Do you have a tight-knit group of friends, or a far-flung crew you don’t see often due to geographic limitations, your wedding could be the perfect opportunity for an extended catch-up session, Buddymoon safari! Buddymoon safaris is a chance for the newly weeded couple to share their love and adventure with their closest friends and family members, while also enjoying the excitement and thrill of a safari in Africa. This type of honeymoon can be a great way to combine adventure, romance, and quality time with loved ones.
East Africa is a region known for its natural beauty and diverse wildlife, making it a great destination for a buddymoon. Here are some of our best buddymoon lodges and resorts
IN RWANDA
Kataza House
Singita Kataza House is a luxurious private villa located in the exclusive Singita Kwitonda Lodge in Rwanda. It offers a secluded and intimate setting that is perfect for honeymooners or buddymoon want to have an exclusive getaway. The house has two private suites that are beautifully decorated and offer stunning views of the surrounding landscape. Each suite has a spacious bedroom, en-suite bathroom, outdoor shower, and a private deck with a heated plunge pool. The suites are connected by a shared living area that features a fireplace, library, dining area, and a kitchenette. The house also has a private chef who can prepare delicious meals for you and your loved one. You can also enjoy a range of activities, including gorilla trekking, guided nature walks, and visits to nearby cultural attractions. Guests at Singita Kataza House can also enjoy access to the Singita Kwitonda Lodge’s amenities, including a spa, fitness center, and a heated swimming pool. Just drop us an email to spoil you with our extra activities beyond the lodge.
IN KENYA
ARIJUJU RETREAT
Carved into the bedrock, it blends so discreetly into the landscape that it’s hard to spot, even from the air. Arijiju lies in the Borana Conservancy, a vast private game reserve within Laikipia, which rolls from Mount Kenya, across the equator and up to the semi-desert plains of the north. At once contemporary and ancient, elemental and artisanal, its design was partly inspired by the monasteries of neighboring Ethiopia. The living roof and rough-hewn stone walls conceal five expansive suites, a cinema room, study, living room and dining room. Every element has been considered and refined to create an air of unassuming elegance. Furniture handcrafted by local artisans, crumpled Belgian linen, heavy campaign desks and accents of leather combine: the effect is earthy and organic. In the land is teeming with wildlife game drive is a must but Arijiju also encourages guests to explore on foot, mountain bike, or horseback with Borana’s superb operation Riding Wild
COTTAR’S PRIVATE BUSH VILLA
Located in Masai Mara, the Bush Villa provides a luxury private stay option for up to 12 guests and comes complete with its’ own private 25 meters swimming pool. Offering an abundance of wildlife, a guarantee of privacy, and the highest standards of professional guiding in a luxurious and elegant safari environment.
Cottar’s Bush Villa has a breathtaking view onto the savannah plains that carry the great annual wildebeest migration and is set a midst a backdrop of the Olderkesi Hills. Guests can enjoy privately guided wildlife drives, night wildlife drives, bush walks, swimming and fishing. Cottar’s Bush Villa is rented only on an exclusive basis and comes with a dedicated staff of 8. The villa is over 10,000 square feet in size and features a large living room, dining room, a magnificent viewing deck, and 5 en-suite bedrooms, all with stunning views. The villa has internet access throughout, satellite TV and DVD, and is powered with electric and solar energy. A dedicated wildlife drive vehicle(s) and guide(s) are provided to guests throughout their stay.
LENGISHOU HOUSE
Lengishu is an exclusive-use family home offering unparalleled luxury accommodation in Laikipia at the heart of Kenya’s 32,000 acre Borana Conservancy, one of the country’s most successful rhino sanctuaries. Lengishu is built with locally sourced materials and designed to blend in with the surrounding environment. Expertly crafted by local artisans, the house features beautiful exposed Kenyan timber work while stone for the floors and intricate design features were excavated from the site itself. The interiors are tastefully decorated in neutral tones with splashes of red in a nod to the owner’s Scottish heritage and that of their neighbors; the Maasai community.
Lengishu features six beautifully appointed bedrooms within four cottages, which are all located away from the main house. All rooms face East over the valley below, offering spectacular sunrise views. All bedrooms are spacious with fireplaces or wood burning stoves for the cooler evenings, and have en-suite bathrooms with rain showers and freestanding copper bathtubs. Floor to ceiling windows provide majestic views of the undulating plains beyond, perfect for bathtub game viewing. At Lengishu, you have the freedom to choose your own itinerary and explore the many great safari adventures across the conservancy. The house features a gym, infinity pool, billiard table, private sundowner spots and pentaque pitch along with a wonderful in-house masseuse.
SIRIKOI HOUSE
Overlooking the wetlands Cental Laikapia Highlands, Sirikoi House consists of a master bedroom cottage, a separate cottage with two en-suite bedrooms and with a private deck, kitchen, verandah, sitting room and dining area. Sirikoi House is sold only on an exclusive use basis and comes with its own private safari vehicle and guide, as well as a chef and team of waiting staff. Activities at Sirikoi House depend very much on guests’ needs and wants. Activities include wildlife drives, guided walks, horse riding fly camping, lion tracking, fishing, helicopter trips, homestead visits, camel treks and a biplane flight.
SERIAN THE ORIGINAL CAMP
A luxury safari camp located in the heart of the Maasai Mara in Kenya designed to offer guests an authentic and immersive safari experience in one of Africa’s most iconic wildlife reserves.
Serian consists of five vast marquees perched on beautiful hardwood decking and each is unique in its own way, but all are furnished with elegant simplicity, complemented by countless thoughtful little personal touches that make it feel like home. The beautiful bush bathrooms offer views over the river valley as you soak in your tub, and this openness simulates the delicious sensation of being outdoors. Airy and spacious, they include a shower as well as an enormous bath, twin basins, and a flushing toilet.
The thatched mess area has a stunning view over the Mara River and the Siria escarpment, and is the perfect spot to share a sundowner and stories of the dwindling day.
DIANI BEACH
ALFAJILI CLIFF VILLA
Perfect for buddymoons or an exclusive family getaway the Cliff Villa can accommodate nine guests (eight adults and one child) in an impressive African-inspired residence. Perched on the edge of a cliff, you can enjoy the bliss of uninterrupted ocean views from all corners of the villa while enjoying the ultimate privacy in one of Kenya’s most sought-after destinations.
The Cliff Villa comprises of four graciously appointed suites – the spectacular top-floor Turret Suite with 270-degree ocean views (recommended for married couple), two double rooms on the first floor with a shared veranda, and one twin room on the ground floor. The generous verandah on the first floor provides the ultimate setting for sunrise yoga or breakfast while the rest of your day can be spent at the infinity pool or exploring the lush private garden at leisure.
IN TANZANIA
Singita Serengeti House
Set in the 350,000-acre Grumeti Reserve, this modern safari experience includes a full staff complement and private access to an untouched wilderness on the annual wildebeest migration route.
The villa’s four boldly proportioned guest suites – each with serene bathrooms, outdoor showers and private terraces – embody refined luxury underpinned by contemporary comfort, and this expansive property also includes an eat-in family kitchen, media room, fully-equipped fitness centre, tented massage treatment suite and tennis pavilion. Boasting endless views of the vast Serengeti plains as well as the nearby waterhole where game regularly gather to drink, this modern African home includes a 25-metre rim-flow, expansive outdoor dining decks and fire pit – ensuring continuous engagements with the wilderness.
JABARI PRIVATE HOUSE
An intimate, exclusive-use property surrounded by lofty, ancient baobab trees, Jabali Private House is perfect for families and friends. It has three bedrooms, a lounge and a dining area, plus a private pool, looking out over the dense forest that fringes the bordering Ikuka escarpment in Ruaha National Park; one of the largest national parks in Tanzania.
Jabali Private House has two master suites with king-sized beds and en suite bathrooms with showers. The wooden shutters slide open if you want to let the breeze flow into your room during the day. A third en suite bedroom has twin beds. The house comes with a private chef who can tailor meals to suit your preferences. Everything is homemade, from fresh breads and cakes to ice creams and salads. The place is yours to enjoy, regardless of whether you prefer your getaway quiet and relaxed or lively and fun-filled.
BEHO BEHO BAILEY’S BANDA
Your home in Africa – Staying in Bailey’s Banda is very much like having your own house in Africa, a luxurious haven for exploring the magnificent Selous National Park, but on your own terms – whether it is on foot, in your exclusive safari vehicle or your exclusive private boat on nearby Lake Tagalala. During the heat of the day what better than to have your own private pool, sun deck or the shade of a sun-umbrella and in the evenings dinner under the stars before settling down in the comfort of your own sitting room to enjoy some music or a movie before bed.
With two very spacious en-suite bedrooms – one of them raised up on first floor level – one with a king-sized bed and one twin bedded room, Bailey’s Banda is ideal for buddymoons.
The open-plan and open-sided main areas of the banda have many combinations of dining and relaxing spaces, together with a plunge pool and sunbathing/game viewing deck. The accent is on privacy and enjoying the quality ‘private time’ that is sometimes hard to find on safari, with dedicated staff, its own kitchen (complete with chef).
ZANZIBAR
FANJOVE PRIVATE ISLAND
secluded and unspoiled paradise located off the coast of Tanzania in the Indian Ocean. The island is part of the Songo Songo Archipelago and offers guests a remote and peaceful getaway experience. The island is home to Fanjove Private Island Lodge, a luxury eco-lodge that features just six private beachfront bandas. Each banda is beautifully designed and offers stunning views of the turquoise ocean. The bandas feature comfortable beds, en-suite bathrooms with hot water showers, and a private verandah with sun loungers and a hammock. Fanjove Private Island Lodge offers a range of activities for guests, including snorkeling, diving, kayaking, and guided walks around the island. The lodge also has a restaurant that serves delicious meals made with locally sourced ingredients, as well as a bar and lounge area where you can relax and enjoy a drink. Guests at Fanjove Private Island Lodge can also enjoy the lodge’s amenities, including a library, a natural swimming pool, and a spa that offers a range of treatments and massages.
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Email us at [email protected] for any inquires