’s giraffe, black and white rhino, waterbuck, reedbuck, lion, buffalo, leopard, baboon and many species of plains game.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Flamingo Tented Hill Camp

Day 9: Lake Nakuru – Masai Mara

Depart Lake Nakuru for Masai Mara Game Reserve after early breakfast. Lunch at Mara Serena Safari Lodge. Later proceed for the afternoon game drive until sunset in search of the Big Five.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Mara Serena Safari Lodge

Day 10: Masai Mara

Morning balloon flight. A representative of Balloon Safaris Ltd will pick you from your lodge and take you for a balloon flight and bring you back. Link up with your driver/guide and continue with your itinerary. Spend the whole day in the Masai Mara plains doing game drives and on the look out for herds of wildebeests crossing the crocodile-infested Mara River. Optional evening visit to a Masai Manyatta Village to learn the dance and culture of the Masai tribe. (You’ll pay USD35 per person per visit directly to the village)

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Mara Serena Safari Lodge

Day 11: Masai Mara

Morning and afternoon game drives in search of the predators in full action and the Big Five – the lions, buffalos, rhinos, leopards and elephants.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Mara Serena Safari Lodge

Day 12: Masai Mara – Nairobi

After breakfast, depart for Nairobi via the floor of the Great Rift Valley. Stop at the Rift Valley View Point to view the escapement and the Mount Longonot in the background and photographing. Continue with your journey to Nairobi. Lunch at Westlands. You’ll be conducted to a brief tour of Nairobi to see its landmarks like the park elected where the former US embassy stood before the August 1998 bomb attack; Parliament, Government buildings, the Moslem where Kenya’s founding President Mzee Jomo Kenyatta was buried, and other attraction sites. Transfer to Nairobi Serena Hotel where accommodation will be on bed and breakfast.

Meals: Bed and Breakfast
Accommodation: Nairobi Serena Hotel

Day 13: Nairobi – Lamu

After spending a night in Nairobi, you are transferred to the airport to catch your flight to Lamu. There are 3 scheduled flights a day into Lamu main airport, which is 20 minutes boat ride from Manda Bay Lodge:
 Air Kenya: Scheduled flight every day from Nairobi, Wilson Airport.
 Safarilink: Scheduled flight every day from Nairobi, Wilson Airport.
 Fly 540: Scheduled flight every day from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
On arrival you in Lamu, you will be transferred by boat to Manda Bay. Manda Island is an unspoiled, idyllic island of the Lamu Archipelago where you can enjoy endless activities, such as various water sports, dhow safaris and pampering.

Meals: Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Manda Bay Lodge

Day 14-15: Manda Bay

Spend the two days at beautiful Manda Bay, an idyllic beach resort set on one of the beaches of Manda Island in the Lamu Archipelago. Here you will stay in a comfortable and stylish cottage located along a white, uninhabited beach that stretches for miles – offering privacy and relaxation.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Manda Bay Lodge

Day 16: Lamu – Nairobi

After lunch, you’ll be transferred by boat back to Lamu airstrip in time to connect with flight back to Nairobi. If you fly with Air Kenya or Safarilink airline, our driver will pick you from Wilson Airport for transfer Jomo Kenyatta International Airport for your journey home.