Seremara Safaris
9 Days Kenyan Bush And Beach Safari Holidays
Explore Kenya Safari Packages for Unforgettable Adventures
9 Days Kenyan Bush and Beach Safari Holidays
The Masai Mara and Watamu Beach Safari is Seremara Safaris' signature 9-day bush-and-beach combination, pairing three nights of exclusive game viewing in the Naboisho Conservancy with five unhurried nights on the white sand of Watamu on Kenya's north coast. It is a complete Kenya safari beach holiday package in one seamless booking, connected entirely by short domestic flights so you spend your time exploring, not driving.
This 9 Days Bush and Beach Kenya itinerary is built for travellers who want the Masai Mara's big cats and open savannah one week, and warm Indian Ocean currents, coral reefs and dhow sails the next. Honeymooners, families marking a milestone, and first-time visitors to East Africa all gravitate toward this pairing because it delivers two entirely different, equally iconic sides of Kenya without wasted travel days.
In Naboisho, an exclusive 50,000-acre conservancy bordering the Masai Mara National Reserve, expect walking safaris, night drives for nocturnal species rarely seen elsewhere, and sundowners beneath acacia trees with zero crowds at the sightings. On the coast, the Watamu Beach Safari Combo continues with glass-bottom boat trips over Watamu Marine National Park's coral gardens, birding in Arabuko Sokoke Forest, and long, easy days on one of Africa's most celebrated beaches.
From $2,000 per person sharing, this Masai Mara and Watamu Beach Safari includes full-board accommodation throughout, all internal flights between Nairobi, the Mara and Malindi, conservancy and park fees, shared game drives and walking safaris in Naboisho, and airport and airstrip transfers, giving you one stress-free price for both halves of the journey.
Day-by-Day Itinerary
Arrival and First Game Drive in Naboisho
Your Masai Mara and Watamu Beach Safari opens the moment you land in Nairobi. A shuttle collects you for a short transfer to the Four Points by Sheraton at the airport, where you can shower and enjoy breakfast before your onward flight. Mid-morning, a driver takes you to Wilson Airport for the scheduled flight to the Mara Naboisho airstrip, roughly 45 minutes over the Great Rift Valley and the rolling grasslands of the Loita Plains.
Touching down at Ol Seki airstrip, a Maasai guide is waiting to launch your very first game drive en route to Eagle View Camp, arriving in time for a lunch served in the dining tent overlooking the savannah and the camp's landmark double fig tree. The afternoon is yours to settle into your tented room before afternoon tea by the fig tree, followed by a full game drive through the Naboisho Conservancy — a private 50,000-acre wilderness where vehicle numbers are strictly limited, so sightings feel personal rather than crowded.
As dusk falls you'll enjoy a sundowner of drinks and snacks beneath an acacia tree, then a night game drive on the return leg, a rare chance to spot genets, bush babies and hunting leopards that are seldom active by day. Dinner and stories by the campfire close out a rich first day. Overnight at Eagle View.
Full Day of Game Drives in the Mara Ecosystem
Wake before sunrise for an early departure into the bush while the light is soft and predators are still active from the night's hunting. Between the morning and afternoon drives you'll have generous downtime back at camp to relax by the pool, journal, or simply watch the plains from your deck — this is one of the advantages of basing in a private conservancy rather than a crowded public reserve.
After lunch and a midday rest, head back out with your driver-guide dedicated to tracking the Big Five across Naboisho's rolling hills and riverine woodland. The low golden light of late afternoon is ideal for photographing lion prides at rest, elephant herds moving toward water, and the endless horizon that makes this stretch of the Masai Mara Lake Naivasha Samburu Safari region's neighboring ecosystem so photogenic.
On the drive back to camp, keep your eyes on the tree lines — leopards are frequently spotted draped over branches at this hour. Guests who prefer a change of pace can instead opt for a full-day excursion with a picnic lunch into the Masai Mara National Reserve itself to look for the wildebeest migration crossing points along the Mara River, weather and season permitting. Either way, you return to camp for dinner and a second night beneath Naboisho's brilliant, light-pollution-free night sky.
Full-Day Safari in the Masai Mara National Reserve
Wake to a dawn chorus of hornbills, weavers and francolins before a hearty breakfast and a full day dedicated to the Masai Mara National Reserve itself, a short drive from your Naboisho base. This is the day most guests remember longest: open savannah stretching to a clean horizon, herds of topi and Thomson's gazelle grazing in the thousands, and — if you visit during the July to October migration window — the thunder of wildebeest and zebra fording the Mara River while crocodiles wait in the shallows.
Your driver-guide knows the reserve's drainage lines and crossing points well, and will position the vehicle for both wildlife action and photography, whether that means watching lionesses stalk through the grass or simply soaking in the scale of the landscape. A packed lunch keeps you out in the field longer, maximizing your one full day inside the reserve boundary itself, distinct from the private conservancy game drives of the previous two days.
As the sun drops toward the escarpment, you'll begin the return drive to camp, watching for the last opportunistic sightings of the day. Back at Eagle View, dinner is followed by a relaxed evening at the campfire trading stories of the day's crossings and close encounters before your final night in the Mara — tomorrow the safari shifts gears entirely as you head for the coast.
Farewell to the Mara, Fly to the Coast
Your last morning in Naboisho begins with an optional early game drive or a guided walking safari, capped with a bush breakfast served at a scenic spot overlooking the plains — full English breakfast under an acacia tree is a fitting send-off from the bush half of your Masai Mara and Watamu Beach Safari. Return to camp to pack, say goodbye to the Eagle View team, and transfer to the airstrip for your flight back to Nairobi.
Arriving in the early afternoon, you'll have a short window to grab lunch at the airport before boarding your connecting flight to Malindi, landing around 5:30pm on the north coast. A driver will be waiting at the airstrip for the short transfer to Garoda Resort in Watamu, where the change of scenery is immediate and dramatic — swaying palms, warm sea breeze, and the sound of the Indian Ocean replacing the calls of the savannah.
Check in, unwind in your room, or take a barefoot stroll along Watamu's famously white sand while the sun sets over the water. In the evening, join fellow guests for dinner and Garoda's rotating entertainment program — Traditional African dance troupes, acrobats, quiz nights or live music under the stars — a lively welcome to the beach portion of your Kenya Safari Beach Holiday Package.
Hell's Kitchen Gorge and Mida Creek Sundowner
After a relaxed breakfast, today is built around Watamu's most striking natural curiosity: Hell's Kitchen, locally dubbed "Kenya's Grand Canyon." The drive there crosses Malindi and the Sabaki River bridge through rural villages before arriving at this naturally eroded sandstone gorge. A local guide leads you down into the gorge, pointing out wind- and rain-carved formations that resemble a map of Africa, a rhino's head, and a site still used for local worship — not recommended for those uneasy with heights or steep, uneven paths.
Back at the resort by early afternoon, you can rest before an optional evening excursion to Mida Creek, just ten minutes from the resort and one of the East African coast's best-known stops for migratory birds — look for woolly-necked storks, herons and flamingos wading the shallows at low tide. Alternatively, a lobster and jumbo prawn lunch cruise departs mid-morning, anchoring near Sudi Island for a beach barbecue and a swim in the creek before sailing back by late afternoon.
Both options showcase why Watamu, rather than the busier Diani coastline used on some of our other beach-safari itineraries, remains a favourite for travellers wanting a quieter, more ecologically rich stretch of Kenyan coast. Dinner and overnight at Garoda Resort.
Snorkelling Watamu's Coral Gardens
Sleep in for a late tropical breakfast before heading out on today's centerpiece: a glass-bottom boat trip into Watamu National Marine Park, Africa's first marine protected area. Established in 1968, its offshore coral gardens shelter a kaleidoscope of reef fish, moray eels and, with good timing at low tide, resident green and hawksbill turtles. Snorkelling gear and marine park fees are arranged locally, and the two-hour excursion departs according to tide schedules.
Guests who prefer to stay on dry land can instead spend the day exploring Malindi town — visit Malindi Falconry to handle a Verreaux's eagle owl or bush baby, watch feeding time at the Crocodile Farm and Snake Park under the guidance of honorary KWS wardens, and browse handcrafted woodwork at the Malindi Handicraft Co-operative, where carvers demonstrate their trade in real time.
For those craving one more adventure, a half-day trip to Mombasa's Old Town is also possible, taking in Fort Jesus, the historic Arab quarter and the bustling spice bazaar. Whichever option you choose, this flexible day highlights the range of the Watamu Beach Safari Combo beyond simply lying on the sand. Return to the resort for a relaxed dinner by the pool.
Birding Arabuko Sokoke, East Africa's Rarest Forest
Today ventures inland to Arabuko Sokoke Forest, the largest remaining fragment of coastal dry forest in East Africa and a magnet for serious birders. This is the only place in Kenya to find the Sokoke Scops Owl, Sokoke Pipit, Amani Sunbird and Spotted Ground Thrush, alongside mammals like the Ader's duiker and golden-rumped elephant shrew found nowhere else on the continent. Local guides lead walks through the forest's three distinct habitat zones, pointing out calls and movement most visitors would otherwise miss entirely.
The forest borders Mida Creek, a wide tidal inlet fringed with mangrove and lined with palms, home to seagrass beds, coral outcrops and feeding turtles, and another key stopover for migratory shorebirds. Depending on tide and energy levels, you can also try water-skiing or wakeboarding on the creek's calm water, a fun contrast to the morning's slower-paced forest walk.
These optional excursions round out the ecological range of your Masai Mara and Watamu Beach Safari — from savannah to coral reef to indigenous forest, all inside nine days. Return to Garoda Resort in the late afternoon for dinner and overnight, with the ocean breeze a fitting soundtrack to your second-to-last full day on the coast.
A Full Day of Beach Relaxation
With the active excursions behind you, today is reserved purely for rest. Start with a tropical breakfast on the terrace before choosing from the resort's wellness offerings — a massage to work out any lingering safari-vehicle stiffness, or a gentle yoga and meditation session facing the ocean. Late morning, take a long swim in the warm Indian Ocean or simply recline on Watamu's soft white sand with a cold drink in hand.
After lunch, guests wanting a change of scene can arrange (at the resort's front desk, for an additional fee) a discovery stroll into Malindi town or a day trip to Mombasa's Old Town, while those content to stay put can spend the afternoon at the pool or browsing beachfront curio stalls for last-minute souvenirs.
As the day winds down, return to your suite to freshen up before a special private dinner served poolside — a quiet, celebratory close to your time on the Kenyan coast. This unhurried final full day is exactly why the 9 Days Bush and Beach Kenya format works so well: three intense days of wildlife followed by five days to properly decompress, rather than rushing straight from safari to airport.
Last Beach Moments and Departure
Your final morning on the Masai Mara and Watamu Beach Safari is unstructured by design. Enjoy breakfast overlooking the ocean one last time, then take a final barefoot walk along the beach to capture photos of Watamu's turquoise shallows and swaying palms before checking out.
In the early afternoon, a driver transfers you to Malindi Airport for your flight back to Nairobi's Wilson or Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, connecting onward to your international departure or an extended stay in Nairobi. Looking back over the trip, you will have traded exclusive game drives in a private Mara conservancy for reef snorkelling and forest birding on the coast — two completely different registers of Kenyan travel completed in a single, logistically simple nine-day package.
This final transfer marks the end of a safari built specifically to avoid long overland drives: every major transition, from Nairobi to the Mara and from the Mara back to the coast, was handled by short domestic flights, leaving you with more time in the places that mattered and less time in transit. Safe travels home.
Photo Gallery
Explore the Destinations on This Safari
Naboisho Conservancy is a 50,000-acre private wildlife area bordering the northern edge of the Masai Mara National Reserve, created in partnership with local Maasai landowners to protect one of the highest densities of lion in East Africa. Because vehicle numbers are strictly capped and off-road driving is permitted for licensed guides, sightings here feel intimate rather than crowded — a stark contrast to peak-season traffic inside the reserve itself. Expect resident lion prides, leopard, cheetah, elephant and healthy herds of plains game year-round, plus the flexibility to walk, night-drive and bush-dine, activities not allowed in the national reserve. The rolling grassland and acacia woodland make for exceptional photography, particularly at golden hour. Naboisho is best visited alongside a day or two inside the Masai Mara National Reserve itself, giving guests both the exclusivity of a private conservancy and the raw scale of the open reserve, especially rewarding between July and October when migratory herds move through the wider ecosystem.
The Masai Mara National Reserve is Kenya's most famous wildlife destination, an extension of Tanzania's Serengeti ecosystem renowned for its dense predator populations and, from July to October, the Great Wildebeest Migration crossing the Mara River. Rolling savannah, seasonal rivers and patches of riverine forest support all of the Big Five alongside cheetah, hyena, and an extraordinary variety of plains game including topi, eland and Thomson's gazelle. A full day inside the reserve boundary, as included on this itinerary, gives visitors a genuine sense of its scale beyond the private conservancies that ring its edges. Sundowners over the escarpment and dawn game drives when the light turns gold are the standout experiences most travellers remember. Combined with a Naboisho Conservancy stay, guests get both the reserve's iconic drama and a conservancy's quieter, more flexible game viewing style in one trip.
Watamu, on Kenya's north coast near Malindi, is famed for powdery white sand, warm turquoise water and Watamu National Marine Park, Africa's first marine protected area. Offshore coral gardens make it one of Kenya's best snorkelling and diving destinations, home to reef fish, moray eels and nesting green and hawksbill turtles. Inland, Arabuko Sokoke Forest and Mida Creek add rare birding and mangrove-creek excursions rarely found on a standard beach holiday. Watamu is quieter and less developed than Diani on the south coast, appealing to travellers who want a more relaxed, nature-focused beach stay rather than a bustling resort strip. Best visited December to March or July to October for the calmest seas and clearest underwater visibility, it pairs naturally with a Masai Mara safari via a short connecting flight through Nairobi, exactly as structured on this itinerary.
Arabuko Sokoke Forest is the largest surviving block of coastal dry forest in East Africa and home to species found nowhere else in Kenya, including the Sokoke Scops Owl, Sokoke Pipit and the golden-rumped elephant shrew. Guided walks through its three habitat zones reward patient birders and casual nature-lovers alike. Bordering the forest, Mida Creek is a broad tidal inlet ringed with mangroves and seagrass beds that shelter juvenile fish, feeding sea turtles and large flocks of migratory waders such as woolly-necked storks and flamingos at low tide. Sundowner cruises and dhow trips across the creek are a highlight for guests looking for a slower, more contemplative excursion between beach days. Together, the forest and creek showcase an ecologically rich side of the Kenyan coast that most standard beach holidays overlook entirely, making this stop a signature feature of the Watamu Beach Safari Combo.
What's Included
- One night's bed-and-breakfast accommodation near Nairobi Airport on arrival
- Three nights of full-board accommodation in Naboisho Conservancy
- Five nights of full-board accommodation at Garoda Resort, Watamu
- Return domestic flights from Nairobi to the Masai Mara with a connecting flight to Malindi, all taxes included
- Airport transfers in Nairobi and airstrip transfers in the Masai Mara
- Shared game drives and walking safaris within Naboisho Conservancy
- A sundowner at a scenic viewpoint with drinks and snacks
- Private dining upon availability and complimentary Wi-Fi
- Naboisho Conservancy fees and two days of access to the Masai Mara National Reserve
- Desalinated drinking water during meals and non-motorized water sports at Watamu
Trip Planning Guide
This itinerary bridges two of Kenya's most rewarding ecosystems, giving you an unusually complete wildlife and scenery portfolio in nine days.
- Big cats in Naboisho and the Mara: resident lion prides, leopard sightings from tree branches, and cheetah hunting across open plains.
- Elephant herds and plains game: large elephant families, Thomson's and Grant's gazelle, topi, eland and Burchell's zebra across the savannah.
- Coral reef marine life: parrotfish, moray eels and resident sea turtles in Watamu National Marine Park's coral gardens.
- Rare coastal birds: the Sokoke Scops Owl and Amani Sunbird in Arabuko Sokoke Forest, plus flamingos and storks at Mida Creek.
- Visa & entry: most nationalities need a Kenya eTA arranged online before arrival; check current requirements ahead of travel.
- Domestic flights: luggage on Mara and coastal light-aircraft flights is typically capped at 15kg in a soft-sided bag.
- Currency: Kenyan shillings and US dollars are both widely accepted at lodges and resorts; carry small denominations for tips.
- Health: the Mara and Watamu are malaria zones, so prophylaxis and repellent are strongly advised.
- Connectivity: Naboisho camps have limited Wi-Fi; Watamu resorts generally offer stronger connections.
- Neutral-toned safari clothing plus swimwear and lightweight beachwear for the coastal leg
- A wide-brimmed hat, high-SPF sunscreen and polarized sunglasses for both bush and beach
- Binoculars and a zoom lens for game drives and birding walks
- Reef-safe sunscreen and snorkelling gear (masks can also be rented at Watamu)
- A light rain jacket if travelling during the shoulder rainy seasons
- Comfortable walking shoes for forest and creek excursions
July through October is the classic window for this safari, coinciding with the Great Wildebeest Migration in the Masai Mara ecosystem and dry, sunny conditions on the Watamu coast. The December to March period is also excellent, offering calving season game viewing in the Mara alongside the clearest diving and snorkelling visibility at Watamu. The April-May and November long and short rains bring lower rates and lush green scenery but can disrupt some coastal excursions and rural roads, so travellers with flexible dates should aim for the dry seasons for the smoothest combination of bush and beach conditions.
Tour Route Map
Frequently Asked Questions
The Masai Mara and Watamu Beach Safari is priced from $2,000 per person sharing, including full-board accommodation in Naboisho Conservancy and at Garoda Resort Watamu, all internal flights between Nairobi, the Mara and Malindi, park and conservancy fees, and shared game drives throughout.
This itinerary pairs the Masai Mara with Watamu on the north coast rather than Diani in the south. Watamu offers a quieter, more marine-park-focused beach experience with Arabuko Sokoke Forest and Mida Creek nearby, distinct from our south-coast bush-and-beach combinations.
No. This is entirely a fly-in itinerary. You fly from Nairobi to the Mara Naboisho airstrip, then fly back to Nairobi and on to Malindi, avoiding long overland transfers between destinations.
Naboisho is a private conservancy bordering the Masai Mara National Reserve with capped vehicle numbers, allowing walking safaris, night drives and off-road tracking not permitted inside the reserve. This itinerary also includes two full days inside the reserve itself for the best of both settings.
Yes. Watamu National Marine Park is Africa's oldest marine protected area, with coral gardens, resident turtles and excellent visibility, especially from December to March and July to October.
Yes, return flights from Nairobi to the Masai Mara and the connecting flight from Nairobi to Malindi (and back) are included in the $2,000 per person sharing rate, along with all associated taxes.
July to October offers migration-season game viewing in the Mara alongside dry coastal weather, while December to March gives excellent underwater visibility at Watamu and good general game viewing, making both windows ideal for this Kenya Safari Beach Holiday Package.
Yes, many couples choose this exact combination for a honeymoon, since it delivers the drama of a Masai Mara safari alongside genuine beach downtime, with private dining available on request at both Eagle View and Garoda Resort.
International flights, Kenya eTA/visa fees, lunch on the final day, premium liquors, hot air balloon safaris, and personal expenses like laundry, massages and tips are not included in the $2,000 per person sharing rate.
Yes, the beach portion at Garoda Resort can be adjusted in length to suit your schedule; speak with our travel consultants about tailoring the nine-day structure to your available dates.
9 Days Kenyan Bush and Beach Safari Holidays
Request Your Tour
Seremara Safaris
Featured Safari Trips
