Handpicked Kenya

Kenya’s the birthplace of safari. It’s where it all began. Expect the best service in some of the best lodges in the world, with more wildlife than you can begin to count. Big tusks, long necks, sharp teeth – you’ll find everything from the big 5 to the smallest, most intricately beautiful birds, most of which a Jeep ride from your quarters.

If it’s just one place you’re visiting for safari, make it the Maasai Mara. Named after the ancestral inhabitants of the area, it now encompasses over 1500 square kilometres of game reserve and has earned its place as one of the ten Wonders of the World. Pretty much everything that can play out in the natural world plays out here, on a massive scale: hunts, migrations, mating rituals, excitement, drama, tragedy. See it all from the ground, up close and personal, or take a trip above the plains in a hot air balloon and see it from a bird’s eye view.

This is still the Maasai people’s land, though, and you’ll see these traditional communities farming cattle and their surrounding terrain. This is a place that teems with life – both human and animal – and where vibrancy and tradition walk hand in hand.

Our founder is a former Hidden Beach specialist and he makes no secret of the fact that, when you come to Kenya, you’re spoilt for choice on the beach front. Almost half of the country’s total coastline can be found in the irregular shapes and islands of the Lamu District, which happens to be where our own favourite is.

Lamu Island, home to the old Swahili town of the same name is a slice of East African paradise that feels like a luxury time warp. The main form of transport is still donkey, which, as a means of getting to the island’s beaches, isn’t a bad way to do it. Shela Beach remains largely undeveloped and its unsheltered setting means it’s also a surf hotspot with a reliable break.

Elsewhere on the island there are less exposed, but equally beautiful, beaches and coves everywhere you look. From the shoreline that’s home to the iconic Peponi’s to the rocky inlets only accessible by boat, expect a beach experience here unlike anything else.

There are dozens of other choices around the country, too; from the ever-popular water sports spot of Watamu to the urban buzz of Nyali, Kenya is a year-round paradise for the traveller who wants to kick back and enjoy the sand.

With over 50 ancient cultures, modern Kenya has been shaped by multiple different elements. Expect to see traditional dress all over the country and to hear the unmistakable sounds of Swahili throughout.

Music plays a huge role in life in the country, too, and rest assured, whatever your tastes, you’ll be well catered for. The traditional Kenyan drum is often the soundtrack to traditional dances but, for those who prefer something a little more contemporary, why not plug into some Afro-fusion or Kapuka – genres that borrow significantly from reggae and Western hip-hop.

One piece of advice for the shoppers among you: pack an extra case. Textiles and handicrafts of the most intricate design and detail are everywhere: from bustling city markets to beachside huts. And trust us, they’re very hard to resist.

Although it has to cede first place to neighbouring Tanzania’s Kilimanjaro as Africa’s highest peak, Mount Kenya is if anything more spectacular. Dominating the national park that surrounds it, a trip here is a journey into a landscape of rugged, dramatic beauty.

Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997, the park encompasses over 700 square kilometres of mountain, forest, alpine rivers and open savannah. Walk one day on one of the easily accessible hiking trails on the forest floor, take a Jeep the next to game spot across the rolling plains.

For the really hardy, Mount Kenya itself can be climbed. All 5,199 metres of it. A 5-day hike that would delight even the most experienced of thrill-seekers, climbers can expect a tough, wildlife-filled, life-affirming walk up Africa’s most dramatic peak.