WILD AT HEART

It’s a unique feature of this city that you can, within minutes of leaving the airport, be driving through a wildlife reserve in the company of lions, ostrich and giraffe. Set against a skyline of hazy blue towers, the 117 sq km Nairobi National Park is a tranquil stop-off for anyone with free time before or after meetings. You can either do a self-drive or guided tour (recommended) with Gamewatchers Safaris.

Arriving on a Sunday morning, I opt for an overnight stay in the reserve’s camp. There are nine well-appointed tents for guests with comfy king-size beds, electric lighting and zip-up en suite bathrooms. There are proper toilets, too, but if you want to have a shower you have to book a slot and staff will fill the tank outside with hot water.

It may be “glamping”, but finding myself in the middle of a forest immediately takes me out of my comfort zone, especially when I realise there is nothing to keep predators out. I have only been there an hour when a troop of baboons come scampering by looking for food and manager Clemence has to chase them away. She then casually recalls the time that a pride of lions settled down outside her office for the day. Sitting around a campfire in the evening with a gin and tonic, though, I soon relax.

Out in the open, it doesn’t take long to spot animals – you can see the Big Four (lion, leopard, buffalo, rhino) but no elephants. There are also plenty of zebra, gazelle, vultures and waterbucks, as well as the odd hippo wallowing in a waterhole.

We also stop at the Ivory Burning Site to take in two large circular piles of ashes. In March, President Uhuru Kenyatta set fire to 14 tonnes of tusks here as a powerful anti-poaching message. The other mound is the remains of a burning from 1989 by then president Daniel arap Moi. Unlike some other African countries, Kenya takes wildlife preservation seriously.

Entry to the park costs US$85. A full-board Gamewatchers package for one person including airport transfers, a shared game drive and drinks cost US$293 in October. porini.com