There is a long colonial history in Mombasa, which is known in Swahili as Kisiwa Cha Mvita, the ‘Island of War’, due to the numerous outsiders who fought to control this strategic port town. The late sixteenth century Portuguese Fort Jesus is testament to this history, now adorned by vegetation and pot marks, it still stands vigilantly looking out over the old harbour, albeit in retirement. Adjacent to the fort the Mombasa Club represents a relic of Britain’s involvement in Kenya. The member’s terrace offers an uninterrupted view of the tranquil blue ocean. The club had a tired and somewhat obsolete atmosphere – it is still frequented by a fledgling expat community and Mombasa’s rich from the nearby banking sector – but the ambiance of the club harks back to the ‘glory days’ of the Empire.

At six in the morning I was bleary eyed as my chariot arrived at the hotel. This little bus, which would have gladly carried up to twenty Kenyans but only six tourists, was to transport us the 150km to Tsavo National Park. The sun had not yet reached its commanding position in the sky as we began our journey, weaving through the commuter traffic. The vibrant and colourful central Mombasa streets were soon contrasted by the poverty we saw on the outskirts. As we joined the main road to Nairobi we came parallel to the historic Uganda Railway, which links Uganda and inland Kenya to the coast. The people travelling this route into the city did not have the luxury of a train ticket however, and they used the tracks as their thoroughfare, their route into town.

The smooth tarmac road which saw us safely out of the city ended abruptly and was replaced by an uneven loose red earth which stayed with us most of the journey. The dependence on tourism was acutely apparent along this route, with gift shops accompanying every rest stop and petrol station.

Turning off the open highway into Tsavo West National Park was like embarking upon a new world, forging our way into the wilderness through six foot high grass. While conscious of being in a car, and despite the fact that this is a managed park, there is a genuine sense that this land is untouched and totally natural. That is if you ignore the occasional mobile phone mast - evidently nothing stands in the way of progress, even here.

Experiencing the stillness of the environment, the grace of the Thompsons Gazelles and the magnificence of a herd of Elephants was an untold privilege. Later as night drew in our guide brought us to camp, a stunning collection of what can be best described as opulent tents, with nothing but canvas walls separating you from the wild. The wilderness also had one final treat - the night sky, lit as intended by an unimaginable number of stars. This beautiful arena was upstaged only by the illuminations.