6 Best Safari-and-Beach Holidays, From Madagascar to Mozambique
“Love and marriage, go together like a horse and carriage,” Sinatra crooned. Not exactly a current choice, but the song does drift to mind when asked about the merits of a bush-n-beach vacation—because that is one slam-dunk combination. Spending time in Africa’s primordial wilderness areas is always an eye-opener, from the ethereal sight of a valley filigreed in spider webs made visible by dawn’s dew to watching a leopard cuff a hyena as her cub scrambles up a tree, or pied kingfishers diving into reed-fringed pools deep with hippos. You never forget your first safari, and if you’ve booked in the right place, it’s unlikely to be the last. That said, the daily regime—from predawn wake-up calls to postprandial fireside chats—can be tiring. So following it up with a powder-soft beach—the lapping of a warm Indian ocean acting as your evening lullaby—is a pretty perfect ending. But where on this vast continent would you land? Here are some of our favorite safari-and-beach trip ideas that combine the best of both.
Grumeti Serengeti, Tanzania | Mnemba Island Zanzibar, Tanzania
Bush
Grumeti, in Tanzania’s western Serengeti, is archetypal Africa: savannah plains with flat-topped acacias under big blue skies—always gorgeous, always secluded, regardless of when you visit in the migration cycle. It’s also where you’ll find Singita Sabora Tented Camp, arguably the most opulent and romantic tented camp in Africa, and easily combined with Singita Sasakwa Lodge. A game-drive distance away, Sasakwa is perched on a hillock with expansive views; a lovely contrast with Sabora, and Singita’s mycelium-style service means the team here already know whether you prefer sparkling or still, cheese or dessert, sauvignon or chardonnay.
Beach
Just three clicks off the northeastern coast of fast-developing Zanzibar, Mnemba is long feted the most romantic beach lodge in East Africa, and a huge overhaul in 2024 has only cemented this. Its 12 “bandas”—all-natural cocoons privately located in the casuarina forest’s cool depths; tiny duiker antelopes foraging as you make your way along private pathways to a startlingly white beach—are hard to leave. And with modern conveniences, fabulous snacks, and a butler at your service, you really don’t have to.
Connectivity: Coastal Air offer an easy ride from Grumeti airstrip to Stone Town airport; you’ll likely stop to pick up passengers but there’s no disembarking, and should get there in three hours. From here andBeyond will be waiting to whisk you across to the north-east coast—a 1.5-hour drive at the most followed by a quick 10-minute boat ride.
More worth considering: Completely overhauled in 2022, andBeyond Grumeti Serengeti offers the kind of accommodation and service one expects from this class-act outfit, and combining it with more of their Tanzania or Kenya camps (all great) can offer significant savings. And keep an eye on Laba Grumeti Art Lodge. A contemporary-chic take on the tented camp, filled with contemporary artworks by 10 African artists, vintage Land Rovers adapted to run on diesel, ethanol and electric, elevated views, and no shortage of modern conveniences, it opens September 2025. Pair this with Zanzibar Sunrise, a perennial Zanzibar favorite, with its prime position overlooking a lush garden-beach cove, the best on Zanzibar’s east coast. Or head north to Matemwe, where the rustic-romantic Zanzibar Sunrise comprises 14 barefoot-chic-Crusoe-castaway bungalows, built right on the beach.
South Luangwa National Park, Zambia | Nose Be Archipelago, Madagascar
Bush
Named after the broad expanse of water that flows along its southern boundary, under pillowed clouds and crepuscular skies, South Luangwa National Park offers great game viewing (Zambia’s largest populations of lions; one of the highest leopard densities in Africa) alongside gorgeous landscapes, negligible visitor numbers, and one of the continent’s best walking experiences. It’s a true immersion in untrammeled wilderness, walking between any of Time + Tide’s camps—each only two to four hours apart, while luggage is transferred by road. Do opt to spend at least one night sleeping under the stars.
Beach
Combining the best of the Indian ocean—floating above a kaleidoscope of fish; swimming with turtles—with fascinating wildlife in the verdant forests (lemurs; chameleons; boa constrictors!), the Nose Be archipelago offers ‘bush and beach’ in one, and is relatively undeveloped and totally unmarred by tourism. Lucky then, to find one of the most special lodges on the continent: Time + Tide’s Tsara Komba on Nosy Komba, a forested mountain-island just a short boat ride from Nosy Be. Comprising eight timber cocoons, thatched roofs peeking out the lushly landscaped hillside overlooking a crescent of sand, the glittering ocean backdropped by the green hills of the mainland, the water warm, and calm—it is simply idyllic.
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