AWARD SUCCESS: Our ₹6 Lakh Family Trip to Kenya & Seychelles on Points!
Have you ever dreamed of taking your family on a true "trip of a lifetime"? A journey that combines the wild adventure of an African safari with the pristine, white-sand beaches of a tropical paradise? For most, a trip to the Masai Mara in Kenya and the islands of Seychelles seems like an impossibly expensive dream.
But what if it wasn't?
Welcome to our most detailed case study yet. This is the story of how our family of three took an epic 14-day vacation to Kenya and Seychelles, staying in luxurious Fairmont and Raffles properties, and saved over ₹6 Lakh by using points and miles.
This is proof that with the right strategy, the most extraordinary travel dreams are within your reach.
The Trip at a Glance
Destinations: Masai Mara (Kenya) & Seychelles Duration: 14 Days Travelers: 2 Adults, 1 Child Key Redemptions: Aeroplan, Accor Live Limitless, HDFC Infinia Points Total Value: ~₹8,50,000 Cash Paid: ~₹2,50,000 Total Savings: ~₹6,00,000+
The Arsenal: Our Points & Miles Strategy
To make this trip happen, we leveraged points from two key credit cards:
- Axis Burgundy Magnus: The primary source of our airline points, which were transferred to Air Canada's Aeroplan.
- HDFC Infinia: Used specifically for the hotel booking at the Kempinski in Seychelles.
The Booking Breakdown: Flights & Hotels
The Flights
Our journey involved four separate flight legs:
- Chennai (MAA) → Nairobi (NBO): We booked this one-way Indigo flight via the Axis Travel Edge platform for ₹40,505 for three people.
- Nairobi (NBO) → Mahe (SEZ): This Ethiopian Airlines flight was booked using 40,000 Aeroplan Points + ₹24,000 (392 CAD). Savvy Mentor Note: We got lucky here! The system should have charged 60,000 points, but only debited 40,000, resulting in a savings of 20,000 points.
- Praslin (PRI) → Mahe (SEZ): A last-minute 20-minute flight on Air Seychelles booked for ₹33,787 using Axis Traveledge. A planning miss! We could have avoided this by booking our ferry in advance.
- Mahe (SEZ) → Chennai (MAA): Our journey home on Etihad and Vistara was booked using 75,000 Aeroplan Points + ₹19,000 (302 CAD).
The Hotels & Safari
This is where we extracted massive value.
- Fairmont Mara Safari Club (4 Nights): We booked a full-board package with two game drives daily. The cash price was $2,448. We used 100,000 Accor Points to cover $2,170, paying only $277 (₹23,000) at checkout.
- Fairmont The Norfolk, Nairobi (1 Night): A quick layover. We used 10,000 Accor Points to reduce the bill, paying a balance of ₹12,212.
- Kempinski Seychelles Resort (3 Nights): Booked using 61,621 HDFC Infinia Points + ₹32,400.
- Raffles Seychelles, Praslin (3 Nights): Another Accor redemption where we paid the balance of 500€ (₹45,000) with our card.
The Experience: A Day-by-Day Journey
Here’s a look at how this incredible trip unfolded.
Part 1: The Wilds of Masai Mara (4 Days)
Our adventure began with a 5-hour road trip from Nairobi into the heart of the Lemek Conservatory. We were greeted at the Fairmont Mara Safari Club with traditional Maasai songs. Our riverfront room overlooked a river full of hippos!
The next four days were a whirlwind of magic. Our morning and evening game drives were spectacular—we saw everything! Giraffes, zebras, elephants, and hippos were everywhere. We were incredibly lucky to witness a cheetah hunt on our very first drive. We followed a lioness and her cubs on their hunt and even (awkwardly, for our 5-year-old son!) saw lions mating.
Beyond the drives, we enjoyed a "Bush Breakfast" surrounded by wildlife and visited a local Maasai village to learn about their culture.
Part 2: The Beaches of Seychelles (6 Days)
After a quick overnight layover in Nairobi, we flew to the paradise of Seychelles. Our first stop was the Kempinski Resort on Mahe. The next three days were pure relaxation: swimming in the turquoise sea and the hotel pool. Savvy Mentor Tip: Food and drinks are very expensive in Seychelles resorts. Buy your drinks at the duty-free shop on arrival!
We then took a ferry to the island of Praslin and checked into the stunning Raffles Seychelles, where our private pool villa cascaded down the hillside. The views were breathtaking. From here, we explored the Vallée de Mai to see the famous Coco de Mer coconuts and took a private boat to the incredibly beautiful island of La Digue, which we explored by bicycle for a day.
The Final Tally: The Value Breakdown
So, how much did we really save? Let's look at the approximate cash value of this trip.
| Item | Approximate Cash Price | What We Paid (Points + Cash) |
| International Flights | ~₹3,50,000 | 115,000 Points + ~₹87,000 |
| Fairmont Mara (Safari) | ~₹2,05,000 | 100,000 Accor Pts + ~₹23,000 |
| Other Hotels | ~₹3,00,000 | Points + ~₹90,000 |
| Total Value | ~₹8,55,000 | Points + ~₹2,00,000 |
Total Approximate Savings: Over ₹6,00,000!
Final Thoughts
This trip was a dream come true, made possible by the points game. I know I could have saved even more with better planning, but as I always say, “Enjoy the journey and the process. Don’t just focus on the savings, because we are already winning by playing the points game.”
And finally, hats off to people who love writing these kinds of stories. After 15 years, writing something this long felt like a college exam all over again! But sharing the journey makes it all worthwhile.
