Kenya has always been on my bucket list and it exceeded my every expectation. These are just 5 reasons (amongst many more) why I love Kenya:

1. People

Kenyans are amongst the friendliest people I have encountered on all my travels. Always welcoming with a warm smile and a Swahili greeting of “jambo” or “karibu”, welcome. Every person I interacted with from drivers and local street vendors to 5-star hotel staff were polite, kind and eager to help. There is a colonial charm in locals and one can only feel right at home. I felt very safe and walked locally near my hotel with ease.

2. Wildlife & Safari

Established in 1961 and named in honour of the Maasai people and their description of the area when looked at from afar: “Mara” local language for “spotted,” an apt description for the circles of trees, scrub, savanna and cloud shadows that mark the area. The magnificent Masai Mara took my breath away….our first encounter was not just 1, 2 or 3 but 5 cheetah strolling across the open plains. Truly breathtaking!

Our safari experience was mind-boggling, from that first sighting to every game drive which was a thrill of new encounters with herds of elephants & wildebeest, a leopard kill, a pride of lions on a wildebeest kill, to mention just a few. The Great Migration (annually around July-Sep) is one of the most impressive natural events worldwide, involving some 1,300,000 wildebeest on their annual circular route.

3. Bustling Nairobi

A crazy, busy, traffic jammed city with a real African feel – roadside stalls, matatu taxis and sidewalk nurseries mix with 5-star hotels and tranquil treed suburbs. Highlights I recommend – The Daphne Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage (daily public visit 11-12 pm), Karen Blixen Museum for a glimpse at her extraordinary life in Kenya, Giraffe Centre – protecting highly endangered Rothschild’s giraffes, Karunguru Coffee Estate – a day trip to learn about coffee cultivation on a plantation dating back to 1928.

4. Fascinating Culture

The majestic Maasai, with their tall slim bodies, are the local tribe, inhabiting southern Kenya and northern Tanzania. Most of the men wear a shuka, which is a red robe or blanket. The women’s clothes are colourful and decorated with beads. Maasai or Maa is the local Eastern Nilotic language spoken. They have a long-preserved culture and are well known to be fierce warriors, living a nomadic lifestyle. One often encounters them in the Masai Mara, tending their herds of sheep and cows, amongst the wildlife.

5. Local Crafts

Local crafts are made of clay, wood, bone, copper and brass and beautiful beaded jewellery is definitely worth buying. Brightly coloured fabrics or Kangas, kikos, leather slip slops and Maasai blankets are all available at bargain prices.

Be sure to visit the Masai Market in Nairobi, location moves daily so check with your hotel concierge. Be prepared to bargain!

Thanks to the Magical Kenya Travel Expo for hosting me!

Written by: Charlotte Smith