Planning A Honeymoon Holiday in Kenya

There is nothing more romantic than an African honeymoon holiday safari in Kenya with dramatic skies over the vast wilderness, champagne over golden sundowners with picturesque views over the savannah plains, long stretches of white-sandy beaches, lavish spa treatments, delicious candlelight dinners under the star-lit night sky and luxurious safari tents in classic Africa safari style.  The dazzling sunrises in the bush and beach sunsets will bind your hearts together and leave an everlasting yarning for each other. 

Kenya is a top choice for honeymooners seeking romance coupled with the exhilarating adventure of being out in the bush. Spending time on the Kenya coastline after your bush experience will also relax and punctuate your safari with more unusual beach experiences.

Here’s a little more information to help you when planning a honeymoon holiday in Kenya

Masai Mara romantic safari

When planning a honeymoon holiday in Kenya, Masai Mara should make your first choice on your romantic itinerary. Excellent romantic camps, many big cats, and vast open savannah plains populated by a massive number of animals, especially during the Great Migration (July to September), when vast numbers of wildebeest migrate from Serengeti National Park and circle around the Masai Mara.

Romance in Masai Mara comes in small packages: stay in small camps for romantic privacy and personal services. Large camps cannot assure you of exclusive intimacy – pick a small camp with less than 10 tented rooms to maximize privacy during your Honeymoon holiday in Masai Mara.

Masai Mara can get crowdy during the peak travel months (July to September). However, you can escape the crowds by booking your stay at any private conservancies bordering the reserve. These conservancies offer superb wildlife viewing with restricted occupancy and game drive vehicles, making for an exclusive wilderness romance on a honeymoon holiday in Kenya.

You may also want to plan your honeymoon holiday in Kenya to stay in mobile safari camps for the ultimate authentic wildlife experience, taking you to some of the most remote and off-the-beaten-track regions of the Masai Mara. The closest you will ever come to experiencing what the original explorers experienced, mobile safari camps are set up in areas where wild game is abundant and often move with the movement of the animals, putting you in the front row of the action for unforgettable intimacy with Kenya’s wildlife. 

Whether you spend your romantic holiday on Mara’s conservancy or in the reserve – combine incredible romantic settings with open space canvas tents – think private bush game drives, open-air bathrooms, private plunge pools, and romantic nights under the African starlit skies, champagne breakfasts in the bush, couples’ massages, dreamy sundowner cocktails, intimate candlelit dinners, and sunrise hot air balloon rides for just the two of you.\

The Laikipia Plateau’s intimate wilderness

Further north of Nairobi in Mount Kenya’s shadows lies the utopian Laikipia Plateau, famed for its unique wildlife and cultural diversity, perfect for a honeymoon holiday in Kenya. The plateau boasts picturesque wild landscapes and a high concentration of large mammals. On a romantic game drive or guided walk, expect to see large elephant herds, various wild game, and big cats roaming Laikipia Plateau’s remote wilderness.

Laikipia has some quite famous sanctuaries perfect for a combination of conservation, romance, and privacy like Ol Pejeta — a common choice for private romantic safaris. Ol Pjeta is well-known for its work with black rhino conservation, and it’s the largest sanctuary for the critically endangered creatures in all of East Africa. 

The Lewa Conservancy is also an excellent choice for sharing your intimate connection with conserving the wild while celebrating your love for each other. The conservancy boasts a high population of rhino, cheetah, and the world’s biggest population of Grevy’s zebra. While on a wildlife viewing expedition in the conservancy, the archaeological site dating back some 800,000 years could be worth your visit.

Laikipia has a great selection of exclusive lodges and camps providing a luxury honeymoon holiday experience, romantic getaway accommodation, and activities, such as night drives, horse riding, and guided walks, not offered in official reserves.

For an exhilarating authentic, off-the-beaten-track honeymoon holiday experience in Kenya, the denser wilderness of Laikipia’s northern sector will deliver the rewards you hanger for. This area allows you to explore the wilderness on foot — an incredibly exhilarating chance to view lions, elephants, and other big game away from the confines of a safari jeep.

The bushwalking safari with the nomadic Samburu tribesmen around the Laikipia Plateau will make you appreciate foreign culture and rekindle your innate acceptance of other people’s differences. Get absorbed in the rich cultures of the Samburu people, their traditions, and colorful way of life with a visit to the small town of Maralal, and in the evenings, gather around a campfire with the tribe to share food, drink, and captivating native stories to celebrate ancient cultural history.

Beach honeymoon on Kenya’s coast

The turquoise, deep blue waters of the Kenya coastline are among the few places in Africa that offer the most tranquil honeymoon holidays. The long stretches of palm-fringed white sand, isolated coves, and unique boutique beach hotels accentuated with spectacular snorkeling and diving experiences are something for an unforgettable romantic getaway in Kenya.

Walking along the seashore is like a heavenly moment with the tepid Indian Ocean waters lapping against the shoreline rhythmically with your heartbeats. Not to miss out are the beach sunsets and sunrise‘s dazzling colors that evoke a genuine tender connection to the land and bind you to each other in memories and emotions.

Most travelers will choose to fly to the Zanzibar islands after a safari inland, but I would recommend the coast because you save on having to take another flight and a whole day traveling to Zanzibar. The coast is a little less than a two-hour flight from Masai Mara, which is manageable for a newlywed traveling couple.

Diani Beach is the best beach to plan your honeymoon holiday on the Kenya coastline. It has a great selection of small romantic accommodation places, gift shops, and restaurants, and it exhumes peace and tranquility. The beach size is dynamic to the tide, creating vast white sand stretches when the tide is out and thin strips with high tides, ideal for barefoot strolling. The palm tree along the beach prived a perfect shade for afternoon white-sand walks.

If you’re tired of the land life and want to explore marine life, take one of the snorkeling and diving trips in any of the marine parks scattered along the coastline. Or jark your adrenaline with exciting water sports, like kitesurfing,  paddleboarding, and traditional dhow; there’s something to keep you relaxed on your honeymoon holiday.

The best time for a honeymoon holiday in Kenya

Kenya straddles the equator with tropical weather and relatively stable temperatures year-round. However, some months are better for a romantic safari than others.

The dry September season is the best time for a honeymoon holiday in Kenya, especially if you’re hoping to catch sight of the migratory herds flooding the Masai Mara plains. During September, the sun is out, though not intensely hot for game drives and bushwalks.

September is also the peak season for honeymoons and romantic safari getaways, so there’s a little bit of a crowd in popular places. Still, you can plan yours in the private conservancies to avoid the crowds.  

Another excellent month for a romantic safari in Kenya is, June when the landscapes are covered with green following the long rains, and you’re more likely to get exceptional value for money.

Planning your honeymoon with us

Encounter Africa Safaris Ltd is a local safari operator since 2007, and we’re proud to have successfully nailed dozens of honeymoon safaris in Kenya. We know the local logistics and understand how to deliver romance in the African bush to a newly-wed couple.

Trust us to make this one happen for you. Send us an email at info@gorilla-tracking-uganda.com and let our consultants guide you in planning this unforgettable honeymoon holiday in Kenya.