Combining a safari with the Kenya coast

A safari is wonderful and it is tiring. Early starts, long drives and a great deal of concentration add up, and most guests reach the end of a week wanting somewhere to stop moving. The Kenyan coast is an hour and a half's flight away, and it is the reason so many of our itineraries finish on the ocean.

Do the safari first

Always. Game drives start before dawn and reward energy; beaches do not. Arriving at the coast at the end of the trip means you land at the airport rested rather than wrung out, and it gives you a buffer if bush flights shift.

We generally suggest four or five nights on safari followed by four or five on the coast, for a trip of around ten to twelve nights in total. Fewer than three beach nights and you spend most of it travelling and unpacking.

Where on the coast?

**Diani**, south of Mombasa, has the broadest white-sand beach and the widest choice of hotels, from large resorts to small boutique properties. It is the easiest coast for families and the best connected.

**Watamu**, north of Mombasa, is quieter and set around a marine national park, with excellent snorkelling and diving, turtle nesting and mangrove creeks. It suits guests who want the ocean itself rather than a resort.

**Lamu** is a different proposition entirely: a Swahili island town of coral-stone houses and carved doors, with dhows instead of cars, and a slow, historic atmosphere. Wonderful for travellers who like places with layers, less suited to those wanting a straightforward beach club.

How the seasons work

The coast runs on the monsoon, not the safari calendar.

• **December to March** is hot, still and reliably dry. This is the classic combination window, and the sea is at its calmest.
• **June to October** is cooler and breezier, and pairs neatly with the Maasai Mara migration season.
• **April and May** bring the long rains. Many coastal properties close, and we usually recommend against it.
• **November** is variable, with short rains, but often good value.

Seaweed on the beach varies by season and by exact location, and some stretches are far more affected than others. It is worth asking us about the specific weeks you are considering rather than the month.

Getting there

There are frequent scheduled flights from Nairobi to Mombasa, Ukunda for Diani, Malindi for Watamu and Lamu. From the Maasai Mara you can usually connect the same day, though it will often route via Nairobi.

Baggage on light aircraft is limited, normally to a soft bag of around 15 kilograms including hand luggage. We will confirm the exact allowance for your flights, and it is worth planning your packing around it from the start.

Beyond the beach

The coast is not only a place to lie still. Snorkelling and diving in the marine parks, dhow sailing at sunset, Swahili cooking, the ruins at Gede, kitesurfing at Diani in the windy months, and whale shark and dolphin sightings in season are all easy to arrange.

A sample shape

• Two nights Nairobi or Amboseli to begin.
• Four nights Maasai Mara or a neighbouring conservancy.
• Five nights Diani or Watamu.
• Fly home from Mombasa, or connect back through Nairobi.

Tell us your dates and how you like to rest, and we will sequence the safari and the coast so that the travel between them takes as little of your holiday as possible.