Amboseli National Park, Kenya

A beautiful dawn greets us on Boxing Day morning, along with the tragic news that George Michael has passed away. Having had almost no wifi signal for days it's a terribly sad way to connect with home.

As we leave Lake Nakuru for pastures new Coman listens to the great man's songs, paying silent tribute, while I gaze at the landscape in quiet reflection. Approaching Lake Elementaita Martin points out a huge rock formation in the distance named The Giant, or Sleeping Warrior. Like a fallen statue laid to rest it seems weirdly appropriate.

After two hours driving we're back at Lake Naivasha, famous for being where much of the hedonistic colonial social scene depicted in the film 'White Mischief' took place. Back then it boasted a grand country club (which has became a less grand hotel) and a long-gone airstrip on water where planes on the long flight from Europe to South Africa would break their journey.

Now an idyllically tranquil spot, Martin pulls off the main road and drives us to the water's edge for a lake safari. Manning our boat is David, who tells us that the lake is usually 120 sq kms but torrential rains two years ago in the Aberdare mountains flooded the valley. It's now almost twice the size, which explains the forest of ghostly dead trees that stretch well past the waterline.

The lake is home to more than two thousand hippos and we see schools of more than forty at a time gathered together, with their eyes, ears and noses visible and their huge bodies submerged. Elsewhere large populations of pelicans, cormorants and marabou storks abound while on the shore zebra and giraffe graze away.

Ahead are a group of fishermen pulling their nets in, and cheerfully wishing us a merry Christmas. One of them hands David a freshly-caught carp for lunch, which flaps its last in the bottom of our boat.

Crossing the lake the views are fantastic, is encircled as it is by a ring of mountains. At 1880 metres above sea level it is the highest of the Rift Valley lakes.

We pull up alongside Crescent Island where herds of waterbuck antelope, gazelles and wildebeest gallop along the shore's edge. David tells us they have little to fear as the island is almost free of predators - with the exception of pythons five metres long that trap and swallow gazelles with ease.

Back in the jeep we drive on to Nairobi retracing our way past the Italian Catholic Church and the stunning views over the Great Rift Valley. Large eucalyptus trees give way to the Kibera slum, a huge mass of humanity crammed in appalling conditions comprising the second largest slums in Africa.

In contrast we pull up ten minutes later at the very modern Panari Hotel for lunch, which to the delight of our entire party finally has decent wifi. Our meal is almost entirely silent as we all catch up with news from home and share pictures from our trip with friends and family.

It's almost 2.30pm when we set off again, taking the Mombasa Road, which stretches for 500 kms to the coast, much of it alongside the brand new Chinese-built railway line. We drive past the airport and continue for 130km before turning south on the Tanzania road to another of Kenya's greatest wildlife reserves, Amboseli.

This area is far more lush with maize and banana plantations, before giving way to gently rolling hills. The road stretches flat and long to the horizon's vanishing point, the grasslands eventually turning into rust red earth, out of which rises a cement factory looking like some Martian base.

In the distance thick clouds lie before us and as we draw inexorably closer we can make out the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro, two million years old and five kilometres tall, a dormant volcano and Africa's largest mountain; the most incredible free-standing peak in the world. Shrouded in grey and obscured by clouds it's a hidden giant, hopefully one that will reveal its majesty to us before we leave.

Upon arrival at the Amboseli Sopa Lodge we are greeted by another giant, Sami, a Maasai warrior who seems to be the hosting committee. He prophesies that Kilimanjaro will display herself to us in the morning, and that we will be able to see her clearly over breakfast in the garden.

We are led through dusk-lit walkways to our dwelling for the next two nights, an African style hut. Another enormous room, it has been prepared with mosquito nets like cocoons being unfolded over our beds. We retire after dinner, keeping everything crossed that the clouds will lift with the dawn.