Introduction to Kenya Safari: From Nairobi to Nanyuki

Kenya’s Desert, Wildlife, and Beaches in 15 Days – Day 3

Richie and I have been traveling together since 1.5 y. When we go for big vacations, for around 10 days and more, we plan it much earlier. We save on flight costs, we get early bird discounts on beautiful properties, we do a lot of research about the new places, their tradition and culture, and more. Does it kill the surprise? No, certainly not! There is no match to the experience you get in real when you are in the new place. It was our first time in Kenya, in fact our first time in Africa. Kenya needs a lot of planning, which is based on not just the amount of time or money at your disposal, but also knowledge about the national parks, wildlife, seasons, and a myriad of other factors. This blog aims to give a comprehensive overview of planning a Kenya Safari.

Highlights of the Day

• Drive from Nairobi to Nyeri
• Karatina Market
• Drive from Nyeri to Nanyuki
• Game-drive in Ol Pejeta Conservancy
• Overnight in Town and Country Guesthouse

What Is Kenya Safari?

Do you know what does it mean by safari? We usually relate it to an expedition to see animals in the wild from the inside of a vehicle. But in Swahili, the language that is widely spoken in Kenya, “safari” simply means a tour. However, in Kenya, most safaris concentrate on the national parks and they call it “game drives” when the driver or you drive for several hours inside the parks twice a day – after dawn and before dusk – in search of wildlife. Let me discuss the different types of safaris that you can choose from.

Organized Join-In Safari

Firstly, you can join an already organized safari – this is budget-friendly. Game viewing drives in search of wildlife, sightseeing, and cultural encounters fill up the safari days. Accommodation is provided in choices of economy, standard, or luxury safari lodges and tented camps, according to your budget or style. Tour transport and game viewing drives are in a customized pop up top safari minivans for ease of viewing and photography. A customized 4 x 4 pop-up top Land Cruiser jeep can be provided at an extra cost.

Organized Private Safari

Secondly, you can book the similar type of tour in private instead of joining with others. This would have the same facilities as above but everything would be private – for you and your family and/or friends. As it is a private tour, the charge would definitely be higher.

Private Safari with a Driver (Organized by You)

Thirdly, you can hire a 4 X 4 along with a driver and/or a guide and create your own itinerary. In this case, you have to be responsible for your own meals and accommodation. There are both public and private campsites in the national parks where you can camp your tents – your own or rented from vehicle service provider. You can also stay in various safari lodges or tented camps. A tented camp is a permanent encampment of large tents, usually with floors, furniture, plumbed-in bathrooms and a separate roof for when the heavens open. You have to book these early during high and peak seasons, like during the Great Migration time in July-August and then again during October-January, etc. While in towns, you can stay overnight in hotels that you do not normally need to book earlier.

Self-Drive Safari

Finally, you can self-drive as well. Hire a 4 x 4 from a vehicle-service provider. Have your own itinerary. Take care of your own meals and accommodation. I do not recommend this as there are many strict rules you have to follow while driving inside the national parks. The drivers there know that best. However, it is recommended to take a guide along with you in such type of safaris.

What Did We Choose?

We went for the third option. We hired a 4 x 4 along with a driver and chef and camping gear and other utilities for 600$ for 9 days. Our itinerary was sorted. We did not book any place earlier except Maji Moto Eco Camp to experience living with the Maasai tribe before entering the Masai Mara National Reserve and the private campsite in Masai Mara Triangle. For rest of the places, we booked and stayed in lodges and public campsites on spot. “It was a full-power Kenyan safari”, as Richie says.

Our camping equipment inventory included a lot of things. The safari company provided us sturdy tents along with single duvets with covers, pillows with covers, and blankets. The kitchen inventory list was big – we got various utensils, knives, gas cooker, jerrycan with rainwater, drying clothes, and more. They also gave us other items like kerosene lamps and bottles, camping tables with table cloth, safari chairs and stools, torch with batteries, and more. The car had spare tire, fire extinguisher, tools, wheel brace, tow rape, etc. – all ready in case of an emergency. We were fully packed and ready for one of the memorable safaris of our lives.

The Safari Begins!

After a fulfilling breakfast in Wildebeest Eco Camp, we checked out from our luxurious tent. It was already around 10 AM. In the reception, we met John and Jumah – our driver and chef, respectively – with big smiles. They like to be called as “J & J” or simply “JJ”. They had come there all the way from Nakuru which is around 4 h away from the camp in Nairobi. We headed to the city center to pick another friend of us, Aakriti, from India. She was in a 3-week vacation to Kenya and had planned to join us in the road safari for 9 days and 8 nights. Soon we became very comfortable with John and Jumah and the fun started!

On the first day of our Kenyan road safari, we chose to head to Nanyuki from Nairobi, along with a visit to Ol Pejeta Conservancy. Nanyuki is a market town located in Laikipia county. It acts as the gateway to the Laikipia plateau, which is Africa’s most important conservation area. For example, Ol Pejeta Conservancy (OPC) is located here, which is home to the largest population of black rhinos in East Africa, and conversely, the last two northern white rhinos in the world. The distance is around 250 km which took around 5 h.

Karatina Market

John drove around 3 h north off Nairobi. We crossed Kiambu and Muranga counties, entered Nyeri county, and reached Karatina town. The town is famous for its open air market located right in the middle of the town. Karatina Market is the largest open air market in Kenya and in East Africa, and is the second largest open air market in Africa. It is well known for its fresh fruits and vegetables. The market opens early in the morning and closes in the evening.

For our road safari, we had to stock up with fruits and vegetables, and this was the best place to do the shopping. We bought fresh avocados, cabbages, onions, tomatoes, pumpkins, broccoli, carrots, chilies, potatoes, ginger, garlic, and more – all at affordable rates.

Road Safari in Nyeri County

As we crossed Karatina market, the road stretches to the Nanyuki county. On our left side, there was Aberdare National Park. It is characterized by picturesque, steep forested gorges and open heath, and is famous for its elephants, black rhinos, leopards, spotted hyenas, buffaloes, and bushbucks among others. On our right side, there was Mount Kenya National Park. Mount Kenya is a UNESCO-listed site and is the second tallest mountain in Africa. It is a pristine wilderness with lakes, glaciers, tarns, dense forest, mineral springs, and a selection of rare and endangered species of animals.

Finally we reached Nanyuki county in another 2 h. John took us to a grocery store from where we bought dry groceries, such as rice, wheat, pasta, salt, spices, and similar. We stocked us up for the coming few days of our safari well. The thing that surprised us while shopping was “plastic ban”. The whole country is following the latest plastic ban law and we always got our vegetables and groceries in paper bags. This was appreciated very much.

We stopped by a local restaurant where we filled our stomach up with local food. We had local food and we really liked it. The local steamed rice was served with sukuma wiki which is nothing but spinach or kale or similar leafy greens fried with onion, tomato, and salt. Along with that, we had steamed cabbage and carrot. It was delicious!

Ol Pejeta Conservancy

Note that the it is a conservancy run in private, so the entrance fee is really high, such as 85$ per non-resident adult. Plus we had to pay for the entrance fee of the vehicle, which was 4$ and 11$ per East-African citizen.

From Nanyuki, a road on the left side goes to Ol Pejeta Conservancy. It is one of the important conservancies in the country. It uses cutting-edge conservation technologies to monitor species population and smart fencing techniques that allow free movement of migratory wildlife. Its ecosystem has the highest densities of wildlife outside of the Masai Mara. It has the largest population of black rhinos and it is the only place in Kenya to see chimpanzees. Also, it hosts the last two northern white rhino females and attempts to reproduce artificially in the future using in vitro fertilization techniques and stem cell technology, just to save this critically endangered species, currently leaving no males of the species on the earth. In addition to these, it has the Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary. It refuges orphaned and confiscated chimpanzees and is the only place in Kenya where non-indigenous chimpanzees can be seen.

Initially, we had plans to stay overnight in a campsite in Ol Pejeta conservancy but it was fully occupied. We had not booked it earlier, so they were offering us rooms that we were not interested in. So after the game drive, we headed back to Nanyuki to look for a cheaper accommodation there. We found economical rooms for 20$ per room per night in Town and Country Guesthouse in Nanyuki.

Total distance covered: 250 km.

NET EXPENSE FOR 1 PERSON (IN USD)

Let us have a look at the expenses of Day 3 in Kenya – Nairobi to Nanyuki.

• 4 x 4 vehicle along with a driver, chef, camping gear, and other utilities shared among 3: 200
• Stay at Travel and Country Guesthouse (1 night) for twin sharing: 10
• Entrance fee of Ol Pejeta Conservancy: 94
• Food: 16
• Petrol: 20

Total expense (roughly): 340 USD

For a more customized itinerary, whether for solo or couple or group of any number of people, feel free to contact me on Contact Us page.

If you are planning for a much-organized, tastefully-curated, stress-free yet exciting vacation, consider booking your holidays at Travel Love Repeat. It is going to be a treat for sure!