I was very fortunate to be invited on a trip by an ex-colleague who had won a week’s Safari in Kenya. We decided to extend the trip to include both Rwanda and Tanzania at either end and round it up to a 2 week holiday.
We flew Etihad Business Class via Abu Dhabi to Nairobi and then Kenyan Airlines to Kigali. The new fit-out on Etihad’s A340-600 aircraft was superb. Very spacious, flat comfortable beds with excellent inflight services. We also had a peek at the First Class cabin with a personal guided tour by the inflight Chef himself. Very impressive.
On arrival into Kigali, we were met by our guide for the next three days and drove 2.5hrs to Musanze – the base of the mountains from where the Gorilla Treks start. We had two incredible days up the mountain with two very different Gorilla families. The first day with four impressive Silverbacks and the second with young playful adolescents who were happy to show off to their human visitors.
We flew back to busy Nairobi and were thankful for the peaceful environs of the 5 star Fairmont Norfolk Hotel. It is an oasis in the middle of the city with its own private gardens and original buildings dating back to 1904. It also has the best breakfast on offer I have ever experienced.
From here we were collected by our Safari Guide and driven to Amboseli National Park. Staying in the Amboseli Serena Safari Lodge we woke up to beautiful views of Mount Kilimanjaro directly in front of us. The game viewing was excellent with the biggest Elephants Africa has to offer
We then had a long drive to Lake Nakuru National Park which is well known for its Flamingo population besides other members of the Big Five. From here we stayed in nearby Lake Naivasha at the newly opened Kiboko Luxury Camp in a beautiful permanent tent where we were treated like royalty. Although this property has a few operational problems to sort out, I think it will have good prospects for the future.
Next stop was the Masai Mara where we stayed at the well-known Mara Serena Safari Lodge. Although this hotel caters to over a hundred rooms, it has been well planned and blends in with the natural environment. The game viewing here is truly superb and although the Leopards were elusive on this trip, we made up for it with plenty of other unique experiences.
Finally it was time to relax on the beach in Zanzibar. We chose a gorgeous little hotel at the northern tip of the island called Ras Nungwi. With only 32 rooms we enjoyed a very relaxing stay with the beautiful white sand and azure blue waters stretching out in front of us.
All in all, we had an absolutely fantastic holiday and I would not hesitate in recommending any of it.
Rebecca Mills