Kenya is a breathtaking country—no matter how many times you explore it, there’s always a road less traveled, always a reason to pack your bag, hit the road, and chase the magic hidden just beyond the next hill. No wonder we call it Magical Kenya.Two weeks prior, I received an invitation from Serena Hotels to visit Lake Elmenteita Serena Camp.
I’d never stayed at this particular camp, but the road wasn’t unfamiliar. I’d passed it before on my way to Soysambu Ranch—drawn by the roar of rally cars and the rush of dust trails for the last three years during the WRC Safari Rally in March. Even then, a part of me had wondered what lay beyond that quiet turnoff.
And finally, it seems the Good Lord smiled on me—I was about to experience this place. Lately, I’ve developed a quiet little habit—packing on the morning of my journey. There’s something calming about it, almost ritualistic.
I’m usually up by 5am, the world still hushed, the city not quite awake. I move slowly, deliberately—folding clothes, zipping bags, going through my mental checklist as the sun begins to rise. It’s my way of easing into travel, letting the anticipation build gently before I finally step out the door.
The night before had brought a steady, whispering rain over Nairobi, wrapping the city in a blanket of cold and mist—the kind that makes you exclaim, “Weuh!” But by morning, it was as if the skies had reset the mood entirely—sunlight poured in like a soft blessing, warm and .
