Leaving Lake Nakuru in the morning after a beautiful breakfast at sunrise at the picturesque Nakuru Sopa Lodge. Heading from one lake to another, 90 kms later we arrive to Lake Naivasha which is a freshwater lake and famous for its boat rides and school of hippos. The lake used to be the landing spot for British seaplanes before Jomo Kenyatta Airport opened in Nairobi in 1958.
The lake has a colourful wildlife from fish eagles lurking for fish to hippos guarding their territory around the vegetation.
The rest of the day is on the road again. 6-7 hours towards the Amboseli National Park that lays on the border of Tanzania with Kilimanjaro providing a dramatic backdrop.
Laying in the back of the car feeling sick I thought I’d share some useful tips with you. You might have heard these tips many times but I can’t stress it enough how important to remember these to be able to enjoy your holiday.
We all have different immune systems so check with a travel doctor before you travel to East Africa what vaccinations and malaria medication you might need. It is based on the region. Get what you need at your discretion and once you are in the country remember not to have any tap water, not even for brushing your teeth or rinsing your toothbrush. Also stay away from fruit that you don’t peel yourself. Ice is the most common thing to forget next to brushing your teeth. I had three ice cubes in my drink last night and today I have had a years worth of bodily cleansing. Drinking plenty of water can be tricky when you are on the road pretty much all day long, so be prepared. Since they don’t have proper water systems in Kenya most of the water is infested so those little ice cubes were enough to knock me around. Diarrhea, abdominal cramps and muscle weakness it doesn’t make the trip pleasurable. So keep reminding yourself.
Some tips for when you book your holiday: Look at the itinerary and the locations on the map! Even though variety is good and a few hundred kilometres here and there doesn’t seem much, it takes at least twice as long to get to the destination not just due to the bad road conditions but also the constant traffic through villages. Safari jeeps have no air-conditioning so it doesn’t just get hot but with the windows open you inhale the fumes and the dust constantly. The bumps on the game drive I think it’s enough for an African deep tissue massage. You have options to book a trip with internal flights which takes the already expensive trip’s price even higher but you save yourself a lot of headache and time. East Africa has a lot of charm and it really feels like as time began there but keep a few things in mind when you book your trip and do your research. Reading other people’s experiences I find to be the best as travel agency’s brochures great photography can be really inviting and the travel agent is not going to tell you that the flamingos actually moved from the lake and on certain game drives you might not see anything. It’s best to do your own research. I honestly think that everyone should experience that part of the world, can’t get more real than seeing tribal people and animals in their natural habitat.
I wouldn’t recommend safaris in Kenya for people with back problems, motion sickness and respiratory problems. Other than that the destinations are great, the lodges are great and the tour operators do everything to ensure your safety and give you a great African experience. Once you book a trip everything is covered.
I have a back problem myself so next time how I would do this trip is I would fly into Masai Mara, would stay on the Serena Lodge side of the river for 3 days and be out on a game drive for sunrise and sunset when the animals are the most active. In Masai Mara visiting the Masai in their village is a must. Then from Nairobi I would hire a car and drive yourself to Lake Nakuru. Even though the flamingos are not there, it is a beautiful park with rhinos and Rothschild giraffes. Staying at the New Lake Nakuru Sopa Lodge gives you the best view of the lake. Then from there I’d drive to Lake Bogoria to see where the many pink flamingos moved to. Then I’d fly again to Amboseli or Serengeti National Park. If you are planning a Kenya trip remember there is a lot of driving, even on the game drives as the parks are huge and the animals are spread out, and you are not allowed out of the car so you might want to fly between destinations which only takes 40 mins from your time instead of 6 hours. Do your research and plan it wisely according to your needs in order to have the best experience.