Step away from the sandy beaches and explore coast in its entirety

Sarova Salt Lick Game Lodge

The Kenyan coast is, for most Kenyans, the traditional holiday destination. Even with its unparalleled beauty, the shine of the Coast can lose its luster after one too many visits. But you can spice up your trip by taking the road less travelled. Rather than head straight for the ocean, you can consciously take a detour into interesting spaces like I did on a recent outing to region I thought I knew all about. My diversion was Taita Taveta County, famed for its elephants and gemstones. Should you be embarking on this excursion from the capital and short of time, I recommend taking the hour-long flight or boarding the Madaraka Express train that will take approximately four hours to Voi station.

Our trip down there was too ambitious given the current rains that put our all-wheel drive tour cruisers to the test due to the muddy conditions. After an exhilarating ‘rhino charge styled’ experience, however, we arrived at our Taita Hills Wildlife Sanctuary base in time for late lunch. The 28,000-acre private conservancy is located at the foot of the Taita Hills and lies adjacent to the Tsavo East and Tsavo West National Parks. While the longer dry seasons guarantee animal sightings as they congregate at the watering holes, game is harder to come by during the rainy season. What many miss, however, is the magnified splendour of the landscape. I can only think of a few other places which dazzle green better than in Taita country after the rains. Originally owned by Hilton from 1948, the conservancy is currently managed by Sarova Group. For a wholesome experience thus, we were booked for a night in each of their two properties, Taita Hills and Salt Lick Lodges, renowned for their outstanding architecture.