This July (2019) I finally got a chance to visit a place that has been on my bucket list for a very long time, Africa! Since I am an animal lover and very against seeing animals at zoos and aquariums, Africa afforded me the chance to see these magnificent creatures in their own habitat! The beauty of this continent astounded me at every turn. Read on to learn how I spent 2 amazing weeks here.

Day 1: Nairobi Markets/Restaurants

I arrived in Nairobi, Kenya on July 4th in the morning. My safari started the following day so I had a full day to explore Nairobi and get some much needed rest before the safari. The first thing I did was visit the City Market. I love collecting art from all the different places I visit (and which proudly adorn the walls of my home!), so I thought the best place to find an art piece was at the market. The market was filled with many souvenirs that represented Africa. I saw paintings, carvings, jewelry, clothing and any other toys and trinkets. Something different about markets overseas vs markets here at home is that you can haggle – it is actually encouraged! I was able to get a beautiful painting for about half the price it was originally advertised for (and way cheaper for what I would have paid at home).

After picking up my painting I grabbed lunch at a seafood restaurant within the market. I had a whole fish fried, with greens and Ugali on the side.

After lunch, I went back to the hotel to get some rest before dinner. Dinner was at a popular restaurant called Carnivore. Admittedly it was a bit touristy but the food was great. Carnivore is a restaurant where various meats (beef, chicken, ostrich, crocodile, etc) are brought to you until you just can’t eat another bite, similar to the Brazilian Churrascaria concept here in the States. Its about $36 USD for each person. The staff was great thet sang/played some Kenyan/Swahili songs. It was so fun singing and dancing along with them. What a great way to end my first night in Nairobi!

 Day 2-5: Safari in Masai Mara, Lake Naivasha, and Lake Nakuru

Day one of the safari began with a very long drive from Nairobi to the Maasai Mara Game Reserve. I was picked up at my hotel and taken in a white safari van to the reserve, along with 5 other fellow safari-goers from various parts of the world. On the way, we made a stop at the Great Rift Valley, which stretches 9,600 KM from the Red Sea to Central Mozambique. It was a beautiful sight to see!

After countless hours of driving we finally arrived at camp, just outside of the Maasai Mara. We settled in to our tent, had dinner and then went on our first game drive. The tents were pretty basic, as our safari was more for the budget-conscious, but each tent did have its own toilet and a shower. The camp also had designated electricity hours for people to charge their devices but the majority of the time at camp was spent without it. It does take some getting used to but I had done things like this before on my Peru trip, so while it does sometimes present a challenge, it wasn’t anything I was unaccustomed to. (For those who want a more ‘luxury’ experience, safaris are available at all pricepoints).

In the Maasai Mara, we had one evening game drive and one full-day game drive. We were able to see four of the ‘Big Five’ there, which include lions, leopards, elephant, and cape buffalo. We also saw cheetahs, hyenas, wildebeest migration, zebra, giraffe, hippo, guinnea fowl, alligator, crocodile, and all kinds of antelope, including impala, gazelle etc. After the Mara, we made our way to Lake Naivasha where we had a wonderful boat ride. We saw many birds, eagles, and also more hippo. Our last stop was Lake Nakuru. Here we rounded out our ‘Big Five’ sightings with black and white rhino. We also got to see baboons, a sea of flamingos, more cape buffalo, and more antelope.

Here are our favorite shots from our safari:

Big Five:

Cape Buffalo

Elephant

Leopard

Lion

 

 

Rhino

Other Animals:

Cheetah

Hyena

Zebra

Giraffe

Wildebeest (Migration)

Hippo

Warthog (Pumba!)

Crocodile and Alligator

Guinea Fowl

Antelope (Eland, Waterbuck, Gazelle, Impala, Oryx, and Dik Diks)

 

Flamingos

Birds

In addition to all the animals we saw, we also got some shots of the Maasai Plains. The highlight was getting to leave the Safari Truck for a photo op at the border of Kenya and Tanzania. Luckily there were only Zebras around while we were out of the safety of our truck!

We also had a chance to visit a Maasai Village and spend time with the Maasai people. It was really interesting to see their homes and how basic they live. The houses were essentially just small huts, lit by sunlight and heated solarly. The Chief’s son (also named Sam!) invited us into his home and showed us the bed where his 3 kids sleep and we got to meet & hold his adorable little son. The hut basically was just a main living space and one bedroom, for him and his wife. The kids slept in the main area and there was no bathroom. Albeit a very different way than we are used to living, we were grateful for the opportunity of Sam sharing his home with us. Incredibly, me and the other Sam got along really well, Maasai Sam invited me back to go on a warrior hunt with him to hunt a lion. Maybe one day I will take him up on that opportunity! I did however get a Maasai Tattoo, which is basically just a branding with a hot stick, ouch! The tattoo process involves a few Maasai men rubbing sticks together and blowing on it until a flame starts, then touching the hot stick to skin, creating essentially a blister or a burn mark, which they called a ‘tattoo’. They also showed us a dance and they are known for their incredibly high jumping skills. The men try to impress the women by seeing who can jump the highest. It was very fun jumping with them! They told us that typically when they get married they have to give 10 cows to the bride’s family, unless they are really good jumpers. If they are really good jumpers, they get a discount on the amount of cows.

Day 6: Nairobi Again

After our safari we got dropped off in Nairobi in the late afternoon. I decided to look for a dish that I heard was very popular with the locals, called Nyama Choma, which is basically just roasted meat. It was so tasty and along with some delicious Tusker beer, I would say it was the perfect meal!

Day 7: David Sheldricks Elephant Orphanage

My final day in Africa was very special. I spent most of the day at David Sheldrick’s Elephant Orphanage. The orphanage opens to the public every day from 11:00 to 12:00 for feeding time for all the elephants housed at the orphanage. It is also an opportunity to learn about the struggles the elephants of Kenya have to deal with, from being abandoned by their heard to even worse, elephant poachers. I found out about the orphanage a month earlier doing research on things to see and do in Nairobi. I was so moved by their mission, I decided to adopt a special baby elephant by the name of Mukkoka. The adoption is $50 USD per year. If you are an adopter, you have the unique opportunity to come back at 17:00 (by appointment) to put your orphan to bed. You also get a chance to get up close and personal with all the other orphans including Coca the giraffe and even Maxwell, a blind Rhino. I enjoyed this special time with Mukoka and was able to take home a keepsake photo.

I loved Africa and I know you will love it too. There are so many enchanting things to see and the people were warm and friendly. This is just the beginning of my experince of Africa, but hope to see more of the beautiful continent as I continue travelling.

Have a great summer & hakuna matata!

– Saif Travels