KENYA GREEN N & GOOD


The wildlife is merely one important aspect of a trip to the Masai Mara. People also play a huge RCTV CPF 6JG /CC 6TWUV C PQP RTQƂV QTICPKUCVKQP that supports local causes, offers a unique insight into challenges faced by communities. Supported ƂPCPEKCNN[ D[ /CJCNK /\WTK VJG VTWUV JGNRU IKTNU stay in education, aims to empower women


through beadwork and provides family planning CPF JGCNVJECTG KPENWFKPI VJG /CTCoU ƂTUV JQURKVCN /GCPYJKNG ITGGP ƂPIGTGF /CJCNK IWGUVU ECP IGV their hands dirty by contributing to an ambitious initiative that will see 15 billion trees planted in Kenya by 2034. We opted for olive trees and planted them in a neat row beside a classroom at a school that offers lessons and lodgings to some 300 children from villages near and far. Those who prefer decorating to gardening can opt to paint a classroom instead, proving that giving back can be both a colourful and rewarding experience. themaatrust.org


the design drew inspiration from a Maasai warrior’s bow and arrow. While the exteriors push the boundaries, the interiors are altogether more traditional, with locally made wooden vÕÀniÌÕÀi] L>mLoo li}hÌ wÝÌÕÀiÃ]


>>Ã>i >ÀÌ >LoÛi Ìhi Li`


and a bathroom boasting a walk-in shower and freestanding bath overlooking the valley. The canvas sides allow the strange, soothing and, at times, unsettling sounds of the bush to drift in day and night. Elsewhere, there’s a 12-metre inwniÌÞ «ool] «lÕÃ > hi>ÛinlÞ ÌÀi>ÌminÌ Àoom loV>Ìi` >Ì Ìhi LoÌÌom ov nä ÃÌi«Ã li>`in} `oÜn Ìo Ìhi Û>lliÞ yooÀ V>À«iÌi` with croton bush trees.


Beadwork with The Maa Trust


Family affair It’s very much a family affair at Mahali Mzuri. The camp’s location was chosen by Branson’s son Sam during a camping trip and, among the cosy armchairs, rich tapestries and old leather trunks in the lounge area, are framed photos of Richard taken during his many visits. Guides speak fondly of their time with the big boss, of the pranks he has played on them, and of his enduring love for wildlife (he especially loves lions, apparently), yet this sense of family extends far beyond the Bransons. Many of the team – the vast majority from local villages – were drafted in to help build the camp and have remained ever since. Head waiter Bob Miinta is one such individual. Having originally been recruited to help with the construction, he later became an askari (a Maasai watchman who escorts guests around the camp during the hours of darkness), before working his way up the ranks. Another is Betty Maite, a softly spoken lady whose gentle `imi>noÕÀ onlÞ m>kià hiÀ wiÀVi ÀiÃolÛi >n` >`miÀ>Lli `iÌiÀmin>Ìion iÛin moÀi im«ÀiÃÃiÛi° Ƃà oni ov Ìhi wÀÃÌ female guides in the Mara, she faced stiff opposition and extreme prejudice while trying to achieve her dream. “It was very hard; everyone said it was a man’s job. Even my dad didn’t think I could do it,” she said. “I wasn’t accepted and I used to cry and get upset, but I kept going. Now my eldest daughter wants to be a guide too. Things are changing.” Our time at Mahali Mzuri passed in a heady blur of early starts soothed by blankets and hot water bottles; champagne lÕnVhiÃÆ >n` wÀiÃi`i ÃÕn`oÜniÀà ov y>mià yiVkiÀin} ÃkÞÜ>À`à and distant silhouettes of giraffes vanishing into the abyss. And Kas delivered some epic wildlife encounters.


58


ASPIRE JANUARY 2024


aspiretravelclub.co.uk


CREDIT: Nick Spollin Photography


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