Having spent some 5 months in Kenya at the beginning of 2006, largely on the coast, I have always wanted to see the Masai Mara and actually go on safari in Kenya to see how it really compares to other safaris I have done around Africa. We arrived in the Mara and headed for Naibor Camp which is set on the edge of the Talek River amongst lush riverine bush and instantly I loved it. It has a fantastically bush feel to it yet it was very comfortable and the spacious cream coloured tents made a refreshing change. I was struck by the lushness of the Mara and even more so by the lack of other vehicles we saw on our game drives, not what I was expecting. They obviously thought very carefully about the relocation of this camp and it has paid off. Within 5 minutes from camp on our first game drive we saw hyena and two lioness with a male lion….and no other cars! Admittedly it wasn’t the busiest time of year in the Mara (ie. not migration time). We didn’t actually get very far on that game drive as there was so much to see around the camp area, but we did make it up to a hill for our sundowner where we had the most fantastic 360 degree view of the Mara (and apparently we were looking out over the plains at 3 rhino as well, but I couldn’t make them out, but good to know they are around!) which was very special.

The next stop was Shompole which is the only lodge in the whole Shompole Conservancy on the side of the Nguruman Escarpment in south eastern Kenya overlooking the Great Rift Valley and Shompole Mountain. Between the Amboseli and Masai Mara parks it is just north of the Tanzanian border and Lake Natron. It is probably my favourite place I have ever visited in Africa (I do tend to say this after each trip!), but it really is very special and dramatic scenery all around. I don’t know if it’s the water flowing through the spacious, open, thatched roofed rooms or the minimal feel created by the use of fig tree wood and white textiles or the people – I certainly did not want to leave and felt I could have happily stayed there for a whole week. The work being done there for the conservation of animals and the welfare of the Masai tribe is also a big plus and the game seems to be trickling back around the lodge so we were thrilled to see 3 cheetah and also 4 very young lion cubs (a slightly hair raising moment as we seemed to be unknowingly wedged in the bush imbetween the mummy and her babies). Here the variety of activities is a real bonus and we enjoyed a morning having our cooked breakfast in the fig tree wood and then a bit of kayaking on the river to work it all off – I didn’t have time to test out the mountain bikes but they were a hit with the other guests. Night drives are popular here too – we went on one after supper and found a rather lonely lioness prowling around! A visit to Lake Natron takes you to even more stunningly dramatic scenery littered with flamingo and pelicans and vast mud flats with the Loita Hills in the background. I will definitely be going back there and will be surprised when I stay somewhere else that beats it!

And then to finish it off it was time to hit the coast – and Funzi Keys. After the luxurious simplicity of Shompole, Funzi definitely feels more East African in terms of decor and set amongst the mangroves the Keys is a very peaceful coastal spot. The rooms are huge and have everything you need in them and the owners, Alessandro and Claudia, are your charming hosts and the range of seafood on offer is fantastic and you can eat it where you want and when you want which is great for those wanting to go off and explore the nearby sand banks on the catamaran or head off into the marine park for some snorkelling or diving, or even some fishing through the mangroves. We also had a lovely outing on the dhow to watch the sun set. Nothing is too much trouble here and our last (cooked!) breakfast on the sand bank was a real treat.

To see more of Kenya like this was such a joy – it is such a beautiful country with so much to do and see and despite it’s popularity I was over the moon to see that you can still stay in places where you simply don’t see another car or tourist.