God’s resting place – Kenya
As soon as the plane landed in Nairobi, I knew that I had made the right decision visiting that amazing country. Kenya or Kiinyaa, Kirinyaga and Kirenyaa means “God’s resting place” in Kamba, Kikuyu and Embu. And Nairobi is taken from the Masai phrase ‘Enkare Nairobi’ which means ‘place of cool waters’.
It was still quite early in the morning, but my friend and colleague Hillary met with me at the airport. He introduced me to Peter, who would be my driver guide for the trip around Kenya. Peter was quite surprised that I was a Christian as he assumed like so many others in Kenya that India is purely a Hindu country.
Instead of going straight to my hotel, we first stopped by the African Quest Safaris office for some work and meetings.
It was about 20 mins distance from the airport, but it took us more than an hour to get there because of the famous Nairobi traffic. I even experienced a bit of off-roading before starting my safari.
David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage
After meeting with everyone the office, I set off with Peter to visit Nairobi National Park. On reaching there, we were told to stay in the vehicle as there was a Lion that had just crossed the parking lot into the bushes. A great welcome!
After a while, we were told it was safe to get out and I visited The David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage in the national park.
It is only open to the public for an hour at 11 am, when the baby elephants are brought out for their mud baths and feeding.
Their care takers give you details on the elephants and how they are cared for, before being released back into the wild. I love how they stick together. Don’t you? Better than us humans.
Giraffe Centre
After this, I visited the Giraffe centre, which has Giraffe that are being rehabilitated.
You also get a chance to feed them. It was a different experience.
There are also warthog and a few other animals to see.
I don’t know why, but the turtles made the song ‘Hello Dolly’ start playing in my mind. 😉
Stay and Dinner at Fairmont – The Norfolk Hotel
At the end of the day Peter dropped me at Fairmont The Norfolk, Nairobi, Kenya, which is one of the best 5 star hotels in Nairobi.
My room was spacious very well done. But I don’t know what happened to the pic of the whole room. So I guess this one will have to do.
The hotel is amazing and I enjoyed taking pics of the place before going to the meal for dinner. Well, no one told me that I couldn’t 😉
And finally the dinner. One of the chefs had his groove on, check out those glasses! I don’t know if he noticed me taking this pic.
Anyways, the dining area was lovely and well lit. See the frames on the walls? I liked them. The African themed dinner at Tatu was lush and so amazing that I didn’t take any pics. Then off to a good night’s rest before travelling to Aberdare National Park after breaking the night’s fast the next morning. All in all, a good, good day!
Other Posts to read about the African Continent
- Mamba! Crocodiles At Haller Park, Mombasa, Kenya
- Watching Lions Mate In Maasai Mara, Kenya
- Top places to visit in Kenya
- African dishes to try
- Benefits of staying at Cancun Resort, LA
Sarah has worked in travel for 11 years and specializes in Africa. She caters to clients looking to travel to niche destinations across the globe, whether it’s climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, rafting on the Zambezi River, viewing seals and penguins in Antarctica or walking Safaris in Africa…..
She loves music, wine, food and travel. Her love for nature and wildlife makes her work even more enjoyable and satisfying. Armed with her camera, she likes to take photographs and write stories that inspire you to pack your bags and run off to a faraway destination.