“Travel is part of our make-up; we need it in our lives, and we lose it at our peril.” Simon Reeve
In The Telegraph last weekend Simon Reeve shared reflections on some of the unforgettable trips that have mapped his personal world including a wildlife encounter he will never forget on a Kicheche safari.
“I have travelled to 130 countries, visiting some of the most spectacular -wildlife reserves around the planet and witnessing glorious wildlife encounters. But from the moment I landed at the Kicheche camps in Kenya’s Mara Conservancies, I was stunned and blown away. It was as close as I’ll ever get to arriving in the Garden of Eden; breathtaking in the abundance of life.
My friend, Paul Goldstein, a photographer who owns the camps, had been saying I should visit for some time. We had these ridiculous moments, where we would look out across the plains, seeing a dozen different spectacular animals. It felt as if somebody was saying, “Keep the camera rolling”. It was the greatest stage for wildlife I have ever experienced. I could tell you about the lioness and her cubs behind my tent at Kicheche Mara Camp, but even that was beaten by watching a family of cheetahs hunting. I had never seen anything like it before, and it is absolutely at the top of my list when it comes to the planet’s best places for experiencing incredible wildlife encounters.
We must keep reminding travellers that places like the Maasai Mara Conservancies represent our last chance of protecting iconic wildlife. They desperately need tourism to provide local communities with an incentive to value and care for these animals and their wild spaces. “
Oh and talking of box office we had the wildlife photographic titan Art Wolfe at the door of Kicheche Mara Camp, guiding in Mara North last week ……
‘What an excellent way to escape the trials and excesses of modern living. No news of covid, politics and the cold, dark winter. Just lions, leopards, cheetahs hunting. Excellent guides with excellent knowledge.’ Art Wolfe
