{"id":12703,"date":"2025-01-15T17:10:01","date_gmt":"2025-01-15T17:10:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/?p=12703"},"modified":"2025-03-21T12:15:02","modified_gmt":"2025-03-21T12:15:02","slug":"african-safari-diaries-our-journey-a-tale-of-adventure-and-memories","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/african-safari-diaries-our-journey-a-tale-of-adventure-and-memories\/","title":{"rendered":"African Safari Diaries: A Tale of Adventure &#038; Memories in Kenya"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<p>There\u2019s something truly magical about a safari\u2014a journey into the heart of nature where the wild comes alive, and unforgettable memories are made. For Debra and her husband, safaris have become more than just holidays; they are a passion, an adventure, and a chance to reconnect with the beauty of the natural world.<\/p>\n<p>What started as a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Kenya in 2000 has blossomed into an ongoing love affair with the country\u2019s breathtaking landscapes, incredible wildlife, and warm hospitality. Organised by Somak and inspired by a family dream, their safari adventures have taken them to some of the most stunning locations in Kenya, where they\u2019ve experienced everything from intimate wildlife encounters to joyous family celebrations.<\/p>\n<p>In this story, we share their experiences, cherished memories, and tips for anyone considering embarking on their own safari adventure.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div><strong>1.\u00a0 \u00a0What made you choose to go on safari? Was this your first time going on safari?<\/strong><\/div>\n<p>We have been on approximately 14 safaris with Somak, all in Kenya. Going on safari is one of our favourite types of holiday.<\/p>\n<p>Our first trip with Somak was in 2000, recommended by Hays Travel in Shanklin on the Isle of Wight. That year marked a turning point for our family, as my husband retired from the army and wanted to fulfil his dream of taking me and our daughter to Kenya. It was intended to be a once-in-a-lifetime holiday, but we fell in love with it and have returned many times since.<\/p>\n<p>In fact, our daughter even got married in the Masai Mara.<\/p>\n<p><strong>2.\u00a0 Where did you stay whilst on your trip and what were your highlights from your trip?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>We stayed at several incredible lodges and camps, including:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Ashnil Samburu<\/li>\n<li>Sarova Lion Hill Lodge, Lake Nakuru<\/li>\n<li>Ashnil Mara<\/li>\n<li>Great Rift Valley Lodge, Lake Naivasha<\/li>\n<li>Kilaguni Serena Lodge, Tsavo West<\/li>\n<li>Ashnil Aruba Lodge, Tsavo East<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The highlights of our trip were truly unforgettable:<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_12705\" style=\"width: 790px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-12705\" class=\"img-responsive wp-image-12705 size-full\" title=\"Cheetah strolling past the window\" src=\"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/IMG_4642-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Cheetah strolling past the window\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/IMG_4642-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/IMG_4642-400x300.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/IMG_4642-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/IMG_4642-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/IMG_4642-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/IMG_4642-2048x1536.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-12705\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cheetah strolling past the window<\/p><\/div>\n<ul>\n<li>Following the coalition of cheetahs in the Masai Mara.<\/li>\n<li>Watching a herd of elephants cross the river in Samburu.<\/li>\n<li>Spotting a rhino crossing the road directly in front of us at Lake Nakuru.<\/li>\n<li>Witnessing a tower of giraffes\u2014at least 25 of them together\u2014in the Masai Mara, something we had never seen before.<\/li>\n<li>Seeing a leopard resting up in a tree in the Masai Mara.<\/li>\n<li>Enjoying Christmas lunch at the Great Rift Valley Lodge in a huge open-air tent\u2014it was a truly magical experience.<\/li>\n<li>Observing the activity at the watering hole at Kilaguni Lodge.<\/li>\n<li>Coming across a pride of 16 lions in Tsavo East.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>We were also fortunate to have a fantastic guide, Tariq, who made the experience even more exceptional. He was incredibly knowledgeable, and we couldn\u2019t have asked for a better safari.<\/p>\n<p><strong>3. What did you think of the Briggs &amp; Riley luggage?<\/strong><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_12709\" style=\"width: 790px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-12709\" class=\"img-responsive wp-image-12709 size-full\" title=\"Briggs &amp; Riley Luggage\" src=\"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/IMG_5063-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Briggs &amp; Riley Luggage\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2560\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/IMG_5063-scaled.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/IMG_5063-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/IMG_5063-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/IMG_5063-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/IMG_5063-1536x2048.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-12709\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Briggs &amp; Riley Luggage<\/p><\/div>\n<p>We were thoroughly impressed by the quality of the <a href=\"https:\/\/briggs-riley.co.uk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Briggs &amp; Riley luggage<\/a>. The various compartments made <a href=\"https:\/\/briggs-riley.co.uk\/blogs\/travel-source\/hand-luggage-essentials-checklist\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">packing<\/a> so much easier, especially for my husband. It was a wonderful gift, and we feel very privileged to have received it.<\/p>\n<p><strong>4.\u00a0 Any advice or tips for anyone thinking of going on a similar trip or a safari?<\/strong><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_12706\" style=\"width: 790px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-12706\" class=\"img-responsive wp-image-12706 size-full\" title=\"Lion spotted on safari\" src=\"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/IMG_4809-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Lion spotted on safari\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2560\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/IMG_4809-scaled.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/IMG_4809-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/IMG_4809-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/IMG_4809-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/IMG_4809-1536x2048.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-12706\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lion spotted on safari<\/p><\/div>\n<ul>\n<li>Listen to your guide\u2014they know best, and it will enhance your experience tremendously.<\/li>\n<li>Bring plenty of sun cream, insect repellent \u2014there are always midges and mosquitoes around.<\/li>\n<li>A seven-day safari is an ideal length for most people; it strikes the right balance between adventure and rest.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/contact\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Why not get in touch with one of Somak&#8217;s travel professionals<\/a> to chat about booking your own safari, holiday or tour?<\/p>\n<p>We have various safari holidays with itineraries including stays in India and Africa.\u00a0For more\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Inspirations<\/a>\u00a0for your next trip, visit our website at\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.somak.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">somak.com<\/a><\/p>\n<p>For your next adventure for 2025 be sure to check out all our beautiful destinations and current offers on our <a href=\"http:\/\/www.somak.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">website<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/booking-enquiry\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Make an enquiry today<\/a> or contact our experienced sales consultants to curate your holiday: <a href=\"mailto:holidays@somak.co.uk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">holidays@somak.co.uk<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>There\u2019s something truly magical about a safari\u2014a journey into the heart of nature where the wild comes alive, and unforgettable memories are made. For Debra and her husband, safaris have become more than just holidays; they are a passion, an adventure, and a chance to reconnect with the beauty of the natural world. What started [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":39,"featured_media":12707,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[603,13,604,11,63,30,24,600,90,580,29,28,38],"tags":[885,855,583,26,860,884],"class_list":["post-12703","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-african-safari-diaries","category-botswana","category-inspiration-africa","category-kenya","category-namibia","category-south-africa","category-tanzania","category-testimonials","category-uganda","category-wildlife-and-safari","category-zambia","category-zanzibar","category-zimbabwe","tag-adventure-memories","tag-briggs-riley","tag-kenya","tag-safari","tag-safari-in-kenya","tag-safari-journey"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/IMG_5008-scaled.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12703","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/39"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12703"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12703\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12782,"href":"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12703\/revisions\/12782"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12707"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12703"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12703"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12703"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}