An East Africa and Island Family Getaway

Lorna and her family were met at the Kigali International Airport arrivals gate and escorted to the VIP Lounge for refreshments before being whisked through immigration and luggage collection for a transfer by road to the Kigali Serena Hotel.

After a good breakfast and check out, they were collected to enjoy a morning tour of the city where they visited the Genocide Museum & Memorial, the Gahaya Links and the Craft Market for a local shopping experience. After lunch they were transferred to Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge – approximately a 2.5 hour drive from Kigali to Ruhengeri at the foothills of the Virungas, the chain of 15 000 foot volcanoes stretching through Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The lodge is set in stone buildings with Rwandese terracotta tile roofs, featuring large sitting areas, fireplaces, stylish en-suite bathrooms finished with Venetian plaster, a dressing room and a sheltered veranda. A highlight of their stay was hiking up the mountain with a guide through beautifully dense, misty forests to visit a family of critically endangered Mountain Gorillas.

After a second gorilla trekking experience, the family transferred to Kigali Serena Hotel for an overnight stay with a dinner at Republica Restaurant.

After an early transfer to Kigali Airport with a packed breakfast, Lorna and family were met at Nairobi Airport before they reached immigration and helped through luggage collection. A driver met them in the arrivals hall to transfer them from Nairobi Airport to Wilson Airport for a charter flight to the Angama Mara airstrip where they were warmly welcomed to the bush and their glass-fronted tented suites for three nights! The group selected their preferred activities from a sunrise hot air balloon ride, walking safaris, garden-to-table lunches in the Shamba, guided photographic safaris and various interactions with the fascinating Maasai culture surrounding the lodge.

After a glorious visit the Angama Mara, the family was transferred to their charter flight to Wilson Airport where they met their driver guide who was at their disposal from arrival until their drop off at Hemingway Hotel. The group visited the Giraffe Centre and the Sheldrick Centre to view their two adopted elephants before checking in to their hotel and heading to dinner at the Tamarind Restaurant.

From Nairobi the guests jetted off to Mauritius for a magical six-night stay in a three-bedroom Royal Villa with a pool and private garden at The Oberoi. Cocooned in luxury, Lorna and her family were able to pick and choose which activities they wanted to participate in each day, including: T’ai chi, stretching, evening walks, rum tasting, henna painting and tattooing, visiting a bespoke silversmith and a painting or cooking class. They were also able to select from plenty of complimentary water sports: water skiing, laser sailing, wake boarding, snorkelling trips, glass-bottom boat rides, wind surfing, hobbie cat sailing, pedalos, and kayaks. Gourmet a la carte dining was also on offer throughout the resort, pairing perfectly with access to spectacular tropical gardens, majestic mountain ranges, perfect beaches and gloriously turquoise waters.

After a final hotel breakfast, the family checked out, but was allowed to keep the two Luxury Pavilion Double Rooms for the day until their transfer to Mauritius Airport and their journey back home.