May 10 2026 - Sanctuary Farm Kenya

Location: Kenya Summary: I woke up in a tent at Sanctuary Farm near Lake Naivasha in Kenya. The farm has a fascinating history — it was originally connected to Sir Derek Erskine, a Brit who stayed in Kenya after independence. His son Francis bought the 450-acre farm in 1974, and now it's run by the third generation. Guy and his late wife Julie had three children: Jamie, who designed the rental homes on the property; Quilly, whom I met in Mozambique and is the reason I came here; and Felix, who runs the place and whom I got to speak with briefly. I was really looking forward to trying the farm's famous kitchen, but they were in the process of developing a new menu, so pizza was the only option. Fortunately, the pizza was absolutely fantastic. Since I didn't have any local cash, I arranged to put everything on a tab and pay with Visa at the end, which solved a big problem. The night before, I met my tent neighbors — Owen Nyabuto from Nairobi and two friends from Iran. Despite global tensions, we shared tea and great conversation. The next morning, I took a long walk around most of the farm and was blown away by the wildlife. Zebras, impalas, wildebeest, waterbuck, Thomson gazelles, monkeys, incredible birds, and even giraffes on my last day — all roaming freely. Walking among them felt surreal. I also got to watch the cows being milked by hand. They have about 40 cows, with 24 being milked twice a day. They use most of the milk themselves for cheese and other products, selling to just one outside party. Since 2019, Lake Naivasha has been rising dramatically — at least a meter — causing buildings around the lake to be abandoned, moved, or submerged. I arranged a boat ride with Owen and his friends to see the hippos and the impact of the rising water. Our tour guide did an amazing job navigating us close enough to the hippos while keeping a safe distance. Seeing the flooded buildings from the water was a striking experience. After the boat ride, it was back to more pizza. If you ever get a chance to visit Sanctuary Farm, I highly recommend it. It's truly an amazing place.