Uncontrolled Kenya Tanzania border

Our week on safari in Kenya began with two days in the country's capital city, Nairobi. Nairobi is a very modern city and we witnessed that as we took a scenic tour of the sprawling metropolis, driving among its tall buildings, malls and many small businesses. There are places in the city that have a more rural atmosphere too where roadside vendors set up to sell everything from fresh fruits and vegetables to household needs to handmade souvenirs for visitors to take back home. That big carving of a giraffe might be a problem to ship home though! Speaking of giraffes, one of the things we did in Nairobi was to visit the Giraffe Centre where you can learn about the different kinds of giraffes that inhabit Kenya and what the center is doing to protect them. And most excitingly, you can hand feed some of the giraffes! You can read all about our experience there here.

Also in the Nairobi area we visited Kobe Tough, a place where visitors can purchase handmade craftworks like beaded necklaces and leather items like belts and dog collars. Depending on when you arrive you can also see women at work making these items; for sure you can browse for souvenirs in the impressive gift shop. Kobe Tough employs single mothers, orphans and widows and is actively involved in programs to ensure they make a fair wage and otherwise make their lives better. Kobe is the Swahili name for the African turtle, which of course has a tough shell, and that gives the Kobe Tough venture its name. Visit the Kobe Tough website here.

Artisan making bead bracelets at Kobe Tough

After an afternoon of sightseeing, shopping and schmoozing with giraffes we went to one of East Africa's most famous restaurants, a meat-eater's paradise called Carnivore. Traditional Kenyan songs and dance are performed at the entrance to the restaurant and you can join them in a dance for fun and a photo opportunity if you wish. Inside a veritable feast awaits with all the meats and side dishes you'd expect along with exotic meats like ostrich and crocodile. You can read more about our fun visit to Carnivore here. With our bellies full it was time to get a good night's sleep before our safari continued the next day as we headed out into the bush. For our two nights in Nairobi we stayed at the PrideInn Azure, a premium hotel in the city's vibrant Westland's district. More about the hotel is here.

A safari to the Maasai Mara, Kenya's giant national game reserve, is amazing no matter how many times you've been there. But the Mara, as the area is familiarly-known, is an exceptional thrill for first time visitors to Kenya. Our base for our first two days in the Mara was the Mara Simba Lodge, located about 150-miles from Nairobi.

Mara Simba Lodge

Maasai Mara is located in the Great Rift Valley and there is a cool rest stop and scenic overlook where our safari stopped so we could use the restroom, purchase a snack and take in the view.

Great Rift Valley scenic overlook

Our first day out on the savannahs of the Mara was phenomenal as we spotted baboons, giraffes, a majestic cheetah and elephants including baby ellies (elephants are one of the Big Five.) There were zebras, hyenas and many other exotic animals too. You really can't go too far in the Mara without running into wildlife, maybe a solitary impala or a family of lions.

Baboon

Cheetah

Giraffe

The drivers of the tour vehicles stay in touch by walkie-talkies and they alert one another when and where there is something exciting to see (lions!) so that everyone can get in on the fun. There are many places in the Mara where the border with the Serengeti in neighboring Tanzania is accessible and we stopped at one of these for a photo op (and to put a foot in Tanzania!) And something really cool happened when we were having our final breakfast at Mara Simba Lodge: an elephant joined us! Well, sort of. The lodge has an open air restaurant where meals are served and there's a river running just outside it. Imagine our surprise when an ellie ambled into that exact spot! That is kind of typical of a safari in Kenya; there will be lots of surprising moments and incredible memories.

Elephants

In Part 2 of our story we'll see more animals and visit some unique places.