Before I start the article, I wanted to share some exciting news. I have been nominated for the Adicomdays awards and cannot thank enough all of you who have taken the time to vote for me, raise awareness around you, and send me messages to cheer me up. Despite a few sad news around me, I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart. For those who have not voted yet, here is a chance to redeem yourself - Vote now!
If you rely on mainstream media, you would think Africa is inhabited by malnourished kids, adults run around naked with just a leaf to cover their private parts, lions run around as pets and people live in huts or trees... That is true but your conception of it is most likely so far away from the truth. There are 54 different countries on the continent and even, I, the one born and raised in Africa, cannot claim to know the continent well enough.
The horn of Africa is known for Safaris, beautiful landscapes as well as leading the world in terms of economic growth. I am still taken aback by the dynamism of the major cities and the way tradition and modernity coexist in harmony. If you have read most of my articles you would know that I tend to refer to a country as one of my favourites but Kenya makes it to my worldwide top 10. Hopefully, you will get to see the reason behind my decision to include the land of the Masai to the list but before, let's talk about Kenya!
Getting to Kenya
Getting to Nairobi is almost a 9-hour journey from London if you fly with Kenya Airways (quite a nice airline to fly with by the way). The service was great and with an interesting book and/or a few movies to watch, time flew faster than the plane.
As usual, for a Senegalese passport holder, a visa was required but thankfully, it was electronic. It is done via the Government website and the turnaround is around 5 working days. The cost is rather decent, £52 and around 148 countries can apply for the e-visa.
Disclaimer: I am not intending to share photos of skyscrapers or city lights just to prove that Kenya does not live up to the African stereotype, I will let those doubters find out for themselves. I went to Kenya for the wildlife and those things I could not experience near me.
Where to stay?
Just like with most trips, there is a plethora of options and all available at your fingertips. I am also amongst those who do not rely 100% on reviews as I think experiences are just unique even if one travels in a group, each individual can have a completely different appreciation of the trip. In fact, one of my favourite travellers has told me he did not have a great experience in Kenya when everybody else I spoke to had the trip of their lives. Digressing a little bit but...Accomodation, let's talk about accomodation.
I would suggest the following hotels based on my experience, the Boma Hotel, and the Masai Lodge.
Boma Hotel
The hotel is based right at the heart of Nairobi and offers all the right amenities (restaurants, spa/health club, and conference facilities) but you did not travel all the way to Kenya for this, at least not until you return from your safari. Also, all profits fund the Kenya Red Cross - How about that for leisure and spending on a good cause?
Rate: £63/€70/$82
Masai Lodge
So 40 years of hospitality in the wilderness (yet in the capital) is almost unheard of, even around the world. The hotel sits on the bank of the Mbagathi River, overlooking the Nairobi National Park and the Ngong Hills - In other words, hard to beat.
Rate: £75/€83/$98
Itinerary
The journey through Kenya has led me around Nairobi and inside the Mara Triangle. The particularity of Kenya I have noticed was just the diversity of environment within small areas and how pseudo ecosystems were created to allow man and nature to be peaceful and beneficial neighbours to each other. I think I will keep stressing this throughout the article but will just let you be the judge of it...
Nairobi
Nairobi is the capital city of Kenya and the former colonial granary before becoming home to at least 100 international companies. Without a doubt one of the busiest cities in the world. I remember being stuck in traffic at 5:45 AM - That is not even the time I usually wake up! The city counts north of 4 million inhabitants and spreads only across 696 km2 (269 mi2 for the non-metric folks) so you can only imagine how crowded it can get.
The unique thing I remember from this trip is that so far, Nairobi is the only city in the world where both real wildlife (I mean, real wildlife) and modernity cohabit in such a seamless manner I have not seen in visiting 65 countries. To me, there is not another city out there close to achieving this (until I see the other countries on my list).
Kenyatta International Conference Centre
Otherwise known as KICC by the locals, the center is an internationally renowned venue for conferences, meetings, and exhibitions and has been ranked as one of the best places to hold conferences on the continent (not just the country). It has been standing tall since 1973, following the commissioning of Kenya's first President, Jomo Kenyatta.
Credit: Africalist
On top of the world! (KICC is no longer the tallest building in the country "thanks" to other projects such as the Teleposta or Britam towers, but still offers an impressive view.
Also, a great spot to catch sunsets, probably the best after the Masai Lodge.
Visitors are allowed access to the rooftop from 9 AM to 8 PM on weekdays and until 6 PM at week-ends.
Entrance fee: Ksh 400/£3/$4/€3.5
Shree Kutch Satsang Swaminarayan Mandir
I often come across a few gems while traveling, purely by accident, and this was one of them. After wandering around town for a while, I decided to take a different route to head back to the hotel and happened to see the temple all lit, with beautiful colours all over it, and decided to make a U-turn and visit the place. Sadly, by the time I got to it, it was closed by I still wanted to see the place and decided to pay a visit the next morning. Luckily, there was an event and the dressing up was still there!
I have noticed a few temples around the world bearing the same and figured it must be important. Quite frankly, it is such as beauty, it is worth the time to visit...
Clearly, there is an intruder...
And the last one for the road...
Entrance fee: Nil
Carnivore
This place is not really a landmark but a restaurant worth visiting. This restaurant serves a buffet made of a unique variety of meats with rather interesting sides and marinades.
Okay, this was an entrance to remember. The funny thing is that I was on my phone and when I raised my eyes, I was facing a red-eyed hyena. Almost lost it...
But beauty was not compromised one bit...
Game on!
Rate: £23/$30/€25 but £30/$40/€34 for dinner
Jamia mosque
The silver-dome mosque is one of Kenya's most prominent religious structures and biggest mosque in the country.
The interior would remind one of the old Arab Madinah's architecture...
Quite big, with loads of daylight around and inside the building.
Entrance fee: Nil
Giraffe Manor & Center
Probably the best part of Nairobi, the giraffe center and the manor have gained world-fame recently thanks to social media and large flocks of people, including myself, are heading towards the place to see it first hand. Essentially, the complex is made up of two main attractions, the very pricey Giraffe Manor and the Giraffe Center. Now a lot of people have asked what was the difference between the two and here's the explanation:
The Giraffe Manor is essentially a hotel right inside the giraffe center where guests can enjoy the visits of giraffes in the morning, to come and have breakfast with them in their rooms -Literally!
All about the giraffes...
Credit: Hayes & Jarvis
It is definitely one of those opportunities one will only experience once in their lifetime but looking at the prices, I thought I would let this one go.
Rates: £665/$875/€740
The Giraffe Center is a reserve managed by the African Fund for Endangered Wildlife and has done a great job with the creation of an ecosystem for the Giraffe to live, eat and roam around freely. Each animal is given a great deal of care and constant monitoring is just the norm around there. The place has been in operation since 1979.
Animals are always a source of inspiration and calming to watch or be around...
This is Daisy IV, named after Daisy I, who first entered the reserve in 1979....
A bit of excitement...
The photo has been viewed over 4,000,000 times on Google!
The only requirement for feeding the animals is that you cannot lay the pellets on your palm as the giraffes may be licking your hands and ingest germs that can be fatal to the poor animal...
Daisy even gave me a kiss...😍 🥰
Places like this rely heavily on the footfall of tourists to keep our four-legged folks as close to their natural habitat as possible.
Rates: £11.5/$15/€12.5
On the way to the Mara triangle, I stumbled upon this spot, I do not remember the name of but very much enjoying the few minutes spent to sip on some breweries...
Views for ever!
Yep, traffic is something to get used to within a large radius around Nairobi...
Masai Mara Natural Reserve
The reserve is situated in south-west Kenya and forms, along with the Serengeti National Park, it offers Africa's most diverse ecosystem and the world's best safari. It is around 270 km away from Nairobi and takes about 4-5 hours by car or 40-45 minutes by plane. The reserve stretches over 1,510 km2 (580 mi2) and sits between 1,500-2,170m above the sea level. It is also home to over 95 species of mammals and over 570 species of birds.
Just look at the view!
Mara Triangle
Situated between the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania and the Mara River, the Mara Triangle is a special area managed by a non-profit conservancy company formed by local Maasai communities. The triangle makes up one-third of the entire national reserve and is a perfect spot to watch the migration unhindered due to the lower number of adventurers wandering around. The area has a good deal of game and with persistence and luck, one can probably see the whole big 5 - I have only seen 2 though 🤷🏿♂️
The wildebeest made travel down memory lane to the scene where Mufasa was killed...
This was my first time seeing zebras. Now I regret not owning a telephoto lens...
One of my favourites of the big 5. Elephants are just the most intriguing animals on earth.
There is no safari without giraffes. I also learned the method to distinguish different types of giraffes. You can she's different from Daisy by the shape of the black spots...
And of course, Simba and Nala...
Just a lunatic hyper thrilled to be in the wild (and practicing for the Masai competition)...
The accomodation was just right for the environment and has really put me in the shoes of a ranger. We had the nets to repel mosquitoes and other insects but had to just brave the attacks...
The legs after the long hours of walking ...
And the night at the camp...
Rates: I booked the 3 days safari via Javiva Adventures and the rate was around £228/$300/€253
Masai village
At the heart of the Triangle, there is a village of Masai locals (You know, those guys who fight lions with their bare hands...). Spending with these folks does nothing less than boosting your faith and amazement in humanity.
I visited the huts ...
Met the crew...
Learned to make fire the old-fashioned way...
Watched the Masai Dance...
And even outjumped the Masai chief, which in normal times would entitle me to the prettiest lady in the village but when I heard the caveat was to also fight a lion with just a spear, I started seeing some flaws with her and called off the wedding...
And this is a wrap! I hope you like the article and considering one day, to visit Kenya. Do not hesitate to reach out if you have questions or need suggestions.
I also wanted to use this opportunity to announce (definitely an article of announcements) that I will be taking a short pause with writing these articles due to a few personal reasons but will definitely come back shortly. I hope that in the meantime, my other articles will keep you busy and the "holiday" will be seamless.
Until next time...
