Travels with Terri

Going on a safari in Kenya has been on our bucket list for many years and we began planning one for early 2019. Unfortunately timing and finances didn’t work out, so we decided to postpone until 2020. Then the pandemic closed the world to travel. Fast-forward three years and we finally made our dream trip a reality.

Planning a safari is a daunting task considering how many companies offer tours in Kenya. Private or shared? What locations and length? Accommodations? So many choices. In the end, we chose Spirit of Kenya as their tours are private and we could mix and match our lodging between standard all the way up to premium. We booked their 7 days/6 nights Into the Wild tour which includes two nights at Amboseli National Park, one night at Lake Naivasha, one night at Lake Nakuru, and two nights at Maasai Mara. Our trip planner Andre was excellent, answering all our questions in a timely manner, and he provided us with everything we needed to know about visas, vaccinations, climate, and what to expect during our safari.

Our journey began in Lisbon and ended in Nairobi with stops in Madrid and Doha along the way. We arrived the day before our safari started so we could rest and recover from the long flights. Our Spirit of Kenya guide Franco picked us up from our hotel promptly at 8:00 am and we began the drive to Kibo Safari Camp just outside Amboseli National Park. We fell immediately in love with his sense of humor and knew that we’d have a great time during our week together. It was just the three of us in an 8-person land cruiser, which confirmed that our decision to take a private safari was the right choice. Franco has been a safari guide for 13 years and his knowledge about Kenya and its wildlife is amazing. He’s also a great driver. Traffic in Nairobi is insane with all the cars and pedestrians, and it only got worse once we left the freeway. Most of the drive was on two lane roads packed with trucks with frequent speed bumps as we went through many villages. Shortly after leaving Nairobi, we saw a lone zebra near the road. As we continued, we saw a herd of zebras, several giraffes, numerous baboons, and thousands of goats, sheep, and cattle.

We were greeted at Kibo Safari Camp by their very welcoming staff, who offered us damp face towels and refreshing fruit juices in the lobby. After checking in, we were shown around the camp on the way to our tent. The grounds are lovely and lush with all kinds of flowering plants and native trees. The sound of numerous birds filled the air, and we could hear the Vervet Monkeys calling to each other from the trees. Our tent was much larger than I expected, with a double bed, single bed, desk, and an outside porch with a settee, tables, and two chairs. A perfect spot to relax with drinks or morning coffee!

After unpacking a few things, we made our way to the dining tent for the lunch buffet. We had a private table, and our package included all meals, coffee, and tea. Bottled water, sodas, and alcohol were extra but priced very reasonably. I was blown away by the variety of food choices and everything I tried was very fresh and delicious. My favorite of course was the fruit and dessert bar which had at least one chocolate option at every meal. They also had a salad bar, a soup and bread bar, and a hot food station with vegan, vegetarian, and meat and fish selections. With full bellies, we went back to our tent to relax before our 4:00 pm game drive into Amboseli National Park.

Where can you see zebras, giraffes, ostriches, wildebeests, and elephants living together in harmony? Find out in my next blog.