girls just want to have fun
Every year my family and I have a reunion where we set off for a remote destination. This year we opted for an African family safari: a five-day camel trek in Kenya. This was the first time any of us had been to Kenya, a country well known for its colonial history and Mount Kenya.
Sabuk
For our first night we flew on a private charter to Laikipia, where we booked to stay at the Sabuk Lodge. Sabuk’s impressive appearance is due to the fact that the lodge was built with a combination of stone boulders and twisted wood with a thatched roof, all taken from the local landscape. The living room resembles an open terrace and we were able to sit on very comfortable sofas looking at the great nature of Kenya, enjoying the tranquility of the environment.
Although we don’t see each other much, I think we are a very close family. My father, Phillip, and my mother, Jeannette, have been married for 37 years, during which time they had three of us, Nell, Leo, and myself. With each family reunion in the last four years, there have also been additional members, and both Nell and Leo have married.
We decided to go to bed early that night as our camel trek started early in the morning. Although I was very excited about the whole camel ride, I must admit I was worried about how my butt would feel at the end of our trip. From what I’ve heard, it can be quite tiring and painful if you haven’t done it before or aren’t used to it.
A few camels, Laikipia Masai and us…
While we had breakfast, our guides, or at least the Laikipia Masai, were preparing the camels for our departure. It was a leisurely five-hour hike during which we saw one of the highlights of the camp: the giraffes. There is much work being done in this area regarding giraffe conservation and education. The Kenyan government has a program where the locals are taught more about these gentle giants from a very young age.
After what Leo described as a “more than deserved lunch,” we joined the rest of the tourists for a little nap. The siesta was followed by my parents enjoying forty winks, while the rest of us sat around the pool, reading, drinking cocktails, and catching up on the latest family antics.
At sunset, our parents joined us to sunbathe around the campfire, where most of the tourists gathered for the evening’s events. There is nothing more relaxing than sitting around a campfire, especially with those you love, breathing in the fresh air of Africa. I am always amazed at the difference in African countries. It’s almost like European countries: diverse, but you can still feel the similarities, mainly because in Africa, everything seems to happen at a different pace than in the rest of the world. It’s the “African moment”, where you can sit back, relax and enjoy being as close as you will ever get to nature.
almost back home
During the following days we continue with the same schedule, camel rides in the morning, return to the camp at lunchtime, followed by an afternoon of leisure. I think we were all quite happy about the fact that we didn’t spend the whole day on the back of a camel, because I could already feel that if we were on the camels longer than we were, it wouldn’t have lasted. It’s more comfortable to sit on a camel than I expected, but it’s definitely not something any of us are used to.
During our camel rides we saw a lot of African wildlife, including more giraffes of course. Both my mother and I get very excited when we come across a herd of elephants as we both quite like the true King of nature. At the end of our trip, we not only enjoyed some time in one of the most beautiful countries in Africa, but also good family time, which made our relationships even closer than before.