KENYA


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oors on or doors off?” our pilot Josh asks. We think for a moment before silently reaching the same conclusion: when you’re about to soar above the savannahs of Kenya in a helicopter, you’ve got to go big or go home. “Doors off,” comes the unanimous response. Minutes later, the propellors whir into action, sending > yÕÀÀÞ ov ÀÕÃÌ-Ài` `ÕÃÌ in iÛiÀÞ `iÀiVÌion] Ì>kin} ÕÃ hi}h into the sky as a sprawling carpet of cycad-studded plains, scorched riverbeds and foliage-clad peaks unfurls beneath us. As if the absence of doors on the helicopter wasn’t proof enough, it quickly becomes clear that Josh is somewhat of a daredevil, as we swoop between rock formations, almost brush treetops and zoom through the air, tracking elephants and giraffes trotting below. The pièce de resistance comes as we edge closer to the clouds and effortlessly land on a mossy clifftop dotted with craggy rock clusters and acacia trees. “I hope nobody’s scared of heights,” Josh teases as we scramble onÌo Ìhi y>Ì o«inin} >Ìo« oÕnÌ Ololokwe, a summit that is sacred to the Samburu people of Namunyak Conservancy. Glasses of rosé are poured from a cool box


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that’s magically produced from the helicopter, and a comfortable silence falls as we take in the immeasurable expanse of raw, unbridled nature spilling out in every direction below. In Samburu language, Namunyak means “place of peace” and, at the top of Ololokwe, I have found exactly that.


Life lessons


Our escapade with Africa Heli Adventures encapsulates what makes Namunyak Conservancy so magical: from above, the reserve seems incomprehensibly large, yet I feel like we have it all to ourselves. This can be attributed


The lodge’s open-air living space becomes our crafting station, a rainbow of tiny beads engulfing the woven rug we gather around


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to the fact there’s only a handful of properties scattered across the conservancy, the most notable of which are the three offered by safari and conservation specialist Sarara. But operating lodges is by no means the only string to this ecotourism brand’s bow – Sarara is, and has been for decades, spearheading community-led conservation initiatives across Namunyak that are transforming the lives of Samburu people. While the game viewing here is impressive (we watch elephants roam, leopards drink and baboons play), it takes a backseat to let Samburu culture have the spotlight. Sarara prioritises real-life experiences and activities that authentically connect guests with their surroundings and the people who call them home, and ensuring that ÌoÕÀiÃm `iÀiVÌlÞ LiniwÌà Ìhi ->mLÕÀÕ ià of paramount importance. One day, a group of Samburu women visit us at exclusive-use Sarara property Reteti House (Reviews, page 114) to give us a masterclass in the traditional art of beading. Thick beaded bracelets, necklaces and headpieces in dazzling colours are a staple of authentic


Samburu dress, and the jewellery proudly sported by both men and women is all made by hand, typically by women. The centre of the lodge’s open-air living space quickly becomes our crafting station, a rainbow of tiny beads in}Õlwn} Ìhi ÜoÛin ÀÕ} Üi }>ÌhiÀ >ÀoÕn`] VÀoÃÃ-li}}i` and eager to learn. The women effortlessly thread the beads into delicate patterns and we, decidedly more slowly, follow their lead. Aided by the translation skills of Reteti House’s Maria Lemalon, we spend the next hour learning about these women – they talk about their husbands, their children and what they think about the new-found opportunities for women to gain more independence thanks to initiatives like this one from Sarara.


OPPOSITE: FIRST ROW: Samburu tribe; Grévy’s zebra SECOND ROW: House in the Wild’s Marula Cottage; writer Isobel Turner; Wild Hill THIRD ROW: Heli-safari over Namunyak Conservancy FOURTH ROW: Terrace at Wild Hill; spotting an elephant family on safari PREVIOUS PAGE: Samburu warriors at Sarara’s Reteti House Credits: Simon Pocock; Jeremy Bastard; Sarara; Thige Njuguna


48 ASPIRE JANUARY 2026 aspiretravelclub.co.uk


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