Hippo Point, Kenya. This private manor restored by conservationist Dodo Cunningham-Reid is a secluded haven nestled between Lake Naivasha and Oloidien Bay. The 18-room manor house includes an eight-story wooden tower where one can take in the magnificent view of the countless sanctuaries and appreciate the wonders of nature in its purest form. If that does not prove to be relaxing enough, the estate also boasts of a spa. It also has its very own garden where luscious meals are made from. For a more outdoor experience, guided wildlife tours are also offered as well as bird-watching tours; the more adventurous could even opt to go horseback riding, water skiing among the hippos or taking a helicopter ride into the Masai Mara.
Madagascar. Any nature lover would appreciate the untouched beauty of the world’s fourth largest island. The thousand mile long island has an expansive wilderness that is home to countless living treasures- flora and fauna that are found only in the country. Having a nature trek of the island would surely prove to be a challenge. The Bemaraha Tsingy National Reserve located at the western part of Madagascar is densely dotted with hundred-foot limestone needles that keep most people off and provide a sanctuary for animals that abound in the island. Fascinating creatures are also an attraction; half of the Earth’s species of chameleon are found in Madagascar, including the smallest of all- the Brookesia. A trip to Madagascar may not exactly be a leisure trip, the weather is dry and the life of the locals is pretty simple but what it offers is well preserved beauty and an amazing biodiversity waiting to be discovered.