Safari & The Seychelles

Your tropical cruise begins in Mahé island, where you’ll be transferred to your Emerald Cruises luxury yacht and embark on your discovery of the Seychelles. In the afternoon, we sail to Sainte Anne Channel.  Please book your flight to arrive into Mahé, Seychelles prior to 01:00 PM.

Sainte Anne Island is encircled by a Marine National Park, home to incredible marine life including more than 150 species of fish. Sainte Anne is now a significant nesting site for Hawksbill turtles.   Late morning, we sail to Cousin, a small island renowned as a haven for seabirds. The granitic islet was a private property until 1968 when it was purchased by the International Council for Bird Preservation to transform it into a nature reserve. It’s the most protected island in the archipelago, providing a breeding ground for eleven sea bird species annually and a habitat for five birds native to the Seychelles. We stay overnight in Praslin. 

Praslin, the second largest island in the Seychelles, is visually stunning with tropical jungle-fringed beaches, emerald waters and powdery sand. Anse Lazio beach has been voted one of the world’s best several times and there’s a dazzling reef just offshore brimming with coral and marine life. On land, coconut palms and granite boulders create a picture-postcard landscape. In the centre of the island, discover the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Vallée de Mai Nature Reserve. 

Early in the morning, we sail to La Digue Island, the smallest of the three populated islands in the Seychelles. Like Praslin Island, it also possesses world-famous beaches, with one of the most recognisable being Anse Source dArgent. It has pink-hued sands contrasting with granite boulders and aquamarine waters. We will navigate to Curieuse later in the evening. 

Curieuse is a rugged island swathed in unspoilt wilderness and home to hundreds of resident Aldabra giant tortoises. Apart from its obvious natural beauty, it has a fascinating history. It was once a quarantine station, and the original French colonial doctor’s house has a museum and visitor’s centre.

Early in the morning, we sail to Aride, a nature reserve in the Indian Ocean. Nature enthusiasts and wildlife photographers flock to this island, where more than thirty rare bird species nest in the verdant vegetation. The landscape is enticing with fine-sand beaches, coconut palms and soaring cliffs. 

Mahé is the main island of the scenic Seychelles and the largest of the archipelago. It’s home to the capital Victoria, which was founded in the French settler period in 1778 and named later by the British, after Queen Victoria. The island of Mahé has pristine beaches dotted with huge rocks and tranquil nature trails threaded through the Morne Seychellois National Park.

Your Emerald Cruises voyage concludes in idyllic Mahè island. Enjoy the day discovering this tropical port town. Overnight Stay: Mahé Island

JAMBO –Welcome to Kenya. Fly with your included flight from Mahe Island to Nairobi. Upon arrival at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, you will be met and transferred to your hotel in Nairobi, Kenya’s colourful capital city. Meet your experienced Driver – Guide this evening. Overnight Stay: Nairobi

Your African safari begins this morning as we head north via Nanyuki for the Samburu Game Reserve set in the rugged, semi-arid northern region of Kenya, with spectacular scenic landscape. Your first safari drive is this afternoon. Samburu is visited by large herds of Elephants, drawn by the promise of water. It is one of the best places to find several endemic Northern species, including the reticulated giraffe, the Somali ostrich and Grevy’s Zebra. The Samburu culture is a truly fascinating one, sharing a great deal of ancestral and linguistic ties to the Maasai. Two-night Stay: Samburu Game Reserve

Enjoy morning and afternoon game viewing drive. The entire Samburu region is a place of breath-taking and magical beauty, a place where the vision of a deep red sunset silhouetting the doum palms along the river brings the perfect end to a day on safari.

After breakfast depart for Lake Nakuru National Park with a brief stop at the Thompson Falls for a breath-taking view of the great scenery. The park is one of the best game viewing parks with various animal species including prides of lion, Cape buffalo, waterbucks, warthogs, the endangered Rothschild giraffe, the black & white Rhino, the Burchell’s zebra, impala, and the elusive leopard among many others. Over 300 bird species have been recorded here too. Lake Nakuru National Park is one of the best places to see the endangered black and white Rhino. Enjoy an African sunset experience with drinks and canapes. Overnight Stay: Lake Nakuru National Park

Visit the Mission in Action Orphanage and hear the stories of how it was started by an Australian family. Continue to the Masai Mara National Reserve – Kenya’s most renowned game reserve offering wonderful scenery and plenty of wildlife. Arrive at your tented camp for lunch and a little bit of leisure time before you depart on an exciting game viewing drive. The rolling plains and grasslands, stretching far into the horizons as far as the eye can see is home to the black-maned lion, the savanna elephant, the Cape buffalo, wildebeest, the elusive leopard, cheetah, the spotted & striped hyena, the rhino, Burchell’s zebra, the Maasai giraffe among many others. Three Night Stay: Masai Mara Game Reserve 

DiscoverMORE Optional Hot Air Balloon Safari (extra expense) Enjoy a full day in the Masai Mara with morning and afternoon game drives. Visit a traditional Maasai Village and experience the culture of this world-famous community. The Masai still live as they did for centuries -interact with these nomadic people and experience their way of life as you learn about their customs and traditions. Dine under the stars tonight.

Another day of game drives with an opportunity to see more of the Big Five that Maasai Mara is famous for. These include the lion, savanna (African) elephant, the Cape buffalo, the leopard and the black rhino.

Board your light aircraft for your included flight over the reserve to Nairobi airport where its time to say farewell to the magic of Africa and the Seychelles. Please book your flight to depart out of Nairobi after 04:00 PM. The itinerary is a guide only and may be amended for operational reasons. As such Emerald Cruises cannot guarantee the cruise will be operated unaltered from the itinerary states above.