I realised just how lucky Dad and I were when, on our very first game drive, we witnessed a cheetah jumping into a tree. Sadly, there are only about a thousand left in Kenya, so it was a rare sighting and something experienced safari-goers revealed they had never seen. It became even more special when I managed to fluke a photograph at the perfect moment, with the evening glow, using the expensive camera I’d been persuaded to buy at the airport.
We were in the Loisaba Conservancy on a ten-day Kenyan trip, also taking in Nairobi and the Masai Mara National Reserve, before a few days relaxing by the coast. It’s been six years since Mum passed away and I’ve been wanting to take Dad on a trip ever since. He’s 81 and still working, which I think is mad, but it’s what keeps him going. He spent a couple of years working in Nairobi in the Seventies and so the opportunity to go back was something very special.
I’ve been attempting to manage my mental wellbeing for a while now. Grief has been a constant in recent years and, while the feeling of loss is a part of life, it can alter your perspective and state of mind in many ways. The resilience and the ability to compartmentalise that I developed as an England cricketer have helped to provide effective coping strategies. Ultimately, though, they are only masking techniques and I have set up a charity and thrown myself into my work as a broadcaster for reasons of avoidance and a sense of purpose. Turning 40 this year, I’ve set myself the task of managing myself better and this trip was the perfect opportunity to reset.
When we landed in Nairobi, Dad was full of life reminding me of his old haunts, including the nightclubs he went to, and the various people he met along the way. We spent a day there visiting an elephant sanctuary and feeding giraffes, dodging their headbutts in the process.
Rhino country reborn
The following day, we boarded an hour’s flight to Loisaba in the Laikipia region of northwest Kenya, where we were greeted by our driver, Benson Gitau, who was “living the dream meeting new people and showing off the magnificence of safari”.
There was so much beauty, peace and kindness about the place; it was the ideal spot to recentre the soul. It was also nice to hear Dad proudly reminiscing about his life, answering Gitau’s questions. Dad arrived in England from Calcutta in the Sixties to study engineering with just £3 in his pocket. Soon after graduating, he headed to Nairobi to work in commercial refrigeration, before returning and following his dream of running his own business. So he has a story to tell.
Our first stay was at the beautiful Elewana Loisaba Lodo Springs lodge, a luxury eco-living space with eight tented rooms and an infinity pool. Each room has a high-pressure shower, wi-fi and a terrace with incredible panoramic views. It was an idyllic place to relax between game drives, of which we had two on each of our four days there. In February it was a little quieter as most tourists travel during the great migration in July and August. However, it is still a great time to spot animals, with daytime temperatures of about 28C.
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The food served in the lodge’s large dining area was sensational and included pork medallions, African fusion tapas, baked red snapper with butter poached prawns, and maple-crusted butternut terrine. Starting with a margarita and moving onto a nice South African pinotage was not uncommon. Breakfast looking over the valley was also a highlight, with excellent coffee. The service was incredible too. Nights can be chilly so I was grateful to find a hot-water bottle in my bed each evening. And every now and then we would be surprised when our drive brought us to a fabulous location set up for breakfast or an early evening sundowner.
Half a century ago, the rhino had been wiped out by poachers in this area, but after a concerted effort by Kenya Wildlife Service along with Loisaba Conservancy, the Nature Conservancy, San Diego Zoo, Space for Giants and Elewana Collection, 21 black rhinos were moved to the area last year. Baby Valentine was born in October.
Having spent time in Australia, I’ve always felt we could learn a lot from the indigenous community there, who are the oldest living human civilisation. Their whole culture is centred on working with the land and passing down information for future generations, and I sensed a similar attitude here.
Tom Silvester, the CEO of Loisaba Conservancy, which looks after the land, stressed the importance of community and told me that many of the locals happily contributed towards the area’s perimeter fence, keeping the rhinos safe within the sanctuary, because of a desire to protect their heritage.
“Seeing wildlife thrive and communities benefit reaffirms our belief that conservation and sustainable development must go hand in hand,” he said.
Into the Masai Mara, where giraffes rule the roads
A couple of hour-long flights took us to Elewana Sand River Masai Mara, a tented camp in the south of Kenya by the border with Tanzania, which has a beautiful setting by the water — and lions galore. The long red oat grass can make it difficult to spot the animals and while the 4G coverage is better on the drives than some places I’ve visited in remote Cornwall, you don’t feel a need to go on your phone because you don’t want to miss anything. That, or you’re just happy bouncing around with the wind in your hair and the sun on your face. I’d previously struggled to get Dad off his phone at home for fear of missing a work call, so it was nice to see him properly relax.
Enock Koech was our driver here and he expertly navigated the muddy terrain after the rains. While the game drives were a lot longer than in Loisaba, sometimes up to five hours, they were absolutely worth it. We saw a huge array of animals, including lions, hippos, topi antelopes (nicknamed blue jeans and yellow socks for their appearance), Masai giraffes, elephants, buffaloes, crocodiles, ostriches and eagles.
Observing animal behaviour up close in a fleeting moment feels as if you’re on the roulette table and your number comes up. One day we stumbled across a kill with a lioness finishing off the remains and a male lion watching on. Hyenas circled from a distance and once the lions cleared they pounced ferociously, cackling away as they fought for their pound of flesh. The lioness left the scene with the male close behind her. We followed them down the track and at one point he smelt her urine to determine if it was time for mating. From the male’s reactions, Koech thought it would be soon, maybe a couple of days. He told us that lions mate every twenty minutes for three days. Yep. And so the feed was essential to get their strength up for the marathon romp ahead.
Another memorable moment was on our first day in the Mara, when we encountered some giraffes blocking the road, a male out in front protecting the females. Koech apologised to the creatures towering above us and asked them to kindly move. The male stood firm, however, bowing and shaking his head as if to say “Thou shalt not pass”. We respectfully drove around them.
The giraffes weren’t the only group we had stare-downs with, though all the animals we saw had different ways of marking their territory. They all had such a special connection, which made me think that we humans aren’t so different — ultimately we’re all searching for a place to feel safe, loved and protected.
Time to reflect by the beach
After our busy safari schedule, it was time to decompress. A two-hour flight took us from the Masai Mara to Malindi airport, before an hour’s drive south towards Mombasa to Cardamom House, a beautifully crafted coastal property with Swahili touches and a rustic feel. My room had a four-poster bed with gorgeous printed fabric accents and great views of the Indian Ocean.
There is no food menu at the hotel, but the all-female kitchen team made a point of cooking the freshest and most delicious dishes and every time we ate was in a different area of the house. Fresh crab or fish with salad or locally grown vegetables were a staple and we breakfasted on homemade granola, fresh fruit and eggs.
Sadly our trip had to come to an end, but it is one I will never forget, having allowed me to spend quality time with Dad. From the people we met and the animals we came across, to the food we ate and the complete feeling of serenity, it was incredible. When you step into a completely new environment and are met with kindness and warmth I guess it can offer you renewed hope. And that is exactly what this trip provided. Kenya made me feel calm, connected and grateful. A perfect place for healing and perspective.
Isa Guha was a guest of Wild Paths, which has a ten-day all-inclusive Best of Luxury Kenya tour from £8,955pp, including flights (wild-paths.co.uk); the Elewana Collection, which has all-inclusive lodges and camps from £360pp (elewanacollection.com); and Cardamom House, which has half-board doubles from £415pp (secludedafrica.com)
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