Travel reviews by N&C from Poole

"We had visited The Emakoko four years ago and were keen to return. It was as good as we remembered.

Our flight to Nairobi was delayed but the staff had stayed up and offered us a meal, despite it being 3am by the time we arrived! We declined the offer and that of an early morning game drive, opting instead for a leisurely morning and an afternoon drive.

There is no shortage of game in Nairobi National Park and it is interesting to see it with the backdrop of the city skyline and the railway line, which was not built the last time we were here.

The following day we had a post breakfast game drive to Wilson to get our flight to Loisaba."

"I have seen this place described as ‘rustic’ but I do not think that is accurate; it certainly in no way does it justice. If your idea of luxury includes space, peace, relaxation and excellent food then Sabuk should best be described as luxurious.

Sabuk is owned and hosted by the wonderful Verity Williams. Together with dogs Chesa and Tam, Verity met us on our return from activities and ate meals with us and the other guests. She is a fount of knowledge about Kenya and Tanzania in particular as well as being very well travelled generally.

We were picked up from Loisaba airstrip by our guides Robert and Kumbau who stayed with us throughout our visit. It was about an hour drive to Sabuk.

The lodge is stunningly situated above the river. The great room is huge, as are the rooms. All are open to the elements but are remarkably bug free, although bug repellent is supplied in the room. The only area we encountered some mosquitoes was around the pool, these are grass mosquitoes - Sabuk has officially been certified as being malaria free by an entomologist!

Whilst at Sabuk we went walking, camel riding, swimming in the river and on game drives. Breakfasts at stunning locations in the bush were supplied with a latrine tent - no need for going behind a bush - this was the first time we have come across this luxury!

We loved Sabuk and would happily return. It is perhaps not a conventional safari lodge (if such a thing exists) but is arguably all the better for it."

"Sosian is lovely. It provided a good contrast to our other stops on this trip, which is what we wanted.

The staff are very friendly and accommodating. I went riding and we went swimming at the waterfall. We had an excellent bush dinner in what is best described as a treehouse overlooking a hippo pool. Lunches by the pool were another highlight.

In these Covid times Sosian are trying to keep guests separate for meals and activities, although we did all meet for afternoon tea. This made our visit a bit less sociable than normal, although it did mean we had our game drive vehicle to ourselves."

"We arrived at Olepangi after an easy 3 hour drive from Sosian.

We stayed here 2 years ago and were keen to return. In those 2 years Elizabeth, Olepangi’s owner, has built a stunning swimming pool and pool house and acquired 2 Great Danes!

Olepangi is beautiful, the location and grounds are gorgeous, as are the rooms. This is not a safari lodge, instead it offers respite to those that might be a bit safari’d out.

There are horses to ride (as I did) and many trips to go on should you wish. Or you can just relax in the company of Elizabeth, her friends, the artists in residence and the other guests."

"The landscapes and vistas at Lewa are stunning. There is such variety – rolling hills, open plains, rocky escarpments, marshland and acacia tree forests where cranes roost in huge numbers overnight.

The four lodges at Lewa share the area and also share intelligence about sightings, very useful given the size of the conservancy.

Lewa House is a lovely lodge ably hosted by Calum, Sophie and guest manager Claire. I thought the rooms were perfectly designed for the safari goer and the swimming pool really is warm!

One highlight of our visit was a trip to the conservancy HQ where we learnt about all the work that goes into the management of Lewa and the work of the rangers. I would recommend this visit to anyone, especially those with an interest in technology.

I went horse riding and got incredibly close to the wildlife."

"We came back to the Emakoko at the end of our trip.

We appreciated their flexibility; we are able to invite a friend staying elsewhere in Nairobi to lunch and we had no need vacate our room prematurely (as does happen with some day room stays) even when our departing flight was delayed."