Sunrise Balloon Flight
Drift silently over the Mara as the sun lifts the mist, then land to champagne poured in the long grass.
Kenya · Tanzania · June 21 – 27, 2027
The wild, the quiet, and everything in between.
A seven-day hosted expedition from the Maasai Mara to the Indian Ocean. Small group, private camps, every detail arranged.
—Days
—Hours
—Minutes
A note from your host
Karibu.
You are about to see a part of the world that changes the way you see everything else.
I built this expedition the way I would want to travel myself: slowly, with people I like, and with someone else holding the logistics. Seven days is long enough to lose track of the calendar and short enough that you will come home wanting more.
We will watch the sun come up over the Mara from a balloon, follow the herds across the Serengeti while the plains are still green from the rains, and finish barefoot on a Zanzibar beach. Whether you have already reserved your place or are just discovering this page — welcome. I cannot wait to travel with you.
[Host Name]
- 7days
- 4destinations
- 3bush flights
- 16guests max
- 1host with you throughout
Nairobi
Maasai Mara
Serengeti
Zanzibar
June 2027
Sunrise balloon
Game drives
Sundowners
Maasai village
Bush dinner
Dhow sail
Stone Town
The journey
Four chapters, one story
We have shaped these seven days as a slow crescendo — city, savannah, plains, and finally the sea. Each chapter has its own rhythm. Together, they are the whole.
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Chapter one. 1°17′S 36°49′E · Kenya
Nairobi, the arrival
Arrival, exhale, first light.
Your journey begins in Nairobi, where the highland air is cool in June and the city hums gently beneath jacaranda trees. We meet you at the airport, settle you into a garden hotel, and gather for a welcome dinner — the first of many long tables.
- 01Private airport meet & greet
- 02Welcome dinner under the trees
- 03Giraffe Centre (time permitting)
- 04Expedition briefing
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Chapter two. 1°29′S 35°08′E · Kenya
The Maasai Mara
Wide sky. Golden grass. The hush before a lion moves.
A short flight south lands us on the most storied savannah on earth. June is quiet season in the Mara: the grass is high and green, the crowds have not arrived, and the big cats have the plains to themselves. Days follow the light: dawn drives, unhurried lunches, sundowners as the plains turn to copper.
- 01Dawn and dusk game drives
- 02Sunrise hot-air balloon with champagne breakfast
- 03A morning with a Maasai community
- 04Bush dinner beneath the stars
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Chapter three. 2°20′S 34°50′E · Tanzania
Serengeti, the plains
Endless plains. The herds on the move.
We cross into Tanzania by light aircraft and land amid the great migration — in late June the herds gather in the western corridor, and if the rains have been kind the first river crossings begin. It is the wildest, most alive landscape you will ever see.
- 01Full-day game drive with picnic
- 02Migration viewing in the western corridor
- 03Walking safari with an armed ranger (optional)
- 04Private sundowner on a kopje
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Chapter four. 6°09′S 39°12′E · Tanzania
Zanzibar, the sea
Salt air. Spice. Slow.
The final chapter trades dust for ocean. Carved doors and coffee in Stone Town, a dhow sail at sunset, a farewell dinner by the water, and a last slow morning before you fly home.
- 01Sunset dhow cruise
- 02Stone Town walk: spice markets and carved doors
- 03The ocean, unscheduled
- 04Farewell dinner on the beach
Day by day
Your seven days, in order
A guide, not a timetable. We keep mornings early and afternoons open, and we will always tell you the night before what the next day holds.
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Arrival in Nairobi
Touch down at Jomo Kenyatta International, where your host and driver are waiting. Settle in, rest, and join us for a welcome dinner and a short briefing on the days ahead.
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Flight to the Mara
A morning bush flight over the Rift Valley delivers us straight onto the savannah. Lunch at camp, then your first game drive as the light turns gold.
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Balloon at dawn
Rise before the sun for a hot-air balloon flight over the plains, landing to a champagne breakfast in the grass. A morning with a Maasai community, then the afternoon belongs to the big cats. Dinner in the bush under more stars than you knew existed.
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Into Tanzania
We cross the border by light aircraft and land in the western Serengeti. An afternoon drive introduces the migration.
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The great herds
A full day on the plains with a picnic lunch, following the herds toward the Grumeti. An optional walking safari at dusk and a sundowner on a kopje.
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To the Indian Ocean
Fly east via Arusha and arrive to the sound of the sea. Afternoon on the water: a sunset dhow sail, then a farewell dinner on the beach.
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Stone Town & home
A morning wander through Stone Town's spice markets and carved doors, a last swim, and private transfers to the airport for onward flights after noon. Bring the calm home with you.
The experiences
Moments we have planned for you
Some are scheduled. Some will simply happen. All of them are why we go.
Dawn Game Drives
The first hour of light belongs to the predators. Blanket on your lap, coffee in hand, engine off, listening.
Sundowners on the Plains
A folding table, a gin and tonic, and the entire horizon turning to amber. The day’s unofficial ceremony.
A Morning with the Maasai
Song, beadwork and honest conversation with a community whose land we are guests upon.
Dinner Under the Stars
Lanterns in the grass, a fire at your back, the Milky Way overhead. The table is long and the night is longer.
The Great Migration
Late June: the herds gather in the western corridor, and the river crossings begin. Nature’s most abundant hour.
Walking Safari
Leave the vehicle behind and read the bush on foot with an armed ranger — tracks, birdsong, and a sharper kind of attention.
Picnic on a Kopje
Lunch on an ancient granite outcrop with the plains rolling away in every direction. Lions like these rocks too.
Big Cats
Lion, leopard, cheetah: the Mara and Serengeti in June are among the best places on earth to see all three.
Stone Town by Foot
Coral-stone alleys, carved Zanzibari doors, cardamom and clove in the air.
Sunset Dhow Sail
A hand-built wooden dhow, a lateen sail, and an Indian Ocean sunset. Bring nothing but yourself.
The Ocean, Unscheduled
Snorkel the reef, drift in a private pool, or claim a daybed and do absolutely nothing.
Lanterns in the grass, a fire at your back, the Milky Way overhead. The table is long and the night is longer.
Day 03Bush dinner Maasai Mara20:00
Taken care of
What your expedition includes
Once you land, the logistics are ours.
Included (twelve)
- 6 nights in hand-picked lodges, camps and a beach resort
- All meals from welcome dinner to final breakfast 6 B · 5 L · 6 D
- House wines, beers, soft drinks and sundowners
- All internal flights Nairobi–Mara · Mara–Serengeti · Serengeti–Zanzibar
- All game drives in private 4×4s with expert guides
- Sunrise hot-air balloon with champagne breakfast
- Park, conservancy and crater fees
- Maasai community visit, Stone Town walk, sunset dhow
- All airport and inter-lodge transfers
- Daily laundry at safari camps
- Bottled water throughout
- Your host with you every day
Not included (six)
- International flights to Nairobi NBO and from Zanzibar ZNZ
- Kenya eTA, Tanzania visa, Zanzibar inbound insurance
- Travel & medical insurance required
- Premium spirits and champagne outside sundowners
- Gratuities guide ~$15–20 / day
- Spa treatments and personal purchases
Investment
From $[X,XXX]
Departure guaranteed at 8 guests
- Deposit
- Reserve with a $1,000 deposit [confirm]
- Balance
- In 3 monthly instalments, or in full 90 days before departure
- Private room
- Supplement $[X] for a room of your own
- Group
- Limited to 16 guests · one host throughout
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Hosted · small group of 16
One long table, every night
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Licensed & insured operator
Licence [licence #]
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Secure deposit
via [processor]
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Your host with you throughout
Nairobi to Zanzibar, every day
Your hosts
Travelling with you
[Host Name] founded BUMI Wellness on a simple belief: the best journeys are shared with people you trust. She will be with you from the first dinner in Nairobi to the last morning in Zanzibar.
[Host Name]
A decade of slow travel through Kenya and Tanzania has taught her which camps to trust, which pilots to fly with, and when to stop the vehicle and simply watch. She holds every detail so that your only job is to be there.
[Lead Guide]
[Eighteen] years guiding the Mara and the Serengeti, with a specialty in big cats and the quiet art of reading tracks. He knows which kopje the lions favour in June and exactly when to switch off the engine.
Words from past guests
We almost felt it was a dream. Every detail was already taken care of before we thought to ask.
I came alone and left with twelve new friends and a thousand photographs.
The balloon at dawn. I still think about it every morning.
Your fellow travellers
Meet the group
Around four weeks before departure we open a private WhatsApp group for everyone travelling. Introductions, packing questions, flight times, and the first photographs from Nairobi as they happen. Pole pole — there is no need to say everything at once.
Instagram ·@handle
Follow the journey
Behind-the-scenes from past expeditions, and the countdown to this one.
Before you go
Getting ready
Everything below is current as of our last update, but entry rules and health advice change. Please confirm the items marked ⚑ verify with your doctor, travel clinic, or the official links.
01 · The countdown
Six stops between now and Nairobi
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Check that your passport is valid six months beyond 27 June 2027 with two blank pages.
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Book a travel-clinic appointment: yellow fever, malaria, routine boosters.
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Buy travel insurance and book your international flights into Nairobi and out of Zanzibar.
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Apply for the Kenya eTA and Tanzania e-visa, buy Zanzibar inbound insurance, join the WhatsApp group.
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Start malaria prophylaxis if prescribed and order small US dollar bills from your bank.
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Your final itinerary and lodge contacts arrive. Pack, then weigh your bag.
02 · Travel essentials
Papers, jabs, and small bills
01Passport
Your passport must be valid for at least six months beyond 27 June 2027 — in practice, through the end of December 2027 — and have two blank facing pages for the Kenyan and Tanzanian stamps. Photograph the data page and keep a copy separate from the original, and send us a scan so we can pre-register you with the camps.
02Kenya eTA ⚑ verify
Every visitor needs an Electronic Travel Authorisation before boarding a flight to Kenya. Apply on the official portal within 90 days of arrival, allow at least three business days for approval, and pay the fee shown on the portal. Save the approval PDF to your phone and print a copy for your carry-on.
etakenya.go.ke →03Tanzania visa ⚑ verify
Apply for your e-visa online before departure. Holders of US passports must take the multiple-entry visa at $100; most other nationalities pay $50 for a single entry. Approval usually arrives within ten business days, so apply at the T-30 mark at the latest and carry the printed approval with your passport.
visa.immigration.go.tz →04Zanzibar inbound insurance ⚑ verify
Zanzibar requires every visitor to hold its own mandatory inbound travel insurance, bought online before you arrive: $44 per adult and $22 per child, covering up to 92 days. You receive a QR code by email — keep it on your phone, as it is checked on arrival at the island alongside your passport.
visitzanzibar.go.tz →05Yellow fever certificate ⚑ verify
Because we enter Tanzania from Kenya, a yellow-fever-risk country, Tanzania requires proof of vaccination at the border. The vaccine must be given at least ten days before travel and one dose is now valid for life. Carry the original yellow International Certificate of Vaccination — a photograph is not accepted.
CDC · Tanzania →06Malaria ⚑ verify
Prophylaxis is advised for the Mara, the Serengeti and Zanzibar. Your travel clinic will prescribe one of atovaquone-proguanil, doxycycline or mefloquine; some courses start a week or more before you leave, so raise it at the T-90 appointment. Long sleeves at dusk, a repellent with 30 percent DEET or picaridin, and the nets at camp do the rest.
CDC · Kenya →07Other vaccinations ⚑ verify
Hepatitis A and typhoid are recommended for both countries, and your clinic will check that routine boosters — tetanus, diphtheria, polio, measles — are current. Book the consultation around eight weeks before departure so that any multi-dose course has time to finish.
CDC · Travel health →08Travel insurance
A policy is a condition of travel. It must include emergency medical cover and air evacuation from remote camps, and we strongly recommend cancellation cover to protect your deposit and instalments. Send us the insurer's name, your policy number and the 24-hour assistance line before T-30; we keep them with your file for the whole trip.
09Money
Bring US dollars in small, clean bills from the 2013 series or newer — older or marked notes are refused everywhere. A little Kenyan and Tanzanian shilling is useful at markets and can be drawn from ATMs in Nairobi and Stone Town. Lodges take Visa and Mastercard for extras; tell your bank you are travelling.
10Tipping
Tipping is customary and gratefully received. As a guide: your safari guide $15–20 per person per day, camp staff $5–10 per person per day into the shared box, transfer drivers $5–10, and the balloon pilot $10–20. Budgeting around $25–35 per person per day in small US bills covers everything, and we hand out envelopes at each camp.
11Weather in June
June is the start of the dry season. In the Mara and Serengeti, mornings are crisp at 10–13 °C and afternoons settle at a pleasant 24–26 °C under wide, clear skies. Zanzibar sits around 27 °C with low humidity and a steady sea breeze. Pack in layers: a fleece for dawn drives, linen for the coast.
12Power & connectivity
Both countries use British-style Type G sockets at 240 V; bring one adapter and a small power bank, as camps run on solar or generator and charge in the main tent. Wi-Fi is reliable at the hotels and beach resort, patchy in the bush. An eSIM with East African data, installed before you fly, is the simplest way to stay reachable.
03 · Packing list
Four rules, then everything else
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01
Soft-sided bag only
Bush aircraft have small, curved holds. A duffel or soft roller fits; a hard-shell suitcase does not.
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02
15 kg / 33 lb in total
The bush-flight limit includes your carry-on and camera bag. Lodges launder daily, so pack for four days.
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03
Neutral colours
Khaki, olive, sand and stone. Dark blue and black attract tsetse flies; white shows the dust by lunch.
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04
No plastic bags
Kenya bans single-use plastic bags, with fines on arrival. Use fabric pouches or reusable packing cubes instead.
Safari njema.
Good to know
Before you travel
Questions we hear most.
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Is this suitable for solo travellers?
Yes. Around a third of our guests travel alone, and by the second dinner nobody remembers who arrived with whom. Share a room with a same-gender guest at the standard rate, or take a private room for a supplement of $[X].
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How fit do I need to be?
Comfortable rather than athletic. We rate the expedition 2 of 5: long hours in a 4×4 on uneven tracks, short walks, a few early mornings and optional swims. The walking safari is optional and guided at your pace. Tell us about any mobility needs and we plan around them.
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Is East Africa safe?
Kenya and Tanzania have hosted safari travellers for generations. You travel with licensed guides in private vehicles, stay in lodges and camps we have vetted in person, and your host is reachable 24 hours a day. We follow local advice closely and adjust the plan if anything changes.
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Do I need a visa?
Most passports need a Kenya electronic travel authorisation (eTA) and a Tanzania e-visa, both applied for online before you fly. We send a step-by-step guide about 90 days before departure and check everyone's paperwork together in the group.
See travel essentials → -
Which vaccinations do I need?
A yellow fever certificate is required to enter Tanzania from Kenya, so carry the original card. Malaria prophylaxis is advised for the whole route. Book a travel-clinic appointment six to eight weeks before departure to discuss boosters such as hepatitis A and typhoid.
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Can you handle dietary requirements?
Yes, all of them, with notice. Every camp and lodge on the route caters for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, halal and allergy-aware meals. Tell us when you reserve and we brief each kitchen before you arrive.
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How do the deposit and payment plan work?
A $1,000 deposit per person secures your place. The balance is paid in three monthly instalments, or in full 90 days before departure, whichever suits you. A schedule arrives with your confirmation.
See the investment → -
What is the cancellation policy?
We keep it simple and in writing. If you need to cancel, the date we receive your notice decides the terms.
Cancellation terms by date of notice Notice received Terms Before 21 Dec 2026 Deposit held as a credit for a future expedition, minus $100 22 Dec 2026 – 22 Mar 2027 50% refund of monies paid After 22 Mar 2027 Non-refundable — this is what your travel insurance is for -
Is travel insurance required?
Yes. Every guest must hold travel insurance covering trip cancellation, medical treatment and emergency evacuation by air, and we ask for the policy number before departure. Zanzibar's mandatory inbound insurance is separate and bought online before you arrive.
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Are flights included?
Every flight within the expedition is included: Nairobi to the Mara, the Mara to the Serengeti, and the Serengeti to Zanzibar. International flights are not. Plan to arrive in Nairobi (NBO) by 3 pm on 21 June and to leave Zanzibar (ZNZ) after noon on 27 June.
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Is there a minimum number of guests?
The expedition is guaranteed to run once eight guests have reserved. In the unlikely event that we cancel, you receive a full refund of everything you have paid to us.
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How is my payment protected?
Payments are processed by [processor] and never held in cash. BUMI Wellness operates under licence [#] and is insured with [insurer name]. Ask us for the documents at any time.
Still wondering? WhatsApp us → Email us →
June 21 – 27, 2027 · A few places remain
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