Herb and Betty Henderson’s
Kenya Adventure

Exploring Kenya’s abundant wildlife and exotic seacoast – what an adventure!

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We thought there would be few surprises during our trip to Kenya this summer – primarily because of the terrific job Valerie Sewell did in briefing us so thoroughly on every aspect of the trip.  We were so wrong!
 
Our trip to Kenya bush country and its east-coast Lamu Island turned out to be the trip of our lives!  While in the bush, we visited Gamewatcher's/ Porini’s eco-friendly camps at Amboseli, and the Rhino and Lion camps in the Masai Mara.

Each location had a surprisingly different feel about it, but the abundance and variety of wildlife species was way beyond our expectations.  We saw ‘em all – up close and almost personal - Lions, leopards, cheetahs, giraffes, hippos, rhinos, monkeys, hyenas, warthogs, buffaloes, elephants, exotic birds, and much more.

The Masai warriors who handled every aspect of our visits to these camps were the most delightful of surprises.

  They were knowledgeable and efficient, but, more than that, they were fun to be with and always with a smile and a good word.

 

Their laughter was contagious to us foreigners. And they surely did protect us from dangerous encounters with the wildlife whose homes we were visiting in a highly unobtrusive way.

 
The Porini camps themselves were excellent.  Our tents were quite comfortable – much like a classy hotel, but here we were with east African wildlife all around us, and not a fence in sight!

 The LandRovers used on our game drives were excellent for getting around some rough country, and the Masai drivers and spotters gave us ample opportunities for photo-taking.

The meals were the tops - beyond all expectations, given the remoteness of the camp sites, all prepared by excellent Masai chefs. We were even treated to a Masai tribal dance on two occasions!  Who could ask for more?

Our last adventure destination was to Lamu Island just off the Indian Ocean coast of Kenya.

Lamu is a World Heritage Site, and you can immediately see why.  No cars on the island – only donkey, by-foot, or dhow transportation.

Lamu Town itself is a photographer’s paradise, with much evidence of ancient Islamic architecture and, of course, the friendly Islamic natives and shop-keepers.  Our accommodations were first class.  For a truly exotic experience, we advise anyone going to Kenya for a wildlife safari to add a few days on Lamu Island to your itinerary.
 
We were also surprised by the climate.  Being near the equator, we expected high heat and humidity, but we found just the opposite.  Cool mornings, and warm, comfortable afternoons and evenings.  We were even treated to hot water bottles in our bed while at the Porini Rhino camp, which is at a fairly high altitude near Mt. Kenya. That was a BIG surprise.
 

We’ll never forget the wonderful people and overwhelming wildlife of Kenya.  The Gamewatcher's organization that managed the trip locally was there to direct us at every juncture.

What a splendid, memorable trip!

all photos and text courtesy of Herb and Betty

Valerie Sewell

Travel Counselor