Spend a week in Kenya and you'll soon understand just how transient life is in the greater scheme of things.

Welcome, or as they say in Swahili, Jambo, to the land of the free. Where the lion slays the lamb and elephants roam at will, grazing here, flattening a few trees there…Where the giraffe and gazelle glide over sylvan plains and thorny bush. Come to the land where the wildebeest and impala roam…Come to Kenya to know what survival of the fittest really means. And who knows, you might just pick up a tip or two from old Mother Nature, herself!

Kenya is one of East Africa's richest countries as far as natural wealth goes. Here, you'll come across every tropical ecosystem imaginable. From aquamarine seas to lush tropical forests, wide scrubby plains and watering holes, Kenya has every natural cliché you can think of. And a few more, to boot, making it one of the most fascinating places for anyone even remotely interested in observing a lot of wild life…in the wild.

Kenya is everything you'd expect Africa to be, with a generous dash of civilisation and creature comforts thrown in for good measure. Our tour of this beautiful country begins in the capital city of Nairobi. Nairobi literally means, "place of cool air" in the local Swahili language and lives up to its name most of the time. The temperature in this well planned city normally hovers in the 20's making it the perfect place for a stroll, at almost any time of the day. The city is like any modern city in the world, with broad tree-lined avenues intersecting each other at right angles to each other. The city has a range of restaurants, serving every type of cuisine imaginable. Adventurous eaters should check out the exotic meats in the 'game platter' at the Carnivore. And don't say you weren't warned!

Kenya is a country of friendly people. The Kenyans are polite to a fault most of the time. People will smile at strangers on the road, allow you to pass on the sidewalk, speak in hushed tones in stores and restaurants and treat you like a deity in hotels and restaurants. Surprisingly, the city also has some of the nattiest dressers. Take a walk around the commercial centre and you'll see more than your fair share of smartly dressed women, in executive wear, designer briefcases, et al, on their way to work. In fact, even the taxi drivers all wear blazers or jackets here… and it's not just because of the weather. Then again, the main reason you're here is to escape from the clutches of civilisation and plunge into the wilds of East Africa. So, here goes…

There are really only two ways to travel between any two places in Kenya. The local way, which at the outset is highly inadvisable, or the civilised way! The locals pack themselves like sardines into tiny modified vans called matatus. In the absence of a good public bus service, the matatus, are the only, albeit extremely risky, form of transport. Then there's the Combi. A Combi is a luxurious 8-seater with wide panoramic windows and a roof which can be raised for better viewing. The Combi is the perfect touring and safari vehicle, combining both comfort and ruggedness, to cope with the demands of the great African safari. Something you'll come to appreciate most when you're eyeballing a lion in the relative safety of your van.

The word safari is a Swahili word meaning 'to journey'. And that's exactly what a safari is. A journey of discovery, into nature's bosom. A journey that teaches you the insignificance of the self in the greater scheme of things. Where you learn that one wrong step is all it takes for you to turn from hunter to hunted. And it could very well be your last mistake…

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