Kenya: Safari and Sea!

First time in KENYA family of 4 (two boys)

trip with AIR ITALY with a stopover in Fiumicino, both outbound and return, not planned at booking; planes not very comfortable, but sufficiently comfortable; schedules respected.

Watamu-Garoda Resort: we were really happy there Beautiful property, directly on the sea. Spacious, clean rooms, sober furnishings. Good common areas, restaurant with sea view. Varied and excellent-quality cuisine. Staff, Italian and otherwise, attentive, kind and helpful. Excellent location at the beginning of the marine park, even if a bit far from Watamu. In the morning with low tide it's truly a spectacle! The beach, of light coral sand, stretches into the sea in tongues of sand, forming natural pools where the colours of the water contrast with the blinding white of the sand: from deep blue and green to shades of azure and turquoise with, in the background, the waves of the coral reef. At high tide, in the afternoon, we preferred the pool: very nice, with sea view, clean, excellent for a swim even late in the evening.

Two beaches: the one in front of the pool, with music/entertainment, and one on the left, quieter. The slightly elevated position allows you to fully appreciate the panorama.

But it's not Kenya if there's no safari! After searching for information on the internet and various contacts, we decided to make arrangements with Jammy: he seemed reliable from what he had presented to us (backed by an agency in Malindi), convenient, and he had always responded promptly and very courteously to our emails requesting information. Having met him on our arrival in Watamu, we easily came to an agreement and planned our safari: 3 full days for a visit to Tsavo East, night safari at Ngutuni, Amboseli, with a minibus (max 6 people) and driver.

We won't go into the specifics of the cost, but we want to emphasise that Jammy was decidedly competitive compared to what was offered by the resort (and that without taking anything away from professionalism, attention to our needs, quality of the places where we stayed) There were some doubts nonetheless, before departure, a bit of apprehension, but during the three days of safari everything went as planned, there were absolutely no problems. Everyone very satisfied. It was an unforgettable experience! Jammy and Piro (the driver) accompanied us: they were excellent. Attentive, punctual, friendly, discreet but always very helpful. For this we recommend them to anyone who wants to do a safari in Kenya!! (jammysafari@yahoo.com) They are two expert and very likeable guides, with whom you quickly become friends, who know the place well and manage to track down the most hidden animals.

The fact that there are two of them is very important: first of all "4 expert eyes are better than 2" for spotting animals (the cheetah was tracked down thanks to Piro), and moreover in this way the driver can stay more focused on driving; above all during the transfers we took advantage of Jammy to chat and get to know this country better.

With them we really saw so many animals. At Tsavo East (characterised by a hilly landscape, very green, with rare plains, where the particular "red earth" strikes you): gazelles, impalas, gerenuk, dik dik, zebras, giraffes, crocodiles, buffaloes, the beautiful "red" elephants and above all the lions, who were feasting on a buffalo. At Ngutuni, a small private park, suggestive night safari: elephants, giraffes, hyenas, jackal, marabou and, in the morning, very close by, a buffalo in a mud pool. Amboseli offers a more than suggestive panorama: a boundless plain, at 360°, an immense savannah, at times marshy, with the characteristic acacias, dominated by the imposing snow-capped cone of Kilimanjaro.

A priceless spectacle: worth the effort of the journey! And here many "grey" elephants, giraffes, birds, baboons, and lions, hyenas, wildebeest, hippos, as well as the thrilling attack of a cheetah on a group of Thomson's gazelles. Visit to a Masai village.

It's really true! Kenya stays in your heart: for its beaches, the colours of the sea, the panoramas, the animals, but above all what stays is the people, always kind and smiling, with whom you can surprisingly speak Italian and get to know a bit about them, what stays are the children, who greet you cheerfully, running, what stays are their immense eyes. There would be so much to tell, so many considerations or comments; the above is only a very brief summary of our trip: surely a holiday in these places is an unforgettable experience. Each person will be able to live and treasure so many emotions. Bon voyage!

If you are interested in more specific information, contact us (maribel60@hotmail.it).