She Left Her Husband, Kids For Masai Tribesman After Holiday Fling. 30 Years On, She Regrets It

News18

6 days ago

Last Updated:
Daniel's habits began to irritate Cheryl. He would jump around the garden doing Masai dances, saying he wanted to leap as high as an elephant, which she found increasingly odd
A holiday romance that once seemed like a fairytale has turned into a lifelong regret for a British woman. Decades ago, during a trip to Kenya, she fell in love with a tribal man and, in a moment of passion, left her husband and children to marry him. Now, nearly 30 years later, the relationship has ended—and she's speaking out about the decision she calls the biggest mistake of her life.
According to a report by The Mirror, in 1994, when Cheryl Thomasgood was 34, she travelled to Kenya for a holiday. There, she fell in love with Daniel Lekimencho, a young man from the Masai tribe—but what began as a holiday romance soon turned into bitter regret.
Now a mother of four, Cheryl has come forward to share her story, urging other women to think twice before falling in love on holiday. At the time, she was living a comfortable life on the Isle of Wight, England, but was also grappling with unresolved childhood trauma and a broken marriage. On a friend's suggestion from church, she visited the Bamburi Beach Hotel in Mombasa, Kenya, where she first met Daniel, a performer in a traditional dance troupe.
Cheryl was drawn to Daniel's simplicity and detachment from material things. So strong was the impression that, after returning to the UK from her three-week holiday, she made the drastic decision to leave her husband, Mike Mason, and their children. She went back to Kenya and began living with Daniel in his tribal village—sleeping on goat skin, cooking on an open fire, and eating traditional foods like cabbage and cow blood.
In 1995, the two returned to England and married on Valentine's Day in traditional Masai attire. Daniel then moved to the Isle of Wight to live with Cheryl's children, and the couple welcomed a daughter, Misty, who is now 27.
While everything seemed exciting at first, Cheryl soon realised that Daniel's priorities had shifted—from spiritual values to material desires. He began demanding a big house, expensive clothes, and money to send back to his family.
Daniel's habits gradually began to irritate Cheryl. He would jump around the garden performing traditional Masai dances and say he wanted to jump as high as an elephant. While this may have been entertaining for the children, it started to feel strange to Cheryl.
In 1999, their relationship ended and the couple divorced. Cheryl believes she stayed in the relationship only because she wanted to prove society wrong. 'The biggest regret is that my children could not accept Daniel as a stable father — they lost a lot," she said.
Now, after three marriages, Cheryl shared that she will never marry again. She currently lives a peaceful life with her four children — Steve (43), Tommy (41), Chloe (34), and Misty (27). Daniel still lives on the Isle of Wight and works in a supermarket.
First Published: