It is seven years since my last in depth visit to Kenya and I was pleasantly surprised by the high standard of accommodation.
I started my trip in Nairobi at the House of Waine, where the staff are charming and it is the perfect antidote to an international flight. I also went to see the giraffes at the nearby Giraffe Centre and went to some beautiful shops where I bought some wonderful local bags and belts.
The following morning I flew up to Meru, to Elsa's Kopje, which is set on a kopje (hill) in a stunning area. Here I went for a walk with my tracker Francis and later visited a local Boran Village, which is not a tribe that I have come across at close quarters before.
I then flew in a private charter to Shaba, to Joy's Camp, which overlooks an underground spring and hence the surrounds are lush and green. This is a new camp and the 'joy' of Joy's Camp is that there are no other camps nearby so you have game drives to yourself. I was told that it was possible to go and visit (as a Guinea Pig) a local salt mining operation. The drive was around two hours and as we walked over the hill we came across a beautiful crater, with cows and goats being taken down to water. The 'miners', mostly women, were old and wizened working in harsh conditions mining salt. At first they were somewhat suspicious of us but eventually, we soon ended up getting on and having quite a laugh.
From Joy's I flew, again in a private charter, to Laikipia, where I stayed at Sabuk. Run by Verity, an old Kenyan hand who has spent her life working as a guide, many of Sabuk's staff have been there for over 30 years. I went camel riding, had a surprise breakfast in the bush and went to visit a local Samburu village, which is only visited by guests of Sabuk, so it wasn't touristy and the fact that the Samburu carried on dancing after the "tourists" had left was great to see.
I was then driven a short way to Loisaba, which although nearby to Sabuk, offers many different experiences and has completely different views. Here I went quad biking alongside zebra, went walking (practically running to keep up) with a Samburu warrior, visited the local nursery school, was lucky enough to go hot air ballooning and slept out under the stars on the 'star beds'.
After Laikipia I was flown down to the Mara, where I stayed at Saruni, which is run by a charming Italian, Riccardo, who spent many holidays in Kenya and loved it so much that he decided to set up his own lodge. I stayed at Cottars 1920s, where another guest flew in, with his pilot in his helicopter. We got chatting over dinner and I was invited to go on a helicopter safari the following morning, over the Mara, the Serengeti and the Migration! We also popped down onto a mountain for morning coffee! After Cottars I went to Naibor, where I had some fantastic game viewing, although there were too many vehicles for my liking.
After lots of great game viewing it was time to fly from the Mara, back to Nairobi Wilson and then on to Lamu, where I was collected by boat and taken to Manda Bay, which really is the perfect ending to a safari. A visit to Lamu town and Shela are a must as you get a real feel for the local culture.
I ended my trip at Shompole, which is on the edge of Lake Natron. This is serious luxury and again is a perfect start or end to any safari. Every room has a private plunge pool and stunning views. Game viewing is on offer, as it a visit to Lake Natron, which was full of thousands of pink flamingoes. I also visited a local village, which was purely one man, his two wives and their nine children. They were all so welcoming, so friendly and so happy, although they only lived in incredibly basic huts.
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Steppes Travel specialise in luxury holidays, and tailor made holidays
