KENYA - FOREVER TRUE AT FIRST LIGHT
The last book written by Ernest Hemingway and published posthumously by his son, ‘True at First Light’ is set in his beloved Kenya. Except for American actor William Holden, who founded the famous Mount Kenya Safari Club, and the sometimes controversial anthropologist Richard Leakey, no other Western personality has contributed to the public perception of Kenya over the years as Ernest Hemingway. One of the more famous quotes on his love for Africa and Kenya captures the essence of his emotions: ‘I never knew of a morning in Africa when I woke up that I was not happy’.
If one had to mention just one more person in this context, it would have to be the adventurer turned entrepreneur Ewart Grogan, whose lasting legacy includes the first Cape Town to Cairo crossing of the entire continent, the construction of the first deep water port in Mombasa, his never ceasing and finally victorious efforts of convincing the British Empire to build a railway, popularly known as ‘The Lunatic Express’, from Mombasa to Nairobi and beyond.
And last but not least, his own magnificent private home to his dying day: ‘Grogan’s Castle’, built into the hillside overlooking the Sisal plantations of Taveta near the Tsavo West National Park, with a view of the rolling countryside that goes on forever… or at least all the way to Mount Kilimanjaro on a clear day!
One can travel across Kenya and never fail to find a reference to one or another of the now-forgotten early Kenyan explorers, hunters, and adventurers. Today, Kenya is primarily known for its amazing variety of natural attractions. It is the quintessential Africa of dramatic extremes and classic contrasts: deserts and alpine snows, forests, open plains, and colorful tribal cultures. To those with an affinity for historical detail, raw nature, and exotic wildlife adventures, Kenya will always and forever be ‘True at First Light’!
Starting with the seemingly endless white beaches and pristine coral reefs of Mombasa, Malindi, and Lamu Island, by any benchmark applied, presents the distinguished traveler with the perfect honeymoon hideout, scuba diving adventure, or beach holiday. The seasonal whale shark migration along the coast is clearly something any scuba diving enthusiast is practically ‘ready to die for’.
Out of Mombasa, the next major attraction is the sprawling Tsavo National Park, one of the largest wildlife reserves in Africa, if not worldwide. Here, as in every other park Kenya has to offer, the opportunities for game viewing are defined by contrasting landscapes and the abundance of wildlife: The Nairobi National Park and the chance of close encounters with giraffes and rhinos, the mist-covered ridges of Mount Kenya, which is the second highest mountain on the continent, Samburu National Reserve and its serene vistas of rolling green hills and savannahs, alive with game and birds, Lake Nakuru with flocks of flamingos gliding over its tranquil waters, Amboseli National Park with its abundant wildlife and breathtaking views of Mount Kilimanjaro.
And onwards to the hot savannahs and open plains of the Masai Mara National Reserve, teaming with wildlife and home to the world-famous Zebra and Wildebeest Migration, commonly known as ‘The Great Migration’, with a seemingly endless stream of animals crossing the Mara River. Kenya is the ‘Out of Africa’ adventure every enterprising traveler has dreamt of since Denys Finch Hatton crisscrossed the country in his biplane in search of ‘True Love’!
MAGICAL WILDLIFE SAFARIS IN KENYA
Our ‘Bucket List’ explorations of Kenya take you on a selection of Big 5 game safaris, such as tracking rhinos on the Laikipia Plateau and observing Africa’s greatest wildlife spectacle, the ‘Great Migration’. The Mara, better known as the Maasai Mara, is a natural wonder and is the equivalent of the Serengeti in Tanzania, straddling the same paths that millions of wildlife traverse yearly during ‘The Great Migration’. This provides the backdrop for the world’s largest seasonal animal migration with 1,5 million wildebeest, the largest population of big mammals still roaming the planet, 500,000 Thompson’s gazelle, 250,000 zebra, followed by 20,000 eland trekking north across the Serengeti to the plains of the Mara at the beginning of the dry season.
Our Big 5 wildlife safaris into the heart of Africa are fully inclusive of all major on-location activities as well as wildlife tracking permits and national park entry fees, offering exciting experiences, unique cultural encounters, and memories to cherish forever. With our love for Africa, our knowledgeable team of expert safari consultants is ready to personalize your safari adventure to your travel needs. Curated and delivered with attention to detail, quality, and innovation, we promote sustainable tourism, support local communities, and respect wildlife conservation and the preservation of the environment. We can provide you with a unique and responsible exploration of the breathtaking vistas along the ‘Great Rift Valley’, which is the heart of East Africa.
EXPLORE BUCKET LIST EXPERIENCES KENYA
Big 5 Wildlife Safaris
Mara & The Great Migration
Tracking Rhinos in Ol Pejeta, Lewa & Borana
Lake Nakuru / Lake Naivasha & Flamingos
Climbing Mount Kenya
Mombasa Beach Holidays
7 DAYS
FROM US $ 20,659 PER PERSON SHARING
10 DAYS
FROM US $ 9,096 PER PERSON SHARING
10 DAYS
FROM US $ 7,496 PER PERSON SHARING
10 DAYS
FROM US $ 26,103 PER PERSON SHARING
10 DAYS
FROM US $ 7,772 PER PERSON SHARING
12 DAYS
FROM US $ 8,859 PER PERSON SHARING
12 DAYS
FROM US $ 6,653 PER PERSON SHARING
14 DAYS
FROM US $ 8,572 PER PERSON SHARING
16 DAYS
FROM US $ 10,579 PER PERSON SHARING
