When you think of a bucket list holiday, a safari would be the top of most people’s list. The opportunity to see an abundance of wildlife in their natural habitat, experience such a diverse culture and see parts of a country that you would otherwise never think to visit.
My adventure with Titan started as soon as I closed my front door and I was greeted by one of their friendly drivers. Their VIP home departure takes all of the stress and hassle out of getting to the airport, allowing you to sit back, relax and ponder the exciting experience you’re about to embark on while travelling in one of their luxurious vehicles. This service is included as standard on all Titan holidays.
After a flight time of just under 9 hours, we arrived in Nairobi. We were greeted by our On Tour Manager and driver who would be with us throughout the tour. Our luggage was taken for us and we headed to our first hotel, the Sarova Panafric. A beautiful colonial style hotel that serves as a perfect base for a good night’s rest after a long journey.
After an early breakfast, we hit the road and headed north to Aberdare National Park. Along the way we drove through many small towns with wooden stalls selling everything from bananas to onions.
Once we reached the Ark Lodge, our first big five encounters were ready and waiting for us! Water buffalo lined the watering hole beneath the viewing platform, baboons and warthogs soon followed. They serve tea and coffee in the main lounge all throughout the night in case of any nocturnal animal appearances. There is a buzzer in the bedrooms allowing you to be notified of any big five animal activity.
From the Ark Lodge, we headed to Lake Nakuru, famed for its flamingo population. We drove through Nyahururu which lies on the Equator and stopped off at the nearby picturesque Thomson Falls for lunch. We had a quick game drive through the National Park on route to Lake Nakuru Lodge. Here we saw hippos, white rhino, a giraffe and of course, flamingos. The lodge sits within the National Park itself and has incredible views overlooking the plains all the way down the lake. After an early breakfast we headed out again for a morning game drive in the hope of spotting more wildlife. Seemingly not as shy as they were the day before, we saw a tower of giraffes, a hyena as well as plenty more buffalo, black and white rhinos and zebras.
From Lake Nakuru we drove south to Lake Naivasha. We stopped off at Crescent Island for an afternoon nature walk and were able to get up close to some of the animals homed here. Majestic giraffe walked nearby and herds of zebra were only a few feet away from us. Local guides escorted us around and gave us an insight into the wildlife found within Lake Naivasha National Park. Our accommodation for the evening was at the beautiful Lake Naivasha Country Club. The gardens of the hotel, overlooking the Lake was the perfect place to enjoy a quiet drink to take in the incredible surroundings while baboons and zebra roamed among us. Once the sun sets, you require a guard to escort you for dinner as hippos make their way from the lake and up onto the hotel grounds! Knowing you were in such close proximity to some of Africa’s most ferocious wildlife was very exciting, if not a little nerve wracking!
Once we departed Lake Naivasha, it was time for one of the most famous National Parks of all, the Masai Mara. The perfect way that the itinerary is organised felt like we had been drip fed little snippets of what Kenya had to offer. The Masai Mara was about to bring everything together and throw us into a world like nothing else.
The Masai Tribe is known all over the world. From the clothes and jewellery that they wear, the houses they build and their cultural and warrior traditions that have been kept alive for centuries. We were lucky enough to be welcomed into the tribe and were given a glimpse of how they go about their day to day lives. They greeted us with a traditional Adumu dance and song, the Warrior men jumped while the ladies looked on and admired. Seeing the Masia people and how they live is an experience that I shall cherish for the rest of my life. They have very little but were some of the happiest and friendly people I have ever met. A resounding trait in everyone that we met in Kenya.
Once we left the Tribe, we drove further into the Masia. The vast landscape with nothing but grass, trees and wildlife for hundreds and hundreds of square miles was breathtaking.
We hadn’t been driving for long when we got our first glimpse of one of the most feared animals on the planet, the lion. A male and female sat nearby to the dusty track seemingly unbothered by our presence. We could have stayed watching them for hours but our guides had heard that there were a pack of lionesses and their cubs a little further on so we headed down to see what we could find. Cubs feasting on a fresh kill while their mothers looked on and chased away some overzealous hyenas trying to get in on the action was what we were greeted with! A sight that will stay with me forever. Just as we were about to head to our accommodation, one of the animals that had eluded us so far were lined along the verge of the path: elephants! Another one we could now tick off the list.
We were staying at the Sarova Mara Game Lodge for our final two nights of the trip in luxury tented accommodation. I wasn’t really sure what to expect being told I would be sleeping in a tent in the middle of the Masai Mara! I needn’t have worried though, when they say luxury, they mean it! Being led in bed and hearing a lion roaring with baboons scurrying along the roof is something I will never get over!
I was pleasantly surprised with just how much choice there was in every hotel we stayed in. The food was outstanding throughout the whole trip and even the fussiest of eaters would not struggle here.
I can honestly say that this was the most incredible trip that I have ever been on and I would recommend it too absolutely everyone. There is nothing like seeing animals in their natural habitat and the anticipation of what each day is going to bring or what you’re going to see next. This Titan Tour was nothing short of exceptional. The only animals we didn’t get to see unfortunately were a Leopard and Cheetah. I guess this just means I will have to go back one day!
