One question I kept asking myself before this trip is: does it make sense to travel so far for such a short amount of time? Part of my vacation planning technique is to set a bunch of criteria in Google Flights and then look around the globe. For me, the mental flight time pain point…

Today was like a day at Disney: crowded, but delightful. We loaded our bags in the van for the final time and headed to Nairobi National Park. The queue to enter the park was a mess. Even with advanced reservations the employees were manually recording information. Thankfully, everyone spread out once past the gate. For…

A short drive brought us to our boat tour at Lake Naivasha. I discovered it’s very difficult to take photos in focus while on a choppy lake. Nevertheless, there were great birds and enough hippos to make the practice of hip-wader fishing questionable. The boat guide brought a fish for a fisher eagle. He whistled…

We were on the road by 8:30 to drive south to Lake Naivasha. Most people had the day off so the roads were quiet. Even so, the donkeys were working hard primarily moving water. None of the tap water here is potable so we’ve been drinking bottled water. Lake Naivasha is surrounded by flower farms,…

I awoke to light creeping over the crater and the faint song of the Maasai. No stockings in sight, but a gorgeous view and mango juice more than made up for a typical Christmas morning. There was more good people watching on the drive over to Lake Nakuru National Park. Stanley says kids typically get…

I did not sleep well, but the fresh, sweet breeze was welcome overnight. It felt beautiful to wake up in the bush. We quietly walked back to camp shortly after sunrise. The fruit is perfectly ripe and juicy here. It has been a highlight of nearly every meal, including our final breakfast here. Our driver…

It was a magical day from start to end. Maji Moto is a peaceful and beautiful place. Our day started with open-air showers fed from the hot springs and a leisurely breakfast. No need to wake early for a game drive! Showers need to planned in advance here so they can pump the water. A…

Our guide was intent on finding more young lions. He was familiar with the general area that they spend the most time, but it’s large and bushy. We spent at least half an hour driving slowly, scanning the area looking for them. We heard an elephant trumpeting loudly, trotting through the bush. After a second…

Our final Maasai Mara National Reserve safari started at 6am. The sunrise was brief yet spectacular. Our guides hoped to find a leopard before we left, but the search turned up a family of giraffes instead. Two of them were play fighting and I was more than happy to sit and watch their antics instead…

We slept well, regardless of shrieking baboons and monkeys outside the tent. The tent flaps need to be locked to ensure no curious animals become unexpected house guests. Morning safari started at sunrise, 6:15. The hot air balloons added to the magical ambience. It took great resistance to not ask our guides to continually stop…