Page 78 - asia

AMONG THE CRITTERS

| STORY & PHOTOGRAPHY BY TOM LEECH & LESLIE JOHNSON-LEECH |

ccasionally, as you’re taking a leisurely drive, a very different world from San Diego or Chicago. The road-
you’ll see a mother elephant strolling across the way over to our hotel was hectic, with lots of shops off to the
road in front of you, accompanied by her recent- roadside, trucks galore, and intriguing styles of wardrobe and
ly-arrived tyke. Or might you look over as you’re activities.
enjoying your lunch out on the deck to see a wart-
O hog nosing its way The resort hotel, Royal Reserve, was
among the shrubs only 20 feet first-rate, located on the beach north
away. Or, you’re sipping a brew of the main Mombasa community. As
on the terrace watching hippos Kenya has some definite security is-
splash around. This isn’t the San sues, the hotel had a guarded front
Diego Safari Park we’re talking entrance gate, staffed with multiple se-
about – this is the real thing -- the curity guards, with guns. This was the
Masai Mara Game Preserve locat- same entry style at several other hotels
ed below the equator at the huge and major structures, such as a mall.
Great Rift Valley in Kenya.
Leaving the hotel on our own for a
We recently headed to Kenya on stroll down the street for a coffee,
the Eastern side of Africa off of lunch or shopping was not permitted,
the Indian Ocean, for a journey so our explorations were done with a
organized by Gate 1 Tours called security driver and vehicle. When we
the Affordable (that descriptive adjective lured us in) Safari. did engage in activities with locals, we found them to be uni-
After a long couple of flights on British Airways via London, formly friendly, courteous, and conversational. (The Brits had
we arrived at the capital city, Nairobi, where we took a quick Kenya as part of their empire. so many people spoke decent

flight for a week’s stay in Mombasa before we began our safari. English.)
Heading to our hotel we soon were made aware that this was We took an overnight safari to the nearby Sarova Salt Lick

78 Wine Dine & Travel Winter 2015