Kenya Experience the undiscovered Kenya with Safari Drive

The cradle of mankind owards the end of the 19th century, most of Kenya was still waiting to be explored. In 1882 the Royal Geographical Society planned an expedition, to which the young Scottish geologist, naturalist and explorer, Joseph Thomson, unreservedly proffered his services. This pioneering mission was considered extremely dangerous and, with Henry Stanley in charge, their intrepid group set off. Spurred on by competition from another (German-led) group, Thomson left from Kilimanjaro and pushed on into the Maasai land. He travelled very cautiously, wary of the proud and aggressive Maasai tribesmen. Of course, they were equally suspicious of this strange white man who had come into their midst. Over the next year or so, Thomson traversed Maasailand, reached Mount Kenya, Lake Baringo and Lake Victoria. He ‘discovered’ Thomson’s Falls, the Aberdares and Mount Elgon. But his adventures were to take a nasty turn. During his return journey he got dysentery, was gored in the leg by a buffalo and raided by local tribesmen yet he still managed to continue and in 1884 arrived safely in Mombassa. This was not the end of his love affair with Africa. He continued to roam its interior until his death in 1895 by which time this epic era of discovery was drawing to a close. Sir Joseph Thomson (1858 - 1895) 52