Asante sana, Kenia

Where the view of the savannah simply blows you away

It takes a whole treasure trove of adjectives to describe our time in Kenya. To report on our great amazement and joy. About how unique these three weeks were. How impressed we are by this country and its people.

Bricka, Denis, Steven and Winnie. Duncan and Lucy. People we were able to get to know a little bit and who belong to different of the almost 50 tribes in Kenya, such as Maasai, Taita or Gamba. They told us about traditional and contemporary life in Kenya. And they showed us how to make everything even more beautiful with unobtrusive politeness and attentiveness.

Above all, there was our guide and companion for twelve safari days: Pius, a Maasai from Amboseli, who, with his great knowledge, guided us carefully in an open jeep through the Maasai Mara, the Loita and Taita Hills, Amboseli, Tsavo West and East piloted. Always keeping your gaze left and right, looking for animals that we would never have discovered ourselves. What a feeling. We as guests, small in this great nature and at the same time on top of the world. That’s pretty much what it feels like. And it’s good that Pius was able to quickly clarify a lot in Swahili along the way. Even if English usually works well.

We traveled through breathtaking landscapes, danced in a lot of places, were able to walk with Maasai and learned which plants can be used as deodorant and to protect against animals, to build houses and beds, as toothbrushes or for traditional beer brewing. Towards the end of our Kenya safari we spent a few days on the beach. Let all the impressions sink in. Jump into the water between islands from a traditional dhow for snorkeling. We saw seven dolphins swimming next to us. Spend an unforgettable evening with a Kenyan family in a place behind Diani Beach. Winnie, Esther and Anna cooked with us outside their house. The traditional ugali made with white corn flour, coconut rice, beans, chapatis and that delicious spinach, mchicha, that I could eat morning, lunch, night. Freshly made coconut cream: amazing.

Very special camps and lodges – and overwhelming drives in between

For me personally, it was my most impressive travel experience to date. This also includes the contrasts in the country itself and looking into the mirror of our Western European way of life. I was deeply impressed by the journeys with Pius from one camp to the next lodge. Moved, fascinated, shocked, amazed. It can also be shameful to look out the car window at barrenness and poverty. Hats made of corrugated iron, branches and plastic, with self-painted signs. Finding life and solutions with so little. Hidden object pictures of people, animals, vehicles. Market stalls made of branches and plastic sheeting, stacked full of colorful vegetables and fruit. Small children herding ten cows all by themselves with a stick. Women in colorful scarves, water canisters on their heads. Men in the traditional checkered shukas of the Maasai, with western clothing in between. And simple, colorful motorcycles everywhere. Used as a family van with four people on the short bench seat or as a transporter loaded overhead, with which men can confidently balance goods from A to B. Of course, you can also just sit coolly on the mopeds lined up in groups of boys on the side of the road. And there is a kind of moped sharing if you want to cover a longer distance.

Then the center of the IT metropolis Nairobi with its seven million inhabitants. Once you drive through the ring of simple huts and earthy alleys: suddenly there are advertisements for elite schools, high-rise buildings with mirrored facades. So that condenses everything. So many contrasts. Not easy to digest. This is also part of being allowed to travel to this country. – And then other adjectives from the treasure chest. Magical, overwhelming, breathtaking and enchanting. So much beauty.

My personal highlight: Maji Moto Eco Camp in the Loita Hills. A
beautifully designed camp made from simple materials and run by Maasai that supports the local school. Sitting on cushions on the slope at sunset… the view of the savannah simply blows your mind.

A big, heartfelt thank you to Accept Reisen for planning the tour together and choosing very special camps and lodges . For the great preparation of a very special trip.
Asante sana. Thank you

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