Discover Our Kenya: Where Owners Richard & Diana Take Their Own Friends

At Adventure Expeditions, we spend a lot of time helping travellers discover Kenya’s classic highlights. But when owners Diana Schreiber and Richard Adika talk about the places they would choose for their own friends, especially those who have already experienced the Maasai Mara, their recommendations shift toward quieter, more personal corners of the country.

Here’s what they shared in a recent conversation.

Five places for friends who’ve already done the Mara

“Samburu, Meru, Turkana, Lake Victoria, and Lamu” were their top five without hesitation.

These destinations offer a different rhythm and character from the iconic savannahs of the Mara. Samburu and Meru deliver dramatic northern landscapes and specialised wildlife such as the Samburu Special Five (the gerenuk, the reticulated giraffe, the Grevy’s zebra, the Somali ostrich and the common beisa oryx). Turkana brings an almost otherworldly sense of scale and fascinating cultural encounters with the El Malo people, as well as areas of paleontological discovery. Lake Victoria offers beautiful fishing communities and a tranquil change of pace. Lamu has stunning architecture and Swahili culture – it feels like stepping back in time. These regions allow you to enjoy a way of coastal life that many travellers never reach

Their favourite safari camps

Richard and Diana’s preferred camps share a clear philosophy: smaller properties that prioritise personal service and exceptional locations, often in less-visited regions of Kenya.

Among their favourites are Elephant Bedroom, Kandili, Ziwani, Kizingo Beach, and Takawiri Island.

Elephant Bedroom in Samburu offers some of the best service in the region. It is a smaller camp with the perfect riverside location often visited by elephants. Kandili Camp is in its own private conservancy in the Mara, which means crowd-free game viewing and night game drives. Ziwani Camp in Tsavo West is also a more intimate camp with stunning views of Kilimanjaro and fewer crowds than Amboseli. Kizingo Beach is an eco-lodge on a beautiful, deserted beach on Lamu, which is built sustainably. Takawiri Island lies on Lake Victoria, offering a tranquil getaway that is ideal for relaxing.

These camps feel pesonal rather than institutional. Guests receive attentive, individualised care, and the settings themselves feel carefully chosen rather than merely convenient. The combination of thoughtful hospitality and off-the-beaten-track placement creates the most memorable stays.

The wildlife encounters that still stay with them

Two sightings remain vivid. The first is seeing a black leopard — “one of the rarest creatures you can see on safari.” The second is a wild dog sighting in Laikipia. Wild dogs rank among the most endangered large predators in Africa, and encounters with them carry a particular weight. These two species are difficult to see in the Mara, and many travellers never get to see them. Both the rare black leopards and wild dogs have strongholds in the Laikipia region, particularly Mpala Conservancy whom we work closely with.

Why do they keep sending clients to Tsavo?

Diana is clear and passionate on this point: “Kenya needs places like Tsavo. Places where the landscape still feels enormous. Places where you can drive for miles and feel surrounded by wilderness.”

In an era when some safari circuits feel increasingly busy, Tsavo retains a sense of scale and solitude that is increasingly rare. That sense of immersion inside a vast landscape is something they both want clients to experience on their trip to Kenya. The region is also home to rich wildlife offering exciting wildlife encounters.

Rethinking the classic Kenya itinerary

Richard and Diana’s practical suggestions for improving the standard circuit are experience-driven:

• Aim for a minimum of two nights at each location so travellers can settle in and explore the area properly without rushing and ticking off checklists.
• Choose Ziwani Camp in Tsavo West instead of Amboseli for a less crowded alternative that also offers night game drives and has the same feel as Amboseli.
• When travelling between the Mara and Amboseli, choose to stop over at Swara Plains rather than Lake Naivasha. It cuts travel the next day, and it has developed into a genuine cheetah paradise.
• Opt for Ngutuni Lodge rather than a more conventional camp to combine the advantages of a private conservancy with access to Tsavo East National Park.

Their recommendations reflect a consistent approach: prioritise places that still feel wild, camps that feel personal, and itineraries that allow time and space for real encounters. This is true for return travellers but also for those who want their first Kenya trip to go beyond the most familiar circuit.

Reach out to us to discuss your upcoming safari if these are the kinds of experiences and properties that you are looking for on your next Kenyan adventure.