‘One of the gladdest moments in life, methinks, is the departure upon a distant journey into unknown lands. Shaking off with one mighty effort the fetters of habit, the leaden weight of routine, the cloak of many cares and the slavery of home, man feels happy once more. The blood flows with the fast circulation of childhood… afresh dawns the morn of life.’ So wrote Richard Burton in his journal in December 1856. What a perceptive chap. And how our blood flows more quickly within our little bodies in anticipation of the sight of the great beasts of the plains in their natural habitat.

We have travelled from Delhi via Addis Ababa to arrive in Nairobi for a short stopover before commencing a safari. Africa is the last of our destinations before heading back to Europe and it promises to be exciting!

The first thing we notice is the complete absence of motorbikes, bicycle rickshaws and motorized tuk tuks. The roads are full of cars, buses, mini vans overflowing with locals and lorries grinding gears and belching thick, black smoke. Asia seems a long way behind.

We are only here for one night before moving on and sleep is at the top of the agenda having travelled all night on Ethiopian Airways. It’s not difficult to understand why they haven’t been voted into the top 1,000 airlines of the world.