DESTINATIONS KENYA AFRICA


LEFT: Lion cubs


RIGHT: Flying over the Masai Mara


BELOW: Great Rift Valley


ASK THE EXPERT


Katie Rowe, founder of


community-run Reteti Elephant Sanctuary in Namunyak Conservancy, northern Kenya “Reteti is as much about people as elephants. The idea came out of meetings with the Samburu to raise awareness of the benefits that a healthy elephant population could bring: employment, education and security. Elephant calves often fall into the ‘singing wells’ that the Samburu hand-dig to give water to their livestock, and can become separated from the herd. Now the Namunyak Community has set aside land for the sanctuary, where community members raise and ‘re-wild’ the elephants until they can reunite with their herd. They’re extremely proud to have rescued 40 elephants since September 2016.” retetielephants.org


across the ‘five musketeers’, a coalition of young male cheetahs sprawled on a termite mound surveying their terrain. “Cheetahs face a complex range of


threats, including habitat loss, prey depletion, hunting, poaching and human-wildlife conflict,” explained Elena. “They’re in a race for survival but our aim is to secure their habitats through a mix of scientific research, community outreach and education.” It’s undoubtedly a high-end safari option – although the price includes everything – but there are no long, bone-jangling road transfers or hanging around at airstrips, making it ideal for time-poor travellers, multigenerational families or groups of friends celebrating a special occasion, even honeymooners.


w AERIAL ADVENTURE Leaving the savannah behind, we took


As they got down to a public mating session, the rest of the herd circled them, trumpeting loudly with excitement


a spectacular flight over the jagged peaks of the Great Rift Valley, and the aerial views of Kenya’s dramatic landscapes made it extra-memorable. One day we could be skimming


over jewel-coloured lakes as hundreds of vivid pink flamingos took flight, or looking down into one of the world’s largest calderas; the next we’d be following the snaking contours of a


river, spying on wallowing hippos and elephants splashing around in the shallows. Back on terra firma, alpha elephant Jager had seen off the competition and was making a beeline for a young female on heat. As they got down to a very public mating session, the rest of the herd circled them, enormous ears flapping, all trumpeting loudly with excitement. This joyous spectacle was a stunning


finale to our morning in Samburu National Reserve in northern Kenya. We’d already seen a fuzzy-haired, week-old calf, small enough to stand under its mother’s stomach to feed, two naughty teenagers engaged in a play fight, and a testosterone-fuelled male in musth that came a little too close for comfort. We were in Samburu to meet


64 travelweekly.co.uk 26 July 2018


PICTURES: URI GOLMAN; SIMON PENFOLD


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