Now that I have shared all of the things that we did while in Kenya, I thought I would do a quick round-up post of where we stayed, what we packed, and what we enjoyed!
First things first. We went to Kenya at the end of July. We were there for almost 2 full weeks (left on a Sunday evening and returned on a Saturday). This was our 3rd time to Africa, but our first time to Kenya. Since there is an 8 hour time difference and about 21 hours of traveling, it made the most sense for us to stay as long as possible.
We arrived in Nairobi, Kenya late on Monday night around 11pm. Extraordinary Journeys took care of all of the details, so a driver was waiting for us at the airport. We stayed at Ole Sereni for two nights. During that time, we had the same driver.
After Nairobi we flew to Samburu (on a small plane) and stayed at Saruni Samburu for three nights. The lodge has 6 villas, and everyone takes such great care of you. They cook and serve three course meals at lunch and dinner. You can have breakfast on a game-drive or at the lodge. Samburu was the warmest area we visited, but nothing compared to the heat during a summer in Texas!
From Samburu we took a two hour drive to Borana Lodge. Our same driver from Nairobi came to Samburu to drive us to Borana. The elevation is high in Borana so that was the coolest of places we stayed. They also serve you all of your meals and the food was DELICIOUS!
After three nights in Borana we flew to Masai Mara to stay at Saruni Wild. This is where we stayed in a tent-type structure. You are down on the plains with the animals (no fences separate you and the wildlife!). There are only three tents at Saruni Wild so you are well taken care of. Since it is owned by the same person as Saruni Samburu, the food is very similar. However, the stay is completely different because of the location, experience, and tent!
We went to Kenya in late July and the weather was BEAUTIFUL. I would have never believed you if you would have told me it would be cooler in Africa than in Texas. When we went to the Congo it was HOT and HUMID! The weather ranged from 40-80 degrees throughout our trip. It was cool in the mornings and evenings and would warm up during the day. It rained maybe 2 of the 12 nights we were there.
It is NOT necessary to dress like a typical safari tourist you see online. I read not to wear black, red, or blue. I bought every green and tan clothing item I could find. It was completely unnecessary. Now, if you are trekking or going on hikes, it may be completely different. We only went on game drives in safari-type vehicles. Since we had kids, we chose not to hike.
Here are some things I am happy I packed:
- Dri-Fit shirts: These are easy to clean and layer
- Athletic pants and Sweatpants: Jared wore shorts but the rest of us stayed mostly in pants. Joelle and I wore yoga pants.
- Fleece Jacket: We each got a North Face fleece jacket before we left. I did buy green and khaki ones which matched everything else we brought.
- Rain Jacket: You need one rain jacket for when it rains and when it’s cool but not cold enough for a fleece.
- Tennis Shoes: I brought Chacos for the kids but they never wore them. Everyone wanted socks and tennis shoes at all times. Next time I will take at least 2 pairs of tennis shoes for each person!
- Baseball Hats: It is NOT necessary to wear a safari hat. We bought them for the kids but never wore them. We wore baseball hats to protect our hair from getting completely filthy on the drives. Having neutral colors helps too because they go with everything. I wore my black or camo hats the most.
- T-Shirts and Sweatshirts: There was ZERO reason to ever dress in anything other than athletic clothes. It is a very casual environment and we sat in a car for the majority of our trip. We wore all of the tshirts and sweatshirts that we packed!
- Activities for Kids: We took coloring supplies, card games, a few small toys, and e-readers for the kids. We did take i-Pads for the plane rides, but we never used them outside of the plane. There is ZERO way I would pay all that money for a safari and let my kid look at a screen the whole time! We did’t let them take anything on our drives because we wanted their full focus and attention on what was going on outside of the car.
- Clothes that can be layered: Since it is cooler in the mornings and evenings, thin clothes that can be layered work the best. We would mostly wear tshirts, athletic pants, and tennis shoes. Then we would always take a jacket or sweatshirt with us. Sometimes Joelle and Israel would even wear both their rain and fleece jacket!
- Sleeping Medicine: I am all for taking something to help me sleep. If you are against medicine, just skip this part. It was an EIGHT hour time difference for us, which can be miserable. Kids do not just automatically adjust even if they are worn out. We took dramamine, melatonin, simply sleep, etc. to have on hand. We didn’t take all of it at one time, but trust me… having options is critical!
Is it too simple to say that we loved EVERYTHING about it?
- Sheldrick Wildlife: We loved seeing the baby elephants in Nairobi
- Game-Drives: We loved ALL of our game drives. We did skip a few mornings ones so that we could sleep in.
- Exploring: The kids had a blast playing with sticks, rocks, etc. They explored constantly.
- Favorite Food: Borana Lodge
- Favorite Guide: Simon in Samburu
- Favorite Weather: Borana
- Favorite Animals: Cheetahs (Israel), Leopards (Joelle), Lions (Jared), Elephants (Amy)
- Favorite Past-Time: Drawing and Playing Skip-Bo
- Orange Marmalade and Strawberry Jam: We began loving toast on this trip!
- The hospitality: Everyone was so kind, generous, and welcoming. They took care of our every single need!
I read all the things before our trip. All the blogs. All the websites. All the things. Well, here’s what I wish someone would have told me:
DO THESE THINGS:
- Do take as many black yoga pants as you want! Some said they would attract mosquitoes, but we had zero issues with bugs.
- Do take snacks. They provided plenty of food, water, drinks, BUT it would have been nice to have some snacks from home.
- Do take plenty of panties. All three lodges did laundry (and it was already paid for in our price to stay at the lodge), but they do NOT wash women’s undies. I washed many undies in the sink!
- Do bring card games. I wish we would have had just a couple of more things to play.
- Do bring clothes that are comfortable and that you like to wear.
- Do know that you will be away from a bathroom for hours at a time. Next time I will be purchasing some type of funnel for us girls, ha!
- Do pack the things you love and use daily. I packed very minimal make-up and left a lot of things at home. It was fine, but next time I am taking at least travel-sizes of the things I use daily.
- Do take tums, pepto, etc with you. While the food is completely safe, it is very important to have tummy meds on hand while traveling out of the country!
- Do know that most of your meals will be served community style in safari lodges. That means that you may be eating with other families that are staying at your lodge. This can be a little stressful with kids, so when we were feeling exhausted we opted to have our meal brought to our room.
- Do read books about Kenya, Africa, animals, etc. with your kids before going. Giving them background knowledge made them very interested and eager to see everything! Building up the anticipation was so much fun!
DO NOTS:
- Do not worry about being disconnected. We didn’t have wi-fi each day, but it turned out to be so good for the soul. I am so thankful we didn’t have cell service because we never looked at our phones.
- Do not feel the need to buy safari gear. You don’t need a vest with a thousand pockets or a hat you will never wear. (Unless you are trekking or hiking… that I know nothing about!). All of our guides wore very bright and vibrant colors.
- Do not be scared of the animals. We were within feet of lions, leopards, and cheetahs. They did not even pay us any attention! Our guides knew exactly what to do at all times.
- For your first trip, do not try to plan it alone! Do your research, contact travel agencies, etc. There are so many different options and price points out there.
- Do not be scared to ask for specific foods to be served. One meal they served spinach quiche with chickpeas and beets. Listen, I’m all about trying new things but I just could NOT with that meal. We learned to ask what the meals would be in advance so that we could ask for different selections. For example, one night we found out that they were serving lamb. I’ve never tried lamb, but I definitely didn’t want to make my children try it after a long day of game drives. They substituted the lamb for steak and everyone was as happy as can be!
I think that is it! All of our blog posts about Kenya can be found by clicking HERE!
