1.What was your latest or most special escape?
At the beginning of October, I went to Kenya and Tanzania for the first time. Both places had been on my bucket list, and they didn’t disappoint. I spent the first five days on Safari and the rest of the trip on the most breath-taking beach I’ve ever seen in the north-west of Zanzibar.
2. What was the purpose of your travels?
I was on my honeymoon. Since moving to Istanbul a year ago, I’ve only managed to escape the city for short weekend breaks as I still travel back and forth from London a lot for work. It was fabulous to have two full weeks to switch off!
3. Who did you travel with?
My husband Olly. We’ve both wanted to go on safari since we were kids, so it was the perfect trip for us to do together. We spent a lot of time glued to our binoculars.
4. What places did you visit during this escape?
We spent the first two nights in Nairobi before flying to Laikipia in central Kenya, where we had the bittersweet experience of seeing the last two remaining Southern White Rhinos in the world! We then hopped on a teeny tiny plane to the Masai Mara, where we spent three nights in a tented camp in the Mara North Conservancy. We saw leopards, lions and cheetahs as well as elephants, giraffes and zebra. But we fell completely in love with the baby warthogs and their mischievous characters.
5. What is an anecdote or unforgettable memory from this trip?
Our magical balloon safari over the Masai Mara. I’ll never forget seeing the sun rise over the plains from up high. The 4am wake-up call was definitely worth it.
6. Favorite restaurant(s) or culinary experiences?
On Safari you usually eat in your camps, but we chose to have breakfast out in the bush during our morning game drive. Sipping a cup of coffee next to sunbathing hippos was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
7. Any hidden gems you could whisper to us?
I’d highly recommend Kicheche Mara Camp in the Mara North Conservancy. The team has thought of everything from morning hot chocolates to evening hot water bottles. The hot water cuts out and the tents get cold but there’s nowhere better for a break away from phones, screens and day-to-day reality! In Zanzibar, we stayed at the Zuri hotel which was a real slice of paradise.
8. What not to miss?
A Kenyan Dawa. It’s like a Mojito but better!
9. What’s one of your favorite travel films or books?
I’ve just finished reading Notes from a Small Island by Bill Bryson which I absolutely loved. His astute observations about English people and the English way of life are spot on and made me laugh out loud. It’s definitely not a book to read in public.
10. And your favorite travel soundtrack?
‘Je pense a toi’ by the Malian duo Amadou & Mariam. We played it on repeat while we were on our honeymoon.
11. What does escape mean to you?
Not looking at my laptop and making happy memories with the people I love.
