“If I have ever seen magic, it has been in Africa.”
John Hemingway

Our trip to Kenya was decided one night out of nowhere after planning in detail to go to Cambodia and we decided to change the entire itinerary for our August 2019 trip.

As usual we did not go via any of the travel agencies and started the research.

We decided on Africa given August is known as one of the months where the climate is favorable for a safari and we may get to witness the great migration

We booked the on ground transport and safari itinerary from Bison Safaris. 
They provided the following:
Accommodation, meals and transport during the safari and transfers was provided by them. Details can be read with per day itinerary

Here I share the details of a 5 day visit to the Kenya, every detail planned by Mukul and me. Keep reading if you are planning a trip to Kenya and are looking for some tips and suggestions. 

Travel to Kenya

We took our yellow fever shots from a government hospital in Pune.
We booked our flights from Mumbai. In 2019, Indians could get a visa on arrival at Kenya airport itself.
We had reserved accommodation in Kenya for that night at a guesthouse – Kenya Inn because that was affordable as well as a good rest place for a few hours.

Day 1: Drive to Masai Mara Reserve

The next day, our pick up was arranged from the Kenya Inn to take us over to Masai Mara.

The vehicle was a jeep and was shared between 7 people. The entire journey was bumpy and you have to be mentally prepared for jerks during the trip.

The lunch was provided by Bison Safari at Narok. The place had a buffet and had dishes very similar to India, mainly lentils, potato and rice.

We then reached Lenchada  Tourist  Camp. We had opted for staying in a tent. This had a shower  and  toilet  inside for use  by the  two of  us. It had a mosquito net and separate beds. 

We were extremely thrilled for our evening game – evening safari to the Masai Mara reserve.

Tip #1: There is no stopping once we enter the reserve. So be sure to freshen up before and manage your liquids accordingly.

We saw giraffes, elephants, zebras, cape buffalo, and wild beasts.

Dinner was served at the camp at a central place. The food was not so great. Other travelers had carried ready to eat packets the food in general throughout the safari gets extremely monotonous and well it did.

Tip #2: Power and hence warm water was shut down at 9 pm so carry power banks warm clothes as there is no heater available.

Tip #3: Water was included in the payment to Bison Safari but we forgot to pick up a few bottles from the jeep and that was a mistake as there was no additional water at the camp and we had to manage that night with less water.

Day 2: Full  day  game drive exploring Masai Mara Reserve

Post breakfast at the camp, we left for Masai Mara Reserve for a full day game viewing drive. Picnic lunches were provided to us. We spent the entire day spotting the big five (African elephant, Lion, Leopard, Cape buffalo and Rhinoceros). We had two stops planned for the day – the 1st stop was where you could freshen up and the 2nd was for lunch where we could relax under a tree as we enjoyed the vast landscape and its beauty. 

We did manage to see a glimpse of a leopard and sleeping lions. The cheetah walked past the window giving me a scare as they were so close to my face. The sleeping lioness in a tree and sleeping zebras was a rare sight for me. We also saw hyenas pull at a dead prey and hippos in the water. 

Tip #4: We are not professional photographers and hence handling and juggling between lenses was not our cup of tea. We bought Sony Cybershot for this trip and spotting animals and birds was way easier as it has 50X zoom and we did have to carry separate binoculars and lenses for this trip

We unfortunately did not see the great migration of wild beasts from Serengeti to Masai Mara but nevertheless the two days were magical.

I requested our guide to stop a bit longer at the reserve to catch the famous sunset and it was so worth the multiple requests.

Thereafter we returned to the camp for dinner

Day 3: Drive to Naivasha

The plan changed in the morning. We were to drive to Nakuru but instead that was postponed and we were taken to Naivasha.

We stopped for lunch at a buffet place and then were taken to Naivasha Lake. Our guide changed and we bid bye to our previous guide. At the lake, one can enjoy a boat ride (not covered by Bison Safari). We did not go for the boat ride but enjoyed capturing pictures of various birds. 

We were then taken to Taphe Tourist Resort. Dinner was provided and as it was a resort, there were more facilities than the tent so did not face power or heating issues.

Day 4: Visit to Hells Gate

The itinerary mentioned a drive through Hell’s Gate which has inspired the illustrations in Lion King especially where Simba is introduced to the world. 

Instead it was a trek and my skirt was not appropriate for it. I managed to do the trek through limestone caves and see the rock formations caused by the volcano. Overall the landscape was beautiful.

Tip #5: Trekking clothes would have made the day enjoyable overall.

We then bought coasters made of stone from the market setup at the top of the hill.
We bought coffee and nuts from a local market in the city

We were then transferred to Lanet Mat farm resort in Nakuru and were provided dinner

Day 5: Morning Game Drive in Nakuru

We left early in the morning to see the flamingos, cranes, strokes in action. It was an extremely pretty sight. We managed to see a few rhinos too.

After spending time amidst the birds at the lake, we were dropped back at the accommodation we had booked to return back to India. We were provided lunch at a buffet place again and that ended our amazing safari.

We stayed at Nairobi Airport Rest House before our flight back to India the next day.

Cost:

The cost per person by Bison Safari was USD 490
The flight tickets were Rs. 48000 for two
The stay at Kenya Inn was Rs. 2200 for two
The stay at Nairobi Airport Rest House was USD 18 per person
The on arrival visa cost $75 per person

A run down of the included  items by Bison Safari:

– Full board accommodation at the hotels of stay during the safari including meals
– All park entrance fees 
– Transportation using shared minivan driven by an English speaking driver guide 
– Pick up and drop off at our Nairobi hotel of choice
– Water  while  on safari
– Meals during the safari

Things you should carry from our experience:

– Dollars as most of the local shops only accept cash.
– Extension board as the tent in Lenchada Camp did not have charging points. The charging point at the central buffet place was overcrowded.
– Headbands as it got chilly near the lakes and you spend a good 1 to 2 hours there.
– Sunglasses as it can get really dusty
– Sunscreen
– Toiletries such as toothbrush, toothpaste, shower gel, shampoo, conditioner
– Warm clothes as the rooms can get chilly at night especially if you in general feel really cold

Africa – You can see a sunset and believe you have witnessed the Hand of God. You watch the slope lope of a lioness and forget to breathe. You marvel at the tripod of a giraffe bent to water. In Africa, there are iridescent blues on the wings of birds that you do not see anywhere else in nature. In Africa, in the midday heart, you can see blisters in the atmosphere. When you are in Africa, you feel primordial, rocked in the cradle of the world.”

Jodi Picoult