The World is a Book

Our second trip to Kenya had us meeting our NGO friends in Diani Beach to do a training session at a resort. We chose this location because it’s only about an hour from the border, and at the time Tanzania was on a higher safety alert than Kenya, so the university preferred that we stay out of Tanzania.

We flew into Nairobi, spent a few days in the city, and then met up with our wonderful guide from the previous year. Willy and his safari truck took us safely down to Diani Beach via three national parks — a journey that turned into one of the highlights of the trip.

Our first stop was Amboseli National Park

This park is absolutely stunning, largely because of its views of Mount Kilimanjaro rising in the background which when the clouds clear, it feels almost unreal. Amboseli is famous for its elephants, and we saw huge herds moving slowly across the plains, often incredibly close to the vehicle. The landscape is a mix of dusty plains and unexpected wetlands fed by underground springs, so you get a surprising variety of wildlife—everything from elephants and zebras to birds gathering around the water. It felt open, expansive, and very “classic safari.”

Next we stopped at Tsavo West national park

Tsavo West has a completely different feel and is more rugged and varied, with volcanic landscapes, rocky hills, and greener vegetation. One of the highlights here is Mzima Springs, where crystal-clear water bubbles up and attracts hippos and crocodiles. There’s even an underwater viewing area where you can watch them glide past, which feels slightly surreal. The terrain makes spotting animals a bit more of a challenge than in Amboseli, but that also adds to the sense of adventure as you feel like you’re really exploring. Willy also raced around across dirt roads when there was a sighting farther away. Fun.

And finally, we drove through and stayed inTsavo East National Park:

Tsavo East is vast, dry, and dramatic, with wide open plains and that deep red earth that seems to coat everything including the famous “red elephants” who dust themselves in it. Wildlife here is easier to spot again because of the openness, and we saw a few herds moving across the landscape. The Yatta Plateau, one of the longest lava flows in the world, stretches across the park and adds to the feeling that this place operates on a massive scale. It felt wilder and less polished like nature was fully in charge.

After all that, arriving at Diani Beach felt like a reward. We were able to relax for a few days, enjoy the ocean, and shift gears from safari dust (we were pretty grubby) to coastal heat while still getting to do meaningful work with our NGO partners.

Wow. That’s my one-word descriptor for our time in the Masai Mara. So many animals and such an incredibly beautiful place.

Our visit to this incredible national park was unforgettable. Charlotte and I were up before sunrise to catch the early game drives, and it was worth every bleary-eyed moment. We saw elephants, lions, cheetahs, and even a leopard prowling behind a tree and following prey.

The wide savannahs stretched endlessly, and the golden light made everything feel almost surreal. We had a picnic under an acacia tree complete with a very large scavenger bird eating up the whole chicken pieces our guide threw to it. Near to where we ate was President Obama’s acacia tree where he apparently also had a picnic. We felt special.

This trip had us seeing the Big Six animals which totally surprised me as I had no idea we would be so lucky. And not just glimpses as we had in South Africa but full on sightings of so many. In fact the lions surrounded our jeep as it had shade and I was really glad we had windows to slowly close a little. They were so close I could have put my hand out and easily touched them (of course I would not). Slightly daunting to have this many lions surrounding us though. But fun.

It’s very corny sounding but the Masai Mara wasn’t just a safari—it was a reminder of how wild and beautiful the world still is.

Charlotte and I were able to spend a week in Kenya on our way to Zambia. I suggested the trip as her high school graduation trip but reality is, I have wanted to go there since I was a child and avidly watching Daktari and reading Joy Adamson books etc. I think most British children grew up with this mystique of Kenya.

We started out in Nairobi for a couple of days to get over jet lag (we only came from the UK but it was still a long trip) and also ended our journey there. We visited a few places such as the Nairobi National Museum and reptile center next to it. These were interesting and certainly the halls of stuffed animals were enlightening as to the range of wildlife in the country. Charlotte was pushed to hold some small snakes and although she’s smiling, she wasn’t overly thrilled as one of them did pee on her and it had quite a smell.

But the main event was meeting our tour guide who drove us all over and stayed with us for the days we were on safari. We first went to Lake Naivasa and Crescent Island.

Lake Naivasha/Crescent Island was a peaceful stop for Charlotte and me during our travels in Kenya. Just a couple of hours from Nairobi, it offered a relaxing break from the city without a long drive. We took a boat ride across the lake and saw dozens of hippos lounging near the shore, along with fish eagles and pelicans swooping overhead. One of the highlights was spotting giraffes and zebras wandering freely in a nearby sanctuary—it felt like a real-life safari without the crowds. The cool breeze off the water, wide open skies, and quiet moments made it a memorable part of our trip.

Lake Nakuru was another one of the highlights of our time in Kenya. Charlotte and I spent the day exploring the national park that surrounds the lake, spotting rhinos (both black and white!), water buffalo, and even a few elusive lions lounging in the shade. The flamingos weren’t out in full force like in the past, but the landscape—framed by acacia trees and wide-open skies—was still stunning.