The holiday we chose was the Cheetah Safari Serena First Class with Kuoni.

Our flights were with Kenyan Airways whom I have flown with in the past and found pretty good, they were on time and food and service reasonable.

On arrival we were met and transferred to the Nairobi Serena Hotel, the only hotel in Kenya to belong to the Leading Hotels of the World.. Service at the Serena is extremely good, nothing is too much trouble, they are helpful, attentive and a hotel which I would recommend to anyone. Whilst in Nairobi we went to Carnivore; an African restaurant where you can sample meats from Crocodile to Zebra and anything in between.

The next day we joined our travelling companies and journeyed to Samburu Game Reserve and the Samburu Serena. A hotel with thatched bungalow type accommodation scattered along the river. The main area of the hotel and restaurant being open plan with fabulous views. Samburu is home to the big five and to my joy I saw my first leopard. Having been to several parts of Africa before this is the first time that I have seen this elusive creature, and well worth the wait. At the various game lodges it is usual to have a game drive in the morning and another in the afternoon but this can vary depending on the area. The next day we set off to the Serena Mountain Lodge at Mount Kenya National Park, a building on stilts made of local wood, once visited by Princess Elizabeth. This is built over a salt lick and an ideal vantage point from which to watch animals as they come to drink. All the rooms face the salt lick and if you notify the resident wildlife ranger of any particular animals that you want to see he will knock on your door at night if they appear. You can of course stay up all night to watch for animals if you prefer as they have low lights around the grounds.

An early start the next day as we had a long drive to Lake Nakuru, although a lunch stop was made at Thomson’s Falls, arriving Lake Nakuru Lodge late afternoon. Lake Nakuru is famed for it’s flocks of flamingo and you can drive very close to them. A lesser known fact is that the area is also famous for it’s white Rhino, and if you don’t know the difference between a white and black Rhino give me a call. Lake Nakuru Lodge overlooks the plains and most of it’s rooms have plains view. That evening we had entertainment provided by a local choir.

Finally down to my favourite game park the Masai Mara. Previously I had stayed at Little Governors and Governors; both of which are alongside the river but this time we stayed at the Mara Serena, an odd looking hotel from the brochure but one which fits in well with its surrounds. Perched high on the cliff the hotel overlooks the vast Mara and animals come and visit the hotel watering hole. All the rooms face the plains, and some like ours overlooked the water hole. It was from here that we took our hot air balloon ride. We had to get up before dawn to drive to the launch site but is it well worth the effort. As you ascend you see the sunrise, and see the animals below who are completely unaware that you are there. After a while you gradually come back down to earth and land only to be served a champagne breakfast in the middle of nowhere, a very exhilarating experience.

The next day was our last and after driving back to Nairobi with lunch en route at the Lord Erroll restaurant we caught our Kenyan Airways flight back to London.

Kenya is a magnificent country, the people are friendly and their hospitality warm. It is difficult to say when the best time to go is because it also depends on which part of Kenya you want to visit. We went in November which for the Mara is not the best time as the migration that would have taken place in August/September time also takes with it the predators. All that is left are the stragglers and young ‘cats’ which have not yet found their way. My favourite area is The Mara and I personally prefer April time when the Mara is full of animals, but it is also the beginning of the rainy season.