Safari and The Seychelles Cruise & Tour Itinerary
DAY 1 – Nairobi
Upon arrival at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, you will be met and transferred to your hotel in Nairobi, Kenya’s colourful capital city. Meet your experienced Driver – Guide at the hotel this evening.
DAY 2 – Nairobi – Samburu Game Reserve
This morning, head north via Nanyuki for the Samburu Game Reserve set in the rugged, semi-arid northern region of Kenya, with spectacular scenic landscape. Your first safari drive is this afternoon. Samburu is visited by large herds of Elephants and is one of the best places to find several endemic Northern species, including the reticulated giraffe, the Somali ostrich and Gravy’s Zebra.
FULL BOARD
DAY 3 – Samburu Game Reserve
Enjoy morning and afternoon game viewing drive. The entire Samburu region is a place of breath-taking and magical beauty, a place where the vision of a deep red sunset silhouetting the doum palms along the river brings the perfect end to a day on safari. Visit a Samburu Manyatta or Village and see what life is like in this harsh landscape.
FULL BOARD
DAY 4 – Samburu Game Reserve – Lake Nakuru National Park
After breakfast depart for Lake Nakuru National Park with a brief stop at the Thompson’s fall for a breath-taking view of the great scenery.
The park is one of the best game viewing parks with various animal species including prides of lion, Cape buffalo, waterbucks, warthogs, the endangered Rothschild giraffe, the black & white Rhino, the Burchell’s zebra, impala, and the elusive leopard among many others. Over 300 bird species have been recorded here too. Lake Nakuru National Park is one of the best places to see the endangered black and white Rhino.
FULL BOARD
DAY 5 – Lake Nakuru National Park – Masai Mara Game Reserve
Visit the Mission in Action Orphanage and hear the stories of how it was started by an Australian family. Continue to the Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya’s most renowned game reserve offering wonderful scenery and plenty of wildlife. Arrive at your tented camp for lunch and a little bit of leisure time. The rolling plains and grasslands, is home to the black-manned lion, the savannah elephant, the Cape buffalo, wildebeest, the elusive leopard, cheetah, among many others.
FULL BOARD
day 6 – Masai Mara Game Reserve
Enjoy a full day in the Masai Mara with morning and afternoon game drives. Visit a traditional Maasai Village and experience the culture of this world-famous community. The Masai still live as they did for centuries, learn about the customs and traditions of the nomadic people.
OPTIONAL Hot Air Balloon Safari (extra expense, please book on tour)
FULL BOARD
day 7 – Masai Mara Game Reserve
Another day of game drives with an opportunity to see more of the big five that Maasai Mara is famous for. These include the lion, savannah (African) elephant, the Cape buffalo, the leopard and the black rhino.
FULL BOARD
Fly back to Nairobi this morning. This afternoon a visit to the Giraffe Centre followed by the Karen Blixen Museum. Enjoy dinner at the Carnivore Restaurant.
DINNER AND BREAKFAST
Transfer to the airport for your flight to Mahe, The Seychelles. The tropical cruise begins in Mahé island, where you’ll be transferred to your Emerald Cruises luxury yacht and embark on your discovery of the Seychelles. In the afternoon, sail to Sainte Anne Channel.
DINNER AND BREAKFAST
Late morning, sail to Cousin, a small island renowned as a haven for seabirds. The granitic islet was a private property until 1968 when it was purchased by the International Council for Bird Preservation to transform it into a nature reserve. It’s the most protected island in the archipelago, providing a breeding ground for eleven sea bird species annually and a habitat for five birds native to the Seychelles. Stay overnight in Praslin.
OPTIONAL Visit to Moyenne Island (extra expense, must be pre-booked) – 1 hour 15 minutes | Cousin Island Birding Hike (extra expense, must be pre-booked) – 3 hours
FULL BOARD
DAY 11 – PRASLIN ISLAND
Praslin, the second largest island in the Seychelles, is visually stunning with tropical jungle-fringed beaches, emerald waters and powdery sand. Anse Lazio beach has been voted one of the world’s best several times and there’s a dazzling reef just offshore brimming with coral and marine life. On land, coconut palms and granite boulders create a picture-postcard landscape. In the centre of the island, discover the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Vallée de Mai Nature Reserve.
INCLUDED EXCURSION Anse Lazio Beach shuttle
OPTIONAL Vallee de Mai Nature Reserve & Anse Lazio (extra expense) – 3 hours 30 minutes | A Day of Golf on Praslin: Constance Lemuria Resort (extra expense) – 5 hours
FULL BOARD
Early in the morning, we sail to La Digue Island, the smallest of the three populated islands in the Seychelles. Like Praslin Island, it also possesses world-famous beaches, with one of the most recognisable being Anse Source d’Argent. It has pink-hued sands contrasting with granite boulders and aquamarine waters. Navigate to Curieuse later in the evening.
INCLUDED Visit La Digue Island by Camionette
FULL BOARD
Curieuse is a rugged island swathed in unspoilt wilderness and home to hundreds of resident Aldabra giant tortoises. Apart from its obvious natural beauty, it has a fascinating history. It was once a quarantine station, and the original French colonial doctor’s house has a museum and visitor’s centre.
FULL BOARD
day 14 – aride island
Early in the morning, sail to Aride, a nature reserve in the Indian Ocean. Nature enthusiasts and wildlife photographers flock to this island, where more than thirty rare bird species nest in the verdant vegetation. The landscape is enticing with fine-sand beaches, coconut palms and soaring cliffs.
OPTIONAL Forest Walk (extra expense) – 1 hour 45 minutes
Mahé is the main island of the scenic Seychelles and the largest of the archipelago. It’s home to the capital Victoria, which was founded in the French settler period in 1778 and named later by the British, after Queen Victoria. The island of Mahé has pristine beaches dotted with huge rocks and tranquil nature trails threaded through the Morne Seychellois National Park.
OPTIONAL Mission Lodge & Botanical Gardens (extra expense) – 4 hours | Ephilia Zip Lining Adventure (extra expense) – 3 hours 30 minutes | Traditional Creole Show – 45 minutes
FULL BOARD
Your Emerald Cruises voyage concludes here. From the yacht, you will be transferred to the airport for your journey home or to continue your holiday.
Please book your flight to depart out of Mahé, Seychelles after 11:00 AM.
The itinerary is a guide only and may be amended for operational reasons. As such Emerald Cruises cannot guarantee the cruise will operated unaltered from the itinerary states above. Please refer to our terms and conditions for further information.
BREAKFAST
