Exploring the Enchanting Qiyu Island in Kenya

Today, we’re embarking on a journey to the east of Africa, to a country of spectacular wild and natural landscapes, where the wildlife is abundant, the famous Big 5 roaming free. A country of great plains, mountains, lush forest, and white sand beaches. It has captivated and travellers adventurers the world over. It is of course, Kenya.

On today’s episode, we’ll be hearing first from some of my previous podcast guests who have chosen parts of Kenya in their travel diaries, wildlife cameraman Gavin Thurston returns to the podcast to share his experiences having spent so much of his career travelling around and working in Kenya, and we’ll hear from one of my guests coming up on Season 6, too. 

We’ll be heading on a tour of the country, starting in its capital Nairobi and ending in Samburu National Park in the north. It’s in Samburu that my final guest, Saba Douglas-Hamilton, has lived for the last 6 years. Saba is a conservationist and award-winning TV presenter. Born and raised in Kenya, you might recognise Saba as the presenter of the BBC’s hugely successful Big Cat Diaries, The Secret Life of Elephants and This Wild Life. She’ll be joining us later to reflect on our tour of Kenya, sharing her tales of living and working in the country and her own Kenyan travel diaries.

Kenya is now on the travel green list for UK travellers, so I hope this episode inspires you to think about a bucket list experience like travelling to Kenya and experiencing all that it has to offer.

Destination Recap: *No hotels or safari camps paid to be part of this destination special.

Giles Coren:

• Giraffe Manor, Nairobi  
• Diani Beach, Mombasa

Jessica Nabongo:

• Lamu, Lamu Island

Gavin Thurston:

• Tsavo East National Park 
• Maasai Mara National Reserve
• Governor’s Camp, Masai Mara National Reserve
• Lewa Downs
• Wilderness Camp, Lewa Downs
• Samburu National Park
• Elephant Watch Camp, Samburu National Reserve

Geoffrey Kent:

• Masai Mara National Reserve
• Aberdare Highlands
• Malindi Beach

Lucy Williams:

• Sasaab, Samburu National Reserve

Saba Douglas-Hamilton

• Nairobi
• Elephant Watch Camp, Samburu
• Mount Kenya
• Lewa
• Kalepo Camp, Samburuland
• Mike's Camp, Kiwahu Island

If you would like to read more about Kenya or get some more inspiration about where you should go and what you can do there head to www.magicalkenya.com or follow them on social media, or check out the websites of your favourite travel magazines, who normally offer compressive guides.

Thank you so much for listening today. 

If you’re enjoying the podcast, then it would be wonderful if you could leave a rating or a review on your podcast app - it really makes a big difference because it helps other people to discover the podcast. And to hear future episodes as soon as they’re released don’t forget to hit subscribe or to “follow” the podcast if you’re using Apple Podcasts.

To find out who’s joining me on Season 6, come and follow me on Instagram, I’m @hollyrubenstein - I’d love to hear from you. 

If you can’t wait until then, there’s always the first five seasons to catch up on, with guests from Sir Michael Palin and Heston Blumenthal, to Sir Ranulph Fiennes to Hugh Bonneville.

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