Safari Holidays: 7 Days in the Serengeti and the Seychelles

There’s something mystical about being in the Serengeti, surrounded by a striking silence that’s interrupted only by the wind whistling through your hair, or the roar of a lion in the distance. A short distance away, another untamed paradise awaits. Leave the vast calm of the Serengeti for an island adventure in the Seychelles, a remote archipelago blessed with pristine beaches and lush jungles—the perfect location to complete your holiday in Africa.

A few days on safari followed by an indulgent stay on the beach is the classic African holiday pairing. Experience these two distinct facets of the continent through the seven-day Safari Unplugged itinerary, set in two of the most picturesque Four Seasons retreats. Follow a stint at the luxurious Four Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti in Serengeti National Park with some pampering on the beach at Four Seasons Resort Seychelles: From otherworldly Tanzanian sunrises to kaleidoscopic Indian Ocean sunsets, a Serengeti-and-Seychelles sojourn showcases Eastern Africa at her best.

Day one: Stalking the Big Five in the Serengeti


Serengeti Big Five - Elephants

On African safari, the big five are the must-see animals. Lion, elephant, rhino, leopard and buffalo abound in Serengeti National Park.

The drive from the airstrip to Four Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti is an adventure in itself: “The 45-minute transfer through the park can sometimes turn into a two-hour game drive. It’s not uncommon to see three or four of the Big Five [lion, leopard, buffalo, elephant, rhino] before guests have even reached the lodge,” says Oliver Dreike, manager of the Lodge Discovery Centre. “If migration is under way, it might take even longer—lines and lines of wildebeest cross the road, creating natural roadblocks along the way.”

Once at the Lodge, soothe your weary bones at the Spa, where the signature Kifaa massage incorporates Tanzanian baobab oil to help you re-energise. If there’s still time before your afternoon game drive, go for a dip in the infinity pool overlooking the watering hole—you might even see a few animals from the pool.

Then embark on a thrilling quest to track wildlife in their natural environment. While the famed plains of the Serengeti are aglow in the late-afternoon sun, your skilled guide will point out animals you didn’t even realise were lurking nearby and share personal experiences that will give you a new-found appreciation for the natural realm.

End your evening with a buffet dinner at the Boma Grill, an open-air firepit where you’ll feast on grilled meats and fish or a Zanzibar lobster curry.

Day two: Exploration on the savannah

Watching the first rays of daylight trickle across the African wilderness as you thrash through the bush on a quest for a wildlife sighting is one of the most meditative experiences you’ll ever have. For a comprehensive vantage point, begin the day with a hot-air balloon safari at dawn.

Once back on solid ground, enjoy breakfast on the savannah before returning to the Lodge, where a visit to the Discovery Centre, the place to learn about the Maasai people and the surrounding wildlife and history, is a must. Stretch your legs with an afternoon guided walking safari to get a closer perspective on the animals than you did in the morning, then end the day with a sunset meditation experience at the Spa.

Day three: Follow the migration


Four Seasons Serengeti Bush Dining

Dining in the Serengeti is a first-class affair during the Bush Dining experience.

Get up bright and early the next morning for an all-day game drive that will take you farther afield than you’ve travelled thus far. Staff will pack you a picnic lunch before you set out in your Land Cruiser at first light.

The direction of the drive depends on the migratory patterns of the season—you might head south, to the expansive Serengeti plains where hundreds of thousands of wildebeest gather to give birth each February; or west, to watch them try to cross the crocodile-populated Grumeti River in April or May; or north to the border with Kenya’s Masai Mara region for the legendary Mara River crossings in August and September.

For your final evening in the Serengeti, the Lodge can arrange a romantic bush dinner under the stars.

Day four: Relaxation

Relax by the pool in the morning and enjoy lunch at Maji Bar and Terrace. Afterwards, embark on a final game drive en route to Seronera Airstrip for a short, scenic flight over the Tanzanian Plains to Arusha, where a relaxed evening amongst the picturesque coffee plantations awaits.

Day five: Paradise bound


Four Seasons Seychelles View from Ocean View suite

Retreat to an island paradise in the Seychelles, where turquoise waters rejuvenate the body after a few days in the bush.

After a few days in the wild, you’ll be ready to explore some of Mother Nature’s other creations: her finest ocean beaches. Catch sight of Africa’s highest mountain as you board a short flight to Nairobi from from Kilimanjaro Airport. Once in Nairobi, a connecting flight will take you to the Seychelles, arriving at Four Seasons Resort Seychelles by late afternoon.

Here, you’ll stay in one of 67 tree house–inspired villas on a hill verdant with mango, jackfruit and coconut trees—picture a dense jungle cascading down towards sugary white sands. Those sands and the azure waters beyond are, of course, the main event in the Seychelles. As delicious as the Resort’s plush villas (each with its own plunge pool), Spa and restaurants may be, the property’s finest features are the sweeping views that slope to the ocean.

Once you’ve checked in, head straight for the water. Try stand-up paddleboarding or surf lessons, book a diving course, or just go snorkelling. If you’re not ready to get wet just yet, try teeing off instead: At sunset, the Resort’s beach transforms into a driving range where you can sip a cocktail while sending specially designed, biodegradable balls full of fish food flying into the Indian Ocean.

Day six: R&R on the beach in the Seychelles


Relax on the beach in Seychelles

While your time in the bush was hallmarked by exploration, discovery and activity, the sojourn in the Seychelles is calming, reflective and introspective.

Start the morning with yoga on the beach or at the Spa, followed by a languid breakfast buffet at Zez Restaurant, which is perched on a stunning hillside to offer unobstructed vistas.

To ensure you take home a memorable keepsake, book a painting lesson with local artist Nigel Henri well in advance of your stay. Henri will guide you on a 15-minute hike to the top of a granite plateau, where he’ll help you create your own landscape painting of the ocean expanse below. You can save the canvas as a souvenir, and have postcards made to send home.

Options abound for the rest of the day: Loll by the beach or pool, or, if you’re up for a culinary adventure, try your hand at a Creole cooking class, where Chef Sherla Mathurin will show you how to make octopus salad, Creole fish curry and other local dishes.

Take in the sunset with a cocktail and canapés atop the Spa’s roof, and end your night with a romantic dinner on the beach.

Day seven: Memorable excursion to Mahé


Coco de Mer trees in the Jardin du Roi gardens on Mahé

Trade the baobab trees of the Serengeti for coco de mer trees in the Seychelles.

Spend your last full day on an excursion arranged by the Resort: Choose either a day-long tour of Mahé island in a BMW SUV, which includes a driving tour of the charming capital of Victoria, or a tour of St Anne Marine National Park.

End your stay with dinner back at the Resort’s Kannel, where globally inspired options include Thai beef salad, chicken biryani rice and Singapore-style chilli crab.

Your Journey Begins Here

Select a destination and start exploring

Seychelles Hotel & Resort

Discovering China by High-Speed Train

Travelling China by high-speed train, my young daughter and I were able to experience more of the country in nine days (we travelled from Shanghai to Hangzhou to Beijing) than if we had flown between cities. Not only did we enjoy premium class luxuries and convenience—almost every town in China is connected by the country’s extensive rail system—but views of the surrounding area and cultural interactions within the train gave us a taste of what life is like outside major cities in the Middle Kingdom. China’s trains are praised for their reliability, and we arrived at our destinations on time, almost to the minute.


High-speed trains in China

China has the longest network of high-speed railway in the world, with more than 16,000 kilometres (9,900 miles) of track for trains that can run at more than 200 kilometres (124 miles) an hour.

How to plan a rail journey in China

Our tickets and transportation to and from the train stations were arranged by Four Seasons Concierges before we left home and were conveniently billed to our rooms. Tickets must be purchased within 60 days of departure (58 days if purchased at a station), and it is wise to book in advance—high-speed trains do sell out. However, foreign travellers generally cannot buy tickets remotely, as a Chinese bankcard is necessary unless the purchase is made at a train station in cash, and most booking websites are only in Mandarin.

Which train to choose depends on timetables and preferred class of service. Letters distinguish the various types of trains; C, D and G designate high-speed options. We chose G trains for our journeys because they are the fastest and the only ones with lie-flat business-class seats. Business class is the most luxurious section, with three seats to a row and individual Chinese-language TVs. First-class seats, configured in rows of four, partially recline and are equipped with footrests. Second class has five seats in a row and offers the most basic seating on the train. Regardless of where you sit on a high-speed train, there is a power outlet.


Interior of a high-speed train in China

On our nine-day trip through China by rail, we enjoyed the cleaniness and ample light and space of China’s high-speed trains, which rival airlines for comfort and convenience.

High-speed rail from Shanghai to Hangzhou

After a quick security scan at Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station, I spotted our train number and corresponding boarding area on a huge digital screen. The massive waiting room buzzed with energy as natural light and high ceilings provided a welcome sense of space. Sidetracked by shops and snack stalls lining the perimeter, we forgot to use the VIP lounge (available in some stations) included with our business-class tickets. As queues started to form, a kind man noticed our tickets and pointed to the other side of the waiting room. Each train boards through two gates, labelled “A” and “B,” which are located on opposite sides of the room. Train car number determines which one to queue at, and I had overlooked this detail.

Once on board, I realised that the concierge team at the Hotel had booked us the best seats on the train—first row sight-seeing seats. Sight-seeing seats are located in the first two rows of business class behind each of the train’s two driving coaches, and the windows here are the largest of any coach. The first row also has space at the train’s bulkhead for luggage, which meant that we didn’t have to place anything in the storage compartments between the coaches.

Impressed by comfort that rivals premium classes on some major airlines—our seats even swivelled to face the windows—I relaxed with complimentary bottled water and a snack box for the journey of less than an hour to Hangzhou. The train smoothly stopped at stations along the way, but scenes from the largely undeveloped countryside were blurred when it reached top speeds. Before I knew it, we had reached our destination, and the announcement (in both Mandarin and English) for Hangzhou Railway Station signalled that it was time to gather our luggage and disembark. Staff from Four Seasons Hotel Hangzhou at West Lake were there to receive us in exactly the spot they had indicated by email.

Hangzhou proved to be a gem, highlighted by spring blossoms along West Lake and a private longjing tea-picking tour. My daughter could not get enough of the Hotel’s tranquil gardens and the rustic paths along the lake that we traversed again and again. But after two days, we were back in our sight-seeing seats (booked by the Hangzhou concierge team) and headed for Beijing.

High-speed rail from Hangzhou to Beijing

At just over five hours, our Beijing train journey took almost the same amount of door-to-door travel time as flying would have, but with a few extra benefits. Opting for air-conditioning over a pressurised cabin proved more conducive to our physical well-being. High-speed trains are also affected less by variations in climate and traffic.

With a mother-daughter spa appointment on the books at Four Seasons Hotel Beijing, I wasn’t keen on being late. As it did on the Shanghai to Hangzhou leg, the train sped mostly through rural communities and small cities. To stretch, we walked through almost every coach. Our train was full, but we found an empty table in the dining car and chatted over a soda while others played cards to pass the time. Dining cars sell pre-packaged food, snacks and beverages, and snack carts are periodically ushered through every coach. However, most passengers bring their own food. In case the dining car or meal included with our business class seats (first-class seats receive a meal on long journeys, too) didn’t appeal to my daughter, I had pre-ordered in-room dining from the Hotel, and our lunch order was beautifully packaged for easy transport.

At Beijing South Railway Station, Four Seasons Hotel Beijing staff greeted us at our platform exit and escorted us to the hotel car. We were particularly grateful for this service after seeing the station’s enormous size. Beijing blessed us with blue skies over the Great Wall at Mutianyu, an easy visit to Tiananmen Square, and a Chaoyang acrobat show that finished with a meet-and-greet, arranged by the Hotel, after the performance.

I would do it all over again in a heartbeat. And with high-speed trains also running to and from Guangzhou and Shenzhen, and a route to Hong Kong currently under construction, our next train adventure promises to be as gratifying as the first.

Your Journey Begins Here

Select a destination and start exploring

A Mangrove Tour in Langkawi

Close your eyes and picture a wildlife safari. What do you see? My guess is that the images dancing through your mind involve Africa’s Big Five – lions, leopards, elephants, rhinos and buffaloes – and not the region’s lesser-known Little Five, a contingent of smaller-statured wildlife that includes rhinoceros beetles and elephant shrews.

I had expectations of grandeur myself as I travelled just off the northwest coast of Malaysia and prepared to embark on the Mangrove and Eagles Safari, an Extraordinary Experience on offer at Four Seasons Resort Langkawi. But I soon discovered, amid mangroves and dense geoforests, that observing wildlife on a smaller scale can be just as exhilarating as catching sight of a majestic lion stalking across the Serengeti.


Aerial view of Langkawi mangroves

Langkawi’s labyrinth of mangroves house sea caves, millions-year-old rock formations and myriad wildlife.

The more modest specimens in question here include fish, birds, monkeys and those known by local guides as Langkawi’s Flying Five: airborne lemurs, lizards, frogs, tree snakes and squirrels. They’re just as alluring and elusive as megafauna, and certainly as impressive if you have the chance to see them up close.

Langkawi is the largest in an archipelago of 99 islands, most of them technically sea stacks born some 550 million years ago of tectonic plate movement. Upon these porous limestone rocks today, thick geoforests make for stunning scenery and, more importantly, host a unique ecosystem and range of wildlife. Brushing the Andaman Sea and nestled into the forest on the northern shore of Langkawi is the Resort, the perfect access point to Langkawi’s Kilim Karst Geoforest Park (part of the UNESCO-protected Langkawi Geopark) and the place where our enlightening wildlife adventure begins.

We meet our guide, Farouk, in the Resort’s Geopark Discovery Centre. After a brief introduction to the park and the Resort’s efforts to aid conservation, we board our boat, a motorised Malay pinas, straight off the beach. Bouncing along the shoreline, we get a close-up view of one of the sea stacks, which looms over us as we glide by. It’s a curious sight: sheer walls, thick with foliage, sprouting from the sea.

Up ahead the mangroves come into view, and we slow to a crawl to prevent our wake from damaging the delicate shorelines. Still on open water, we edge up to the fringes of the forest, and on the muddy waterfront Farouk points out fiddler crabs, mudskippers and, in the water, needlefish. As we crane over the side of the boat to get photos, he explains how important the mangroves are to the archipelago; more than 60 percent of the area’s marine life depends on this habitat.


Four Seasons Resort Langkawi Geopark Discovery Centre exterior

Experience the wonder of South Asia’s first UNESCO Geopark at the Resort’s Geopark Discovery Centre, featuring exhibition boards, interactive presentations and authentic displays.

It’s not long before a group of macaques, curious about their new neighbours and likely on the hunt for a free feed, emerge from the branches. Farouk tells us the monkeys are, as one might expect, intelligent creatures unfazed by human contact, even known to board tour boats at times. Farouk is a delightful, animated guide, filling us in on animal behaviour and anecdotes from his excursions. Many of the monkeys, he says, recognise him and adapt their behaviour accordingly, sometimes challenging him for alpha male status.


Macaque in Langkawi

Curious macaques are among the many species of local wildlife you’ll spot during the safari.

Now fully surrounded by mangroves, our boat rounds a bend and enters a broad stretch of brackish water over which white-bellied sea eagles and Brahminy Kites, whose name in Malay gives Langkawi its name, swoop and dive to catch titbits from a feeder boat.

Farouk takes us farther up the river, where it narrows to such an extent that mangroves brush the sides of the boat. We’re in the thick of action here, the sun only dappling the water as we glide through. Someone spots a snake on a branch, but we’re assured it’s at a safe distance; later on a lizard, 2 feet long from nose to tail, breaks from the bank and swims out in front of our bow. We’re thoroughly immersed in this fascinating tropical environment.

Farouk has one more treat up his sleeve for us before we make our way home: We pass through a ravine and into a tunnel-like cave. Not until he switches his torch on and points it upwards do we see that the ceiling is crowded with sleeping bats.

As we skip over the sea back to the Resort, I reflect on the creatures we’ve seen in this unique environment and those that have eluded us, including the Flying Five—that’s the chance you take when you look for animals in their natural habitat. I’m sure of one thing: I’ll have to return.

Your Journey Begins Here

Start planning your getaway to Langkawi

Langkawi Beaches

Explore

The Ultimate California Road Trip

There is a life-size cottage dangling precariously over the edge of the rooftop of Jacobs Hall at the University of California San Diego, and it’s driving me crazy that I can’t get a closer look. It’s my own fault. The viewing hours for South Korean installation artist Do Ho Suh’s Fallen Star are on Tuesday and Thursday, and because I am in San Diego on a weekend, I have to settle for an exterior view of this unusual piece of public art.


Do Ho Suh's Fallen Star in San Diego

Do Ho Suh’s Fallen Star (2012) is part of the Stuart Collection at the University of California at San Diego. It challenges viewers to reflect on the idea of cultural displacement and their surroundings.

San Diego is my first stop on a sun-drenched California road trip, one that has been made all the better with the keys to a silver Ford Mustang, which over the next few days will take me all the way from right here in California’s southernmost city to San Francisco.

San Diego

This city is on the move. While residents remain fixated on a Southern California lifestyle unruffled by smog and congestion, San Diego’s downtown brims with cutting-edge food and nightlife. Petco Park, home to the San Diego Padres, has transformed the once sleepy East Village into a jumble of residential high-rises, and the charming neighbourhoods surrounding Balboa Park are abuzz with activity.

In Mission Hills, for example, I discover The Patio on Goldfinch, an elegant, open-air gem where friends and I toast one another with Goldfinch Mules, made with house-infused pineapple-and-vanilla-bean tequila, while sharing sashimi-grade ahi poke tacos and scallop crudo decorated with sliced kumquat. Afterwards, we duck into nearby Cinema Under the Stars, where the weatherproof retractable dome ensures the comfort of film lovers year round as they swoon over classic films like Casablanca and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.


Salt roasted beet bruschetta at The Patio on Goldfinch

The Patio on Goldfinch serves dishes—such as Salt Roasted Beet Bruschetta, with cambozla blue cheese and rocket arugula—that create memorable dining experiences.

Huntington Beach


Huntington Beach Pier in California.

Known as a west coast surf mecca, Huntington Beach draws in visitors with the ideal waves and picturesque views along its famous pier.

As I inch suburb to suburb through Orange County, I’m listening to Lana Del Rey’s “West Coast” on repeat. Along the way, I stop at the spindly and picturesque Huntington Beach Pier, where cocksure surfers suit up and millennials play volleyball. Amid double strollers and amateur shutterbugs, I stop mid-pier to inhale the salty air.

Los Angeles

The City of Angels beckons to me with its tangle of strip malls, clogged freeways and a populace constantly in search of reinvention. However, none of this is on display in exquisite Rancho Palos Verdes, where twisty, scenic byways offer moments of tranquillity en route to LA. It’s here that I discover Wayfarer’s Chapel, a glass church that was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright’s son Lloyd Wright. It is an architectural jaw-dropper of unusual angles and geometric shapes. Alas, if I tiptoe any closer I’ll officially be crashing the wedding that is in process.


Lloyd Wright's Wayfarer’s Chapel

Tucked in a grove of redwood trees, Wayfarer’s Chapel was designed by Lloyd Wright and is a favourite for local weddings.

A mile west of downtown LA, I find another kind of respite at Wi Spa, a traditional Korean-style bathhouse where the lead guitarist of a certain legendary rock band and I are both taking a steam. In addition to its nirvana-inducing saunas, showers, nap rooms, and hot and cold tubs, family-friendly Wi also offers co-ed minerals saunas, an on-site deli, a fitness centre, and full-service massage, skin care and nail treatment.

Dinner brings me and a friend to Night Market + Song, a nondescript storefront in Silverlake that dishes out stellar Northern Thai street food dishes like fatty pig neck and Isaan-style catfish larb. Most dishes tingle with intense flavour and heat.

Santa Barbara

As Los Angeles fades away in my rear-view mirror the next morning, I decide my drive to San Francisco will bypass the spine-tingling twists and turns of Pacific Coast Highway in favour of the faster, but no less scenic, Highway 101. The first stop is languid Santa Barbara, where the bahn mi sandwich I order at the Lilliputian eatery Blue Owl provides the requisite fuel for the journey ahead.

The small Santa Ynez Valley city of Solvang proves an amusing diversion. Known as “Little Denmark,” the town is close to the edge of taking itself too seriously with its reliance on windmills, thatched roofs and gingerbread architecture, but it’s a worthwhile place to spend a few hours. Solvang is only a stone’s throw from kooky OstrichLand USA, a working farm that allows visitors to feed the big birds, whose necks look like palm trees swaying in the breeze and who happily snatch every bit of seed from your hands.


OstrichLand USA in Santa Barbara

Experience life on a working farm at OstrichLand USA by taking a guided tour of the property and feeding the ostriches and emus that call it home.

Palo Alto

Home to Stanford University, leafy Palo Alto has a studious vibe. My favourite attraction in the area is about 10 miles (16 kilometres) up the highway from campus. FiLoLi Gardens is an early 20th-century country estate with gardens stretching over 654 acres (265 hectares). The home itself is filled with English antiquities, but there really is no finer way to pass a few hours than to stroll the perfectly landscaped grounds.


Tulips in FiLoLi gardens

Stroll through beautiful blooms on FiLoLi’s 654 acre historic estate in Palo Alto. The property’s house and formal gardens were constructed in the early 20th century.

San Francisco

By sunset, the City by the Bay is within my grasp. I’m booked for a reunion with friends at Soma Streat Food Park, where I find the city’s nascent tech crowd swaddled in hoodies and noshing from delicious food trucks as the wind kicks up. There is stand-up comedy happening tonight, which is a nice touch. Another San Francisco treat new to me is Urban Putt, an indoor mini-golf course in the Mission where each hole offers players a dizzying Rube Goldberg machine for the ball. (Goldberg was born in San Francisco.) It’s a blast.


Indoor mini-golf at Urban Putt in San Francisco.

Stop in for fun at San Francisco’s Urban Putt—an indoor mini-golf course that will bring out the kid in everyone.

My journey comes to its conclusion literally at land’s end. During my last night in town, I find myself at Marla Bakery in the Outer Richmond, a gusty oceanfront neighbourhood that touches the mighty Pacific.


Marla Bakery in San Francisco

At Marla Bakery, snag a coveted seat at Sunday Supper and taste dishes passed down through generations of family cooks.

Every Sunday night, the restaurant is open only to the few who have secured a reservation in advance. They are seated at a single, communal table and treated to a five-course farm-to-table dinner that tonight is inspired by a rabbit’s last meal. Tonight over dinner, I share with friends my many adventures that have taken me from the Golden State’s southernmost city to its most famous peninsula—a trip that has perfectly captured the romance of the road.

Your Journey Begins Here

Select a destination and start exploring

pool at Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills