Kenyan Safari – Nairobi to Ol Pejeta
Giraffes at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy
Two Digital Gypsies Rating – 3 Stars
During our stay in Kenya we booked a safari with Enaidura Big Step Safaris. A lot of day one was was spent driving from Nairobi to the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in the foothills near Mount Kenya. We would then spend two nights at the Sweetwaters Tented Camp located in Ol Pejeta.
Along the way we stopped at the Africana Curio Shop in Katarina. The curio shop was great, it had lots of souvenirs and the salesmen there were polite and more importantly not pushy. We bought some ebony bowls and figurines at the shop. We were concerned about our purchases surviving the plane ride home, but the salesman securely wrapped everything and I’m happy to say it all made it undamaged. The curio shop also has clean restrooms with flushing toilets which is a rarity in Kenya. There is also a small restaurant at the curio shop with good coffees and snacks.
Leaving Katarina and continuing north we entered a hill type country where there were numerous farms and we had the opportunity to stop at small roadside stands and purchase fresh fruit. We bought mangos and small bananas at a stand that were delicious, the best we’ve tasted in years.
Our next stop was at Nanyuki on the equator. Here a gentleman gives you a small demonstration on the Coriolis Effect. After the demonstration your expected to visit one of the vendors in the small roadside shops. The vendors here were aggressive and pushy and if we had it to do over we would visit the restrooms and completely avoid the shop owners.
After the stop at Nanyuki, it was a short drive to Ol Pejeta Conservancy. Immediately after entering the Conservancy we drove to the Chimpanzee Sanctuary. Rescued chimps from all over Africa are given sanctuary here.
From the chimpanzee sanctuary we did a game drive that ended up at the Sweetwaters Tented Camp. At Sweetwaters is a watering hole where all kinds of wildlife come in day and night to get a drink. We were able to watch the animals from the patio at our tent spot.
On day 2 of our safari we did game drives, one in the early morning and one in the late afternoon. These are the best times to do game drives because during the heat of the day a lot of the wildlife will tend to bed down. We watched the sun come up on the equator during the morning game drive and during the afternoon game drive we were lucky enough to see a lion walking near the road. That evening as we were eating at the restaurant the herd of elephants came back to the watering hole which was a nice treat.
We really enjoyed Sweetwaters. The tent we stayed in was cool during the day, the staff was friendly and efficient, and the buffet style food was surprisingly good. During the 2nd day there an impala came within ten feet of us while we were sitting on the patio at our tent. If you go on safari in Kenya we highly recommend staying at Sweetwaters.
