East Africa Safari for Couples: Kenya, Tanzania, Zanzibar

On the most romantic vacations, you need to close the curtains. That will not be the case on Pemba Island because swarms of fish will swim past your window, flitting through shards of sunlight. A turtle can peer into your room as it casually drifts by you. Sometimes, dolphins can also be seen here. For your first three nights, you will be staying in an underwater suite. One of the very few in the world, this suite places you beneath the surface in rich, Indian Ocean waters, so you can keep the curtains open and admire a colorful marine world while toasting to your vacation to the Zanzibar archipelago. To reach Pemba, you will fly to Zanzibar and board a short charter flight to Zanzibar’s sister island.

This morning, you can step out from your underwater suite and not need shoes. Pemba provides a quintessential barefoot escape, where you can wander across the sand without the thought of shoes. There are places to rest beneath coconut palms along with various snorkeling and swimming spots. After a day at your leisure, you will cruise the Indian Ocean during sunset. Sailing in a traditional, wooden dhow is one of the essential Pemba experiences, and it can be utterly romantic. You can don a glass of wine in your hand as you travel on the wind and watch the sunset over the islands.

Pemba is smaller and less developed than Unguja, which is the island that most people refer to as Zanzibar. Most Pemba hotels carry an exclusive vibe, but the island also has a local feel, especially the dhows and coral houses. Most visitors find Pemba to be the very image of an Indian Ocean island getaway. It is an island where you can lose track of time and where you can quickly settle into a peaceful ambiance for two. Today will be entirely at your leisure, and excursions can be arranged locally, including scuba diving, snorkeling, and sailing.

Today, you will fly to Unguja and start to see people other people for a change. For the next two days, it will not just be the two of you, but the exotic allure of Stone Town will more than compensate for any lack of exclusivity. Swahili cultures play out through a large maze of coral houses and narrow lanes, sounds of laughter and singing will echo through the lanes, and you will be able to smell spices and barbecued fish as you traverse through the streets. You will witness calligraphic patterns that are etched into wooden doors, and be able to imagine Stone Town’s era of greed and wealth. Every coral house can appear to be a work of art, and most of these houses stretch four of five stories; some can even lead you to rooftop terraces that overlook the ocean. Your local guide will lead you on a personal heritage tour before you have an evening to get lost in this living UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Stone Town can keep you entertained for days. With so many alleys and glamorous doorways, it is easy to walk hand in hand without a map or a care in the world. Today has been left free and can be used to explore more of Unguja island should you wish. Activities that are possible include a monkey safari in Jozani Forest, swimming with dolphins in Kizimkazi, visiting a spice plantation, and sailing around the island in a dhow. Stone Town’s historical maze is fronted by ocean-facing rows of upmarket cafes, cocktail bars, and old palaces and forts. Therefore, when you are finished in the maze, you can relax on a rooftop that is complete with sunset views.

From Zanzibar Town, you will fly to the mainland on a safari flight that may make one to three stops en route to Ngorongoro Crater. These safari flights operate flexibly and depend on their passengers. Another passenger may be flying to a destination before yours, and these serendipitous stops are always part of the experience. You can touch down in a national park that you would not otherwise see, and you can soak up a different wilderness and gain a complete impression of East Africa. Today’s flight will take you past Mount Kilimanjaro before descending beside the sunken frame of Ngorongoro Crater. Your lodge will be perched on the crater rim along the route of animals that ventures in and out of the crater.

Although most romantic itineraries do the safari before the beach, this way around is ideal if you have been stressed and busy at home. While on safari, you will want to begin in the early mornings, so you can see more animals. The animals are livelier during the cooler hours of the morning and tend to retreat to shaded areas during the heat of the day. Jumping straight into a safari can be tiring, especially when all you want is to lay down and do nothing for a day or two. After five days in Zanzibar, you will be relaxed and ready to go. At dawn, you will descend into Ngorongoro Crater through the rising mist to a utopian landscape of some 30,000 animals.

Lions will prowl during the early hours, using the mist as camouflage. Zebras will graze tentatively with a dozen sentinels looking over the herd, wildebeest may gallop around without a care in the world, and you may spot one that accidentally moves too close to a dozing lion before running off frantically. Enormous elephant bulls provide enchantment in the Ngorongoro woodland, and hippos will impress with their bulk beside a lake. Another lake will be dominated by flamingoes, and the crater outskirts are an excellent place to seek black rhinos. While every animal encounter is memorable, it is the Ngorongoro atmosphere that you will never forget. There are so many different animals here that gather inside the unique remains of a volcanic caldera.

The Serengeti is home to the world-famous wildebeest migration. The entire Serengeti-Mara ecosystem measures close to 10,000 square miles, and during the migration, it is filled with more wild mammals than anywhere else in Africa. Today, you will make your own migration across these plains by driving east to west across the grasslands. Elephants and giraffes will be dominant creatures upon the horizon, while zebra and wildebeest herds will be featured throughout your experience. It will be rare to spend a day in the Serengeti and not see lions. Hyenas are so common that you can eventually stop noticing them in the grass.

Your destination will be Grumeti, which is a large and unfenced swathe of grassland that is contiguous with Serengeti National Park. The advantage of Grumeti is privacy. While the main national park can be relatively busy, Grumeti is reserved for guests who are staying within the reserve. Here, you will not see more than a couple of other vehicles. Wildlife also likes tranquility, and Grumeti provides a dazzling safari experience every month of the year. Migrating wildebeest swing past between late-March and May, adding even more hooves to the plains. You will also be able to drive off the main trails and venture closer to the animals. This evening, you will be looking across the Serengeti from your private suite with floor to ceiling windows.

For these two days, you will be staying at the most luxurious lodge in the Serengeti, which is a contemporary structure that enjoys an unrivaled location above the grasslands. From your suite, you can look down upon wandering herds. The landscape will appear like a patchwork from your elevated location, and you will be able to see areas that have been grazed and swathes of high grass that are yet to be visited by herds. From your vantage point, black dots and patterns could indicate either wildebeest or zebra herds. Giant boulders cluster together upon the plains as well, which are referred to as kopjes. Lions love to relax on these boulders, and they tend to be dominated by a single lion pride.

From the lodge, your views will be luxurious and serene. Then, on game drives, you can unravel threads from the Serengeti patchwork. Giraffes and elephants march onward, passing through Grumeti. Moving closer, you can identify zebras from wildebeests in addition to the individual behavior of these ungulates. Thomson’s gazelle will hop around, carrying them meters with every leap. Grumeti has a superb collection of resident cats, which are animals that do not follow the migration. Therefore, you can game drive off the main trails for some personal moments with leopards, cheetahs, and the king of the jungle.

Grumeti also makes the Serengeti more romantic. Game walks are a possibility here, and they are not allowed in the national park, so you can stroll hand in hand across the legendary grasslands sometimes even alongside ungulate herds. Horseback safaris are another possibility although they are not recommended if you are a novice. Guides can set up picnics on the plains as well along with dinner tables beneath starry skies. In Grumeti, you will find an incredible amount of space and privacy. The animals will always provide a soundtrack to remind you that this place is home to more wild mammals than anywhere else in Africa.

It will take three flights to swap the landscape Grumeti for Laikipia. They will be scenic flights that showcase how East Africa’s landscapes change from grasslands to volcanoes and finally to a mountainous interior. Even with changing aircraft, it is a comfortable journey, which will be reminiscent of aerial journeys that were made by conservationists during the 1950s and 1960s. Home to a group of mostly contiguous private reserves, the Laikipia Plateau is a destination for slow and leisurely African safaris. Thanks to recent conservation success, these reserves now provide a laid-back, Big Five experience in a surprisingly compact space. Moreover, after the adventure and space of Tanzania, you will now have three nights of rest and relaxation amid another vibrant animal cast.

These two days have been designed flexibly, and you can craft a safari program you’re your arrival in Laikipia Plateau. Your private guide will explain all of your options, including walking, cycling, and nighttime game drives. Your guide can adjust each drive to your interests, so if you are yet to see certain animals, then Laikipia will help check everything off of your list. One of these animals may be rhinos because these endangered animals are rarely spotted in Tanzania. Dawn in Ngorongoro Crater is the best time to see them because many hundreds of both black and white rhinos occupy the plateau. There are few places where you can see the subspecies side by side, and this experience is always a Laikipia highlight.

Three nights will ensure you a laid-back safari program with plenty of free time to enjoy the pool, lay back at your private villa, and drink sundowners as the campfire begins to crackle. Another Laikipia highlight will be to go exploring with conservationists. These tailored drives can provide an understanding of conservation, including the challenges and successes of central Kenya. Laikipia is one of Africa’s real success stories because once-abundant species have been reintroduced, helping to reverse the damage of the 1980s poaching epidemic. Game drives with conservationists often bring you very near to the animals for a chance to really understand their behavior.

From the Laikipia Plateau, you will fly by light aircraft to Nairobi Wilson Airport, and upon arrival, you will be transferred to Nairobi’s international airport for your outbound flight.