HONEYMOON DELIGHTS - East African Honeymoon Affair

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Situated below the scenic location where the famous final scene of the movie Out of Africa was filmed, this romantic and totally private camp reflects the ambiance of Kenyan safaris of
the ‘20s and ‘30s. The epitome of tented luxury, &Beyond Bateleur Camp comprises just two intimate camps of nine tented suites each, set among the forests on the edge of the Masai Mara. The tented suites boast an easy, classical elegance, with polished wooden floors and ensuite bathrooms with indoor and outdoor stone-walled showers and a copper bathtub. Each tent has its own deck overlooking the vast game-filled plains of the Masai Mara and a personal butler ensures that every need is catered for. Beautifully handcrafted artefacts, fine antiques, leather buttoned Chesterfield sofas, books, crystal and candlelight adorn the comfortable sitting and dining areas, transporting guests back to the heyday of classical safari.

Deep, refreshing swimming pools provide cool comfort. Delicious meals are served in memorable setting beneath the stars, followed by fireside port and cigars. Bush breakfasts and romantic sundowners on the edge of the Rift Valley offer an unforgettable African experience.

WHAT SETS US APART

• Out of Africa’ style luxury accommodation
• Breath-taking views of the Masai Mara
• At the foot of the scenic Oloololo escarpment, the rim of the Great Rift Valle
• Seasonal views of the Great Migration, including river crossing
• Wildebeest, Coke’s hartebeest, topi, large herds of elephant, buffalo, giraffe, resident lion prides, cheetah and massive crocodiles in the Mara River
• Situated in a private concession therefore able to do bush walks and night drives
• Sensitive off-road driving practices allow for close interactions with the wildlife
• A tranquil massage sala and well-equipped gym
• A sparkling swimming pool in each camp – overlooking the Masai Mara
• A Safari Shop that stocks a range of beautifully crafted souvenirs

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Blessed with an astounding year-round concentration of animals and site of the Great Wildebeest Migration, Kenya’s Masai Mara National Reserve provides an unsurpassed wildlife experience. Covering an area of 1 510 km2 (583 square miles), the Masai Mara is a land of breath-taking vistas, abundant wildlife and endless landscapes.

Blessed with an astounding year-round concentration of animals and site of the Great Wildebeest Migration, Kenya’s Masai Mara National Reserve provides an unsurpassed wildlife experience. Covering an area of 1 510 km2 (583 square miles), the Masai Mara is a land of breath-taking vistas, abundant wildlife and endless landscapes. With abundant elephant, buffalo, giraffe, lion and cheetah alongside the migratory wildebeest and zebra, the reserve is a photographer’s and naturalist’s paradise. Leopard are frequently encountered, endangered black rhino find shelter in dense thickets and rafts of hippo and enormous crocodiles are found in the Mara River. The reserve is also home to over 450 bird species.

&Beyond Bateleur Camp is situated in the Kichwa Tembo private concession, which neighbours the Masai Mara. Meaning ‘head of the elephant’ in Kiswahili, Kichwa Tembo consists of private land leased from Maasai landlords and situated in the remote western Mara, almost exclusively explored by &Beyond guests. In addition to its the excellent year-round concentration of wildlife, Kichwa Tembo lies directly in the path of Africa’s spectacular Great Migration.

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Perched above cool, swirling mists on the edge of the Ngorongoro Crater, the sumptuous safari suites at &Beyond Ngorongoro Crater Lodge offer breath-taking views. Inspired in design by the Maasai mud and stick manyatta, or homestead, this is without doubt one of the most spectacular lodges in Africa. Three separate and intimate camps totalling just 30 suites are reminiscent of a bygone era. Steeped in romance, each stilted, handcrafted mud and thatch suite is adorned with graceful antiques, grand chandeliers and elegant African treasures. The bedroom, sitting room and ensuite bathroom boast floor-to-ceiling glass windows overlooking the magnificent Crater below. Beaded chandeliers hang above large gilt mirrors, while antiques, billowing raw silk curtains and leather-backed chairs blend harmoniously with African art elements. Ensuite bathrooms with a dramatic centrepiece of red roses feature spacious showers and chandelier-lit bathtubs. Personal butler discretely cater for each guest’s every need, bringing tea in bed, stoking fireplaces and drawing luxurious bubble baths. Frequently described as Maasai meets Versailles, each camp has its own guest sitting and dining areas, as well as viewing decks. The domed dining room, with its fireplace, crystal, silver and massive wooden platters, turns every meal into a special occasion

WHAT SETS US APART

• Situated on the rim of the beautiful Ngorongoro Crater
• Spectacular Crater views from everywhere in the suites, including the bathroom
• Ornate architecture
• Rich wildlife experience on the Crater floor
• Experience Maasai and cattle living among the wildlife
• Fresh springs and large soda lake within the Crater
• Seasonal sightings of flamingo on the soda lake
• Black rhino and magnificently tusked elephants
• High concentration of predators
• Exceptional birding, including endemic high altitude species
• Wildflowers in bloom on Crater floor from May to June

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Once a gigantic volcano, the Ngorongoro Crater in northern Tanzania is now the largest intact caldera in the world. Some maintain that, before it erupted, it would have been higher than Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa. Today, long since having collapsed and eroded, it is an extensive highland area with the famous 600m (2 000ft) deep crater as its focal point.

Nearly three million years old, the ancient caldera shelters one of the most beautiful wildlife havens on earth. Endangered black rhino are protected within its rim, giant tusked elephant wander the forests, black-maned lion stalk the grasslands and long-legged flamingo crowd the soda lakes. An estimated 25 000 large mammals are resident in this bowl of plenty, including a population of approximately 6 000 resident wildebeest, 16 rare black rhino and around 70 lion. Cheetah move in and out of the crater, while leopard are most often encountered in the spectacular Lerai Forest.

Consistently recognised as one of the world’s most luxurious and elegant places to stay, &Beyond Ngorongoro Crater Lodge is situated right on the edge of the crater, offering unbeatable views of one of the natural wonders of the world.

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Pure barefoot bliss is the allure of Mnemba, where dawn is greeted by the song of doves and the
smell of coconut bread baking in a wood stove. Mnemba Island offers an unpretentious paradise where just 12 rustic palm-frond bandas are tucked into a tropical forest fringed by a white coral sand beach. A covered walkway leads to a shuttered ensuite bathroom with a huge glass-beaded shower curtain. Zanzibar is famous for its intricate detailed woodcarvings and the scrolled headboards adorning the beds are created by some of the Island’s most skilled artisans. Built-in barazas on the veranda are perfect for afternoon siestas and ten private beach salas feature traditional Zanzibari loungers ideal for languid hours, a table, ceiling fan, personal bar, two day beds and a shower. Thatched dining and sitting or bar areas boast beautiful open views of the beach and spectacular vistas of Zanzibar beyond. Baskets of fresh fruit, fish, lobsters, crabs and prawns sail into Mnemba daily on traditional ngalawa outriggers. Lunch is often served on large wooden carved Zanzibari platters heaped with delicious mezze. Romantic candlelit dinners are served on the beach, with the waves lapping gently at guests’ feet. Private beach picnics delight newlyweds and not-so- newlyweds alike. &Beyond Mnemba Island is reached by embarking on a 90-minute drive that begins in Stone Town, through the lush spice plantations that cover main Zanzibar Island. Reaching the water’s edge, guests then leave their vehicle and wade knee-deep in the balmy ocean waters to board a waiting boat, for a 20-minute crossing to a warm island reception.

WHAT SETS US APART

• Private island getaway
• Barefoot luxury
• PADI dive school
• Variety of dive sites and easy availability of boats
• Ideal for swimming and snorkelling
• Beautiful beach walks
• Ideal for romance and relaxation
• House reef can be reached without a boat
• Outstanding marine life
• Situated in a marine conservation area
• Surrounded by a coral atoll
• Inhabited by Suni antelope and Ader’s duiker
• Turtle nesting sites and hatchlings
• Swimming and snorkelling directly off the beach
• Incredible diving with great coral reefs and sheer wall dives
• Dolphins and endemic Indian ocean species
• Rare coconut crabs

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More than 1 200 years have passed since the silhouettes of three-cornered Arab dhows were first spotted on the Indian Ocean waters washing Africa’s eastern shores. These traders came across an island of such exquisite beauty that they filled their parchment manuscripts with tales of its picturesque sights. This scented land of coconuts and spices was so idyllic that the Sultan of Oman decided to move the seat of his empire to these shores, which they named Zayn Zal Barr, meaning ‘fair is the island’. Today the Zanzibar Archipelago is still bathed in the heady scents of cloves and cinnamon and traditional dhows still drift across the horizon.

Off the north-eastern tip of Zanzibar lies the private &Beyond Mnemba Island, inhabited only by guests and the staff taking care of them. Just 1.5 km (less than a mile) in circumference, Mnemba
is surrounded by an atoll of breath-taking coral reefs and boasts some of Africa’s most magnificent dive sites. The calm azure seas surrounding the island offer irresistible snorkelling, scuba diving, kayaking, fishing, stand-up paddle boarding and permanent swimming directly from the beach.

Turtle season peaks between March and June (however, laying can occur year round) and these prehistoric creatures can be seen laying their eggs on the beaches. Within nine weeks, the beaches are filled with tiny turtle hatchlings.

This exquisite private island, with its white coral beaches and spectacular coral reefs, is renowned as one of the most romantic ocean destinations in the world, offering a privacy and rustic exclusivity unparalleled on the African coastline.