Yellow Dog Safaris - Best of the Maasai Mara

Armed with a snorkel, mask, and fins, step directly from your Banda into the ocean to explore the vibrant coral reefs encircling the island. With the added option of full-face masks, you can fully immerse yourself in this underwater world, taking your snorkelling fishing experience to new depths.

Highly regarded as one of the best waters to explore, it comes as no surprise that the glorious diving spots in and around &Beyond Mnemba Island have been included in many top dive site lists across the globe. Catering for every diver, from novice to experienced, Mnemba Island’s dive sites vary in topography, substrate and marine life, making for an exclusive and varied underwater adventure like no other.

With most dive sites a short 10 to 20-minute boat ride from the island – a few of which can even be dived directly from shore; our PADI-certified dive masters and instructors know the reefs around Mnemba Island intimately and take divers to sites best suited to their specific interests. For non-divers, an introductory PADI Discover Scuba Diving course is available, providing the incredible opportunity to see the vast majority of what the islet has to offer in the first 12 m (39 ft) of water. Other PADI-certified experiences and courses for divers from ages eight and up are also on offer.

The shallow sea grass patches, sandy slopes and coral reefs just off the beach are a haven for critters. Robust ghost pipe fish, leaf fish, harlequin crabs and even zebra snout seahorses are just a few of the incredible oceanic beings to be seen, as well as various eels, shrimp, scorpion fish and octopus. Further from shore, coral walls drop drastically from the surface into the depths. While Mnemba Island is not commonly known for larger sea creatures, lucky divers may catch a glimpse of grey reef shark, giant grouper or other denizens of the deep on occasion.

A combination of wild naval landscapes, the bounty of sultry ocean currents, and an abundance of aquatic life, makes Mnemba Island a truly world-class scuba diving destination.

The Dive Centres at Mnemba Island offers a full range of PADI-accredited courses for those looking to advance their diving qualifications.

PADI BUBBLEMAKER & DISCOVER SCUBA
This introductory diving course is perfect for little ones or adults who are keen to explore the fascinating underwater world of diving, facilitated by experienced, multilingual professionals.

MANDATORY REFRESHER DIVER COURSE
This course is mandatory for any diver with less than 25 dives, who has not logged a dive in the last six-months, or any diver with 26 – 100 dives, who has not logged a dive in the last year (12-months).

PADI OPEN WATER DIVER COURSE
Learn to scuba dive independently in buddy teams to a depth of 18 m (59 ft). This four-dive course takes three to four days, where upon conclusion, guests will receive a lifetime global certification.

PADI ADVANCED OPEN WATER DIVER COURSE
This dive course only applies to already certified Open Water divers. After successfully completing five dives, the course will certify divers to dive down to a maximum depth of 30 m (98 ft).

SINGLE TRAINING DIVE & ADVENTURE TEST
This is ideal for those who would like to try specialised dives, such as deep dives and drift dives. This course will be credited towards your Adventure Diver or Advanced Open Water diver certification.

Explore the warm Indian Ocean waves in utter tranquility in a tandem deep-sea glassbottom kayak. Ask one of Mnemba’s Dive Instructors for a quick tutorial session or set off with your partner on the quiet waters protected by the island’s surrounding reefs. Paddle along the shoreline, admiring its shifting features, or venture farther into the ocean's depths in hopes of encountering dolphins or sea turtles. Combine exercise with underwater marvels, offering a unique perspective of the island.

Experience an exhilarating aqua tic adventure aboard an inflatable stand-up paddle board (SUP).

Glide gracefully on tranquil waters as you master the art of balance and exploration. Whether you're a beginner seeking leisure or an enthusiast craving a workout, SUPing offers a unique perspective and connection to the sea. Perfect for the calm waters off Mnemba Island, this activity immerses you in your surroundings, providing exceptional views of the ocean waters and the Mnemba horizon.

Channel your energy, balance your chakras, and increase your self-awareness against the backdrop of
the pristine ocean during a yoga class. Skillfully adapted to accommodate all levels of experience, daily group yoga classes can be enjoyed in the Wellness Banda on the yoga deck, along with other restorative healing sessions such as singing bowl meditation.

*Private yoga sessions can be arranged at an additional cost.

From daily yoga classes and sound bath therapy to specialised alternative therapeutic methods and meditative practices, Mnemba Island seeks to provide a holistic healing experience. Using only 100% natural Healing Earth products, pamper yourself with a soul-soothing massage in the Wellness Banda or book a private in-room wellness treatment in the comfort of your Beach Banda.

Healing Earth Signature Massage
Melt away your worries & float away into island bliss. This holistic massage will release tension & toxins from your aching muscles and assist your body to restore its wellbeing. Choose from a selection of nourishing & balancing Healing Earth oils.

30min | 60min
45min | 90min

The Zanzi-Spice Journey
Experience Aromatherapy with a powerful blend of coffee, cinnamon, cloves, and orange floats you through a memorable Zanzi-spice journey. Beginning with an energizing body polish, followed by blissful spice oil massage that will delight your skin, body, mind and soul.

30min | 60min
45min | 90min

Healing Earth After-Sun Treatment
After a long day in the sun, the soothing Aloe Vera Gel body mask will cool you down. Then African Potato Balm will be applied to nourish and repair the skin, assisting in its recovery.

30min | 60min
45min | 90min

Head, Neck & Shoulder Relief
For headaches, neck tension, stiff shoulders and stubborn stress, allow this pressure point and tension release massage to melt away all your worries magically.

30min | 60min
45min | 90min

Please chat to your therapist to find out more. This treatment also needs to be booked in advance

Give in to the lure of total isolation and pretend that you are marooned on a deserted island, albeit one where your personal butler is perpetually on hand to cater to your every desire! You may catch a fleeting glimpse of your fellow guests as you lounge in the tropical sunshine in your private beach sala or take a leisurely walk around the island. But you can also choose to make the most of your solitude with a private dinner in a secluded forest clearing or enjoy the light-hearted intimacy of a sandcastle dinner set to the sound of the waves gently sighing on the shore.

Families and groups will fall in love with the tranquility of the island. We will only accommodate a maximum of two children under 12-years at Mnemba Island at any given time. Travel to Zanzibar is recommended for children eight-years or older.

ACTIVITIES
Children visiting the lodge can take advantage of the fun-filled and interactive WILDchild programme thatoffers various activities such as:
• Morning walks with turtle monitors to observe turtle nests
• Assist with replanting trees in the island indigenous tree nursery, learning about the various vegetation types that grow in and around the island
• Join the lodge chefs to welcome the local fishermen onshore and check where the catch-of-the day is on the Southern African Sustainable Seafood Initiative (SASSI) List
• Assist the Community and Conservation (CNC) Rangers with building coral bases to plant coral
• Learn about the incredible impact initiatives in and around the Mnemba Atoll in the Ocean Without Border’s (OWB) interactive centre
• Get involved in the dive centres helping the OWB staff
• Go snorkelling along the coral reef
• Help in the OWB staff input new and exciting sightings in the Beyond Sightings platform, while learning about the various sea creatures
• Go on beach and nature walks around the island
• Hand-line fishing from a dhow or the beach
• Enjoy sea kayaking and stand-up paddle boarding
• Bake turtle biscuits with the lodge chef

CHILDMINDING
While we don’t have trained childminders, we can offer the services of certain staff members who are wonderful with children. This will be at an additional cost.

Safari drives (day & night) take place in some of the Mara’s most coveted vehicles. Each of the camp's Toyota Land Cruisers is open-sided, canopied and customised for photographers (fold-down screens, raised roofs, photographic bars, multi-plug invertors). With just four to six guests each, the Cruisers also have fully-stocked fridges stocked with drinks and snacks. No two days are the same on safari. Drives typically start at sunrise, returning for lunch and depart again in the mid-afternoon before returning just after sunset. On other days guests can go out all day, deep into the Reserve or Conservancy with a packed breakfast and lunch. Very often, our safaris will continue into the night, a possibility because of our location on a private conservancy. Night drives are particularly prolific in the Naboisho Conservancy, and while they take patience, sightings commonly include lesser known nocturnal mammals and even lion and hyena hunts.

Each of Mara Nyika’s guest tents comes with a pair of high-quality binoculars for guest use as well as a professional camera set, including a camera body and lenses. Photos will be downloaded to a memory stick on guest’s departure.

Hot air ballooning is available, but should be booked in advance and is subject to availability and additional cost. Departures are very early in the morning to allow time to transfer to the nearest launching point.

The Naboisho Women's Group cultural experience is supported by the Great Plains Foundation, enabling the group to purchase raw materials in bulk including a tailor hired to work on leather products. Available to guests staying at Great Plains Conservation camps all profits from the sale of their wares are ploughed back into the women's business training to ensure this group is self-sustainable. Items available for purchase include, but are not limited to, beaded & leather products, coasters, bracelets, necklaces, belts, dog collars, earrings, and decorated dawa sticks for example.

Game drives at Angama Mara are planned according to what the guests would like to do as there is no set programme. Descending down Angama Mara’s private road, 10-minutes later guests enter the Reserve. Even though there is game a-plenty around the lodge, the heart of the action takes place in one of Africa’s most iconic year-round Big Five destinations – the Mara Triangle.

Watch the hot-air balloon as it is inflated, with a steaming cup of Kenyan coffee in hand. Just before dawn lift off into the skies, witnessing the sunrise and a multitude of animals below while floating over the Mara. Come back down to earth for a champagne breakfast in the middle of the savanna’s endless plains.

Guests have access to over a huge tract of wilderness along the Oloololo Escarpment. Escorted by a Maasai naturalist guide, walks can be as long or short as guests prefer. Discover the smaller details – fascinating plants, birds, insects and animals and the role they play in traditional Maasai beliefs and customs.

Visit Angama Mara’s Photographic Studio for a private tutorial with our on-site photographers who will help you come to grips with your camera. Hire photographic equipment or learn more about the editing process on our large-screen Apple desktops. Explore the Mara on a private photographic safari with one of our specialist guides. Those who prefer to put down their cameras, the in-house photographer can capture these special moments in a professional photoshoot.

Explore Angama Mara’s one-acre lovely kitchen garden followed by a soil-to-fork lunch under towering moth trees. Crusty bread, local cheese, chilled rosé and the freshest of salads served with the Mara as a backdrop – what could be better?

Intimate private picnics for two (maximum four) on the Out of Africa kopje featured on the movie’s iconic poster. Checked blankets, comfy cushions, canvas safari chairs, a picnic and sparkling wine on ice – everything you could need for elegant romance.

As the day ends, it’s time to sit back, sip a cocktail and watch the sun descend behind the Rift Valley from the spectacular vantage point of the Sundowner Boma — perfect for this, with its circular shape encapsulating the dramatic views overlooking the Maasai Mara.

Traditionally as the sun set, livestock was gathered into this space to protect the animals from predators. Today, it is also a space in which people gather, and where the African night is welcomed with song, dance and celebration.

Gather in a lantern-lit forest for dinner cooked over the coals. Guests dine family-style at long, wooden tables, off enamel plates with dishcloths for napkins. It’s fun, it’s relaxed and most of all, it’s delicious.

Leading off the Safari Shop is a sunny studio for Maasai ladies who come daily to bead bespoke items. Guests can try their hand at beading or perhaps have the ladies bead a name bracelet or an item of their clothing.

Join the Angama Running Club and see how you fare against this nation of great athletes as you jog along the Escarpment with the possibility of encountering plains game such as giraffe and zebra along the way.

Guests enjoy a rare opportunity of gaining a deeper understanding into every day lives of the Maasai, their ways and their fascinating culture, and maybe a few keepsakes to take home.

A hands-on opportunity to learn about the invaluable work of the Mara Conservancy’s canine unit. Observe and participate in training exercises and see if you can outsmart these determined canines.