When a good friend of ours invited us to his wedding in Nairobi, we quickly decided to spend a few extra days in Kenya. It had been some years since we had last visited, and were keen to reacquaint ourselves.
There are over a dozen game parks and reserves in Kenya, each unique in its own way. We soon faced difficulties in choosing where to go and what to do.
Rather than spending hours on the Internet researching, we decided to call in the experts. Africa Rose Travel are specialists in organizing bespoke trips in southern and east Africa, and unlike many agencies, they actually spend considerable time “on the ground” in Africa, so their recommendations are firsthand. We sent them a list of prerequisites: we wanted an exclusive and relaxing getaway, without the hordes of tourists associated with the Masai Mara, good wildlife viewing potential and most importantly -the option for activities other than safaris. Rose, the company owner, soon got back to us recommending the Ol Donyo lodge, located in a private concession on the slopes of the Chyulu Hills National Park. The photos were spectacular, but unfortunately, so were the costs. But Rose’s enthusiasm was infectious and she soon convinced me that this was the perfect option, so we decided to go ahead.
Following a brief flight from Dubai, and a few days of wedding revelry, we found ourselves in Nairobi’s domestic airport waiting to board a small Cessna Caravan aircraft. The low-level flight over the countryside afforded great views of the bush, villages and Kilimanjaro. After dropping off other guests at nearby lodges, we landed at the Ol Donyo airstrip and were met by Jackson, who was to be our guide for the next few days. The 10-minute drive to the lodge was punctuated by the sight of many gazelles and giraffes, and a close encounter with One-Ton, the resident bull elephant – reputably with the largest tusks in Africa. Our enthusiasm was somewhat tempered when Jackson told us that during the past few nights, some lions had been drinking from the lodge’s swimming pool! The lodge itself was stunning, opulent but understated – a million miles from Dubai’s gauche five-star luxury. It comprises a main building surrounded by eight chalets, set on a hillside overlooking a watering hole with Kilimanjaro on the horizon. Our chalet was similarly striking, with a completely open front and a terrace offering far-reaching views of this beautiful area.
Following a sumptuous lunch (the food and drinks were one of the great surprises), we planned our next few days to include game drives, mountain biking, hiking and horse riding.
The typical daily pattern would involve a dawn wakeup call (with cookies and coffee in bed) followed by an early morning activity. We would return to the lodge by mid-morning for a hearty breakfast and lounge by the pool, have a light lunch and then go out for an afternoon activity. The evenings were invariably spent chatting around the fireplace and enjoying delicious dinners. The lodges hosts and guides entertained us with “this is Africa” anecdotes, and the evenings stretched long into the night under an impressive starlit sky.
So what of the activities? The horse riding started with an assessment of our riding skills. While Kathy galloped around the paddock, our guides were less than impressed with my pseudo cowboy ‘yeehawwws.’ In fact, riding around the African bush is far removed from riding elsewhere; controlling a horse spooked by an elephant or leopard is not a skill acquired on the polo fields or riding club paddock, and I was quite relieved when they explained that due to my limited horsemanship, we wouldn’t be venturing deep in the bush, but rather through the savannah and grasslands. In any case, the ride provided plenty of thrills and a pleasant surprise in the form of a gourmet breakfast under a giant acacia tree. Without the noise of the jeeps, we were able to get up-close and personal with giraffes, zebras, wildebeests and a number of gazelles, which were wholly unperturbed by the horses. Being on horseback added an element of intimacy with the surroundings that you cannot possibly experience from a Landover.
As we pondered the views over a beverage on the lodge terrace, I naïvely asked Jackson about mountain biking on the twin hills that we could see across the plains. He didn’t seem too keen, but I promised that we were strong cyclists, and that it would be easy; in fact, the ride there was not too strenuous, as we stopped often to examine the animal tracks and the many bones and carcasses along the way. I wasn’t too concerned by the numerous lion tracks, as the predators only hunt at dusk, right? Once at the hills, we hiked up, and were treated to the sight of a rainstorm and rainbow on the horizon – stunning.
Whilst I was busy taking photos, Jackson asked to borrow the camera, and zoomed in on the neighbouring hill for a few seconds before muttering something about “a lion”. We were soon heading back down, with me doing my best Japanese tourist impression and stopping to take a photo every few minutes. As we grabbed the bikes, Jackson looked a bit nervous, but soon cycled off in the lead. Oblivious to the rapidly approaching storm, and diminishing sunlight, I kept stopping to take photos of the sunset over Kilimanjaro, wondering what all the rush was about. Eventually it dawned on me that we had a good 10 miles to cycle back. I caught up with Kathy and Jackson who was now positively jumpy. As the last rays of sunshine lit up the savannah, we sped off in the direction of the jeep. The pace picked up, with Kathy trying valiantly to keep close. Jackson, ever the gentlemen till that point, showed little inclination to wait, and I stuck to his rear wheel, having no desire to end up a lion’s dinner. Kathy learned the meaning of “weakest link” and struggled to suppress the tears as she fell further behind amid much whimpering and nervous glances over her shoulder. The relief was palpable as we reached the Landover, just in time for a soaking from the rain, but at least spared of a close encounter with a lion.
Having realised that Kathy and I were troublesome, Jackson turned up for next morning’s hike with reinforcements. We now had two guides to watch over us, with the second one sporting a rifle and a glass 
eye! We were going to hike in the lava flutes high on the Chyulu hills – more verdant than the plains below, and with a topography borne of volcanic origins, they are a hikers’ paradise. The lava flutes are essentially very narrow gorges and cave systems that wind their way across the hills, and are home to monkeys, hyrax, bats, and the occasional napping leopard. We were pretty happy having two guides when scrambling through the dense vines and shrubs, and in any event, ‘one-eye’ turned out to have remarkable eyesight, pointing out all manner of animals that we would never have seen otherwise.
Despite our chalet having one completely open side, we had slept really well with only a curtain to keep the wildlife out. Sure, we had heard the occasional animals rustling around, but waking up to see gazelles and elephants within yards of our terrace remained priceless. Emboldened by this, and Jackson’s assertion that the lions hadn’t been seen for a few days, we decided to try the “star-bed.” Placed on the flat roof of the chalet, the “star-bed” leaves nothing between you and the elements, and gives an incredible perspective of the endless starry sky overhead. I soon drifted off into a deep sleep, albeit with one hand on the air horn as a precaution; all too soon I was awakened by violent prodding, and Kathy’s panicked whispers about “something being downstairs”. Ignoring her, and about to roll over, I was startled to hear heavy breathing seemingly yards away at the bottom of the stairs. Suddenly wide awake, I gripped the air horn and fumbled for the torch. The deep, heavy breathing was definitely that of a lion, and probably a hungry one. Having nowhere to run, and only a torch, the air horn and a bottle of water, we pondered our next move. I rationalised that a lion would clearly go for the weakest prey, and as that was clearly Kathy, I would have a good chance of escaping. Throwing the water bottle as a distraction, we flew down the stairs, barged into the chalet and slammed the door shut. Safe!
The next morning at breakfast, Jackson laughed at us and claimed it was probably a serval rummaging for food. A quick investigation around the chalet revealed a maze of animal tracks, but embarrassingly, none larger or more threatening than a gazelle.
All too soon we found ourselves on the airstrip waiting for the plane back to Nairobi. As Kathy choked back tears and made me promise we’d come back, I pondered that this was probably one of the best short breaks we’d had, with the right mix of adventure, nature, relaxing and fun. Only 4 hrs separate Dubai from Kenya, and given the relative affordability of the tickets, we will definitely be going back.
Marco & Kath
Addenda: Ashamed of my poor horsemanship, I have been riding regularly since our return from Kenya, determined that the next trip will involve more time on horseback. In fact, African Rose is busy arranging our next trip – a horseback and kayak safari through the Okavango delta in Botswana: can’t wait!
To book: Three nights at Ol Donyo Lodge start from £1,645 per person including all meals, all drinks, day and night game drives, guided walks, mountain biking, horse riding, return transfers from the International airport to the domestic airport in Nairobi and return light aircraft flights from Nairobi to Ol Donyo in the Chyulus near Amboseli. There are also riding – focused itineraries available and discounts to be had through Africa Rose Travel: www.africarosetravel.com, info@africarosetravel.com, +44 (0) 1666 880 111.
Published in July 2012
