Flinging open the patio doors we stood on the balcony and breathed in the smell of the Indian Ocean, visible through the palm trees. Then, (jet lag, what's that?) we headed straight down to the white sandy beach of Shanzu with the latest Marian Keyes and a stash of bottled water to watch the waves breaking over the coral reef. Africa - we'd arrived!

The five-day safari through Tsavo East, Kilimanjaro and the Masai Mara was, of course, another experience entirely. Those roads, well, Dubai's got them pretty bad but we'd never seen anything like the ones in Kenya. MOT's? What are they? Still, what would a safari be without its bumpy spontaneity and a few bruises? Like childbirth (I presume) you forget the pain as soon as you're holding that perfect animal photograph in your filthy fingers. And although they weren't lining up at the side of the road in pretty poses as we'd stupidly imagined, we definitely saw animals! Giraffes - graceful and beautiful against the enchanted forest setting of Kilimanjaro. Zebras bounding through bushes in awe of a solo ostrich. Buffalo grazing with Thompson Gazelle and warthogs shuffling like Phumba from the Lion King - (they got that movie so spot on!)

It was hard to decide whether the highlight was fleeing like deer from a herd of rhinos, stumbling upon a pride of dozing lions in the light of the setting sun, waking at 3am in Crocodile Lodge to hear a real hungry hippo snorting outside my cabin, or watching a vicious leopard tearing a helpless impala to shreds in a treetop. Now that was a wildlife one on one!

The beautiful beaches, the welcoming people, the landscapes and precious wildlife that can never be truly appreciated in a zoo... all of it makes Kenya a vital place to visit at least once in your privileged lifetime.

Not to mention the absolute BARGAINS you can get from the markets. Ten foot high wooden giraffe for Dhs100, anyone?