For those dreaming of traveling to an unspoiled island paradise and dying to experience the joy of wildlife viewing in Kenya’s well-preserved savannas, Beyond Cruises has the ideal itinerary that combines the wonder of both destinations, each of which made Travel + Leisure’s top destinations list for travel in 2019.
The exciting new program offers travelers a five- or seven-night Kenya safari in conjunction with a Seychelles cruise onboard the Pegasus.
Cruise highlights include calls at some of the world’s most beautiful beaches, wildlife encounters with several rare species of birds and turtles, visits to nature reserves including the Nature Reserve of Aride Island, Vallee de Mai Nature Reserve and Veuve Nature Reserve. Throughout the journey, there are also plenty of opportunities for snorkeling and swimming in the pristine waters of the Seychelles.
In Kenya, the land portion of the trip includes a visit to Lake Nakuru, a safari through the Great Rift Valley and the possibility to hot air balloon over Maasai Mara in addition to the chance to view lions, rhinos, buffalos, elephants and leopards and more than 400 species of birds.
The journey begins in Kenya, where guests are met at the airport in Nairobi and spend two nights exploring from their base at the Lake Naivasha Country Club. This part of the Great Rift Valley is known for its pink flamingos and guests are able to take a boat ride across the lake and enjoy their first game drives of the journey in Nakuru National Park.
Guests then travel to the Maasai Mara where they enjoy the hospitality of Keekorok Lodge in the Maasai Mara National Reserve for three nights. The recently refurbished lodge is one of the oldest in the region and is located in the heart of the reserve. Game drives give guests the opportunity to spot some of Africa’s most notorious creatures, including lions, cheetahs, elephants, zebras and hippos.
Guests then return to Nairobi for their connection to the Seychelles, which is nearly a thousand miles off the coast of East Africa. Here, they embark on the next leg of the journey—a five- or seven-night cruise onboard the Pegasus.
Guests set sail for St. Anne Island for snorkeling and the journey includes calls in Curieuse, Cousin Island, Anse Lazio, Aride Islands, St. Pierre, Baie St. Anne, La Digue and Moyenne Island before guests disembark in Mahe and return to the airport for transfers home.
Guests will find every comfort onboard the Pegasus. The twin-hulled vessel was built in 1990 and was renovated in 2016. It holds 44 guests in 21 staterooms and offers 2,550 square feet of open deck space for viewing the awe-inspiring scenery. Guests will also find a mini spa onboard as well as a lounge, a well-stocked library and oceanview dining.
For those thinking of embarking on a journey to East Africa, this is a perfect time. Travelers coming from the U.S. now have great connectivity options to Kenya. In November of last year, Kenya Airways introduced airlines/kenya-airways-offers-non-stop-flight-between-nairobi-and-nyc.html” target=”_self” rel=”nofollow noopener noreferrer”>daily nonstop flights from New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport giving travelers direct access to Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
