Sundowner: Autumn/Winter 2018

previous page: Sally with daughter Antonia
left to right: Photographing elephant;
meeing the Maasai
ANTONIA’S TAKE:
YOUR FAVOURITE MEMORY
Learning about
animals from
Karmushu. He
was so kind, and
it was exciting
to watch baboons
and see what
they do.
ONE NIGHT WE WENT
OUT AFTER DARK WITH
ANOTHER FAMILY, TO
WATCH HYENA EMERGE,
WITH THEIR GLOWING EYES
– THAT WAS THRILLING.
also enjoyed the pools at Lewa and Sanctuary Olonana, and I had a lovely
massage one day at the latter, while a wonderful Kenyan friend we met on
safari did Antonia’s hair in braids.
YOU VISITED A MAASAI VILLAGE DURING
Q
YOUR TRIP. CAN YOU TELL US WHAT YOU
ENJOYED ABOUT IT?
A
Yes,
when we were staying in the Mara. A group of men had a
jumping contest, a group of women led me and the other visiting
women in dancing and singing. Then we visited a mud hut and a
jewellery market. We still both wear the beautiful beads that we bought
that day.
At Antonia’s request, one day when we were at Lewa our guide
Karmushu took us to a local school, and that was a really successful
experience. I’d worried that this would unfairly interrupt the school day
(I used to be a teacher) and that Antonia would be so shy, and the visit so
brief, that she might not get much from it.
But, again, I should have just listened to my daughter. She was really
keen to see how kids like her spend their days, and Karmushu knew how
to integrate Antonia with the local schoolchildren, translating between
them so that she could meet kids her age and share mutually familiar
songs and dances.
Q
WHAT WERE THE HIGHLIGHTS OF YOUR
TRIP, BOTH AS A TRAVELLER AND A
MOTHER, AND WHY?
A
The absolute highlight for me was seeing how open my daughter
was to learning, exploring, and making friends. She fell in love
with Karmushu, at Lewa, and was desperately sad to leave him.
Also, as the person who is always in charge on trips, it was an
enormous relief that, at every stage of our journey, we were helped
by enthusiastic, engaging, and incredibly bright people. From Fiona,
who met us and directed our exploration of Nairobi (don’t miss Karen
Blixen’s house, if you’re a fan; we loved it) to each night guide and cook,
the staff members who work for and with A&K are just incredible. Their
long association with the company is a credit to its strength as a brand.
Finally, as a lone adult traveller, I absolutely loved the group meals
at Lewa. You can eat in your beautiful lodge alone, if you fancy that –
and some people did. But I adored the communal evening meals, in an
open-air thatched hut overlooking a hill. We met the most fascinating
people at dinner – fellow artists, a family on their third visit to Lewa
who spent a night camping in the bush, the founder of a girls’ education
charity – and over distinctly British fare, we compared notes on animal
sightings and revelled in our joy at being there.
Q
LASTLY, ANY WORDS OF ADVICE FOR
FAMILIES CONSIDERING A SAFARI?
A
Do it. I cannot think of a more perfect family trip: this combines
adventure, activity, and learning with relaxation and scenes of
unequalled beauty.
Sally Peck is The Telegraph’s family travel and beaches editor
CONTACT ABERCROMBIE & KENT
A&K's eight-night Kenya family safari itinerary starts at £7,645 per
adult and £1,815 per child (based on two adults and two children
under 12 sharing, includes flights*). For more information, call our
travel specialists on 01242 547 702.
*For a full list of inclusions, speak to an A&K travel specialist
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