Kerry sent us her amazing reader success story to Kenya and the Seychelles! Here it is:

My husband and I celebrated our ten-year wedding anniversary (thank you to my amazing parents for watching our kids) on a memorable safari and beach escape. This was our first MAJOR redemption, and it took a good amount of planning and investment, but it was truly a bucket list experience. Thank you to Points Talk Squad and the community for all of the information and inspiration that helped make this trip a reality.

Earning Points and Splurging

Because we offset so much of the hotel/airfare costs with points, I was also able to enjoy a few other firsts, including a hot air balloon ride over the Mara at sunrise and a bush breakfast ($550 per person), and a night at the historic Giraffe Manor in Nairobi, Kenya ($2,500 for two people, including transport and food and beverages).

Giraffe Manor is a magical place dating back to the 1930s, focused on giraffe conservation. The giraffes serve as “alarm clocks,” visiting second-story windows looking to be fed in the mornings. We also got to interact with them over teatime and breakfast. Definitely a splurge that we wouldn’t have been able to do if we were paying cash for the whole trip, and we earned some points in the process!

LHR to Nairobi (NBO)

We flew on Kenya Airways: 2 business-class seats booked via Flying Blue for 180,000 points ($879 in taxes and fees). We used a transfer bonus from Flying Blue (150,000 points spent). I had read some mixed reviews about Kenya Airways, but we enjoyed our flight. The seats/plane were a bit older, but more spacious and comfortable than Virgin Atlantic, and our flight attendants were great. The food was so-so, but we were not terribly hungry.

Nairobi’s Wilson(WIL) airport to Keekorok (Masai Mara) 

Round-trip: $870 cash. In order to get to the Masai Mara, we took a “bush plane” from Wilson airport, and when you land in Keekorok, it’s a dirt airstrip right in the reserve, so the adventure begins. On the way to the lodge, we saw a cheetah, elephants, and giraffes, oh my!

NBO to Seychelles (SEZ) 

We flew on Kenya Airways: 2 economy seats for 28,000 points ($206 in taxes and fees) booked via Flying Blue. On time and no problems.

SEZ – Dubai (DXB) – San Francisco (SFO) 

We flew on Emirates: 2 business-class seats from SEZ to SFO for 315,000 points ($2,696.52 taxes and fees). We enjoyed flying Emirates the most, and especially the A380 with the stand-up bar, comfortable seats, and the great Emirates service.

Kenya Hotels

On arrival, we used a Marriott free-night certificate to stay at the JW Marriott Nairobi for one night. The hotel is clean, comfortable, and modern—a great landing pad.

We started trip planning by obsessively checking availability at the safari lodge, JW Marriott Masai Mara (12+ months out due to its popularity), which was our aspirational goal. At first, we could only book three nights, but we snagged two additional nights once availability opened up. At the time of booking, we used 600,000 Bonvoy points (150,000/night for four nights, fifth night free on points). The cash rate would have been about $20,000 for five nights!!!

We had a stockpile of Marriott points that we had been saving for an epic trip. Sadly, since we booked, the points requirement for this property has increased. The stay also included transportation to/from the airstrip, two safari game drives a day with an experienced guide, and food and beverages (with some exceptions for certain top-shelf alcohol).

 

 

The food was great, and we never went hungry. You can also borrow a very nice Canon camera for your stay for a nominal fee ($25)—a must! If you are a photography beginner (like we were), a photography pro will give you pointers on how to use the camera/lens and assist you with downloading, saving, and even editing your photos, which was such a valuable service.

 

 

Overall, this is truly a special property, sitting right in the middle of the Masai Mara reserve, and the staff is so joyful and hospitable. We felt well taken care of and never had to worry about what we needed (water, sunscreen, insect repellent, coffee, or food), which really eases the mind.

 

In addition to gratuities, another significant cost to plan for is the Masai Mara National Reserve park fee, which you can pay through the hotel: $200 per person, per day during the high season (July–Dec.) and $100 per person, per day from Jan–June.

 

Seychelles

After our time in Kenya, we flew to the Seychelles for some R&R after the early mornings and adventuring.

We stayed on the island of Mahé at the Hilton Seychelles Northolme. The hotel felt intimate and was very relaxing. If we had more time, we’d probably explore staying on different islands.

We booked a King Premium Oceanfront Villa overlooking the Indian Ocean for four nights ($850 a night plus breakfast). We used a Hilton free-night certificate for the last night and were able to stay in an upgraded room due to availability and Diamond status (thanks to our Hilton Aspire card).

We also earned 14x points on the hotel spend. The Hilton was peaceful and in a nice location near Beau Vallon beach, but there are also lots of other great hotel options at different price points worth exploring if you have more time and can get to other parts of the island(s).

Activities in Seychelles

While in Seychelles, we also booked a full-day tour via Viator to visit nearby islands Praslin and La Digue and received 12x points via Rakuten ($574 cash rate for two people; 6,888 Membership Rewards® points earned). The speedboat ride from Mahé to Praslin is no joke! The ocean can be rough, so if you get seasick, pack your Dramamine.

The beaches in the Seychelles are plentiful and stunning. Due to its equatorial location, the Seychelles is very hot and humid, but the breeze helps. The Seychellois people are lovely, and I felt very comfortable and relaxed. Seychelles was a perfect escape, relatively close to Kenya. When we were planning, we also looked at Mauritius and Zanzibar, which may be good options if you’re looking to add some beach time to a safari.

 

 

 

Bottom Line

From the hospitality of the Masai people, to seeing the Big Five (and other animals and birds) across the beautiful African terrain, to the stunning beaches of the Seychelles, this trip will stay with us for a lifetime. Why wait? By leveraging points, planning, and a little luck, you can have an unforgettable adventure—the sort that dreams are made of.