Kenya is “Big Game” country and “Big Sky” country. Just think of the scenes from ‘Out of Africa’ and you will remember the vast open spaces, masses of wildlife and unutterable beauty of this land. Kenya has been a magnet for travellers for years; adventurers like Ernest Hemingway and Teddy Roosevelt made Kenya synonymous with East Africa safaris and paved the way for others to visit, not to shoot the animals but to look at them.

Kenya has a history of protecting its wildlife, which means it now has over 40 game reserves and parks. The best known is probably the Masai Mara, which receives more than a million migrating wildebeest and zebras from the plains of the Serengeti in about June or July each year. They travel according to rains, expecting that the rainy season in Kenya will have enriched the pastures. When the grass runs out in about October, they turn around and go back.

The Masai Mara is also known for the colourful Maasai tribespeople, whose tall, thin menfolk have a fearsome reputation as warriors. Each man carries a weapon stick and a hardwood rungu (knobkerrie) capable of warding off a lion should he meet one while tending his cattle. The wildlife of the Masai Mara and the Maasai people have learned to live alongside each other in harmony. A visit to a Maasai village or a walk with a Maasai guide will enrich your experience of this part of Kenya.

All the people of Kenya are a friendly bunch and while children may shout, "Mazungu," as you go by, they intend no malice by calling you "Foreigner".  Return the call with "Jambo" (hello) and see if you can’t learn a few more words of the melodic Swahili language, the most important being, “Hakuna Matata” (no problem)!