A lifetime of memories (Kenya)

Member Name: shodge

Product:	Kenya
Date:	29/08/01 (126 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Very well organised, A very memorable holiday, The Kenya coast is on the indian ocean as is places like Mauritius, but cheaper

Disadvantages: A lot of travelling, Lots of jabs and tablets required

We were undecided as to where to go for our honeymoon but we finally decided upon was Kenya.
After browsing various brochures we finally decided upon one particular package deal.
It involved one night in Nairobi, six nights on safari, then seven nights on the Kenya coast.
The flight was just over 8 hours and was fine and we arrived in Nairobi as per our schedule.
We arrived at our hotel for the night, The Mayfair Court hotel. The facilities were lovely but the rooms not great. We had the afternoon free to explore the town. A group of people went to a restaurant called "Carnivores". Apparently this is worth a visit. It serves mainly meat as the name suggests, game meat a speciality. A flag is placed on your table and waiters bring platters of meat around to all the tables until you surrender and put your flag down.
The next morning we were split into groups of eight. These would be our travelling groups for the entire safari, and we travelled to our first lodge in the Samburu.
We arrived at the Buffalo Springs Lodge and we were very pleasantly surprised. The sleeping quarters were individual huts, complete with your own patio overlooking the Samburu Game reserve. The restaurant was buffet style and very extensive, the bar was comfortable and there was a swimming pool.
The following day we had two game drives, one early morning before breakfast, then one after lunch to avoid the hottest part of the day. The experience of seeing elephants, zebra and leopard for the first time in their natural habitat was amazing and the animals did not seem phased by our presence.
The following day we drove to the Outspan Hotel.
We were only at the Outspan for lunch; we then drove through the Aberdare’s to Treetops. Our vehicle stopped nearly at the top of the valley and we had to walk the rest with a guide in front armed with a rifle, very exiting.
Treetops was amazing, we had dinner then prepared ourselves for a nights g
ame watching. We saw many animals at close hand and had a very enjoyable time.
After breakfast the following morning we drove to the rift valley for our third lodge at Lake Nakuru. On a game drive to the lake we experienced flamingos and rhinos!
After dinner, we watched a wildlife video then after a few drinks in the bar, bed.
The following morning was back on the vehicle and a drive to our final lodge at the Masai Mara. We stayed here for two nights, and with game drives during both days we managed to see all the animals we wanted, including cheetah, lions, giraffe, warthog, hippo and many more, Including the migration of water buffalo.
We then drove back to Nairobi where we took a flight to Mombassa. After a drive to Watamu we arrived at our hotel, Turtle Bay Beach Club, an all-inclusive hotel. It was beautiful. It had its own stretch of private beach which was nice as there are lots of people trying to sell their wares, and they were not allowed on the hotel beach. The room was very nice with air conditioning and a balcony.
The evening entertainment wasn't brilliant but after a week of safari, we just wanted to relax so it suited us fine.
All in all the holiday was great. The people were very friendly and the holiday was arranged to the last detail. However I did find that a week on safari was long enough, we had seen all of the animals that we were expecting to see and seeing another elephant and another zebra was getting a bit repetitive.
I'm sure that had we decided upon a holiday to an exotic beach, it would have been lovely but no where near as memorable as Kenya.

Notes:
Many hotels will change traveller’s checks.
Phone calls made from Safari Lodges are very expensive, try and save them for when you get to main towns.
Pack an alarm clock, some game drives are very early and even though you will be called, its better to be safe than sorry.
Take bic pens and white socks, when travelling
between lodges; you will stop at villages. Carvings etc can be bought and they love to barter, especially with pens and socks!
Don't take your best clothes on a safari, you will get very dusty.
All of the porters at the hotels will expect a tip for carrying your bags, ensure you have loose change at all times.

Summary: