DESTINATION Kenya

Background - My interest in visiting Kenya began on December 3, 2016, when the Kenya Tourism Board organized the Magical Kenya Open Golf Tournament in Delhi. The event, by invitation only, attracted many notable figures from Delhi NCR, and I was fortunate to be one of the winners. Along with a beautiful trophy, the prize included a trip to Kenya to play three rounds of golf in Nairobi and visit the renowned wildlife sanctuaries of Kenya.

- Varindra Sewak

The entire experience was captivating. We received a brochure detailing Kenya's wildlife, travel plans, and how to reach various destinations. The event included delicious food and various attractions to pique anyone's interest. Her Excellency personally handed out the prizes.

The dates for the trip were yet to be finalized as Kenya Airways was also involved, which took some time. Meanwhile, my responsibilities at Nestlé began to increase as we were planning to launch a new category (Pet Care) in India. My workload continued to grow, and unfortunately, the dates eventually set for the trip clashed with one of our major training events, with trainers arriving from Singapore and the USA. It became impossible for me to travel on the suggested dates, and I couldn't go. This left a lasting impression on me, as I missed the opportunity to visit Kenya. As a wildlife enthusiast, the desire to visit remained in my mind for the future.

As time passed, I retired and reduced my consultancy roles to spend more time with my family, travel, and play golf. The plan to travel to Kenya stayed alive. Our family has visited many Indian wildlife reserves, such as Corbett National Park, Gir Forest, Kanha Kisli Reserve, Ranthambore, Sariska Forest Reserve, Bandhavgarh Forest Reserve, and Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary. Each park has a unique character, different combinations of animals, and distinct guest house settings. Every trip has been enjoyable, with some visits yielding abundant wildlife sightings and others less so, as these are natural habitats, not zoos.

At the start of 2024, we planned our travel for the year. Since our children were visiting India for various reasons, we decided not to travel to the US or UK and instead chose to visit Kenya.