NHA Adventure Specialist Wendy Klausner on a walking safari in Kenya
By Wendy Klausner
Anyone who knows me well — including the many Nat Hab clients I’ve served as an Adventure Specialist over my 16 years with the company — know that Africa is my very favorite place to travel. I was lucky enough to go on a return trip to Kenya this year, which took the definition of “safari” to a whole new level as I explored via exciting modes that went beyond your standard 4×4 Land Rover.
Kenya is such a vibrant country, from the bright blue and red plaids worn by the Maasai to the rolling green hills and grassy plains teeming with wildlife. Some of the game-viewing highlights included watching a cheetah successfully hunt a Thomson’s gazelle, seeing 50 rhinos —both black and white— in one day at Solio Game Reserve, and watching a mother with her two baby cheetah cubs for almost a full day in the Maasai Mara.
From the back of a horse, you can get closer to wildlife than from traditional vehicle-based safaris.
One highlight of Kenya is that there is such a range of activities safari guests can participate in. Horseback riding was a favorite, as we were able to get close to animals that can often be skittish when you are in a vehicle. I also went mountain biking in search of giraffe at Ol Donyo Lodge, camel riding at Sabuk, river rafting while at Loisaba Lodge & Star Beds, and enjoyed guided game walks almost everywhere, for an intimate perspective on the African wild simply unavailable from a vehicle. Since I love to be active, it was the perfect approach—safaris don’t have to be sedentary!
Nat Hab’s Wendy Klausner biking in Kenya with her Maasai guide
Cultural encounters were also a highlight. While staying at Leleshwa Camp I visited a Maasai village on the Siana Conservancy, and while I have had many similar experiences in Africa, this was truly the most authentic. For the perfect finale, I capped my trip off with two nights on the coast at Kinondo Kwetu, a beach lodge on the Indian Ocean. It could not have been a more perfect combination of destinations and adventures: both private and national reserves, a great variety of geographic settings, and a myriad of activities!
I’d love to tell you more about my trip, or help you set up your own custom safari adventure in Kenya. Give me a call at (800) 543-8917 if you’re in the U.S. & Canada, or at (303) 449-3711 from elsewhere.
Wendy Klausner,
Senior Adventure Specialist
