There are some trips where you have to keep reminding yourself that, yes, this is actually happening.
The night before I arrived in Kenya, I was under the iconic domes at the Royal Albert Hall in London watching one of my favourite singers. The next day I was on a flight, then before I knew it I was in the middle of the Masai Mara, looking at two lionesses resting in the shade under a tree.
It was a slightly ridiculous contrast. One minute: London, concert lights, crowds, replacement buses due to a tube strike. The next: open plains, giraffes in the distance, the warm Kenyan air, and that strange feeling you get when your brain hasn’t quite caught up with where your body is.
I had been given the chance to spend 24 hours at Instinct of the Mara before flying on to South Africa to meet the rest of the Far and Wild Travel team for trip to celebrate a milestone year. It was my first time in Kenya, and although 24 hours is far too short, somehow the Mara managed to squeeze in more wildlife, landscapes and unforgettable moments than I thought possible.
After indirect flights to Nairobi and then a small plane into the Mara, I arrived at Instinct of the Mara a little tired but very excited. There was no slow introduction. As soon as I arrived, I was welcomed by the owner, Richard, then sent straight out on a game drive. And honestly, what a way to arrive.
Within what felt like minutes, we were watching giraffes slowly ambling across the plains, completely unbothered by the world around them. Impala ran across the grass together in perfect unison, one of those simple safari sights that is easy to underestimate until you are actually there watching it happen. There were zebra and wildebeest everywhere too, scattered across the landscape in that classic Mara way that makes the whole place feel alive.
Then came the lionesses. Two of them lying in the shade of a tree, resting against each other, escaping the heat of the afternoon sun. They were completely relaxed, barely interested in us, which somehow made the sighting feel even more special. I’m sure one even winked at me but that could have been the fly bothering her. There I was, less than a day after sitting in the Royal Albert Hall, now face to face with lionesses in the Masai Mara - what is life sometimes?
Halfway through the drive, we stopped for a picnic.
Not the usual 3 for £8 from M&S out of a cooler box – a table with a tablecloth and chair was set up just for me, with a freshly prepared meal, a glass of champagne and the Mara stretching out around me without a single other person in sight. Definitely a lot more dramatic than my last picnic in Holland Park.
It was one of those moments where everything goes very quiet in the best possible way. No emails, no noise, no rushing to the next thing. Just me, lunch, a glass of champagne and the slightly surreal realisation that only the night before I had been in London watching live music, and now I was sitting in the heart of Kenya. It felt peaceful, indulgent and completely mad all at once.
The excitement had clearly taken it out of me though, because on the drive back to the lodge I kept falling asleep. Not ideal when you’re in a land cruiser. Eventually, for my own safety, I had to be strapped in so I didn’t fall out and become an unexpected snack for a hidden lion. Not my finest hour, but definitely one I’ll remember.
That evening, I headed out for sundowners with some of the local tribesmen. They lit a fire by hand, a skill they made look effortless, but I know full well I would be there for about three hours producing nothing but embarrassment.
As the sun went down, they cooked a leg of lamb over the open fire they had made. And it was genuinely some of the best lamb I have ever eaten. Turns out the best seasoning for lamb is fire, fresh air and the Masai Mara at sunset.
Afterwards, I headed back to the lodge for dinner, which was another reminder of how personal the experience at Instinct of the Mara is. Because the lodge is deliberately small and low impact, the service feels incredibly thoughtful. Before meals, the chef came to speak to me about what he was planning to cook, checking not only whether I had any allergies, but whether I actually wanted to eat what he had in mind. It sounds like a small thing, but it made a huge difference. Nothing felt generic. Everything felt considered.
After dinner, I had an early night. I knew I’d be up early the next morning for breakfast and a bush walk, and by that point the combination of flights, wildlife, champagne and fire-cooked lamb had fully caught up with me.
I stayed in the private villa at Instinct of the Mara, which was a real treat. The villa was peaceful, beautifully done and had the sort of natural luxury that lets the surroundings do most of the talking. Best of all, it had a roll-top bath.
I love a bath at the best of times, but after travelling from London to Nairobi and then onwards by small plane into the Mara, it felt especially welcome. There is something very satisfying about soaking in a bath while knowing you are surrounded by one of the most famous wildlife areas in Africa. The whole lodge has that same feeling. Comfortable and special, yes, but not flashy. It’s inviting, calm and designed in a way that keeps the focus on the landscape, which is exactly how it should be.
The next morning started with breakfast, followed by a guided bush walk. I’ll be honest, I am not usually someone who gets excited about plants. Give me a lion, a giraffe or a dramatic view and I’m all in. Start talking about leaves and roots and I’d normally switch off. But this walk ended up being the highlight of my stay.
Being on foot completely changes how you experience the Mara. On a game drive, you are looking out across big distances, scanning for movement, hoping for wildlife. On foot, you slow down. You notice tracks, flowers, insects, the shape of the trees, the smell of the air.
The guide was brilliant. He knew the landscape inside out and explained how different plants are used in day-to-day life. One that really stood out was the African tulip tree. The flowers can apparently be used as nature’s eye drops, especially useful when wandering the dusty plains. It was such a small detail in relation to everything else mentioned on the walk, but it made me realise how much knowledge there is in the landscape if you know how to read it. And it was clear the guides at Instinct of the Mara really did know how to read it.
Not long into our bush walk we turned a corner and came face to face with some giraffes. Not a couple. Not a small group. 42 of them.
42 giraffes in one tower, all standing together, all staring at us. They looked so elegant and slightly suspicious, as giraffes often do, with their eyes fixed on us. The guide made a point of saying how special it was and how rare it is to see that many together in one place, and I could tell from his reaction that this was not just a standard morning in the Mara.
That made it even better. Sometimes the most memorable safari moments are not the obvious ones. Yes, seeing lionesses the day before had been incredible, but standing on foot in front of 42 giraffes, with zebras and wildebeest interspersed within the tower, knowing it was a genuinely unusual sighting, was just as magical. Maybe even more so.
After the walk, I had some time to enjoy the lodge properly.
And that was lovely in itself. Safari can be full of early starts, game drives, sightings, meals, but there is something really important about having time to stop and let it all sink in. I spent a couple of hours just enjoying the quiet and the fresh air. No rush. No agenda.
Then came lunch, another fresh three-course meal, and before I knew it, it was time to head back to the airstrip. My 24 hours were almost up.
From the airstrip, I flew back to Nairobi, then continued on to Cape Town to meet my colleagues in South Africa, where the next part of the trip was about to begin.
By that point, sleep was becoming more of a theory than a reality. But when the chance comes to visit Kenya for the first time and then continue on to South Africa, which has been one of my favourite destinations for years, sleep can wait.
Looking back, I still can’t quite believe how much happened in such a short time. In just 24 hours at Instinct of the Mara, I saw lionesses, giraffes, impala, zebra and wildebeest. I had a private picnic in the bush with a glass of champagne. I watched a fire being lit by hand at sunset and ate lamb cooked over the flames. I stayed in a beautiful private villa (with a roll-top bath). I went on a guided bush walk that made me care far more about plants than I ever expected to. And I stood in front of 42 giraffes in one tower, all staring back at me.
It was a lot. In the best possible way.
Of course, I would always recommend spending longer in the Masai Mara if you can. It deserves time. But my stay proved that even 24 hours, in the right place and with the right people, can leave you with memories that feel far bigger than the time you actually had.
And if you'd like to find out what I got up to when I met my Far and Wild Travel colleagues in South Africa, take a look at the The Far and Wild Travel Guide to South Africa blog post.
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