| Girls just want to have fun | | | | locals are taught more from a very young age |
| Each year my family and I have a get together | | | | about these gentle giants. |
| where we set off to a remote destination. This | | | | After, what Leo described as a "more than well |
| year we opted for an African family safari: a five | | | | deserved lunch", we joined the rest of the |
| day camel trek in Kenya. This was the first time | | | | tourists for a bit of siesta time. The siesta was |
| any of us was going to Kenya, a country well | | | | followed with my parents enjoying forty winks, |
| known for its colonial history and Mount Kenya. | | | | while the rest of us sat around the pool, reading, |
| Sabuk | | | | sipping cocktails and catching up on the latest of |
| For our first night we flew in with a private | | | | family mischief. |
| charter to Laikipia where we were booked to | | | | At sundown our parents joined us for |
| stay at Sabuk Lodge. The awesome appearance | | | | sundowners around the campfire, where most of |
| of Sabuk is thanks to the lodge being built with a | | | | the tourists were gathering for the night's events. |
| combination of stone boulders and twisted wood | | | | There's nothing more relaxing sitting around a |
| with a thatched roof, all taken from the local | | | | campfire, especially with the ones you love, |
| landscape. The sitting room resembles an open | | | | breathing in the fresh, African air. It always |
| terrace and we were able to sit on very | | | | amazes me as to the difference in African |
| comfortable couches looking over the grand | | | | countries. It's almost like European countries: |
| Kenyan nature, sipping in the calmness of the | | | | diverse, but you can still sense the similarities, |
| atmosphere. | | | | mostly being that in Africa, everything seems to |
| Although we don't get to see a lot of each other, | | | | happen at a different pace than the rest of the |
| I believe that we are a very close family. My | | | | world. Its "African time", where you can sit back, |
| father, Phillip, and mother, Jeannette, have been | | | | relax and enjoy being the closest you'll ever be to |
| married for 37 years, during which they had three | | | | nature. |
| of us, Nell, Leo and me. With every family get | | | | Almost back home |
| together in the last four years there have also | | | | For the next few days we continued on the |
| been additional members, with both Nell and Leo | | | | same schedule, camel rides in the morning, back |
| having married. | | | | at camp by lunch time, followed by an afternoon |
| We decided to go to bed early that night since | | | | of leisure. I think we were all rather pleased by |
| our camel trip was starting in the early morning | | | | the fact that we didn't spend the whole day on |
| hours. Although very excited about the whole | | | | the back of a camel, because I could already feel |
| camel trip, I must admit that I did worry about | | | | that if we were on the camels longer than we |
| how my backside was going to feel by the end | | | | were, I would not have lasted. It's more |
| of our trip. From what I've heard it can be quite | | | | comfortable sitting on a camel than what I |
| tiresome and painful if you haven't done it before | | | | expected, but definitely not something any of us |
| or aren't used to it. | | | | were used to. |
| A few camels, Laikipia Masai and us... | | | | During our camel trips we saw a number of |
| While we were having breakfast, our guides, or at | | | | African wildlife, including more giraffes of course. |
| least, the Laikipia Masai's, were getting the camels | | | | Both my mother and I got really excited when |
| ready for our departure. It was a leisurely five | | | | we came across a herd of elephants, since we |
| hour walk during which we saw one of the camp's | | | | both quite favour the real King of the wild. By the |
| highlights: giraffes. There is a lot of work | | | | end of our trip, we not only enjoyed some time |
| undertaken in this area with regards to | | | | in one of Africa's most beautiful countries, but |
| conservation and education on giraffes. The | | | | also good family time, bringing our relationships |
| Kenyan government has a programme where | | | | even closer than before. |