Epilogue

Reflections

Some time has passed since our trip to Kenya and we have had time to reflect upon the experiences we made.

Was it as expected?

Yes and no, we did expect the heat and also to see the true poverty in the slum, so no surprises there.
I had hoped to see one of the big cats, unfortunately they eluded us.
All the bigger reason to return and try to catch them.
The big surprise was the hospitality of the people. No matter where we went we were met by a warm smile.

How did the kids take it?

We had already at home prepared them that it would not be a vacation they're used to, hanging around a hotel complex. We talked about animals living in Kenya and looked in books showing what animals we could see. They were so prepped the weeks before just waiting to get there.
They knew it would be early mornings and long times at the safaris. Sure they got tired sometimes and might take a nap in the car.
All in all there were very little complaints during our travel, nothing that could not be solved with a little candy bribe.

Would we go back?

Definitely!
In fact in the time of writing this we have booked a new trip with the same agency.
This time we'll go west from Nairobi to Masai Mara. Then back to Nairobi and fly to Malindi on the coast. We discussed going back to Mombasa but wanted to try something new this time, just for comparison.
We've even arranged to get Ian as our guide again...:)

Things to consider

Bring dihidration tablets

You'll be drinking loads of water due to the heat. However if you drink bottled water without added salts you'll find yourself diluting your salt balance and need to top it up. Tablets such as Resorb can be found world wide.

The sun is a killer

A high grade sunscreen/block is needed. I've been around in the world but never has the sun so quickly turned my neck into a tomato.

Bring old clothes

Consider bringing along older clothes that you can leave at departure. There's always going to be someone that appreciates clothes as long as they're not torn. You get to help someone and as a bonus you travel home lighter or see it as a good way to make room for the souvenirs...:)

Mosquitoes

We had been advised to bring insect repellents to guard against various biting/stinging insects. 

Though I can't say it was a problem. Sure I found a few itching bites in the mornings after have sat outdoors in the evenings but nothing worse than home. Might differ where one travels but where we went I wasn't bothered by them.

Binoculars

Bring one set of binoculars per person, you don't want to fight over them when there is something everybody wants to see.

Functional clothes

If you're like me and perspire heavily when hot then I suggest to buy functional/sports clothes that breathe and keep you dry. I never wear cotton when sporting. So I brought the same t-shirts I use for sports to the safari, proved to be a winning concept.

Links

The Travel agency we used : ToppAfrika

All images taken during our travels can be found here: images for the adventure

All videos can be found on YouTube: Adventure Kenya

The entire map for the journey as recorded by my phone is on My Maps: Adventure Kenya

Day 11 - 12 Travel Home

The time had come to leave for home.
One of the last things we did before leaving was to go down to the beach and say goodbye to the people we met there.
We had promised to drop off shampoo/soap that we had not used at the hotel. Even left some of our kids clothes to one of the merchants. He had slightly younger children and ours where just about to grow to big for the them so better that someone got use for them.
Remember Kenya is rather poor and people will much appreciate even the smallest help you can lend them.

Our flight was scheduled for early evening but we would have to leave our rooms before noon. This posed a bit of a problem as it's not that fun to hang around with luggage and kids. So we kindly asked if we could hold one room. "Hakuna matata", no worries and so they solved it. That's customer care.

The trip home went without any hickups.
We got to experience the domestic flight between Mombasa and Nairobi.
The airport in Mombasa is one of the smallest and most primitive airports I've ever seen.
When it was time to board they came out and fetched us first and they boarded families first.
What a nice gesture.

Arriving at Nairobi we got somewhat confused as when we came out of the domestic terminal we stood at the road. The situation however got solved quickly as we asked a guard where we should go and he pointed us to a nearby building on the other side of the road where the terminal for international flights were.
And again we experienced the same procedure, first they boarded business class and then families.
So much smoother if you can get your kids into the chair and put on a movie while they board the plane.

From there on it was just a long travel home via two airplanes and then finally train home.

Day 7 - 10 - Mombasa

The Hotel

The days at the Voyager hotel were purposely planned to be a recuperation after all the safaris we'd been to. We did anticipate that it would be early mornings and late nights when out in the bush so we added a few days at this resort in Mombasa dedicated to doing...nothing.

Several pool areas where waiters would come around and take orders. I've never been to a hotel where they serve you by the pool. Not that I complain it felt rather luxurious.

Our favorite "water hole" became the "look out bar" located on a cliff edge some 15m above the beach. Here we would spend our evenings sipping on some drink whilst digesting all impressions we had so far.

Look Out Bar

 I did at one point ask the bartender for a local drink. He turned up with a drink that was kind of brownish in color. When I asked what it was I got the answer. "Crazy boom, because everybody wants to go crazy" and then unleashed a big laugh leaving me with a mysterious brew.
Not sure what it was, but it was strong..even for us "sons of the north".
To be honest I only finished half of it as I feared that I otherwise actually might go crazy.
So for the rest of the time I stuck with old classics such as G&T and Cuba Libre...:)

Contemplating life and its mysteries

 It was at one of these sessions at the bar we sat and enjoyed the evening and had a quiet chat.
The kids were running around playing and we just enjoyed the evening, watching the sun set over the horizon as the warm ocean breeze gently swept in over us. At that very moment we unanimously decided that we'd never..ever travel to the Canary Islands again and cram ourselves with other sun worshipers.
We'd rather take a flight to Kenya and Mombasa if so only for the sun and ocean.
The combination of the hospitality of the people and the pure enjoyment at the hotel eclipsed any other place we'd been to.

The "infinity pool" was rather cool. It's placed in such way it gives an illusion that it continues out into the ocean.

The palm trees on the hotel actually had coconuts and everyday there would be someone asking if you want a coconut. That person would then climb up the tree using nothing but a piece of rope around his feet. As with all other things on the hotel it's free of charge as we had all inclusive, they don't expect any tip and will not ask for it. It's however customary and very appreciated if you hand over a smaller tip for their service.

The Beach

The water rises/retracts quite a lot due to the tides allowing for interesting walks on the beach discovering animals such as various crabs. The kids loved to walk around to see what new they would find.

Hiding among the cliffs

There is just as in most places people selling things at the beach, souvenirs, scarves, shoes and what not.

There's however a big difference from most places I've been to, they respect a "no thank you". If your're not interested they'll leave you alone. But first they will of course try to convince you that their product is worth inspecting. They work in a completely different manner than I'm used to, they start by introducing themselves and asking for your name and where you're from. They strike up a bit of conversation before going into what they offer. I much appreciate that method over someone pushing up something in my face. If you still turn down the offer they won't bother you,  in fact they remembered us for the days that would come greeting us when we got down to the beach.

Our daughter had seen how the African girls bead their hair and she also wanted a makeover. 

We where kind of skeptical to how that would go, we are not even allowed to comb her hair normally.

But this lady we met at the beach offered to make her hair and she convinced us it would not be a problem.

For an entire hour Freja sat silently in the shades of the cliffs without complaints and had her hair made...impressive.

Makover by Teresah

Some of the beach residents seemed to have a slow day and took our son on a walk around the beach during a low tide. They ever so carefully cleaned a path free of sea urchins and even carried him a bit when the water got a bit deep. It's this type of meetings with the Kenyan people that over and over proved how hospitable they are and they really care for the tourists. I did however tip them for their service since I think they deserved it.

Octopus eggs

Sea cucumber

This little video clip gives illustrates our morning ritual, me and Nemo would go down to the beach when the water was going out and see what new the sea had flushed in during the night.

Long breakfast, walks on the beach in morning, lazy days at the pool and bar hangouts in the evening somehow sums up our stay in Mombasa. We never bothered to go into town or take any excursion they offered at the beach we needed the lazy days after the all safaris we've been to.

Day 6 - Tsavo West -> Mombasa

Final Safari

After breakfast we took farewell of the lodge and headed into the reserve for a last safari before we would aim for Mombasa.

Some of the "roads" Ian drove on, I would hardly want to drive in a jeep. Not sure how he managed to steer the minibus in offroad mode.

As always in the mornings, animals are almost everywhere.
The use the roads just as we to move around quickly.

Ian took us to a vantage point called "The Roaring Rocks". 

As we walked up the path to the summit of the hill, Agneta could not keep commenting that it was "snake territory".  I tried to explain to her that snakes in Africa are no more interesting in us than the ones we have at home. Told her to walk "hard" as snakes normally flee when they feel tremors.

Up on the peak we had a marvelous view of the surroundings, absolutely breathtaking.

Hell on wheels

We made our way through the landscape up on to the main road that would take us to Mombasa at the coast. One could gently note that their main road is in my view a rather minor two lane road.

Since it's the main road it's filled with convoys of heavy vehicles transporting goods.
Combined with a two lane road it increases the travel time.

Normal traffic sight on the main road

An all too common sight is road accidents when heavy vehicles have got too close to the edge of the road and tipped over.

One tipped lorry

In many cases leaving burnt out wrecks along the road.

I got the understanding that traffic mortality rate is a bit high in the country so the government tries to educate, or at least warn people of the consequences. Every now and then there were old wrecks put on pillars with signs such as "speeding kills". Well they undoubtedly make a point.

"speeding kills"

What really made this part of the journey stand out was the constant road works we encountered.

When one didn't think it would get much worse then we hit gravel roads.

The dust from all the cars on the gravel forced us to close the windows. 

Dusty roadwork

The temperature immediately soared in car.
I'm a big fan of sauna and used to high temperatures but not for a prolonged time over hours.
Amazingly enough the kids prevailed without any major complaints.
A little stash of candy is always good to have to bribe the kids with if they start to get a bit of stingy...:)

One red hot tough soldier

One should note that we had free access to water in the car for the entire time so no immediate risk of dehydration.

As we started to close up on Mombasa the poverty started to show it's ugly face.

Kenya is along with most African nations poor compared to European/Swedish standards.

One doesn't see the poverty in the same way when out on safari and moving around in e.g. Masai land.

People live in the same way as they always have done, farming and/or herding animals.

But as one gets closer to the major cities the slums start to appear.

It's a heart breaking sight. Huts made of sheet metal and pretty much wading in waste.

A valuable lesson for our kids that by comparison are extremely spoiled.

Our son reflected that it had to be hellishly hot to live in those hut.

slum outside Mombasa

Welcome to paradise

Finally arriving at the Voyager Beach Resort hotel that would be our final destination on this trip.

As always one gets wet towels upon arrival to freshen up. I can tell that the white towel was no longer white when I returned it.

But it was a bittersweet feeling as suddenly the moment of goodbye was upon us, our and Ian's paths would split. 

He had been with us since day one when we arrived to Kenya. From early morning to late evening.

Countless hours had we spent together in the car, it's kind of difficult not to form some kind of bond.

I felt a lump in my chest waving goodbye to Ian as he drove away leaving us to enjoy the last days on our own.

Oh my what a contrast it was to arrive at the hotel. Now we were at a 4-star tourist hotel with all the facilities one normally associates with such establishments. Not that I complain on the lodges they were absolutely marvelous considering their location out in nowhere.

A beautiful lush and green park area residing at the shores of the Indian Ocean.

Quickly we dropped off the luggage and made our way down to the beach.

The white sand is so fine it felt like walking on powder.

paradise beach

The hotel from the beach

This place would be our home for the next few days filled with pure laziness.

Day 5 - Amboseli -> Tsavo West

Time to leave Amboseli and travel to our next destination Tsavo West and a lodge there.

Our son hurried to breakfast and then immediately he ran off to find his friend the "tall guy".
So he got to fish a bit more in the ponds that morning.

Masai Village

When we took our final goodbyes of the lodge and waved farewell to the "tall guy" our son shed a few tears. In just a few days there was a bond built up even if they could not talk to each other.

We had been invited to a nearby Masai village to see how they live their lifes.
As with most things in life nothing is for free, they ask for a payment to visit them.
But as they explained the money goes to the community to maintain schools and clean water supply.
Anyways we thought that if we now had traveled all the way to Kenya we of course wanted to see what most consider synonymous with Kenay, the Masai that is.

The villages really are enclosed by thorny branches just as one see them on television.
A simple and clever way to keep the wild life out and the domestic animals on the inside.

Once there we got greeted by the son of the chief and they performed a dance and singing exhibition.

Even Agneta got involved in the experience.

Well quite honestly I also got involved as I was invited to participate in the traditional jumping dance/competition. I'm fairly athletic and have a rather good "bounce" which seemed to impress them a bit, or they just said so to make me feel good.

The local "medicine man" showed what local plants they used to cure common illnesses such as fever and nausea. My favorite has to be the root of some tree that according to him would "give big family", some kind of Masai Viagra...:)

We then toured around the village and got guiding in how they live and what they eat.

Tsavo West

It's a relatively short trip from Amboseli to the lodge in Tsavo West.

But as most all travel i Kenya the roads are gravel roads not allowing for any greater speeds.

The more time you get to observe animals. By now we'd seen so many zebras, giraffes and antelopes that one really almost didn't care anymore. Amazing how quickly one gets used to the animal richness.

On the way to the lodge we hit a large lava field from an eruption that have occurred within the last few hundred years as there is still nothing that grows there. I've seen exactly same types of lava fields on on the island of Lanzarote the only difference was that here the combination of the black rock/lava and the scorching sun made it almost impossible to walk around.

A few hours later we arrived at the Kilaguni Serena Lodge.

The first thing one notices when entering the reception area is the restaurant and the amazing view over a water hole.

It was a rather dry season when we visited Kenya so any water hole was guaranteed to be well visited by the animals.
During the cause of our meals at the lodge there was always some animal movement. Various species of gazelle, elephants, zebras, hyenas, baboons visiting the water hole.

The area at lodge is like an oasis considering the dry landscape in the surrounding area.

A small but very welcome pool did provide a few hours of relief from the heat.

Suddenly we got reminded that the lodge is not surrounded by fences and the animals do roam rather freely, as a congress of baboons passed through the lodge.

Safari

As the afternoon set in it was time to go on our first safari in Tsavo West. As always our trusted driver Ian was waiting to pick us up.

In case anyone wonders this is the vehicle we traveled around in. A standard Nissan minibus customized in Kenya by cutting open the roof so it can be lifted/opened. A rather clever construction.

The landscape in Tsavo West is completely different from Amboseli. Amboseli was open flat lands with few trees and mostly low bushes/shrubs wheres Tsavo West is full of rolling hills and thick bushes.

Our tour took us down to the Mzima Springs which apparently supplies Mombasa (at the coast) with fresh water. Here a (armed) guide took us on a tour around the area and showed the lake.

Our local guide was really keen on showing our kids all the things there was to be seen.

Standing a few meters from a large croc was a rather interesting experience. I've seen many crocs in my life but there's always been a fence between them and me.

Going down in a tank submerged into the water one realized how clear the water was. Fishes and crocodiles could be seen 10's of meters away. 

No matter how clear and cool the water was and how tempting it was to take a cooling dip we managed to restrain our selves. One could see "logs" floating in the water, which of course was either hippos or crocs. Couldn't help guessing how far one would make it, 10..20..30m?

Back on the road/safari again I had to stop and admire the huge termite mounds.
Note that I do stand a few meters from it as abandoned mounds tend to become home to various other animals, often snakes.

Due to the massive heat and dryness most larger animals seemed to have taken shelter in the thick bushes. Though ostriches did present themselves to us on several occasions.

The roads goes criss-cross over the entire area, one could easily get lost unless every road crossing had a clever little system of signs pointing out the direction.

I especially like the little hint of being observant and patient written on top of one of the sign posts...:)

Buffaloes are just massive tanks, one can easily understand why lions hesitate to take on one of these beasts.

Amidst all dry and parched vegetation, flowering desert roses could be found spreading at least a little color over the otherwise dried out landscape.

The open hatch really makes the safari so much more as you're experiencing the open air as opposed to staring through windows.

As sun started to set we headed back to the lodge and just when sun was setting we encountered a group of hyenas using the road as their way of transportation.
We stopped on the road and they just walked pass us and onto the road again, not really bothering to even look at us. It's so amazing how little attention the animals pay us human visitors.

At dinner we marveled the elephants drinking just some 10 meters away from us.

This particular dinner will always be in my memory, can't even remember what we ate. 

All of our family was just staring at the elephants.

And yet another night we crashed into bed...