My Kenyan safari experience
Anyone that knows me, knows that in addition to travel, my other true passion in life is animals! I just love them - big or small, wild or domestic I have a fascination with them, how they live and survive in the world and also the impact we have on their populations and ability to exist on a day to day basis. Growing up our house would often be referred to as a zoo and I'm a sucker for an animal in need - the number of strays and waifs I've brought home over the years was too much for my poor parents to bear! And the tears I've cried over every animal program you can imagine from Pet Rescue to any David Attenborough (my personal favourite!)
Anyway I decided that I needed to celebrate my 30th birthday in style and as far away from a "surprise" party as I could get. I'd just got my annual bonus in work and I was determined to use it on something other than bills and it occurred to me that I love animals so why had I never thought I could go on safari - it seemed like the obvious choice and after consulting a colleague who had done about 4 in different countries, my mind was set on Governors Camp in the Masai Mara. A visit to a couple of high street travel agents left me uninspired with one even telling me that Kenya wasn't safe but South Africa would be a better option for me (conveniently they didn't sell Kenya but did sell South Africa.) They weren't changing my mind though so I made my first ever visit to a specialised agent who couldn't have been more helpful and the next thing I knew, i was booked. I was so excited I would actually be spending my birthday on game drives! Let the countdown begin....
Arriving in style A 9 hour flight from Heathrow brings you to Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta International airport and once we got to Nairobi we had a very short transfer across town to the airstrip where we were to meet our Governors Camp plane to take us to the Masai Mara. These planes are tiny and only hold 12 people max which is a strange sensation when you're used to the Airbuses and Boeing's commercial airlines use but I have to say i found the transfer smooth as anything and within 1 hour, we had landed and had already started animal spotting!
Camping with a difference When you book a safari you book incredible luxury and top of the range facilities and Governor's Camp was no exception. My favourite part about these camps are that they are open with no fencing and the animals are free to roam at any time, day or night - this was quickly proven by Blossom, the elephant, who came daily with her family to take fruit from the trees or the family of warthogs who lived near our tent and joined us for lunch every day. Breakfast and lunch were served in the open every day and we'd frequently be eating lunch, watching a herd of zebra stroll past munching on their own lunch. This was my favourite part of the camp we stayed in but also the tents are the upmost in luxury - think 5* hotel room under a canvas with a daily wake up call of tea or coffee and biscuits before your first game drive of the day and a turn down service at night with a hot water bottle provided - yes really, you'd be surprised how chilly it can get there at night! During your downtime you can access the spa or the bar but my favourite thing to do was sit on our veranda over looking the Mara river and watch the hippos and crocodile down below - even when I had to witness one carry a poor gazelle for several hours before he'd eat it! The vast array of butterflies and birds that appeared when I was sitting there in the afternoons was amazing to see!
The drives We had 3 drives a day and also went to a Masai tribe village one day as well as breakfast in the bush, allowing you to go out further afield to look for the shyest of the Big 5 - the Rhino. Each drive was unique and the knowledge that the drivers have of the individual animals on the plain blew my mind as well as their incredible knack for knowing where to look for the animals too! By the end of our first day we had 3 of the Big 5 ticked off with only the leopard and rhino left to appear. We also had the luck of seeing a baby elephant who was no more than 2 weeks old running around trying to learn how to use his trunk - you don't see that in your average zoo! By the end of day 2 we'd had another incredible day and been so close to the Marsh Pride Lions and their cubs, I was feeling a little emotional! Day 3 finally brought about the elusive leopard and what a show she put on, carrying her lunch proudly past us and we were still witnessing the tail end of the migration, watching hundreds of wildebeest and zebra cross the Mara at full speed! This left the Rhino the only animal who had successfully avoided us but we still had day 4 so we were confident. Sadly, it wasn't to be and we missed the rhino but I took this as a sign that I need to go back and complete my list of the Big 5 to see while in Kenya! On day 4, it was time to move on to our next stop in Zanzibar for a beach break but that's a story for another day!
All in all this was truly a holiday that I will remember for the rest of my life and is one to be repeated over and over again - there's no 2 days the same so you'll never get bored so if you are even thinking about a safari just do it- you will NOT regret it! As for me? Kenya will always be special in my heart and don't worry Mr Rhino, I'll see you again very soon....