From Nxamaseri Island Lodge, we took a boat, a 4x4, and then a light 8-seater plane flying southeast (with me as co-pilot), before finally hopping back into a 4x4 to reach Leroo La Tau in southern Botswana. This lodge sits on the Boteti River, which forms the natural western border of the Makgadikgadi Pans National Park.
It's Wednesday and I'm driving an Isuzu D-Max V-Cross around a quarry. It is masterful over shale, stone and rock, cruising through a three feet deep river, gliding up a 42 deg sandy hill with ease and managing serious ruts and bumps smoothly.
You may not be familiar with Isuzu as the pickup truck is their only offering in the UK, but they have quite an illustrious history which include racing cars as well as commercial vehicles and buses. They produced 650K vehicles in 2019.
I’ve been to Liuwa Plain National Park before, last time in November and I was captivated by the distant storms, the forked lightening, the pink sand lillies and the wildebeest babies being born; Liuwa Plain is home to the second biggest wildebeest migration on earth.
Masai Mara … two words that evoke the senses and inspire bucket list dreams. It is a vast, magnificent and game-filled landscape in Kenya that has been frequented and made famous by intrepid explorers, royal families, A-list celebrities, wildlife photographers and award-winning filmmakers. It features prominently on wanderlust travellers’ wish lists and if you haven’t witnessed it yourself, then now is the time. In addition to these 10 bucket list things to do in the Masai Mara, we have some fantastic news that will make you want to visit even more!
Part One: South Eastern; Soft Adventure
Southern Africa offers so much and we wanted an extended journey of indulgence experiencing the best hotels with fining dining and fine wines, but we also wanted some soft adventure. This feature covers the soft adventure aspects but there was no compromise necessary on the comfort aspects.
The Safari Collection Kenya
Giraffe Manor is a beautiful old colonial manor house on the outskirts of Nairobi where guests can have breakfast with giraffes which roam free in the gardens.
Newly opened Solio Lodge overlooks Mount Kenya and is the best place in Africa to see both black and white rhino. Guests can also go mountain biking and horesriding on the reserve, or take a helicopter flight around Mount Kenya.
