Suggested Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival
Hemingways Hotel
Arrive Jomo Kenyatta Airport. You will be transferred to Hemingways Hotel, located in Karen, a beautiful green oasis just outside Nairobi. This plantation-style property is airy and spacious. Its luxurious bedrooms each have a private balcony overlooking the iconic silhouette of the Ngong Hills. Rest and relax at the hotel’s spa and beauty center, preparing for your important week ahead.
Day 2: Elephant Orphange & Giraffe Center
Hemingways Hotel
Visit the Daphne Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage, where baby elephants are rescued from around the country to grow and thrive in the elephant nursery once they have lost their mothers. Watch the young elephants nurse on bottles and play. Afterwards, enjoy a visit to Karen Blixen House, where the famous author of Out of Africa (later made into a movie with Meryl Streep) once lived. Lunch will be taken at the Blixen Coffee Garden. A visit to the Giraffe Center will follow. Upon your return to Hemingways, enjoy a celebratory welcome dinner with family and friends.
Days 3 & 4: Safari
Mukutan Retreat
Rise early for departure on your charter flight to Mukutan, situated on the extreme west of the Laikipia Plateau, whose rolling hills and unparalleled views await you.
We will work with you to organize your choice of activities, which include game drives, swimming, yoga, and of course a wonderful rehearsal dinner the night before the wedding!
Mukutan specializes in very special events and can organize mobile camping for any size party, in addition to the rooms at the several lodges on the property.
Day 5: Wedding Day
Makena Hills
At the time of your choice, the wedding party will gather at Makena Hills (Makena means “love” in Swahili) for your marriage ceremony. Wedding festivities will follow, complete with tribal dancing, singing, and general celebration from nearby tribal members if you so choose.
Spend your wedding night in one of the most romantic settings possible, under the vast night sky of Africa.
Day 6: Honeymoon
Sirikoi Lodge
After a final wedding brunch, depart for your honeymoon to the unparalleled Sirikoi Lodge at Lewa Downs. Sirikoi is a beautiful, small, family run lodge situated on private land and surrounded by the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy. Set in a shady acacia grove and overlooking a natural waterhole towards the slopes of Mount Kenya, Sirikoi offers some of the best game viewing in East Africa. Evening sundowners with amazing views of distant mountain ranges, delicious meals served under the stars next to a roaring fire and the sounds of animals in camp late at night are just a small part of this magical experience.
Days 7 & 8: Lewa Downs
Sirikoi Lodge
Enjoy activities at Sirikoi. A wide range of activities are offered, including helicopter and bi-plane trips, horseback riding, bush walks and picnics, and visits to a local Maasai community.
Days 9-12: Maasai Mara
Depart for the Maasai Mara. Choose between two very special romantic camps: Ngare Serian or Mara Plains Camp.
Ngare Serian Camp:
Ngare Serian is a small (4 tents only) and serene luxury camp located on the Mara River. Your secluded and roomy tent opens directly onto the riverbank, in full view of hippo and all the other animals that come to the water throughout the day to drink. This is truly a spot you will never want to leave.
Enjoy private fire-lit dinners and a chance to spend a night in a tree house, under the stars. From early morning tea to walking in the private bushland around the camp with your Maasai guides, each moment will feel as magical as a honeymoon should.
Mara Plains Camp:
Mara Plains Camp is an exquisitely appointed small luxury camp located on the northern border of the Maasai Mara Game Reserve in the 35,000-acre Olare Motorogi Conservancy. Rarely a night passes without lion roaring nearby, while leopard are regularly found to wander through the camp and cheetah have established territories on the savannah nearby the main area.
Each guest at Mara Plains contributes considerably to the success of the Olare Motorogi Conservancy’s flourishing ecosystem; conservation fees safeguard this habitat, while supporting over 1,000 Maasai families. This partnership agreement ensures the survival of an astounding volume and variety of wildlife.
Activities on tap at Mara Plains include early morning, late afternoon and night game drives, balloon safaris (at extra cost), authentic local village visits, wildlife walks, and unrivaled access to superior wildlife habitats.
Day 13: Departure Day
Depart for home after this unforgettable African journey!