Touring Kenya's wilderness

It was love at first sight with the Kenyan Airways' 3-nights-and-4-days package to Lake Nakuru and Masai Mara (Dh10,500 for a couple) — ideal for those wanting an exquisite dose of the wilderness.

We were met at the Nairobi Airport by Francis, who was to be our guide and driver.

During the three-hour drive to Lake Nakuru National Park, we drove past the Great Rift Valley, which extends from Lebanon in the north to Mozambique in the south.

While the landscape was lovely, the under-construction highway rattled every bone in our bodies.

After what seemed like eternity, we saw the thatched gates of the Lake Nakuru Lodge through clouds of dust — it seemed to be welcoming us to our first brush with the African wilderness.

The afternoon game drive at Lake Nakuru exceeded our expectations.

Lake Nakuru, a large alkaline lake, is famous for its pink flamingos.

It was first named as a bird sanctuary but was later given the status of a national park.

Stories come alive

Vast ochre stretches of savannah lay before us, and dotting this were wildebeest, antelopes, bison, hyenas, zebras, gazelles and every species that, until then, only existed in textbooks for us.

The lake presented a pretty picture with a pink band of flamingos tiptoeing elegantly against the backdrop of the vermilion hues of the setting sun.

As the evening set in, we grew restless for Kenya's Big Five — the lion, the elephant, the rhinoceros, the leopard and the buffalo.

Though we saw the buffaloes, we kept goading Francis to show us the “real things''.

Just when we thought it was frustration that made Francis bring the vehicle to a sudden halt, a movement caught our eye.

We gaped at the two lions just a few yards from us. They were leisurely climbing up the low-lying branches of a tree with a gait befitting only the king of the jungle.

It was like watching National Geographic, live!

Our last stop for the day was at the doorstep of a leopard sleeping on a tree branch.

It was so well camouflaged that, had it not been for its hanging tail, we wouldn't even have noticed it.

The drive to Masai Mara early next morning gave us a healthy dose of the Kenyan countryside: crisp mountain air, vast rolling plains and cute children.

It was amazing to see how dutifully they waved to all passing vehicles.

En route, we stopped by a Masai village, where we witnessed the way of life of the Africa's oldest tribe.

The Masais were originally a seminomadic pastoral community who now have their villages on the outskirts of the national park.

Masai moments

We were welcomed with a traditional dance by a group of Masai men and led into the village for a glimpse of Masai life.

Children peeped out of doors and women stole glances as we were shown around and explained the customs and habits of the tribe.

Just when I was wondering how they consciously kept modernity at bay, out popped a mobile phone from one of their pockets, blatantly exposing their touristy gimmicks.

We reached Masai Mara around afternoon and had just enough time to grab a quick lunch before setting off on the safari.

Covering an area of nearly 1,510 square km, the Masai Mara National Park lies in southwestern Kenya and is one of the best wildlife reserves in the world for game-spotting.

While there are unique ways to explore this reserve — balloon safaris for one — we settled for the conventional safari vans.

Lions, elephants, wildebeest, hyenas, sleeping cheetahs, leopards — we soaked it all up.

After a long, tiring second day, it was delightful to return to the tranquillity of the Keekorok Lodge, the oldest in the Masai Mara.

The lodge has no fences around it and elephants, antelopes, zebras, gazelles and impalas straying into the grounds is common.

Though exciting, it was quite unsettling. When asked, the staff assured us that the human voices and the lights keep the carnivores away.

I believed them until I was kept awake the whole night by a growling lion which seemed to have come knocking on my door.

Walkway to wonders

The best feature of the lodge, however, is the 300-metre raised wooden walkway, which runs through the forest to a thatched bar where you can enjoy refreshments, gazing at hippos near a water hole.

Seated on the high wooden stools, we would watch, with that heady feeling of wild serenity, the vermillion hues of the setting sun.

The days passed by like a dream and before we knew it, it was time to head back to the urban jungle — but with memories to last us a lifetime ...