A traditional dhow under full sail off Lamu, a white sandbar and thatched roofs along the shore behind it

Kenya · 9 days

Beach and Bush

The Governors' Camp Collection's bush-and-beach week, four nights in the Maasai Mara, then four at Manda Bay in the Lamu archipelago. Kenya's own coast, not Zanzibar.

Duration: 9 days, 8 nights · 3 flights
Where: Kenya
Experiences: Flying Safaris Road Safaris Balloon Safaris
Board: Board varies by stay
Price: On request

At a glance

Where the nights go

8 nights across 2 places · 3 flights · Board varies by stay. Drawn from the draft day-by-day below.

Overview

The shape of the journey

Four nights of game drives, then four nights where the only decision is lunch. The Governors' Camp Collection runs both halves, so the standard does not dip when the landscape changes.

NairobiMaasai MaraManda Island

The beach half is Kenyan, not Tanzanian: Manda Bay sits on Manda Island in the Lamu archipelago, up on the northern coast. You reach it by speedboat, which tells you most of what you need to know about how quiet it is.

Where you'll stay

The camps and hotels

Governors' Camp or Governors' Il Moran Camp

Either of the Collection's two camps inside the Maasai Mara National Reserve, with up to three game drives on a full day.

Manda Bay

A beach lodge on Manda Island in the Lamu archipelago, on Kenya's northern coast. The only way in is by speedboat.

Day by day

How the days run

A proposal, not a timetable. The routing, timings and inclusions are confirmed in writing before you pay anything.

Day 1Flight
Nairobi to the Maasai Mara
Met at Jomo Kenyatta and driven across to Wilson for the Governors' Aviation flight, about forty-five minutes to the Mara. The drive in from the airstrip is your first game drive.
Governors' Camp or Governors' Il Moran CampAll meals
Day 2
A full day in the reserve
Up to three game drives, all inside the reserve. The balloon is a dawn departure at extra cost, booked ahead.
Governors' Camp or Governors' Il Moran CampAll meals
Day 3
The Mara, at length
Four nights in one camp is enough to stop chasing sightings and start reading the place. Today is usually where that turns over.
Governors' Camp or Governors' Il Moran CampAll meals
Day 4
A last day of drives
Out early, back through the heat, out again at four. Pack tonight: the coast leg starts after breakfast.
Governors' Camp or Governors' Il Moran CampAll meals
Day 5Flight
Fly to the coast
The Governors' Aviation flight from the Mara to the archipelago, then a speedboat across to Manda Bay. The heat, the language on the jetty and the smell of the sea are all different by lunchtime.
Manda BayAll meals
Day 6
Manda Bay
The first coast day is generally spent doing nothing at all, and this is the correct use of it.
Manda BayAll meals
Day 7
On the water
The archipelago is best seen from a boat, and the lodge's own is the way to do it. Tell us in advance what you would like on the water and we will set it up with them.
Manda BayAll meals
Day 8
A last full day
Nothing is scheduled. There is a reason four nights on the coast follows four in the Mara and not the other way round.
Manda BayAll meals
Day 9Flight
Lamu to Nairobi
The speedboat back across, then the flight from Lamu to Nairobi and your onward connection.
Breakfast

What's covered

Inclusions and exclusions

In line with the itinerary above. Your written quote is the version that counts.

Included

Accommodation at your chosen Governors' camp and at Manda Bay
Meals throughout
Game drives in the Maasai Mara, up to three on a full day
Governors' Aviation flights, Nairobi to the Mara, the Mara to Manda Bay, Lamu back to Nairobi
The speedboat transfer to and from Manda Bay

Not included

The hot-air balloon safari, which carries an extra cost
International flights to and from Nairobi

Price & terms

What it costs

Priced on request. This itinerary is quoted for your dates, your party and the grade of camp you choose, which is why there is no single number on this page.

What this price covers

Rates are per person sharing unless the line above says otherwise.
Prices move with the season and with availability, and are held only once your quote is confirmed in writing.
The day-by-day above is a draft. Final routing, timings, inclusions and any park or permit fees are confirmed with your quote.

Before you go

Worth reading before this trip

The best time to visit Kenya, month by monthJanuary and February, then July to October, are the months we send most people.
Packing list for the Kenyan coastDiani, Watamu, Malindi and Lamu need less than you might think, plus a few things you would not guess: reef shoes for low tide, a rash vest for the reef, and clothes that cover your shoulders for the old towns.
Safari packing list for KenyaA working checklist for a week on safari in Kenya: the bag, the layers for a cold six o'clock start, optics, health and documents, with quantities for seven nights and what changes by season.
Kenya safari cost: where the money goesWhat you pay for on a Kenya safari, why two similar weeks can differ threefold, who sets the park fees, and how to get more from the same budget.
Practical facts by countryPlugs, currency, time zone, driving side, SIM, tipping and tap water.