Africa

Photos: jackal; leopard; lioness; and cheetah.

This winter Libby and I decided to break up the long, dark and cold Danish winter by taking a holiday in January. Destination was Kenya and Zanzibar: Kenya for safari and Zanzibar for a few days snorkelling and enjoying the coast. We spent 6 nights on safari - three at a new reserve in Laikipia (to the north-west of Nairobi) and then three nights in the Masai Mara. All I can say is WOW! The wildlife was simply stunning. I had no idea we would be just feet away from lions, leopards, cheetahs and the amazing array of Kenyan wildlife. And to drop off to sleep at night in a tent (completely unfenced) with the sound of lions roaring was an incredible experience. One morning we were awoken by the sound of an elephant brushing against our tent - and taking my first step out of the tent a short while later, I put my foot slap bang in the middle of a huge elephant footprint - some of those adults are enormous....!

We were incredibly lucky - we saw probably 100+ lions, 10 cheetahs, 3 leopards, 100s of elephants, tens of giraffes, 100s of buffalo, white and black rhino plus all manner of antelope species, hyenas, jackals and an amazing array of birds. I was in wildlife heaven. We even managed to spot the BBC Big Cat Diary's Simon King as he tracked a group of young cheetahs.

After the safari experience we flew to Zanzibar and stayed three nights at an eco-lodge on Chumbe Island, a coral atoll just off the capital of Zanzibar, Stone Town. Here we stayed in a truly sustainable eco-friendly wooden 'bungalows' with electricity and hot water provided by solar panels and showers from collected rainwater. The food was all locally produced and I have to say, it was amazing. The snorkelling was out of this world with sea turtles, 100s of colourful fish, starfish, the very poisonous conefish and, for me, the star - the coconut crab. These huge crabs (they are up to 50cm across) are nocturnal and are so-called because they love coconuts and have been known to climb the coconut palm to collect coconuts off the tree. Apparently they are very good to eat so they have all but died out over most of the region but on the island they are protected, so we were very lucky to see them.

On our last day we took a guided tour around Stone Town. This is an incredible place with a very rich history and influences from India, Oman, the UK and Portugal as well as Africa. It was the hub of the slave trade and also the base from which the great explorers, including Dr David Livingstone and Henry Stanley, began their travels. It was very sobering to see the cells in which slaves were kept while waiting for transportation to other parts of the globe - the conditions were just horrendous. Probably less well known is the fact that Freddie Mercury was born there and his birthplace is now an art gallery and museum! (good quiz question!).

All in all a great trip and I am sure we will be back... and we will watch Big Cat Diary with a whole new perspective!