In Love in Africa

by Lauren Kroger, Luxury Travel Advisor

From our outdoor soaking tub overlooking the dotted landscape of Laikipia, wine glasses in hand, we watched a parade of elephants slowly amble into the sunset. Karibu, or welcome to Kenya, where moments like these make you feel as if there’s no place more romantic or secluded in the world. This is the Africa with which I fell head-over-heels in love — and the setting for the first, wild adventure of my married life.

My husband and I began our honeymoon at the famed Giraffe Manor in Nairobi, where we shared breakfast with endangered (and adorably ornery) Rothschild’s giraffes. Afterward, we traveled north by bush plane into Laikipia County. Morning walks at Ol Lentille Conservancy were followed by hot stone massages, lunch beside the river, a dip in the infinity pool, impromptu visits to our Maasai guide’s home, and sundowner cocktails atop a mountain. It seemed unlikely that anything could be more magical, but we had yet to make our final stop: the Maasai Mara. The Mara is the quintessential safari destination, forming a contiguous ecosystem with its southern neighbor — the Serengeti. We hardly had time to enjoy our luxurious “tent” because we were too eager to be outside, taking in playful lion cubs by day and the Milky Way by night. After four days of game drives, we finally said a difficult goodbye to Africa with a visit to the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (one of the pioneering conservation organizations for wildlife and habitat protection in East Africa) before boarding our plane home.

“So, why Kenya?” “Don’t you like the beach?” These are the questions friends and family asked in the year leading up to our honeymoon. “Go and see for yourself,” I now tell them. Once you’ve shared the experience of Africa — its people, its magnitude, its awe-inspiring beauty — with the people you love most, you’ll never stop trying to return.