Our Holiday to Africa by Michelle Hearne

Hello Charmaine

What can I say, your magic worked once again to create another incredible holiday. Thank you so much for making this happen and looking after us every step of the way.

Upon arriving at Nairobi airport our driver, Yusaf was there and waiting with a smile, despite it the time being about 4 a.m. We were delighted to find we had our own private Land Rover which was so comfortable and had plenty of room. Yusaf was delightful and could not do enough for us, making sure that our requests were fulfilled (even my son's request to see Cheetahs!).

Our first destination after arriving at Nairobi airport was Amboselli, at the foothills of Mount Kilamanjiro. But even before we arrived, during our transfer time the wildlife could already be seen, in particular a tower of giraffes was often seen and the odd zebra. Sopa resort was fantastic and whilst off the beaten track had all the comforts you could wish for. It is not far from the Amboselli National Park which headed off to after lunch and dip in the pool. What can I say, the wildlife was incredible, and we were blessed to see a herd of elephants, zebras, a lioness (which was very exciting to track), gazelles ... the list goes on.

The savannah was dry and so it was a contrast to then head to the beautiful Lake Navaisha which was amazing. A breath-taking resort which boasted wildlife within the grounds - who would have thought I would be sitting with a cup of tea on the patio of our lodge and watching giraffees and zebras walk past. It was very safe, security fencing meant they could not get up close to the lodges. There were also hippos which mainly came onto land at night and so security personnel escorted you to the restaurant (giving them the opportunity to tell some funny stories) in the evenings and back again.

Before we knew it, we arrived at our next destination, Masai Mara National Park, which was once again a totally different landscape, the lush landscape was a vision. There were so many animals and incredible adventures tracking and watching the wildlife around us (the top of the Land Rover raised up so we could stand up to see). The animals we saw exceeded all our expectations; elephants, zebras, hyenas, gazelles, water buffaloes, wild boar, a leopard, cheetahs (one had a just caught dinner which was a rare thing to see), a pride of lions (cubs, 4 generations of lions and lionesses), hippos, a crocodile, more giraffes and so many more animals including a huge variety of birds. This national park was our favourite 🙂.

After 5 days of game drives and driving to 3 different resorts to experience 3 very different types of safaris we were ready to relax at our beach resort in Mombasa. A stunning resort with an equally stunning beach and two huge pools and plenty of recreational activities to indulge in (I even participated in the water aerobics 🙂) if you wished. Otherwise, plenty of rest and relaxation.

At every resort the food was tasty and plentiful, and the staff were so friendly and welcoming. I couldn't recommend this experience more. With two children aged 9 and 12 I was concerned they would find the travel too much, but they were fantastic and didn't moan. I would warn you though there is a lot of time on the road, 1600 km in 5 days plus an internal flight on top of the international flights there and back, and so if you are travelling with children make sure they have other things to keep them occupied apart from the view. Also, the game drives can be very bumpy at times, and whilst exhilarating for us and which added to our enjoyment, it may not be for everyone.

Thank you again Charmaine. When we have saved our pennies we will be in coming to you to help us with our next adventure 🙂.

Best wishes

Michelle