Banner image © David Crookes, Segera Retreat
They say, the best trips, like the best love affairs, never really end. If you think about it, travel really is a love affair with the world, an infatuation with its breathtaking landscapes and wildlife, a curiosity for its people and an insatiable desire for the adventure to be never-ending.
With this in mind, whether you’re newlyweds embarking on an unforgettable honeymoon, long-time lovers celebrating a worthy milestone, or just a travel-addicted couple looking to escape reality for a while, we will ensure that your &Beyond adventure is tailormade to suit you both. Whether it’s unapologetic, over-the-top romance and solitude you seek, or if you’re actually craving a little less idle isolation and a bit more rugged adventure, we’ve got your back(s). We’ll help you connect with each other, and with your love affair with travel.
Let happiness come in waves
In need of some vitamin D and vitamin ‘sea’ with your better half? Our Romantic Honeymoon in Sri Lanka and the Maldives is the perfect, sunny escape from reality (and hey, you don’t need to actually be on honeymoon to enjoy this fairy-tale journey).
With ample time to just relax, unwind and pretend that time stands still on the silky soft stretches of impossibly white sand, this adventure also includes just the right amount of exploring too. We’re talking grand coconut plantations, village walks, ancient temples, bicycle rides, organic farmer’s markets, authentic Sri Lankan cooking lessons, scenic train rides, swaying palm trees, misty mountains, tropical valleys and botanical gardens.
Slowly meander the scenic trails of a lush tea plantation and learn all about the time-honoured tradition of making tea. Enjoy a tea tasting paired with tea-infused cuisine and even indulge in some tea-based spa treatments for the ultimate in relaxation.
Swing yourself to sleep on a beach hammock, sip on fruity beach cocktails, swim with dolphins, snorkel the vibrant coral reefs and dine on plump, juicy, freshly caught seafood. This journey truly is the perfect blend of beach escapism, sun worshipping, cultural learnings, tropical scenery and off-the-beaten path adventure.
Take a step back in time
In what is undeniably one of the most romantic movies of all time, Robert Redford captured the heart of Meryl Streep (and women around the world) in the dramatic, tear-jerking debut of Out of Africa. Based on the emotive, real-life memoirs of Danish author and Baroness Karen Blixen (after whom the leafy neighbourhood of Karen, Nairobi is of course named), this film takes viewers on an epic journey of the heart through the timeless and extraordinary beauty of Kenya.
Now, more than 32 years later, hopeless romantics the world over continue to retrace Redford and Streep’s legendary footsteps, and of course those of the famed Karen Blixen herself, reliving the dreamy landscapes, classic elegance and unapologetic romance of this cinematic masterpiece in person.
Ideal for couples, honeymooners and Out of Africa addicts alike, our Classic Kenyan Romance journey takes wanderlust lovers and explorers to the tree-lined streets of Karen, the world-famous Masai Mara, the game-rich Tsavo National Park, and the wild remoteness of Laikipia in the north.
Set foot in Karen’s original home, now a museum, which is filled with curious artefacts and memorabilia from a bygone era.
Next, it’s a short flight over to Tsavo National Park, one of the world’s largest game sanctuaries, famed for its large herds of elephant and magnificent panoramic landscapes. Enjoy two relaxing nights at Finch Hattons Camp, named of course after Denys Finch Hatton himself (played by Redford). Revel in the old-world charm of this classic tented camp and relive the enviable air of romance that once surrounded Blixen and Finch Hatton as they explored these very same landscapes.
Images © Finch Hattons Camp.
Heading north to the Laikipia plateau, immerse yourself in the romance of Out of Africa at the ultra-luxurious and unwaveringly romantic Segera Retreat. Experience adventure by day and indulge in romance by night, with al fresco moonlit bubble baths, private dinners for two, a steam bath and spa treatments for two, an enchanting sleepout in the Nay Palad bird’s nest, an intimate screening of the actual film itself in the artefact-filled Explorer Room … oh, and did we mention that Segera is also home to the original bi-plane from the movie? This place just oozes romance.
Images © David Crookes, Segera Retreat.
The journey comes to a most memorable close in one of the world’s most beautiful and untouched gardens of Eden, the Masai Mara. Take a step back in time and marvel at the Mara views and timeless elegance of the iconic Cottar’s 1920’s Safari Camp and Bush Villa. Explore the Mara on foot on an insightful walking safari, or on day or night game drives, mingle with the Maasai, laze by the infinity pool and simply absorb the classic safari charm of this exquisite camp.
Images © Cottar’s 1920’s Safari Camp and Bush Villa.