“Right from the start, James planned every detail. He called each camp to make sure they were geared up to help. He arranged support between Nairobi airport and my overnight hotel in Nairobi, and then between there and Wilson airport, where Safarilink flew me between camps, with my wheelchair, which James had pre-arranged with them. I stayed at two camps – Lewa House in Laikipia and Offbeat Ndoto in the Mara North Conservancy. Both coped so well with my immobility, although they adapted in very different ways.
“I went first to Lewa House, where I was greeted by James, the camp’s manager, who had a quick chat about what I’d need, how they had planned to help and who wheeled me down to my cottage, closest to the main camp area. After my first game drive, I came back to find the team had laid extra paving slabs to get my wheelchair up the step into my room, cleared a path through the gravel from the game drive vehicle area to the camp, and had earmarked a couple of staff to move me around. But very quickly, once they saw what I needed, the whole camp seemed to be looking out for me, ready to help wherever I appeared. Mostly they pushed me along the paths, but, where there was a flight of steps into the main camp area, they simply lifted my chair and carried me up! There was a lot of laughter as we moved around the camp, and I was made to feel very welcome by everyone, as if I was a treasured member of the family.