Tanzania luxury safari: the Kenya and Tanzania route I planned for Kurt and Randi Sue

Kurt and Randi Sue sent me a photo at every single stop.

Hemingways. Sasaab. Nyaruswiga. Mara River. Giraffe Manor. Every hotel had a welcome note, a bottle of wine, and a birthday cake waiting, and every time, my phone buzzed with another picture. They were floored.

That was their birthday safari. And it's the route I'd build for almost anyone looking at a Tanzania luxury safari or a safari honeymoon.

Kenya or Tanzania? I say both

I love Kenya. I stayed at Mahali Mzuri in the Maasai Mara, and it was stunning. You can fly nonstop from JFK, and you can go almost any time of year.

But Kenya on its own is basically ONLY safari. And the Maasai Mara and the Serengeti are really one ecosystem with a border running through it. The herds don't care which side they're on.

So if you're making that long flight from the States, I want you to see both. For Kurt and Randi Sue, that meant Kenya at the start and the end, with 2 Serengeti camps in the middle.

Landing soft in Nairobi

They started at Hemingways in Nairobi. After that many hours in the air, you need a real bed and a real shower before anyone says the words "game drive."

Sasaab and Kenya's dry north

From Nairobi they flew north to Sasaab Lodge in Samburu. It's dry, rugged country, and you see animals you won't find in the Mara: reticulated giraffe, Grevy's zebra, and the gerenuk (an antelope that stands up on its back legs to eat).

It makes the Serengeti feel brand new when you get there.

2 Serengeti camps, 2 different jobs

Then they crossed into Tanzania. First stop was One Nature Nyaruswiga in the central Serengeti, which has game most of the year, so it's a strong base no matter where the herds are.

You know how I feel about rooms. Towels matter. Pillows matter. And every tent at Nyaruswiga has a hammered copper bathtub and a daybed on the veranda. After a 5:30 a.m. game drive, that copper tub matters a lot.

Next they went north to One Nature Mara River. It opened in 2024 and has just 7 villas, each with its own pool. It sits close to the Mara River, where the wildebeest and zebra cross between July and October.

Kurt and Randi Sue went in that window... and they saw a crossing.

You can't schedule that. Some days the herds stand at the edge of the river for hours and then turn around. Being in the right camp in the right month gives you the best odds.

And my usual soapbox: pick your camp for the GUIDES. That's what you're really paying for. The guide is the one who knows where the herd was yesterday and where to park when they start to move.

Ending on baby elephants and giraffes

We ended their trip back in Nairobi with a private tour of the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust elephant orphanage.

I visited Sheldrick in June 2021, and I'm still in awe. The babies are so loving. One of them put its trunk right on my sandal (I have the video). I fostered elephants through their program until they were returned to the wild. So it was an easy call to put it on Kurt and Randi Sue's trip.

Then their last night was at Giraffe Manor, where the giraffes poke their heads through the windows at breakfast. I'd much rather you end Africa with a giraffe at your table than at an airport hotel.

The part you don't see

Those welcome notes, the wine, the cakes at every stop... they happen because we tell each property who's coming and what they're celebrating.

We also watch flights the whole way and build realistic connections between the little bush planes and the long international legs. Your trip is our priority. That's what you're hiring us for: our expertise and our care.

Is a safari honeymoon right for you?

For the right couple, it's amazing.

First, you need time. Plan on at least 10 to 14 days. Africa is far, and you need time to do it right. Squeeze it into a week and you'll spend half of it in airports.

Second, it's for couples who love people, animals, rest and food. You'll get to know your guide and the camp staff. You'll see animals every day. And between the morning and afternoon drives there's a long, lazy stretch for a nap, a massage, or that copper tub.

If that sounds like you two, this is the route I'd start with. If you only have a week, let's save Africa for a big anniversary and talk about Tahiti or Fiji instead.

So tell me: would you rather watch the river crossing, or have breakfast with a giraffe?