Kenya User Reviews

Kenya had changed a great deal when we returned after a 25 year gap. We heard that Masai Mara and Ambosili have become very crowded, so instead we headed north of Nairobi to the hills around Nyeri. It proved to be a fantastic choice. We stayed in a new lodge called Rhino Watch and they arranged the two week safari of our choice. All the staff are local Kenyans and they really know what they are doing. The lodge is owned by a German guy who arranges photo and film shoots, so he knows all the best places to go. He is married to a Kenyan lady and her family run the lodge and drive the cars. There were just 4 of us travelling in a 4 wheel drive with an expert guide and driver called Moses. We stayed in a luxury tent with all mod cons. Aberdare National Park has fantastic lush green scenery, great views of elephants, buffalo, monkeys and sometimes leopards, and we never saw another car. Solio Game Reserve has more white rhinos than I have ever seen before, hundreds and hundreds, and we saw

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lions and a leopard, and Ol Pejeta Game Reserve turned out to be fantastic for Lions, Giraffes and Cheetahs and more Elephants. These game reserves are all nearby and uncrowded. We also went on a walk with giraffes. It could be pretty cold up there in the mornings and evenings. The food in Rhino Watch was amazing, freshly cooked for us on our return and huge amounts. Another highlight was staying on Lake Baringo at Roberts Camp, where hippos come out of the water at night and sleep right by the huts. This was a great area for birds, with thousands of flamingos on Lake Begoria. Nakuru Game Park was much more crowded, but we got incredibly close to lions there - one group was asleep in a tree near the road, and another group were asleep under the picnic tables. We had these lions to ourselves. We also got a good view of a hippo in the lake with pelicans and flamingos. The weather was warmer once we left the highlands. In Nairobi we visted the Giraffe Centre where you can stroke wild giraffes, and Sheldricks Elephant Orphanage, which rescues baby elephants. Both well worth a visit. We were so impressed by this trip that we have booked to go back again next year. A small, intimate safari experience - comfortable but not luxurious, with the emphasis on hours and hours of game viewing. Ideal for photographers and real wildlife enthusiasts, not so good for people wanting a "holiday". We were usually up and out by 6.30am and not back until 7pm or later. We also had a lot of interraction with the local community, and I took a suitcase full of clothes out to an orphanage where we went and met the kids.

I spent about 4 months (August to December) traveling in Kenya, visiting several different regions of the country from Lake Victoria to the Indian Ocean. I passed through Nairobi several times between different legs of the trip and I gradually became accustomed to the hustle and bustle. The roads were overall in poor condition when I visited in 2002, but they were dramatically better when I went back briefly in 2010.

While in Kenya, I snorkeled in the Indian Ocean, summited Mount Kenya, watched the big game in Masai Mara, Lake Nakuru, and near Tsavo, drank cow's blood with Maasai, camped and had an exciting close encounter with wildlife in Hell's Gate, and explored the rainforest in Kakamega. There is tremendous ecological diversity in Kenya- not just the classic savannah!

One of my favorite places was the island of Lamu. Nearly 10 years later, I sometimes still fantasize about the fruit smoothies they sell there. Delicious! If you have time, I highly

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recommend visiting the Kenyan coast. The history of trade is fascinating and the beaches are beautiful! Watamu was one of my favorites because you can easily swim to the reef for snorkeling.

Another highlight of the trip was climbing Mount Kenya. I went with two girlfriends and we hired a guide but no porters so we carried all of our own things. We only saw two other people without porters in the 6 days we were on the mountain, and we definitely felt like a bad-ass group of women. The climb up Mount Kenya was scenic and interesting- well worth it even if you don't get to the peak. Our guide was impressively agile and a great help.

I spent a fair amount of time in western Kenya, in the rolling, tea-covered hills between Lake Victoria and Mount Elgon. Kakamega Forest, a unique habitat in Kenya, has tremendous biodiversity. I am not a birder, but I know that Kakamega is one of the best places for birding in Kenya. One of my favorite memories is from walking up to a hill in the forest before dawn to watch the sunrise and see the mist and birds above the tree canopy. I loved Kakamega so much that I almost did my dissertation research there, but ended up working in Tanzania instead.

Throughout Kenya, I stayed in homestays, budget, or mid-range accommodations. I often took public transportation (for both long and short trips). The basics of Swahili are relatively easy to pick up, but most people in Kenya also speak English.