Kenyan holiday
Helloooo, got back from my trip to Kenya in the early hours of yesterday. We had a really really fantastic time. It’s such a lovely country, and the warmth and happiness of the people never ceases to amaze me.
Our hotel ( Voyager Beach Resort in Nyali ) was just stunning, although by far the best thing about it was the staff - they were so funny and friendly and enthusiastic - far beyond the call of duty. The food and drink was far too plentiful, my clothes are all too tight (back to the gym, ugh).
It was quite a contrast to my previous trips to that part of the world, backpacking and doing everything on a tight budget. I was worried I would feel guilty, living in luxury in a country where most people are so poor. But I decided there’s just no point in feeling guilty - we got out of the hotel as often as we could and booked our trips and did all our shopping with local people. And it was just so lovely to have somewhere so peaceful and clean to go back to at the end of a hot busy day - I’m getting soft in my old age, don’t think I’d survive the backpacking now!
We did some good trips - safari and snorkelling and looking around the old town of Mombasa. I wasn’t too bothered about doing a safari as I’ve done several before and thought I might be a bit jaded - but not a bit of it! As soon as we spotted our first wildlife I was squeeing and oohing with excitement along with everyone else. We went to Tsavo East & West, and the game drives are excellent. My highlight was pulling up right next to a waterhole where a family of elephants were playing - there was water splashing and being sprayed everywhere, little ones sliding around on mum’s tummy in the mud and falling off - I could have watched them for hours. The lodges we stayed in had open bars that are right on the edge of a waterhole, separated by just a low wall. One night we sat there with G&T’s in our hands, watching elephants playing in the water to our left, a bull elephant charging at a herd of buffalo on the plains in the distance, and a leopard tearing at meat put out by the lodge staff a few feet away to our right. You can’t ask for a better show than that!
The kids’ favourites were the monkeys and baboons that run around everywhere, stealing everything they can, scooping sugar out of the sugar bowl and generally mugging unwary tourists for everything they own. Those and the rock hyrax that run around the paths and gardens of the lodges - they look like large rodents but are sooo cute (the kids didn’t believe me that they are actually a close relation of the elephant). I have photos and will post when I get myself organised.
Back to work today, which was bit of a downer. But I’m trying to keep hold of that relaxed, easy-going feeling. When the trainee told me he’d broken one of our main analysers and flinched waiting for the blow (I don’t physically abuse all our trainees btw, but this one likes it :D) I just shrugged and smiled and thought to myself “hakuna matata” (no worries). Ha, give it a week and I’ll be back to being a miserable old bag at work.
Our hotel ( Voyager Beach Resort in Nyali ) was just stunning, although by far the best thing about it was the staff - they were so funny and friendly and enthusiastic - far beyond the call of duty. The food and drink was far too plentiful, my clothes are all too tight (back to the gym, ugh).
It was quite a contrast to my previous trips to that part of the world, backpacking and doing everything on a tight budget. I was worried I would feel guilty, living in luxury in a country where most people are so poor. But I decided there’s just no point in feeling guilty - we got out of the hotel as often as we could and booked our trips and did all our shopping with local people. And it was just so lovely to have somewhere so peaceful and clean to go back to at the end of a hot busy day - I’m getting soft in my old age, don’t think I’d survive the backpacking now!
We did some good trips - safari and snorkelling and looking around the old town of Mombasa. I wasn’t too bothered about doing a safari as I’ve done several before and thought I might be a bit jaded - but not a bit of it! As soon as we spotted our first wildlife I was squeeing and oohing with excitement along with everyone else. We went to Tsavo East & West, and the game drives are excellent. My highlight was pulling up right next to a waterhole where a family of elephants were playing - there was water splashing and being sprayed everywhere, little ones sliding around on mum’s tummy in the mud and falling off - I could have watched them for hours. The lodges we stayed in had open bars that are right on the edge of a waterhole, separated by just a low wall. One night we sat there with G&T’s in our hands, watching elephants playing in the water to our left, a bull elephant charging at a herd of buffalo on the plains in the distance, and a leopard tearing at meat put out by the lodge staff a few feet away to our right. You can’t ask for a better show than that!
The kids’ favourites were the monkeys and baboons that run around everywhere, stealing everything they can, scooping sugar out of the sugar bowl and generally mugging unwary tourists for everything they own. Those and the rock hyrax that run around the paths and gardens of the lodges - they look like large rodents but are sooo cute (the kids didn’t believe me that they are actually a close relation of the elephant). I have photos and will post when I get myself organised.
Back to work today, which was bit of a downer. But I’m trying to keep hold of that relaxed, easy-going feeling. When the trainee told me he’d broken one of our main analysers and flinched waiting for the blow (I don’t physically abuse all our trainees btw, but this one likes it :D) I just shrugged and smiled and thought to myself “hakuna matata” (no worries). Ha, give it a week and I’ll be back to being a miserable old bag at work.