Good evening everyone,
I hope you're all doing well despite this very unusual time…
Here’s a new travel journal to get you back on the Kenyan trails.
It was a really great idea to buy those flight tickets to Nairobi back in December.
When Benoit suggested this new safari in February, I hesitated a little (very little): it was the season with particularly high temperatures, and the short rainy season in November/December had been very heavy, raising concerns about the state of the tracks…
Given the current situation, no regrets, of course…
We quickly organized the safari with our usual guide, and we booked the accommodations ourselves directly. (If we’d waited just a few more weeks, we might’ve regretted it…)
For once, we were able to leave from the airport near where we live (Lorient - Lann Bihoué), which is really convenient: no driving, no parking…
We left home at 2 PM on Tuesday, February 18th, and arrived in Nairobi at 6 AM the next morning—perfect. (With a layover in CDG, of course 😉)
Upon arrival, after a forehead temperature check by airport staff, we got our visas very quickly (forms filled out before departure). The customs agents congratulated us on our passports full of Kenyan stamps… but we still had to pay the 40 € for the visa.
All that was left was to collect our luggage, and we’d be ready to leave the airport shortly after landing. But there was a small issue: the baggage conveyor belt was broken… Eventually, the suitcases and bags were brought out by hand… Hakuna Matata, as they say here—no problem, as long as they’re all there.
Benoit sent a message to Félix, our guide, to come meet us in the airport parking lot.
After catching up with our respective families, we set off toward the Mombasa road, heading to Voi.
Traffic in Nairobi is still as heavy as ever, and the pollution is very noticeable (cars, but also cement factories…).
The current lockdown has changed things. On social media, Mount Kenya and Kilimanjaro seem visible from Nairobi now!…
The first stop on this safari was a place we hadn’t visited before: the LUMO Community Wildlife Conservancy lumoconservancy.com/. It’s a small reserve located west of Tsavo West and near the Taita Hills. The reserve is managed by the local community, and entry fees are lower than in Tsavo’s national parks.
We had initially planned to spend three days in Tsavo East, but since the accommodation wasn’t available for that long, we ended up choosing this option, which turned out to be a great discovery.
Since the reserve is small, I think it’s hard to spend more than two days there. The advantage is that, since it’s not a national park, activities like walks or night safaris can be offered.
Alright, here are a few images to set the mood.



Elephants, but also hartebeests and lots of giraffes in a light we really liked.



