Top Nairobi Safaris - page 74

I really enjoyed this tour of Nairobi National Park. Joshua was a great guide. It turns out he is a birder, so he was able to spot and then tell me names of all the birds, and of course to spot the mammals of the park. We entered the southwest entry to the park early, and were able to feel pretty secluded for the first two hours. Joshua really knows the park and communicated with other guides to make sure we saw a lion, along with giraffes, zebras, rhinos, hippos, impalas, crocodiles, cape buffalo...along with my highlight a leopard.

This was a great tour. I booked just a couple of weeks ahead and ended up being the only person on the tour. My guide, Stephen Mutuku, contacted me by WhatsApp the night before, which I greatly appreciated. He picked me up promptly at 8 am at my hotel. The giraffe sanctuary was first, but we got there about 25 minutes early and Stephen stopped at a shop on the side of the road. I was confused at first, but it ended up being a co-op for individuals selling their souvenirs. The shop owner/seller and all of the various men in the building were friendly and kind. They didn't want to tell me any prices until I had decided if I was going to buy something, because there is a "discount" based on how many you buy. I purchased a small nativity set and bread basket and after the "discount" it was 11500 KSH, about $90 give or take. The cost is beside the point, I am happy to contribute to the economy, but it wasn't cheap and the interaction just feels uncomfortable. Even with that, they were all kind and friendly and not pushy. The shop had several options for payment, including Apple pay. Then we went to the giraffe sanctuary. I didn't realize you were going to be expected to feed the giraffes - I would have actually rather just watched them, but it turned out fine. Stephen knew where to suggest that I stand, he directed me a bit to get better pictures, and we had fun. The sanctuary was beautiful, the staff gave me a quick run down of the sanctuary history and did show-and-tell with some giraffe bones (apparently the large leg bones don't have bone marrow to make them solid and stronger!). Next was the elephant orphanage. Stephen got us there in plenty of time to be "first" at the gate to walk in, after which he directed me to the best place to stand where I would not be facing into the sun! It was so cute to see and hear about them - in the pictures they don't look very small at all! I know the tour listing says you need to buy a ticket for the National Park - I think it was $80 - the cost is just what it is, you are at the mercy of the Kenyan government. But just know that to get your ticket they only take credit cards, you need to buy the ticket online once you are there so you use your phone and if it doesn't have cell service you need to connect to their wifi, and if you don't have a phone apparently you can enter your personal information into another person's phone (like your guide or another person on the tour) and get the ticket that way. You need to enter your full name, your passport number, and your email address - and then I got my ticket by email from the Kenya National Wildlife Service. They took my Mastercard, but I would make sure you have more than one credit card - I didn't have seamless credit card usage when I was in Nairobi. They did not take Apple Pay. There is no way to see the elephant orphanage unless you go through this process - it is worth it, just be aware of what it is going to take. We then went to the bead factory - it was a short tour, the women were friendly, the gift shop was huge and all of the necklaces were clearly priced. The had a seamless credit card and apple pay system. I came home with two that I probably won't wear but I will treasure just the same! :)

Our first time in Kenya. This excursion is the one to book. Our driver Stephan was awesome. The Girrafe Centre, seeing the baby elephants and then the Bomba dancers and seeing what they are doing for animal conservation was an incredible experience. Seeing the women making the clay beads from start to finish by hand was awe inspiring - no machines used.