Recently, I took a trip to the Maasai Mara for the very first time. I have always dreamt of visiting this humongous wildlife habitat, and I could barely hold my excitement when I finally got the chance to see it. 

It was rainy, and the roads were challenging to tread, but the journey experience was pleasant thanks to four-wheel drives. I didn’t know what to expect. Would it be an enormous bush, with small tents for all guests? Would we be left with my travel mates at the park entrance and walk a long distance to the camp while being escorted by the Maasai warriors to fight off the wild animals? 

I am not cut out for self-induced sufferance, so I was delighted when my travel agent understood who they were dealing with. So they booked us into this heavenly place that I obviously fell in love with, Emayian. Oh, Emayian! 

My new favourite ‘spot’ in Africa is a hidden luxury camp in the Maasai Mara, surrounded by the Maasai villages and a few wild animals! We were told that it is not uncommon to stumble upon a random elephant while walking around, especially at night. This is why all guests are advised to walk with a local. Simon, a Maasai warrior, would pick most guests to and from their tents for dinner every night. He was pretty popular, and we occasionally heard kids asking about him. He likes giving names to interested guests, and my new name is Namayian: "the one who brings blessings”.

The Maasai culture is fascinating, and it goes beyond their colourful attire. All men above 18 have fought and killed lions, a gesture that ushers them into manhood. It must have been a challenging experience that left the men hungry for rest. I frequently spotted them leaning on their walking sticks or lying lazily under the trees when they were not looking after cows that were grazing.

The writer with some of the Maasai warriors after a performance at the bush breakfast, a popular practice at the camp.

On the other hand, women are safely tucked away cooking from inside the houses they built. The two prominent roles of Maasai women are cooking and building homes. Because of termites, they must construct new homes in different locations every nine years.

Anyway, Emayian gave me the ultimate travel experience! The staff called all guests by their names! After a safari trip, for instance, they were genuinely interested in hearing all about our day; what animals I saw and what I was in the mood for after a tedious day. Would you need to be up earlier than usual? The staff ensured that they woke you up at your desired time, then fed you hot beverages before sending you off to a full day’s adventure. This place reminded me of my mother because moms are the only people who really go out of their way to make us happy.

Emayian served the best food I’ve ever tasted (after my husband’s), probably because it comes with huge smiles. The chef often left the kitchen to greet the guests and crack a few jokes. And if you were visiting to celebrate a particular day, such as a birthday, wedding anniversary, or even a honeymoon season, the management would go above and beyond to make it memorable. 

Right in the middle of the bush, the camp had a serviced swimming pool and jacuzzi that I personally enjoyed. It mattered less that they had to use the generator so long as their guests enjoyed it. This camp left a permanent mark on my heart. I must re-visit, hopefully on my birthday, to enjoy warmth and love.

On my way to and from Emayian, we made stops at several more popular and extensive recreation and accommodation spots, unfortunately the customer experience was very different from the service we received from Emayian. This experience, however, is not isolated to out-of-Kigali destinations. Recently, I went to a famous Kigali (not cheap) restaurant with my family, and they shocked us by packing less left-over food than was left. Additionally, they were not even smiling throughout the service and didn’t bother to pay attention to us. Getting a cold citron would require one to send three waiters. This has taught me how small gestures such as smiling and calling people by name can impact customers’ stay or dining experience. I could be wrong, but so far, I have concluded that the larger and popular the facility, the fewer smiles and warmth one receives.

Anyway, I look forward to a time when we step out of our houses to go and dine and return home with warm hearts and smiles.

The writer is Rwanda’s first female saxophonist.