I took a plane ride from Diani. It is an hour flight. I felt like it was longer than an hour. Taking off was pushed back almost an hr. I checked into the Trademark Hotel. This hotel is very modern. A lot of business people and diplomats stay here. I like the fact there was an iron and iron board in the room. Most countries abroad don’t have that luxury.
After check in, I went to one of the restaurants in the hotel. It is called Hero and its on the rooftop. The menu is very colorful (I love colors). It is a comic style menu. I had the pleasure of having the lasso (2 of them). It is an alcoholic drink made with stolichnaya raspberry vodka, pineapple-raspberry lemonade, cranberry juice. It was very good! I also had the togulu roll, crab & lobster maki, and other item I can not remember. Man the food was good here. I loved the rooftop vibes. They also give a cute little letter after your bill. I love little touches like that. Later on that night I ordered room service for dinner. I ordered soup, a panini, and dessert. I really didn’t care for dessert honestly.
The next morning I ordered room service again for breakfast. I love room service. I think it’s becoming a habit to order room service while I’m on vacation. Breakfast was yummy and filling. I had an omelette, toast, baked beans, potatoes, and coffee. Today was I had a free day, but I can’t let a free day go to waste lol. So I planned to go to Paradise Lost park. They offer zip lining, a boat ride, horse back riding, there’s a waterfall here as well, archery, and so much more. I really felt as if I was in paradise. The entrance fee $10USD for non residents. The Stone age caves are also located here. Oh this is the first time I was meeting Sam. He is such a gem honestly. Very nice and knowledgable.
I had such a good time at Paradise Lost. I did zip lining, the boat ride, and visited the waterfall. Such a peaceful day. After Sam took me to a lounge called Quiver lounge. The server Irene was a gem. I forgot what drink she ordered for me, but it was so yummy. I ordered 2 of them. I had wet fish (wet fish is just sauce on top of the fish), with fufu, spinach and tomatoes mixed with onions. My Nigerian but doesn’t like fufu, haven’t eaten it for years. Sam said I should eat it, so I did. Not my cup of tea. Everything else was yummy. The lounge was popping at 4pm. I couldn’t believe it. It wasn’t fully packed, but the vibes were there.
Later on that evening Sam and I went back to Quiver lounge was it was unbearably packed! So we ended up going next door to Skypark lounge. I had so much fun! I loved watching everyone having a great time.
The next morning Sam and I head to Ashnil Mara Camp. They are known for being located where the migration happens. The drive is about 6hrs depending on traffic. We made a few stops on the way, one being the great rift valley escarpment. By the time we reached Masai Mara National Reserve, I was tired. I’m not a fan of car rides. In the process of switching cars, I was bum rushed with peddlers, and it was like they didn’t want to take no for an answer.
Ben was our driver, and I must say he was a very good driver. Now game drive begins. Basically what game drive is just driving around looking for animals.
My main concern was finding the BIG 5, which are Lion, Rhino, Elephant, Buffalo, and Leopard. Guess what? I saw all 5 less than 2hours. I can not even explain how I felt. (Side bar: Leopards and Rhinos are nocturnal animals so seeing them out during the day was a shocker!). That is the only reason why I wanted to do a game drive and it was finally complete. Too exciting. To top it off, I saw a lion and lioness have sex. I learned that they have sex for about 15secs every 15mins. I also had the pleasure of seeing giraffes, zebras, timon and pumbaa (I dont know their actual animal name lol). I also learned that mufasa died last year. To be honest I didn’t know it was an actual animal. The location for mufasa was hidden for obvious reasons.
I checked into Ashnil Mara camp around 6pm. This camp is literally in the middle of nowhere. Just leave me to die middle of nowhere lol. The room was cute and cozy. Had a little deck outside the room viewing the water. I did not sleep that night due to excessive noise plus being nervous. Come to find out it was hippos making noise all night long. Dinner is from 730pm-930pm. Drinks are not included. I guess that’s the thing in Kenya. Drinks sold separately, even water. All of the staff stay at the camp site. They work for 2-3months straight and then get no more than 2wks off before going back for another stretch. It sounds painful, but it makes sense. They are literally in the middle of nowhere, and transportation getting to the camp is an all day process depending on where they live. I know this because I talked to different staff members.
Second day of game drive I really didn’t want to go. Like I said, I wanted to see the BIG 5, and I did. I ordered breakfast to go. What did I see on game drive day 2? I saw hyenas, families of elephants, different kinds of birds, more giraffes, crocodile, hippos, ostrich, a rhino, and a pack of leopards. Please remember to wear your sun screen and a hat. The sun is brutal! We had lunch in the middle of the wilderness. I ended game drive early. I was tired. Driving around in the sun is no joke.
Next day is check out. I was going to do a helicopter ride, but the price was $450! Absolutely not! Maybe for $200-350 maybe, but not $450.
Time to head back to Nairobi, but first stop at the Masai village. I love learning about other cultures. The Masai men sang a welcome song, put a traditional necklace around my neck, saw some children, and learned how they make fire. The men take care of the cattle and making fire, and the women take care of everything else (kids, household chores, etc). Cattle is their bread and butter. The more cows you have, the more money you have. One cattle is about $300. I also saw what their homes looked like inside. So small and tight. At the end I bought some traditional bracelets.
My pleasure to meet you
Same here Dee!