Kenya, and My First Safari
Hello everyone! I’ve just returned from East Africa—Kenya and Uganda—and while the purpose of the trip was mostly work, it was, nonetheless, an amazing experience. I didn’t have too much time to explore this fascinating corner of the vast African continent—that just means I need to go back, right?—but one thing I did manage to squeeze into my brief vacation time? A safari!
My First Safari Experience
First of all, full disclosure: I’ve never particularly wanted to go on a safari. Yes, I know, it’s the ultimate travel bucket list item for millions of people, but it never really appealed to me. Why would I want to fly halfway around the globe to get into a jeep and spend hours driving down dusty roads in hopes of finding a lion or tiger dining on an unfortunate gazelle? I always figured it was a much better use of my travel time to visit a museum, cathedral, or café, rather than try to get back to nature in this manner.
But, when in Kenya, one can’t exactly turn down a safari opportunity, right? So a few colleagues and I took advantage of a meeting-free day to book ourselves a taxi and driver to take us to Nairobi National Park, which despite being a stone’s throw from the chaotic Kenyan capital features vast expanses of savannah full of giraffes, zebras, antelopes, and even lions—upon hearing that, I was sold!
Of course, the lions were nowhere in sight on the day we visited (apparently there are only a handful of them in the park, and it’s so big you’d be very lucky to spot one). But never mind. We piled into the taxi (which, I must say, did a very impressive job of handling the deeply rutted, kind of scary roads in the middle of the park—I haven’t been so nervous about making it out unharmed from a travel experience since my unfortunate boat ride on Lake Atitlan in Guatemala earlier this year), and hit the road, excited to spot whatever wildlife we could.
We had some good luck: several zebras and antelopes (and warthogs–which are just as unattractive as you’d imagine, but kind of endearing nonetheless–dining outside with us at the restaurant where we stopped for lunch after our three hour trek).
View of a mist-covered mountain near our hotel lodge outside Nairobi
Mostly though, what I remember is the broad, rolling expanse of the savannah, identical to the one I had walked through at sunrise the day before on the grounds of our hotel lodge. The landscape of Kenya is uniquely beautiful and arresting; it very much delivers the sensation that you are someplace different, someplace out of your experience, far from your daily routine and comfort zone. I love that feeling of stepping into a new landscape and taking my cue from its outline that I am far from home, in fact, about as far as it’s possible to be from the place I was born while remaining on the same planet. The Kenyan savannah, with its rolling expanse of grass dotted by sidewise-leaning acacia trees, its magnificent sunrises, and of course, its assortment of animals one can’t see at home outside of a zoo, delivered this feeling in spades.
But, back to the animals. In the big news of the day: we saw a giraffe! And by “saw,” I mean, we found a lone giraffe wandering around in the midst of the park, prompting our intrepid driver to ask if we wanted to get closer; we did. So, he literally drove us right up to the giraffe (so close that at one point we actually told him to stop, less he bump right into him—though given how huge he was, I doubt he would have felt much even if we had). For a few moments, we all set in perfect silence, snapping photos and gazing up at this huge giraffe just a few feet from us. If there is a textbook definition of a once-in-a-lifetime experience, I’d say that was it. And I came away from that moment with a new appreciation for the magnificence and grandeur of giraffes that I suspect will last forever.
The Verdict
So, now that I’ve done it once, would I go on a safari again? Honestly, I think the answer is yes. I feel this trip definitely increased my appreciation for the natural beauty of the landscape and wildlife in this corner of the world. I really want to go back to Africa on vacation, with no obligations to do anything but explore and enjoy myself (I’d love to see more of Kenya and Uganda, where I spent a few days, but I also really, really want to go to Tanzania). And when I do, I think a safari should be part of my experience, even if only for a day or two.
After all, there are still lions out there to spot, somewhere in the wilds of the African savannah. I’d say that’s as good a reason as any to return.
Have you been on a safari, or do you want to go? Visited Kenya? What was your experience like?