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K
enya is the original home of
the safari and in my opinion is
the most romantic of all
African countries. This was
my first ever experience of the continent,
encounter with African wildlife and the
magic found here. It was love at first sight,
smell and sound.
Kenya is a place of legend where proud
warrior tribes blend with the names of
intrepid explorers of a bygone era and
where chic colonial homesteads ensure the
allure of the country is truly enduring.
The beauty and diversity of Kenya’s
landscapes with their never-ending
horizons are one of its greatest highlights
and when combined with the
extraordinary game viewing in parks such
as the Masai Mara, Samburu, Amboseli or
Laikipia, it is easy to see why the country
remains so popular and engaging. Sleeping
under canvas in exclusive tented camps,
staying in privately owned bush
homesteads in the remote wilderness or
merely lounging in a hammock on the
powder white beaches of the coast,
Kenya’s appeal is unique.
My trip to Kenya was a whirlwind of
adventure beginning with a sensational
hike through the equatorial forests and
Jurassic flora and fauna around the
foothills of Mt Kenya. The hike
culminated in the thrill of climbing
‘Kirinyaga’ the mountain of whiteness, to
the summit of Kenya’s snow-capped
highest peak (5,248m or 17,058 ft).
Following the ‘high’ of the climb I
travelled overland far North towards
Ethiopia and through the blistering heat of
the vast arid northern desert in the hope
of palaeontological discovery. The
shimmering mirage of the turquoise Jade
Sea, better known as Lake Turkana, sky
rocketed into view through the haze. It
was a thrill to plunge into the lake’s cooling
waters sending small Nile Crocodiles
plunging for the depths! One of the
primary reasons for visiting this area was
to fulfil an anthropological ambition to
visit the cradle of humankind, with its
abundance of hominid fossils and the site
where a 1.6 million year old complete
Homo erectus skeleton was discovered.
An unforgettable part of the itinerary
was a four day camel safari through part of
the Great Rift Valley, following the sandy
flow of dried up river beds. We spent the
evenings feasting on delicious local
ingredients conjured into appetising meals
over campfires and dancing to the drum
rhythms of the ‘jumping dance’ with our
Masai guides and sleeping out in the open
under the stars and most magical night sky.
The anticipation of big game spotting
was mounting but first yet another of
Kenya’s sights presented itself at Lake
Naivasha as every imaginable exotic water
bird, together with a pink cloudy vision of
thousands of flamingos covered the
surface of the water.
Finally, the day of my first ever game
drive had arrived – I was at The Laikipia
Plateau. The Reserve covers more than
two million acres of wilderness with
habitats ranging from dusty plains to
verdant grasslands and rocky hills and
watered by two great rivers, the area offers
some wonderful big game viewing all
under the steely gaze of the snow-capped
Mt Kenya. With adrenalin surging at the
anticipation of spotting the ‘Big Five’, the
open sided Landrover set off to roam the
sweeping plains and gorges teeming with
game. The ever changing view from the
vehicle brought increasing levels of
excitement as buffalo, gazelle, Grevy’s
Zebra, lion, oryx, gerenuk, ostrich,
hartebeest and rhino were spotted.
Elephants foraged amongst dense clumps
of palm and a family of wart hog frisked
around an isolated watering hole. At
sunset more predators appeared with a
leopard padding through the bush on a
hunting mission. I had hoped to see the
endangered wild dog – but maybe next
time!
In a perfect world my next visit to
Kenya will combine three life-long dreams
all of which are ‘must do before I die’
experiences. The first is to travel by hot air
balloon over the Masai Mara and marvel at
the wildebeest migration in full flow. The
second is to head off into the wilderness
on horseback and gallop across one of the
country’s rugged savannahs teeming with
big game. However, the third and most
yearned for is to meet the sixth member
of the ‘big six’ the mountain gorilla which
is accessible via a short air hop to
neighbouring Rwanda for what is surely
the world’s most compelling wildlife
experience of all … to hike through the
lush rainforests of the Virunga Volcanoes
to track and meet our closest cousin, the
mountain gorilla, in his natural
environment.
If you would like
to visit Africa
for some grit,
glamour or
both, itineraries
can be tailor-
made for you by
World Odyssey
– for more information on anything to do
with Kenya, Rwanda or anywhere on the
planet, please visit www.world-
odyssey.com – follow us @World_Odyssey
and/or Facebook or call one of our travel
specialists for advice on: 01905 731373.
Travel
KENYAIN SEARCH OF THE BIG SIX
Self-professed adventuress
Lucy Garbutt journeyed to East
Africa in search of Africa’s safari
tiara and remains enchanted
forever by the ultimate
‘Out of Africa’ experience
Saruni Mara
Mt Kenya
A fantastic way to
explore the wild,
rugged bushland and
get close to the wildlife
is on a camel safari
Maasai tribal danceMale African Lion
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