Karibu, welcome to Kenya, your safari starts here. I remember those words spoken by my transfer driver on arrival in Nairobi well and the friendly smile and warm welcome set the tone for the remainder of my visit. I was here on a trip to gain a first hand experience of the Great Rift Valley and the vast game-rich plains of the Masai Mara...

Heading for Nakuru along a road built by Italian prisoners of war we travel down the Rift escarpment with its staggering views. This is why I am here, to explore the huge Rift Valley and some of its wildlife reserves. Stretching from the Middle East down Africa as far as Mozambique, the Rift Valley has always fascinated me. This is the cradle of mankind, has active volcanoes, crater lakes full of flamingo and game reserves with exotic names like Nakuru, Naivasha and Masai Mara!

Lake Naivasha with it's green water, pods of hippo and wonderful birdlife is my first overnight stop. My home for the next couple of nights is a lodge built on top of a kopje overlooking the lake basin with pillars of steam from the Hells Gate volcanoes rising in the distance. The dawn chorus of African Fish Eagle, Parrots, numerous other birds and of course the snorting hippos is something I will always remember - one of those magical African moments.

Using the lodge at Naivasha as a base, I explore Hells Gate National Park, famous for its hot geysers and vulture colonies, Lake Elmenteita which attracts both greater and lesser flamingo in vast numbers and lastly Lake Nakuru National Park. Nakuru is world famous for its clouds of flamingo turning the shores of this brine lake into a shifting mass of pink. Here I spot the first of half a dozen leopard I see on my trip, walking in the open only a few meters from the safari vehicle. Both black and white rhino are abundant and buffalo, the beautiful Rothschild giraffe and excellent birdlife are some of the wildlife highlights. The views from Baboon Cliff over the park whilst enjoying a picnic lunch are fantastic and will remain a treasured memory.

Now it's on to the Masai Mara and after a short flight from Naivasha I set foot on the runway near my lodge and almost jump back on board the aircraft. A large pride of lion are enjoying the shade of what is supposed to be the little thatched unit for clients arriving and departing the Mara. Forget the welcome drink - this is so much better! My first game drive in the Mara (Mara means "spotted" in the Maasai language) is almost overwhelming - its just the number of animals that fill the rolling savannah from horizon to horizon - amazing!

My home for the next few nights is a wonderful lodge used by the BBC's Big Cat Diary team when filming in the Mara. Before I can check into my tented room I have to wait for a small herd of elephant to walk through the camp - I guess the locals have the right of way after all. The Masai Mara borders Tanzania's Serengeti to the south and both play host to the annual wildlife migration, dominated by wildebeest in their hundreds and thousands.

Thinking back over those days as I write this article, memories keep flooding back. I experienced so much in such a short time - fantastic wildlife sightings with lion, leopard, cheetah, elephant, wildebeest, zebra, topi and Thompson gazelle to name just a few. Safari on foot with a Maasai Moran in traditional attire as guide, 4x4 drives along the Mara river and of course the dawn balloon flight ending in a crash landing and a fantastic bush breakfast with lots of champagne as a reward.

All too quickly my journey ends after a flight back to Nairobi and as I depart I vow I will be back - the sooner the better!

If you would like to experience the thrill of being on safari in Kenya, please ask me to plan your itinerary. Click here to see a number of East Africa itineraries on offer with GoHop.ie.

Written by Andre Migliarina from GoHop.ie