That's Kenya too... (page 1 of 8)

Hey fellow travelers,

I'm back in the "travel journal" section to share our 15-day adventure in Kenya in November 2024. It was pretty much our first time in East Africa (since Zanzibar doesn’t really count 😜).

As usual, I’m sharing the journal I made for our loved ones—still as casual and cheerful as ever, just to give them a little break from their tough workdays 😄.

We organized the whole trip ourselves, and to be original here LOL, we took some *very* well-trodden paths: Naivasha, Tsavo, and Diani. But what I loved about this country is that it’s so easy to go off the beaten track—even on the "tourist highways" 😉.

So, if you're a safari fanatic or after stunning wildlife photos, you might be disappointed. But if you want to discover other sides of Kenya, you might just find what you're looking for 😉.

Looking forward to sharing this fun journey with you all 😊.

Hey Christelle 🙂

Really looking forward to following your new adventure! You must’ve come across some animals in Kenya though, right??? Because if the answer’s no, this travel journal is really going off the beaten path

Oh yes, there’ll be plenty of animals, Pascale—even when it wasn’t planned! 😄

I feel reassured now! Can't wait for the next part to see your adventures! 🙂

What a beautiful adventure, it's a well-deserved story. It proves that Kenya isn't just the Masai Mara and Amboseli, but also other lesser-known projects—its diversity, its people, the culture, the lakes, and islands, etc.

Hi Christelle, Ohhh...Finally! 😏😏😏 I’ll definitely be following your travel journal closely, and I bet it’ll make me want to go back there... in a different way 😉

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The hills covered in tea plantations are gorgeous!!

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Hi Solene, glad you're back and happy about this new travel journal 😉

😠 Oh great, here’s a new travel journal and no one tells me! Well, luckily the ink’s still fresh—I’ve got time to settle in!

A new travel journal in Kenya... I’d love to tag along too! 🙂 A recap of a self-sufficient trip outside the parks and reserves would be great—there are so many questions about it, but not many firsthand accounts....

Hey Christelle, Well, I followed your journey from afar and in real time during my trip, but for fun, I’m settling into the group now.

Welcome to all of you, and thanks for letting us know you're here! The walk should start tonight if we don’t have too many people at the apéro 😄 Marie Jo, your new avatar is fabulous!! Have a great Sunday, everyone, and see you tonight

Well, here we go for real, folks. After 11 hours in Nairobi, it’s time to pick up our rental car: 110,000 km on the clock and farts everywhere—exactly what we needed 😂.

So, heads up—this trip’s gonna bust some stereotypes: no, Kenya isn’t just yellow savannah and non-stop sunshine.

As usual, Lulu adjusted super fast to driving on the left, especially since we picked a Sunday to cross the capital and it was smooth sailing.



And barely an hour later, we’re already blown away: coffee fields followed by rolling tea plantations as far as the eye can see! Of course, a photo stop was mandatory. I get out, wave at a woman nearby, and by the time I frame the shot, she’s already next to me... telling me all sorts of stories in her best Swahili. For now, I’ve got *hello* and *thank you* down—that’s about it—but she explains she works in the plantations and gives me a demo of plucking leaves. I tell her she’s super strong while feeling her bicep. She bursts out laughing, high-fives me, and asks for a big-smile selfie.



And just like that, we’ve made a Kenyan friend 😊!

We keep driving and stumble upon a path cutting through the tea fields, lined with blooming agapanthus the whole way.



And guess what—we find a cute little restaurant/bar at the end! Perfect timing, we’re starving. The place is packed with Kenyans dressed to the nines, fresh out of church.



The drinks were great, and even though the chicken was charred 😂, we had an amazing time... a little stared at by some curious but smiling faces: *What are those Muzungus doing here?* 🤔

Cool, here we go! 😎 .... but where to? .....and in what kind of car? (a sedan, an SUV, a 4x4?)

What follows is a road jam-packed with all sorts of trucks, but no danger here—you're driving at 50, even 30, and often 20 km/h 🚶‍♂️. We then discover the famous Rift Valley under a sea of clouds: a vast plain surrounded by mountains, with a few rare rays of sunshine breaking through.



And then, total surprise—the animal festival begins: big baboons that seem to say, "talk to the hand, my head’s messed up,"



then three zebras strolling next to a herd of cows.



And as we approach our nighttime stop, a giraffe!!

"Cool as you like, Émile," by the side of a small road, full of poise and elegance—oh, how I love these ones!



Today’s destination is near the village of Kongoni. Our host sent me the route to follow, and off we go down a track... for ages. Then we spot two warthogs on the right,



a few impalas on the left, and a herd of buffalo in the distance!!



Magical... except we managed to get lost in a national park, and if we get caught, we’re "in trouble" 😱!

So I send a WhatsApp to Francki, who replies within a minute: "Don’t move, I’m coming." After passing a guy on a bike, I get out to stretch my legs, and soon a car approaches. I’m waiting for Francki—a good-looking guy (might as well 😏)—but LOL, it’s a seventy-something very British lady who rolls down the window: "Oh, it’s really you, Christelle, but hurry, get in my car, it’s very dangerous here with the buffalo!" 😱...🤔 And what about the guy on the bike then 🤷‍♂️??

But it’s the right track, and here I am in Frankie’s (with an E!!) car—she’s basically the local "Karen Blixen" 🧐. Once settled in her carriage, her stinky little dog immediately jumps on my lap, clawing my thighs, while his buddy at my feet starts nibbling my shoelaces!



WELCOME, right 😂?

Lulu follows our vehicle down this bumpy road, and we finally arrive—pure paradise.

Some people dream of catching cod (they’ll know who they are), others of stumbling upon a field of mushrooms, but my passion in life is finding "travel treasures," and let me tell you, this gem is exceptional in the truest sense of the word 💎.

But I’ll save that for tomorrow: the discovery of an African Eden.

You're too fast, Muriel—I just posted twice in a row! 😅 We're heading to Naivasha first, and we’ve got a sedan for the first few days. After that, it’ll be the train, then a "safari combi" before finishing up on a scooter. So there’ll be something for every taste when it comes to transport! 😄

It starts strong and really sells the dream! 🙂 This Kenyan trip looks amazing. I love the baboon photo and its caption 😄

I feel like this trip is going to be so varied, and that's a good thing! 😉

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I can't get over seeing a major avenue in Nairobi... completely deserted!?? I had a hard time figuring out where Kongoni is to get my bearings, but I managed!

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and @ Solène I noticed the same thing: we went on a Sunday, early in the morning no less, and there were still way more people than expected! !