My Kenya Safari Experience

Barbara Taylor on 18 May 2011
I must tell you about the most incredible experience that I had during May 2011. I was extremely lucky to be invited to attend a travel agents educational programme in Kenya organised by Somak Holidays.

Our journey started at London Heathrow with a Kenya Airways flight to Nairobi. On arrival in Kenya we were taken to the private Somak lounge to freshen up before our 7 hour road trip to the Ashnil Samburu Camp. This tented camp is located in the Samburu National park which would be our home for the next 2 nights. The luxury tented accommodation was fantastic. I could hear many wild animals during the night but felt very safe as our camp was surrounded by electric fences and there were also wardens on duty. Imagine my delight in the morning when I unzipped the tent to find an elephant just metres away….what a way to start the day!!

We did game drives every day at Samburu and saw elephants, giraffes, gazelle, water buck, zebras, lions, hyenas to name but a few! The roads were pretty bumpy but the anticipation for what we would see next was intense! After 2 nights at Samburu we made our way by road to Lake Naivasha Simba Lodge where we stayed for one night. The highlight of this accommodation is that the hotel is situated right on the shores of the Lake where hippos can be seen in abundance and bird life is incredible.

The next stop was Ashnil Mara Camp in the Masai Mara. Once again we stayed for 2 nights and participated in more game drives. The landscape was so different here. The plains were filled with long grass and the odd tree whereas in Samburu there were many more trees and shrubs making it more difficult to spot the wild life.

After a very tiring but exhilarating 5 nights we flew back in a 12 seater light aircraft from Keekorok airstrip to Nairobi where we once again were able to use the Somak lounge to shower and change ready for our return flight back to Heathrow Airport.

I was able to visit many game lodges and camps along the way and realised that Kenya has something to offer all kinds of tastes. Even the children have activities arranged in some of the resorts to help them understand the culture and outdoor life.

I will never forget this wonderful experience thanks to Somak holidays and feel incredibly lucky to have had this opportunity.