Let’s turn your dream African journey into a reality, from the first conversation to the final sunset over the plains.
There is a strong argument for ending a safari on the coast. Ten days of five-thirty starts and dusty game drives leave most people happily exhausted, and the Indian Ocean is a short flight away — from the Serengeti to Zanzibar’s white sand takes a couple of hours, with no long-haul connection in between. Zanzibar is the usual choice and it earns it, pairing Stone Town’s Swahili and Omani heritage with the reef diving off Nungwi, the east coast beaches at Bwejuu and Paje, and the snorkelling at Mnemba atoll. Further south, Mafia Island draws whale sharks between October and March with almost no other visitors, while Pemba remains the quietest island in the archipelago.
Kenya’s coast serves the same purpose after a Masai Mara or Amboseli circuit. Diani, south of Mombasa, offers a long reef-protected beach with easy connections from Nairobi; Mombasa itself adds Fort Jesus and a working Swahili port city; and Watamu and Malindi give access to marine national parks and turtle nesting beaches. Lamu, an inhabited UNESCO World Heritage Site with no cars and dhows still under sail, is the most atmospheric stop on the entire coastline. Further out, the Seychelles is a different proposition again — granite boulder beaches, the ancient palm forest of Vallée de Mai, and the bicycle pace of La Digue. Three to five nights suits the mainland coast, five to seven the Seychelles: long enough to properly stop, short enough that you leave still wanting more.
