Kenya’s reputation: King Charles visits this week – and he’s not the only one appreciating the country’s majestic nature

We hear them before we see them.

Barking and whining, about thirty baboons set up their new home for the night on a yellow acacia tree that sits like a large fruit in its branches.

“It’s also called the fever tree,” said Abdul, our guide. In the back seat of our open Toyota Landcruiser, my 17-year-old daughter Rose raises an eyebrow.

“They love a fever tree almost as much as you and dad,” she says, referring to the favorite T in our nocturnal G. The light fades into the foothills of Mount Kenya and vast plains stretch out before us as the silhouette of the Mountains appears in an increasingly clear silhouette. a silver sheen.

There is magic in the air. And a brutal cold. We are moving towards the equator, but you will never know it; On the Laikipia Plateau at 1,826 meters you will need a blanket or two. Your Majesty, pay attention.

Ol Pejeta is home to the last two white rhinos (pictured) on earth, Fiona reveals

While King Charles and Queen Camilla’s state visit to Kenya this week includes a trip to Nairobi National Park, a forty-minute flight north in a light aircraft will take them to the Ol Pejeta Wilderness, a nature reserve that over 30,000 hectares of open grassland are spread out. . Home to the last two white rhinos on earth and the closest reserve to the capital where you can see the Big Five.

Ever since I fell in love with East Africa twenty years ago and was mesmerized by the wild beauty of this amazing wild country, I have longed to go on a safari with my family.

And judging by the children’s faces as we stumble through the woods, the exciting possibilities of this endless landscape are once again working wonders.

There are three must-sees that we see on our first drive to camp: buffalo sniffing the evening air, black rhinoceros circling a waterhole; The dusty skin of a lonely elephant on its way to the kingdom. Our awe is not just limited to the blockbusters.

“Look at her eyelashes!” gasps Evie, 16, as Abdul slows to a crawl so we can admire a pair of giraffes flying away like the late Sophia Loren.

“Pumbaa!” shouts Felix (11) as a family of warthogs scurry through the undergrowth as if rushing to a meeting they are hopelessly late for.

The greatest show in the world teaches us the lesson of a lifetime. And class participation is high.

King Charles and Queen Camilla visit the Kariokor Cemetery in Nairobi during their state visit to Kenya

Fiona checks into the luxury Sanctuary Retreats group’s newest camp, Sanctuary Tambarare (pictured). She describes it as “both stylish and authentic.”

Then the collective nouns. Unlike my attempts at verbal reasoning when the children least expect it, Abdul’s students are eager to learn.

Soon we are talking about an iridescent zebra; a flock of warthogs; a group of rhinos. We discuss when a group of giraffes is a tower (answer: when they stand) and when it is a journey (answer: when they walk). No one needs an explanation as to why a group of hyenas are called cacklings; When our headlights see a pack tearing into a fresh carcass, their ominous laughter is terrifying.

Abdul put his foot down; Strong drinks at the fire pit are long over.

Sanctuary Tambarare, the latest camp from the luxury group Sanctuary Retreats, is stylish and authentic. The restaurant and lobby are decorated in Masai style with covered ceilings. They are connected by a teak boardwalk that is illuminated at night. It is the perfect stage to relive the day and end it with a feast.

And which parties. Baked camembert with apricot sauce; Halloumi Sticks with Swahili Salad; a passion fruit pavlova to die for. Exactly how this magic happens in a simple forest kitchen is a mystery to me. But luckily it doesn’t go further than Eric, the head wizard of Tambarare.

We retreat to two of the camp’s ten canvas-lined lodges. Each room has a private veranda overlooking the boma and a four-poster bed wrapped in mosquito nets so dreamy you need an African sunrise to get out of it.

Our first game drive in the morning and a close encounter with number four of the Big Five. On burnt grass under the cover of a forest, a lioness nurses five cubs. She saw us and narrowed her eyes. Abdul turns off the engine and my heart almost stops. “She’s not hungry,” he whispered, pointing to the partially eaten zebra behind her.

My EKG rhythm had barely returned to normal when Abdul caught wind of a cheetah. We race through the savanna hoping to spot this elusive creature. We are happy. Lying in the afternoon sun, feathered limbs folded in repose, we are granted a golden audience with the fastest animal on earth.

Above is the “luxurious” Olonana Sanctuary in the Masai Mara Reserve, one of the stops on Fiona’s tour. The retreat’s suites offer direct access to the Mara River

Fiona says the views from Sanctuary Olonana are “so breathtaking you could be forgiven for wanting to skip a day on safari and stay indoors.”

“How do you tell a cheetah from a leopard?” asked the idiot from the jeep as I finally started to breathe again.

“You will find out!” laughed Abdul. “If you find one in the Mara, let me know.”

On our second leg and two turbulent flights later, we are dropped on the beautiful plains of the Masai Mara and placed in the care of our next guide, the larger-than-life Joseph. He opens the cooler in his Jeep and gives us two ice cold beers. It’s only 11 o’clock.

The relief is enormous. Just like the view. Miles of endless expanse, home to perhaps the most famous wildlife destination in the world – as well as one of the most luxurious lodges, Sanctuary Olonana.

Our room is a large glass-fronted family suite that opens directly onto the Mara River. The view from the large circular bench is so breathtaking that you could be forgiven for skipping a day on safari and staying indoors instead. But Josef has plans, and none of them include sleeping past 6am.

A new early ride yields new gems. Crocodiles sunbathing, lions on the prowl. As we pause at a bend in the river, I count the heads of 22 manatees as they slowly rise and fall in the morning sun.

Joseph finds the perfect spot for a bush breakfast and within minutes a folding table is decked out with Masai charcoal and full of food: French toast, fruit, yogurt, boiled eggs, sausage, the best cup of tea.

The landscape around the Olonana Shrine. “As we stop at a bend in the river, I count the heads of 22 manatees slowly rising and falling in the morning sun,” Fiona says of her safari in the region

“Now a race!” he explained, pointing to a tree 100 meters away.

The children are competitive to their core and become agile.

Josef joins them – and all four leave. The children are fast, but no one can keep up with him; his heavy frame is lightning fast. He laughs when we ask how he learned to run so quickly. He was once attacked by a lion and survived the scar.

So there is no better man to get close to the last of our Big Five: the leopard.

Abdul’s words ring in my ears as we spy this terrible mass of markings and muscles on a tree, tearing apart the remains of a wildebeest. Only the face and tail are left, but the leopard has no desire to chase away any leftovers.

Our last night and Josef drive us to the plain. G&T in hand, we watch the kids do cartwheels and fight for the straightest legs, their bodies silhouetted against the setting sun.

If the safari has taught us anything, it is that only the fittest survive. Josef nodded and looked at the children.

“So,” he snapped, “who’s the best?”