Our First African Safari is a Reality, Kenya! (Day 1)
It all started with two 8 hour flights from Chicago to Nairobi. We landed at Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta airport at about 10.45 PM local time. The whole trip was organized and personalized by AndBeyond who had sent a person to meet and greet us. Clearing customs and immigration took us a while because it was a busy night and lots of flights had landed from different countries at the same time. Two hours and a quick 20 minute taxi ride later, we reached the Hilton airport hotel that we stayed at for the night. Time zone difference and not so jetlagged because we were way too excited about our half day birdwatching trip at Nairobi national park the next day before heading out to Masai Mara, we decided to grab a beer or two and a bite at about midnight. Enter “Tusker”, the Kenyan beer which would keep us in good spirits for the next week.Fortunately, we were able to get some sleep.
So as not to waste any time we had on our own arranged a half day trip with a local flora and fauna specialist company called Cisticola tours. Diana who was born and raised in the Southern Rift Valley region and is currently one of the few Women Birding Guides in Kenya was our guide for the day.By the time we got to the gate of the national park it was a little until 6am, the gates had not opened and it was not yet sunrise, so we waited patiently to enter. We could already hear a lot of bird songs and Diana had also pointed out a group of bats that were hanging by the tree at the entrance. It was already feeling like a great start.
Nairobi National Park, is a unique gem nestled just a few miles from the bustling heart of Kenya's capital, offers a remarkable juxtaposition of urban and wild landscapes. Established in 1946, it is one of the world’s few national parks located within a major city. Spanning over 117 square kilometers, the park boasts a diverse array of wildlife, including lions, giraffes, zebras, and rhinos, all set against a backdrop of Nairobi’s skyline. Its proximity to the city makes it a convenient haven for both residents and visitors, providing an accessible escape into nature and a vital sanctuary for endangered species. The park’s varied habitats, from savannahs to wetlands, support a rich biodiversity and contribute to its role as an important ecological and educational resource.
Once we got inside, there was no falling short of enthusiasm. What's that! Stop, stop, stop! became regular for the next 3 hours. Reporting about 28 species on ebird including the famous Jackson’s widowbird, purple grenadier, African birds of paradise, bulbul to name a few. It's unbelievable how time flies when you are having so much fun. Everytime we spot a bird, the girl likes to experience it with my binoculars and watch it moving, eating at a tree or hunting its next prey or doing a display to court their mates. Or just doing its own thing. The man on the other hand spends a lot of time focussing on the bird and composing his perfect shot . Watching a bird is one thing but identifying it (using books and Merlin bird ID app) is a completely different fun thing. We reached the ivory burning site at about 8am. It's a historic location where 12 tonnes of ivory were burnt by former Kenyan president Daniel Arap Moi, in 1989. It was used again a few more times, with the last being in 2016 to burn 105 tonnes of Ivory, 1.35 tonnes of rhino horn, exotic animal skin along with other products such as sandalwood and medicinal bark.Today the site bears a monument, ashes of the ivory, as well as a lawn with benches and toilets, that serves as a picnic site. This is where to got to spend some time walking around the area to get a feel of the park. Soon, it was time to wrap up, turn around and head off to the Wilson Airport to take our Safarilink flight to Mara. And that's exactly how we kick-started our Kenyan adventure.
An hour-ish flight ride at 10am from Nairobi’s Wilson Airport by Safarilink with one stop to drop off and pick up passengers got us to Kichwa Tembo private airstrip. One of us fell asleep but the other person who is always mostly awake got to capture some great footage from the airplane.As soon as we got to the private airstrip, we saw many jeeps waiting for guests to be picked up. We spotted a couple of AndBeyond jeeps too when we got to meet Dennis, who would be our most awesome driver - guide turned friend. They had set up a small welcome picnic with banana chips, cookies and coffee. That one of us who slept during the flight had her fill of banana chips and would also “wildly” eat more of them in the next few days. There was gonna be another couple (from Monterrey, Mexico) who would be our jeep mate for the next two days. After some chit chatting we got on our jeeps to head to our “home” for the next 4 nights. Dennis said it's theoretically a 10-15 mins drive but that is totally dependent on what animals we encounter on our way. Indeed, that drive became close to 45 mins and we saw giraffe, topi antelope, spotted hyenas and several beautiful little bee eater birds along the way, only to meet with the warmest friendliest group of people singing the best “Jambo Bwana / Hakuna Matata” song to welcome us.
As we checked in, we were served with the most refreshing kenyan tea and briefed on how things were planned for us for the next few days. We had the cottage that was the farthest in the property, and we were so happy to get the extra walk several times a day including a 5.30am one through the beautiful garden and bridge, accompanied by a soundtrack provided by various birds and monkeys.`
At lunch, we made friends with another warm and happy face Zippy who was going to be our butler during our stay. She recommended that we try the local Kenyan beer Tusker and also introduced us to the local rum Kenya Cane with which we will be having millions of Dawa cocktails (Rum and honey muddled with fresh lime over ice) over the next few days. They had a great buffet style lunch ( breakfast and dinner too) but we requested Zippy if we could try out local kenyan cuisine sometime to which she said that she was going to check with the chef. Oh boy, did we know that we were going to be fed the most awesome kenyan food prepared specially for us every single lunch and dinner during our stay. We also made two more friends from the Maasai tribe, Alex and Saitoshi who were all dressed up in their colorful outfits and jewelry. Such experiences have always been the beginning of long term friendships that we cherish forever.
We are thoroughly thankful for the love we get from new friends that we make, every time we travel!Afterwards, as we got settled in our rooms we saw a couple of elephants so close to our room and we were marveling at the encounter. They could not get too close to the camp area though because it had an electric fence around. It was soon 4pm and we were ready to meet Dennis and R&D at the central bar/ hangout area to get going with our 2 hour evening safari in the Mara North Conservancy area.
Mara North Conservancy, situated in the northern part of Kenya’s Maasai Mara region, is a premier conservation area renowned for its commitment to preserving the natural environment and wildlife. Covering approximately 74,000 hectares, this private conservancy is a sanctuary for a diverse array of species, including the Big Five—lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo, and rhino—alongside cheetahs, giraffes, and a variety of birdlife. Its well-managed, low-density tourism model ensures minimal environmental impact while offering an exclusive safari experience. The conservancy operates in close partnership with local Maasai communities, integrating sustainable practices that support both wildlife conservation and community development. Visitors to Mara North Conservancy enjoy pristine landscapes, high-quality game viewing, and a deep connection with the surrounding culture, making it a standout destination in Kenya's renowned Maasai Mara ecosystem.
The evening safari was pleasant and we got to see some more giraffes, zebras, elephants, African buffalo and several types of antelopes like the topi and the impala. Not forgetting the beautiful lilac breasted roller, which is the national bird of kenya and two types of bee - eaters. Sundown happened sooner than we expected and we saw a couple of gray crowned cranes hanging out in the mara savannah (that really got the birder among us very happy and excited). When we got to our camp, a group of Masaai performed a local dance for us - we got a chance to chat with many of them and share a drink or two at the bar area. After dinner, we retired into our rooms and called it an early day since we were getting a wake up call at 5am to prepare ourselves for a full day of safari.
