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15 days Seychelles Diving and Kenyan Safari

Day 1: The Stanley Hotel

We change planes and arrive in Nairobi , Kenya , about 9 pm. We are met and transferred to the hotel where we overnight before our early morning departure to the Seychelles . (If you have anything for safari that you will not need in the Seychelles , it can be stored safely at the hotel.)

The Stanley Hotel

This historic hotel, enjoyed its first heyday in 1902s colonial. Situated in a popular shopping and in the city center, all guest rooms have color TV, telephone, and private bathroom..

Day 2: Coral Strand Hotel

After breakfast at the hotel we transfer to the airport for our 8:40 am flightto Mahe Island , Seychelles . Upon our arrival at 1:30 pm we are met and transferred to the hotel. The rest of this afternoon is at leisure to recuperate and to explore the area.

Mahe Island

Mahe, the largest and main island of the Seychelles , is certainly worth a look. Away from the beaches, the landscape climbs up hills covered in dense rainforests frequently shrouded in mist. Victoria , the capital of the Seychelles , is on the east coast opposite from Beau Vallon Beach . Beau Vallon is a great swimming beach, and there are also good facilities for sailing, waterskiing, windsurfing, parasailing and banana rides. The artists' studios in Anse a la Mouche and Anse aux Poules Bleues in the south are also definitely worth a visit.

 Coral Strand Hotel

The Coral Strand Hotel is located directly at the Beau Vallon Bay , the most beautiful beach of Mahe . All rooms have air-conditioning, minibar, telephone, bath or shower, balcony or terrace, safe, electricity (220 - 240 Volt). There are 2 restaurants, 2 bars, a boutique, swimming pool, and a game room. All water sports including sailing, water skiing, banana rides, canoes, kayaks, paragliding, windsurfing, etc. are available.

Day 3: Coral Strand Hotel

Today we have one long range and one standard dive. The long-range dives

give us the opportunity to visit the best dive sites. This afternoon is free to explore the area or relax by the pool or ocean. Tonight there is time for a night dive (not included ).

Some of the possible dive sites:

Twin Barges and Corsair Reef

This superb dive site combines two barges and a shallow coral reef. The deepest part of the dive is 80 ft. The sand under the hull is home to spiny lobsters and the poisonous striped eel catfish. These catfish live in tightly packed schools and will all move away together when disturbed. A rope connects both barges so it is impossible to get lost. White-tipped reef sharks regularly patrol Corsair Reef. There are many hard and soft coral growths with a wide variety of reef fish.

L'ilot is one of the most spectacular dives sites, providing impressive granite gullies, walls, archways and swim-throughs with superb soft corals and loads of fish including visiting pelagics and reef sharks.

Day 4: Coral Strand Hotel

This morning we have one long-range and one standard dive. This afternoon

is our first whale shark encounter. The aerial reconnaissance is done in the morning.

Other possible dive sites:

Baie Ternay Marine Park

In addition to many corals and reef fish, this site is well-known for turtles, rays and pelagic jacks.

Aquarium

As the name suggests, there is an abundance of marine life including good stands of coral, anemones, clownfish, moray eels, parrotfish and wrasse, batfish and groupers.

Day 5: Coral Strand Hotel

Today we have an all-day dive safari (3 dives) with a picnic lunch.

More examples of dive sites:

Brissare Rocks

Virtually smothered in fire coral, this site is home to countless species of fish as well as eagle rays and huge Napoleon wrasse.

Light House

These coral boulders are quite dramatic as you approach them through small groups of batfish. The boulders have numerous swim-throughs covered with small invertebrates.

Day 6: Coral Strand Hotel

After breakfast, we have 2 dives scheduled (one long-range and one standard).

This afternoon we take an island tour.

More possible dive sites:

Shark Bank

This is reputed to be the best dive site off the west coast of Mahe. As the name implies, sharks are quite often seen. Large stingrays and other pelagics are consistently seen.

Chuckles

Dwarf soft corals and gorgonian sea fans cover this dive site. We should be able to see bearded scorpion fish, spot fin lionfish, and spiny lobsters. It is between Chuckles and L'ilot that whale sharks congregate.

Day 7: Coral Strand Hotel

This morning is free to shop in the markets or relax a bit. This afternoon we

have our final whale shark-encounter dive. Tonight we have a group barbecue by the pool or on the beach.

Day 8: Coral Strand Hotel Decompression Day

Today we have a private trip by boat to Praslin for a morning tour of the Valle

de Mai. The afternoon is spent on La Digue with a guided walk to see Anse Source D'Argent.

Praslin was originally named for its fantastic forests of palm trees, and has only a few small villages strewn across the island and a population of about 9 thousand. The main attraction of Praslin is the National Park, " Vallée de Mai ," that is home to a prehistoric rainforest of huge trees that dominate the landscape. The "Coco-de-Mer" coconut is famous for its large size, and infamous because of its striking similarity to the female genitalia! Large, "Dali-esque" granite formations decorate almost every beach on the island. The 8000 year-old coral reefs, populated by fantastically colored reef fish, make the island a Mecca for snorkellers and divers. The unique beauty of its reef world cannot be found on dry land, but it is almost equaled by the beauty of the island's spectacular, solitary beaches.

La Digue Island is where time stands still within an aura of tranquility. Untouched by the passage of time, it is reminiscent of how life looked on the Seychelles before humans came. There are no tarred roads, and the most common means of transport are your own legs, bicycle or ox cart. La Digue is considered to be the most unspoiled and traditional island of the Seychelles chain. The long and beautiful sand beaches – decorated with enormous granite rocks and coral reefs – are ideal for long walks, swimming, snorkeling and fishing. It was on La Digue that Robinson Crusoe carved the days he was stranded onto on a local tree and met Friday as he explored the empty beaches. The last known group of black parrots lives in a thickly overgrown jungle of palms and takamaka trees on the island.

Anse Source d'Argent is one of the most popular beaches to be found on all the islands, with pink sands offset by towering granite boulders that have been worn by time and weather. It will be difficult to leave the lovely seclusion of Anse Source d'Argent, but the island is ripe for exploring, with rows of beaches and craggy nooks.

Day 9: The Stanley Hotel

After breakfast, we transfer to the airport for our flight to Nairobi where

we transfer to the The Stanley Hotel. We can safely store our dive gear for retrieval after our safari. Tonight we have a group dinner at the Carnivore Restaurant.

Carnivore Restaurant

The Carnivore is considered “ Africa 's Greatest Eating Experience.” This open-air meat specialty restaurant has strikingly different food and atmosphere. All types of meat imaginable, including four choices of wild game, are roasted on traditional Masai swords over a huge, visually spectacular charcoal pit that dominates the entrance of the restaurant. The waiters then carry these swords around the restaurant carving unlimited amounts of the prime meats onto sizzling, cast iron plates in front of you. A wide selection of salads, vegetable side dishes, and a variety of exotic sauces accompany the meat feast. Dessert and coffee follow this. The Carnivore is also the home of the Simba Saloon, Nairobi 's most popular nightclub and disco.

Days 10 - 11 : Naivasha Sopa Lodge

Day 11: After an early breakfast, we drive through the Great Rift Valley to Lake Naivasha , arriving in time for lunch. After lunch, we take a boat trip to Crescent Island for a walking safari and then back to the Lodge in time for dinner.

Day 12: After breakfast, we depart for a full-day game drive with picnic lunches to Lake Nakuru National Park , said to host over 1 million flamingoes.

Naivasha Sopa Lodge

On the southern shores of Lake Naivasha is Lake Naivasha Sopa Lodge. The lake is the only freshwater lake within Africa's Great Rift Valley and teems with freshwater fish and bathing hippo. Here the avid bird watcher sees paradise in a vast array of exotic bird life. The lake region is host to distinctive herds of plains game and the elusive black faced colobus monkey. Lake Naivasha Sopa Lodge has panoramic views of the environs and the lake. Luxuriously appointed rooms feature spacious sunken lounges, while upper floor rooms have their own private balcony on which to relax, sunbathe or view game – exotic bird life, herds of plains game and the elusive black-faced colobus monkey. Some of the optional activities you may enjoy are game drives, bird walks, boat trips, or horse-drawn carriage rides.

Crescent Island

This partially submerged volcanic crater is a private game sanctuary with herds of wildebeest, zebra, giraffe, gazelle and other plains game, and visitors can walk freely around the island among the herds of game.

Lake Nakuru National Park

Alkaline Lake Nakuru has a fluctuating area depending on seasons. This lake is internationally renowned for its largest flamingo concentration in the world. It should not be regarded only as a flamingo sanctuary as the Park is an outstanding place for watching a variety of birds including other brackish water species and birds of prey. Herds of waterbuck, gazelle, impala and reedbuck graze in the pretty surrounding acacia woods and grasslands of Lake Nakuru National Park , the environs of which are constantly being extended with the assistance of the World Wildlife Fund. Lake Nakuru is also the home of numerous leopards and rhinos.

Days 12 – 14: Mara Sarova Tented Camp

Day 12: We leave after breakfast for a long drive to the famous Masai Mara, arriving at the Lodge in time for a late lunch. Part of our journey is a game drive as we cross the Mara to the Lodge. This afternoon we have a second game drive planned.

Day 13: Getting up pre-dawn, we have a hot-air balloon safari followed by a champagne breakfast in the bush. The rest of the day is at leisure to enjoy scheduled game drives and other activities offered by the Lodge.

Day 14: Day at leisure to enjoy 2 game drives, a visit to a Masai Village and other activities offered by the Lodge .

The Masai Mara National Reserve

The Masai Mara Game Reserve is widely considered Africa 's greatest wildlife reserve. The Mara comprises 200 sq miles of open plains, woodlands and riverine forest. Contiguous with the plains of Tanzania 's Serengeti, the Mara is home to a breathtaking array of life. The vast grassland plains are scattered with herds of zebra, giraffe, gazelle, and topi. The Acacia forests abound with birdlife and monkeys. Elephants and buffalo wallow in the wide Musiara Swamp . The Mara and Talek rivers are brimming with hippos and crocodiles. Each year from July to October the Mara plays host to the world's greatest natural spectacle, the Great Wildebeest Migration which brings more than 1.3 million Wildebeest together into a single massive herd.

They pour across the border into the Mara, making a spectacular entrance in a surging column of life that stretches from horizon to horizon. At the Mara River they mass together on the banks before finally plunging forward through the raging waters, creating a frenzy as they fight against swift currents and waiting crocodiles. The Mara has been called the Kingdom of the Lions, and these hunters dominate the grasslands. Cheetahs are also a common sight in the Mara, as are hyena and smaller predators such as jackals.

Day 15 The Stanley Hotel

After a game drive and breakfast we drive back to Nairobi , arriving at the hotel late in the afternoon. There is time to repack, collect diving gear and maybe even do some last minute shopping before we transfer to the airport for our departure flights home.