Traveller's Tales - a family safari and cycling adventure in Kenya and Mauritius

Lions, fly camping, schools and safaris

Kathy
Kathy
Traveller
Published on
13 Aug 2018
Updated on
25 Apr 2025
On Holiday At Il Moran

Kathy shares her experiences of a family safari holiday in Kenya, followed by the beach in Mauritius.

We had a great holiday starting at El Karama in Laikipia, Kenya. It was such a lovely, rustic and friendly place to stay with fantastic hosts and gorgeous food. We all loved it.

Here are some of our favourite moments:

Relaxing By The Pool At El Karama
Having fun by the pool at El Karama
Relaxing At El Karama In Laikipia
Relaxing at El Karama

Waking up with a morning call and a fresh lemon and ginger tea was lovely, and we especially loved watching the hippos climbing up the river bank on our first morning.

Hearing the lions roar at night was scary but I did get used to it!

El Karama Landscape
Beautiful Laikipia

Fly camping in Laikipia was amazing. They literally took their head chef and about another 5 staff to set up and we had our own little camp in the middle of nowhere! We didn't get much sleep that night as the lions were out and about, but it was fantastic!

Fly Camping In Laikipia At El Karama
Fly camping
Fly Camping With El Karama
Campfire

We spent some time visiting a school, which was brilliant and our children who are 17 and 15 years old were really taken with it. The whole school is funded as a charity, and these school places are for intelligent girls who could not otherwise afford to have an education. It was really good for our kids to see it. We were each assigned a “girl” who proudly showed us around their school.

Volunteering At A School In Laikipia With El Karama
Visiting Daraja School
Trip To Daraja School With El Karama
One of the girls at the school

Then it was on to Masai Mara for more safari, where the elephants greeted us at the entrance to Il Moran!

Elephants At Il Moran
Elephants greeted us at Il Moran
A Bedroom At Il Moran
Bedroom at Il Moran

Seeing the single file of zebra and wildebeest for miles and miles will definitely not be forgotten. Neither will the breakfast picnics/lunch in the savannah with our lovely driver Enos.

Sunset At Il Moran
Sunset at Il Moran
On Safari At Il Moran Elephants
On safari

Next up was the cycling around Mauritius, quite an adventure for us as a family. The scenery was very pretty but there were quite a few large lorries on the road due to it being harvesting time (for 6 months from June I think), but the traffic was respectful and gave us space.

Cycling Around Mauritius
Cycling around the coast
A Well Deserved Break Whilst Cycling Around Mauritius
A well deserved break

Lucy wasn't comfortable with the traffic so we stopped after first leg of 20 miles. There were a few stray dogs which was a bit scary at one point too, but for experienced cyclists this would be a great thing to do. Maybe we’ll try again in a few years!

Lux Le Morne Pool
Relaxing at Lux Le Morne
The Blue Waters Of Mauritius
The wilder coast of Mauritius

For more inspiration, take a look at our 26 favourite safari holidays or our top family safari holidays.

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Elizabeth Spells

I have just returned from the most amazing trip to Tanzania, booked with Far & Wild. Everything went so smoothly from the first time I spoke with them. The planning was great, the itinerary was perfect for us, and the lodges were amazing. We spent 10 nights with an amazing guide, travelling through Northern Tanzania and even got to see the migration, which was a lifetime ambition of mine. This wasn't our first safari, so we were nervous as to how it would compare, but it was spot on. We're particularly grateful that she suggested a private 'bush lunch' in the Ngorongoro Crater as the public picnic spot was very busy! I will certainly be using them again to book our next trip....we're thinking of a relaxing beach stay next time to get over the excitement of safari!

July, 2024
Orla Rhodes

Just back from another amazing F&W organised trip to Namibia with the family (8 adults). Having been there before, Alistair tailored our trip to include our favourite locations and added a new one for us, Okonjima Plains camp, which we loved.The quality of accommodation and guiding, activities, food and drinks was exceptional throughout. Although not inexpensive I felt it was good value for the level of luxury we had. Kwessi Dunes, Shipwreck lodge, Ongava, Okonjima with pit stops Windhoek (city tour recommended ), Swakopmund (Sandwich Harbour and Walvis Bay tour) and Grootberg lodge (best sundowner drive )

June, 2024
Arnhild Schia

We had a wonderful trip to São Tomé and Príncipe - a small island nation in the Gulf of Guinea with paradise (almost empty) beaches and jungle forest. It was all well organised by Far and Wild and we stayed at Omali lodge at Sao Tome, then on Roca Sundy, and Sunday Praia at Principe - a great combination of different types of resorts/hotels. Omali is close to Sao Tome town with its colonial buildings, markets, hustle and bustle. Roca Sunday gives an old plantation experience and Sundy Praia a luxury beach experience. Very friendly (from time to time a bit slow) service, great fresh food, specifically if you like fish/seafood, vegetables and fruits (almost all sourced locally). Nice temperature between 23 and 30 degrees Celsius, nice swimming conditions. We really recommend this for those who want to experience a pristine destination with few other tourists and friendly and welcoming people. The islands also feel (and I believe are) very safe. At Principe, there are no dangerous animals, snakes or whatever, and it was great to be able to hike in the jungle without being very conscious of where to put your hands and feet. Go before everyone else does!

July, 2024
Henri Papenfus

Back home again, basking in the joys of a superb safari. Every aspect you arranged for us, including linking up with Mack Air and Wild Horizons locally to transport us. The choice of camps, Camp Hwange in Zimbabwe and Muchenenje Safari Lodge in Botswana, was spot on and exactly what we had hoped for - ideally situated, comfortable, in good surroundings, and with excellent wildlife on the doorstep and throughout the wider country. The service staff in each looked after us very well, catering was excellent, and the game guides were professional, knowledgeable and helpful. The weather was, as usual for that part of the world, also good at the time of our visit. Blue skies and stunning sunsets. Warm but not too hot during the day, although quite cold at sunrise when viewing game. The viewing started. You made us happy, and we recommend you to similar safari enthusiasts with confidence.

June, 2024
AC

Far and Wild went above and beyond to make sure my trip to Zambia was special. I would definitely recommend them and their services to anyone wanting to travel to Africa.

May, 2024
Tiny

Lovely holiday at the amazing Almanara on Galu beach, a beach like no other. Far and Wild excelled themselves from beginning to end of our holiday in beautiful Kenya.... What a country!,

April, 2024
Stodge

Wow! These guys are amazing. Can’t recommend them highly enough. Friendly AND efficient! Sorted out our trip (last minute and lots of different family member needs, sorry!) in record time and everything worked like clockwork. Trip of a lifetime to the Masai Mara. Will be back (and use F&W again!)!

March, 2024
Fiona C

It was a dreamy holiday on the Kenyan Coast - Far and Wild, their efficiency and professionalism allowed us to relax and be the happiest family alive !! We cannot fault them, their care and understanding of what we wanted from a holiday ensured we had the most memorable trip. We will be booking with them again for sure!

March, 2024