August is a standout month for a honeymoon in Kenya, with dry, clear conditions that make the landscape feel vivid and the wildlife viewing exceptionally rewarding. This is the kind of travel where each morning begins with expectation, and each evening brings the calm satisfaction of a day well spent in the wild.

We love Kenya for you because it balances classic safari energy with moments that feel tailored and intimate. Kenya’s signature reserves offer a wide range of habitats in a way that keeps the days feeling fresh, from big, open plains to distinctive views that frame the sightings. Compared with Tanzania, Kenya often delivers a more varied “on-the-ground” sense of place without requiring a highly structured pace, so you can prioritize comfort, privacy, and the exact kind of wildlife experience you want.

For couples, Kenya also lends itself beautifully to romantic planning: choose private guiding for slower, more meaningful encounters, build in flexible lodge time between game drives, and end each day with the satisfaction of being in the right place at the right time. If you are dreaming of a honeymoon that feels dynamic, grounded, and unmistakably Africa, Kenya is a natural fit.

Nairobi is the capital of Kenya and East Africa’s most cosmopolitan city, with a vibrant population of 4.5 million. Unique to the city is the proximity of Nairobi National Park, a true wilderness area juxtaposed against the larger urban metropolis. It is the only national park like it in the world and a real embodiment of the human-wildlife conflicts that challenge many African communities who must learn to cohabitate with wildlife on their doorstep.

Nairobi National Park is one of the best places in Africa to see rhino and also has a healthy population of lion, leopard, cheetah, and plains game like giraffe and antelope. Other attractions include the Karen Blixen Museum, the Giraffe Center, Daphne Sheldrick’s Elephant Orphanage, a visit to a tea farm, and shopping for local crafts and trinkets. There are some great local and cross-cultural restaurants to explore, from roadside food stalls to local nyama choma (barbecue joints) to five-star dining establishments.

Bordering the Giraffe Sanctuary forest on the outskirts of Nairobi, Eden sits on a four-acre property in the peaceful suburb of Langata and offers travelers an immediate connection to a deeply authentic expression of one family’s Kenyan home, history, and adventures. Originally designed and built by Tonio and Anna Trzebinski, the 9-bedroom former family home has been transformed into a living museum and private gallery space that is filled with the family’s own artworks and creations, as well as their personal library and artefacts that have been collected over a lifetime from across the continent.

The Mara (as it is affectionately known) covers 1510 km2 (583 mi2) and is widely considered to be Africa’s greatest reserve. The backdrop of the Siria escarpment in the west overlooks sweeping savannas, riverine woodlands, and forests on a deceptively flat landscape that extends eastwards towards the Sekenani Hills and northwards towards the Aitong Hills. The Mara is in essence the northern extension of the Mara-Serengeti ecosystem and plays host to one of nature's greatest phenomenons, the Great Wildebeest Migration.

Because of the quality of wildlife viewing, the Mara has for generations been the setting of hundreds of wildlife documentaries including Disney's African Cats, and the BBC’s Big Cat Diaries and Planet Earth. It is haven for photography and every year visitors come to capture the spectacular wildlife. The reserve and its conservancies contain some of the highest densities of predators in Africa and this only increases as nomads and vagrants follow the huge herds back and forth through this ecosystem during the seasonal wildebeest migration.

The Great Wildebeest Migration is one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World and sees around two million animals (including wildebeest, zebras and gazelles) make the annual pilgrimage between the Maasai Mara and the Serengeti. It is not as straightforward as a south to north and return movement, but dictated by the drive to the calving grounds in the southern Serengeti and rainfall patterns throughout the ecosystem as the animals seek fresh grazing grasses and standing water.

The journey is fraught with danger as the herds negotiate predators and crocodile infested rivers such as the Grumeti and the Mara. The sight of wildebeest plunging into the Mara River in huge numbers is one of the greatest spectacles to witness during the period of June to October.

Note: The Great Wildebeest Migration and other wildlife phenomena and sightings are natural events and therefore can never be guaranteed.

Mara Plains Camp is a one-of-a-kind camp located in the private Olare Motorogi Conservancy, just on the Maasai Mara National Reserve’s northern boundary. This intimate camp, one of Kenya’s only three Relais & Chateaux properties (other being sister properties ol Donyo Lodge and Mara Nyika Camp), blends the finest in wildlife viewing with the best of safari hospitality and guiding. Guests staying at Mara Plains Camp enjoy access to private conservancy land in the Olare Motorogi Conservancy as well as the world-renowned Maasai Mara Reserve.

Each guest at Mara Plains Camp contributes considerably to the success of the Olare Motorogi Conservancy’s flourishing ecosystem; conservation fees paid to safeguard this habitat while supporting over 1,000 Maasai families. This partnership agreement ensures the survival of an astounding volume and variety of wildlife.

Olare Motorogi Conservancy is reputed to have the lowest vehicle density in the Maasai Mara region, while also having the highest concentration of big cats anywhere in Africa. There is only one guest bed per 350 acres, leaving the land unadulterated for the wildlife to roam and thrive, as nature intended.

Wildlife Viewing

Early morning, late afternoon/ evening or even full day safari drives take place in some of the Mara’s most luxurious wildlife-viewing vehicles. Each Toyota Land Cruiser safari vehicle is open-sided, canopied and customised for photographers (fold-down screens, raised roofs, photographic bars, multi-plug invertors). Each vehicle is also stocked with a fridge with drinks and snacks, ready for longer days out if the wildlife viewing is exciting and just too hard to leave. We accommodate 4 guests on a safari vehicle; however, if a family or group travels together, we would easily accommodate up to 6 guests.

Every day on safari brings a unique and distinct experience. Safari drives typically start at sunrise, return for lunch and depart again in the mid-afternoon before returning just after sunset. However, with a packed breakfast and lunch, we often go out all day deep into the Maasai Mara National Reserve or the private Olare Motorogi Conservancy.

Our safaris will often continue into the evening, made possible by our location on a private conservancy.

Night drives are incredibly prolific in the Olare Motorogi Conservancy, and while they take patience, sightings commonly include lesser-known nocturnal mammals and even lion and hyena hunts.

Our schedule is flexible, and guests are encouraged to create their own itinerary according to their interests with guidance and recommendations from our professional guides.

Hot Air Ballooning

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.

Cultural Experience

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.

Each of Mara Plains Camp's guest suites has a professional camera set, including a camera body and lenses. In addition to wildlife drives, massage treatments and hot-air ballooning are available for an additional cost. The Naboisho Women’s Group's cultural experience is supported by the Great Plains Foundation, enabling the group to purchase raw materials in bulk and to hire a tailor 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.

Ol Donyo Lodge is located in the heart of the Chyulu Hills, set between Kenya’s Tsavo and Amboseli National Parks. The property is honed from the ancient lava rock that spewed out of Kilimanjaro 360,000 years ago, creating a timelessness that touches everyone who visits. Set on the privately owned Mbirikani Group Ranch - an expanse of wild Africa bordering Chyulu Hills National Park and home to 4,000 Maasai - ol Donyo Lodge blends contemporary design with the rich culture of the Maasai community. This Great Plains Conservation Réserve-Collection property is perched on a hillside with views of East Africa’s classic savannahs below.

“I believe that a safari today must be a full and rich experience where there are no apologies for service, that must be excellent, for wildlife viewing, well-designed accommodation with a style we like to think of as a Great Plains style, but also vitally important for that extra magic of being a part of family… our family.” Dereck Joubert

Days at ol Donyo Lodge are full of options. To have such a vast area to explore, from high-altitude mist forest through lava fields, then woodland to savannah, and ending at the famous kopjes, it’s a paradise of discovery. Each day, it’s possible to pick your mode of transport, be it on foot, by helicopter, by vehicle, on horseback, or even by mountain bike. There is no routine here at all, and experiences are tailor-made for each guest. And if lazing around the pool, indulging in a massage, or shopping sounds like a good plan, then please do. Meet the local Maasai and visit the school to see what makes Kenya so colorful and dynamic.

Wildlife Viewing

Early morning and late afternoon/ evening safari drives take place in some of the most luxurious wildlife-viewing vehicles. Each Toyota Land Cruiser safari vehicle is open-sided, canopied, and customized for photographers (fold-down screens, raised roofs, photographic bars, multi-plug inverters). Each vehicle is also stocked with a fridge with drinks and snacks, ready for longer days out if the wildlife viewing is exciting and just too hard to leave. The lodge can typically accommodate up to four guests (or two couples) in one safari vehicle; however, if a family or group travels together, it is also possible to accommodate up to six guests.

Every day on safari brings a unique and distinct experience. Safari drives typically start at sunrise, returning for lunch and depart again in the mid-afternoon before returning just after sunset. Day trips to Amboseli National Park are possible (extra cost, subject to pre-booking).

Guests can also enjoy up-close encounters with wildlife without departing from the lodge. The open-air log pile and sunken hide at the waterhole, both situated directly in front of the camp, provide a perfect vantage point for such experiences.

The schedule at the lodge is flexible, and guests are encouraged to create their own itinerary according to their interests with guidance and recommendations from the professional guides.

Walks

Guided walks can also be arranged and are led by qualified, licensed walking guides.

Horse Riding

Intermediate and Above

For Intermediate riders and above, 2 to 4 hour rides exploring the concession are offered. Enjoy exhilarating medium to fast-paced canters and encounters with the famous big Tuskers.

For this riding option, you need to be riding fit, confident, and competent, ride with an independent seat, and be able to control an easy horse at all paces over uneven terrain.

Plains Ride

Novice riders can enjoy a gentle 60/90 minute ride exploring the open plains. All riders will need to have a short assessment in the arena prior to setting out to ensure all guests riding out can control their horse and are comfortable at a short trot. If riders do not have the required experience, they will be offered a lesson in the arena instead. Plains riders will be given some instruction; a minimum requirement is a short trot.

They respectfully request no riders over 95 kg.

Mountain Biking

ol Donyo Lodge offers guided mountain biking for guests to explore the plains and open savannah in the area. Distances are based on guest’s fitness levels and riding desire and cycling terrain can range from sand to compact gravel and grass in places.

Helicopter Excursions and Transfers

Guests can take to the skies from ol Donyo Lodge and experience sweeping 180-degree views on a choice of helicopter excursions. These scenic flight options, to be booked prior to the guest's arrival, include the Chyulu Hills, Amboseli and

Mount Kilimanjaro, offering a remarkable aerial perspective of this iconic landscape.

Note that additional costs apply to helicopter experiences and to some other activities at the lodge.

August is an especially strong honeymoon month in Tanzania, offering dry, generally clear weather and a classic rhythm of big-sky landscapes and unforgettable wildlife sightings. We like Tanzania for honeymooners because it feels grand and atmospheric at the same time, with dramatic scenery that supports a sense of escape from day one. Compared with Kenya, Tanzania often delivers a slightly more “big-picture” safari feeling, and the journey between standout areas can make the trip feel like one continuous adventure rather than a series of separate stops.

For couples, Tanzania also shines when you want romantic planning that is both flexible and unhurried. Private guiding helps you slow down for meaningful encounters, and comfortable lodge pacing makes it easy to balance game drives with genuine downtime between them. Many honeymooners find that August in Tanzania brings a satisfying mix of reliable viewing and that special sense of arrival that makes the whole trip feel memorable—not just the sightings.

Arusha is situated on the southern slopes of Mount Meru in northern Tanzania, at an elevation of approximately 1,400 m (4,600 ft). It is the principal gateway to Tanzania’s northern safari circuit and a common starting point for journeys to Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro, and the Serengeti, as well as climbs of Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Meru. Its elevation keeps the climate relatively mild despite its proximity to the equator, with warm days and cooler nights throughout much of the year and distinct wet and dry seasons.

Arusha is served by two airports. Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO), located east of the city, handles international and regional flights, while Arusha Airport (ARK) primarily serves domestic and safari routes. Transfer times between the airports and the city can vary depending on traffic. Arusha also offers markets, shops, restaurants, and galleries, with the Cultural Heritage Centre among its best-known attractions. The complex showcases African art and craftsmanship and includes galleries, museums, artisan workshops, a craft market, and an extensive selection of jewelry and East African gemstones, including tanzanite.

Arusha Coffee Lodge’s location is a combination of tranquility and convenience. Situated on the fertile grounds of a coffee plantation, Arusha Coffee Lodge is a sanctuary of peaceful gardens right on the doorstep of Arusha city. The lodge is also close to Arusha airport and situated along the road leading to Tanzania’s most famous national parks, making it the best place to begin and end a safari.

Arusha Coffee Lodge is a delightful sanctuary of aromas, gourmet food, and vibrant gardens located on the expansive grounds of a verdant coffee plantation. The lodge is made up of a main area incorporating a restaurant, a café bistro, various boutiques at the Traders Walk, a spa, and a swimming pool. The rooms and suites spill off to the left of the main area, each looking out onto coffee trees and surrounding gardens.

Activities at Arusha Coffee Lodge include coffee tours, shopping and cafes, spa treatments at Peaberries Spa, a swimming pool, quad bikes, and bird watching in the gardens. Other nearby attractions include Maasai markets, golf at Kiligolf (advanced booking required), the Tanzanite Museum, the Arusha Cultural Heritage Centre, and the Museum of National History.

It is also possible to arrange day trips into nearby Arusha National Park or to Mount Meru with a picnic lunch.

A veritable Garden of Eden, the Ngorongoro Crater is only 260 km² (100 mi²) in size yet has some of the highest densities of lion and spotted hyena found anywhere in the world. The view from the crater rim, approximately 2,000 feet above the floor, is breathtaking. Thick mountain forests along the crater highlands contrast sharply with the short grass plains, yellow fever acacia woodlands, streams, and wetlands of the crater floor. Lake Magadi, the soda lake at the center of the crater, sometimes attracts lesser flamingos, while the area is also known for large-tusked elephants, endangered black rhino, and excellent predator sightings. Wildlife remains abundant throughout the year, with large populations of buffalo, wildebeest, zebra, hippo, and other plains game supporting an impressive concentration of predators. The crater also offers opportunities to see much of the Big Five within a relatively compact area.

Easily accessible from Arusha, the three-million-year-old Ngorongoro Crater was once a vast volcano that may have stood higher than Mount Kilimanjaro. It is the largest intact, unbroken caldera in the world and forms part of the UNESCO-listed Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Walks are available along the rim in certain areas, while wildlife viewing on the crater floor is conducted by vehicle along designated game-drive routes. Maasai pastoralists and their villages are found around the western side of the crater, while the eastern highlands are heavily forested toward the farming town of Karatu.

The Highlands redefines the traditional Ngorongoro experience. Set high on the slopes of the Olmoti volcano and far from any other camp, The Highlands offers views all the way to the Serengeti and easy access to the famous Ngorongoro Crater. This warm and stylish high-altitude camp, deliberately positioned deep in the highland wilderness for maximum privacy, offers a richness of adventure and range of activities not possible elsewhere in Ngorongoro.

The eight tents are canvas and perspex domes – a design inspired by traditional Maasai bomas. At the heart of the camp is our library with its indoor fireplace that replaces the typical safari campfire. Guests gather here each evening to share stories of the day’s wildlife experiences over pre-dinner drinks.

The camp feels remote, but is within easy reach of Ngorongoro, where guests can go on day-long game drives to spot lions, elephants and giraffes, with a midday picnic break under a shady tree. From camp, hike up to the top of Olmoti for staggering views, or take a half-day trip to the soda lake in Empakaai Crater, where thousands of pink flamingos congregate. Guests can also interact with the local community, learning about Masasai culture and walk the cattle back to the boma at the end of the day.

Namiri Plains is one of Africa’s best locations for observing big cats. Located in the vast and remote grasslands of the eastern Serengeti, Namiri Plains provides a tranquil and secluded retreat within a wildlife-rich environment. After returning from a game drive or walking safari, guests can cool off in the refreshing swimming pool or treat your muscles to a relaxing massage in the Asilia spa.

Namiri Plains offers twice-daily game drives led by knowledgeable guides, with open-sided safari vehicles equipped with power points for charging devices and fridges for keeping drinks chilled. Walking safaris provide a more intimate way to experience the bush, allowing guests to explore at a comfortable pace while becoming more aware of the surrounding sights, sounds, and scents. Walking safaris must be booked in advance. Guests can also join the local cheetah research team to search for cheetahs across the open plains of the Serengeti and learn more about these endangered big cats from the researchers. This experience must be booked in advance and is available at an additional cost.

Just a short flight from Kenya or Tanzania, lies the idyllic Indian Ocean archipelago of Zanzibar. Famous for intoxicating aromas of spices, beautiful white sand beaches, and warm turquoise waters, the heart of the island is undoubtedly Stone Town, a fascinating step back in time with narrow winding streets, Swahili traders and local fisherman, and the daily call to prayer in this predominantly muslim town.

In addition to its fascinating Swahili and Arab history, Zanzibar offers world class scuba diving, snorkeling, fishing and, at certain times of year, kitesurfing. There is also endemic wildlife in the Johazi Forest.

Nicknamed “Spice Island,” Zanzibar was an important part of the slave and ivory trade as a connecting point between the mainland interior and the Middle East. This made the likes of some slave traders, like Tippu Tip, very rich men. A walk around the Sultan's Palace is reminiscent of this dark past. More recent pop culture will undoubtedly lead to the doorway of Zanzibar's most famous son, Queen's iconic frontman, Freddie Mercury.