Asante Sana Kenya

After a week in Mexico in spring, my partner Paola and I decide to take a last-minute deal for Kenya — finally the long-desired African land!! We find an offer of 545 euros with room and breakfast at the Hotel Tamani Jua, a three-star owned by an Italian, nothing short of beautiful, with African-style apartments of 40-45 sqm fully equipped, set in the middle of a tropical garden at the edge of the pool. The food is excellent (those who took only B&B can opt to eat lunch or dinner at the hotel for about 7 euros a meal) and the staff are extremely kind. In the hotel there were only 11 of us (how wonderful!) and right from the start we formed a group that moved almost always together. During our stay at Tamani Jua we enjoyed the beautiful beaches (Oasi, Rosada) of Malindi and the even more beautiful ones of Watamu.

Using the famous "tuc tuc" (ape cars used as taxis) we immersed ourselves in the African chaos (we were almost always the only white people around Malindi), in the craft markets, in the factory where wood is worked, in the shops of the centre, amid the smells and scents of the bursting African nature, among streets of shacks inhabited by very poor people and beautiful villas (see Briatore) owned by Europeans. We did the Blue Safari (30 euros), that is, snorkelling on the coral reef and a lunch of lobster, octopus and prawns, on a marvellous Polynesia-style inlet. We then decided to do a 2-day safari at the Tsavo East park (180 euros), where we stayed in a beautiful lodge in the middle of the savannah surrounded by monkeys, impala and elephants.

Here for 2 days we saw every kind of animal, from lions to giraffes, elephants, zebras, buffaloes, antelopes, gazelles, hippos....an experience absolutely worth doing for anyone going to these parts. On the way back from the safari we had ourselves taken to a school where we gave away notebooks and pens we had brought from home to all the children...an experience that will enrich you more than the children!! What else can I add about such a trip....only that the people, even if sometimes very insistent, are extremely kind and helpful, always with a smile and a "JAMBO" ready to greet you, despite the fact that some truly live in poverty. Nature is overwhelming, full of colours, scents and smells. The children are what will strike you most, those big black eyes that will often look at you and beg you for a sweet, a pen... P.S.

As for vaccinations, we had the anti-malarial with Lariam and the vaccine against hepatitis A and tetanus, but the anti-malarial is perhaps not really necessary for a trip of this kind. Greetings to all, and if you need advice just ask!