Kenya - Tanzania
Last year I was given the opportunity to take trip to Kenya and Tanzania, which of course I jumped at. However I must admit as amazing as I knew Africa would be it was never on the top of my list of places to travel to. Partly due to the fact I always felt it was too expensive, too hard, a bit scary and more likely to be one of those trips you do once in your lifetime. How wrong was I! Africa truly is one of those amazing places that will change your life. No if’s about it. One thing that stuck with me was before I went on my adventure was I met a couple in their 60’s. They had done the same trip I was about to do but 30 years ago.
Since then they had travelled the world to every corner of every amazing place you could ever think to visit! They said still to this day 30 years on, they have yet to come close to what they experienced in Africa, they felt as if they experienced something spiritual, something they couldn’t describe but I would understand when I returned. To be honest when I landed at Nairobi Airport, travelling alone, I was slightly petrified. Would I be kidnapped straight from the airport? Will I be robbed or shot or stabbed for my money which was strapped to my chest in a hidden sack? It is the most dangerous city in the world after all? But no I don’t get kidnapped I don’t get robbed I am met by driver who is waiting for me as soon as I clear customs which is smooth and easy. The first thing that will shock you when you leave Nairobi airport are the Giraffes. Yes the Giraffes behind the big fence that separate the Masai Mara to the city of Kenya. I haven’t even gone on a game drive yet and I am furiously taking photos! Little do I know I will see so many Giraffes so much closer that these photos get deleted in the end as I use up my limit of 2000 photos. Don’t laugh will do the same!
The traffic in Kenya is quite bad so it takes a while to travel a short distance. We arrive to a sort of compound, surrounded by high barb wire fence and guards with machine guns. They let us through and inside this compound we have the hotel, a car park and few shops. Some people may not like the idea of having to stay somewhere guarded like this but to be honest I have stayed in some hotels in downtown LA that I wish had armed guards! So at least you know you’re safe and protected.To my surprise the hotel was really nice, nice modern bathroom, air-con and TV with movie channels so I rest up that night and get ready for my tour staring the next day!
At first we drive to the Masai Mara. It’s a long the drive but everything on the way is amazing to look at! For those who don’t know, the Masai Mara is connected to the Serengeti. It’s just the Masai Mara is on the side on Kenya and the Serengeti is on the Tanzania side. When you see those amazing David Attenborough documentaries where you see the animals migrate and they cross the river getting eating by the crocodiles, that’s them crossing from the Masai Mara to the Serengeti or back.Regardless of the time of year there are animals to see on either side. In our first game drive we saw everything but the elusive Leopard. The animals are so amazing, you see all the Zebras standing in in groups of 2, each facing the other way, each watching the others back!On day 2 we must off sat and watched a lion stalk a Zebra for at least 2 hours, no-one made a sound, no-one breathed or could look away. The lion just 3 meters from the jeep crouched down and waiting to prance. Suddenly the wind changed and the Zebras smelt the Lion and ran, she tried to run them down but couldn’t and sat down in disappointment. We all sighed for the poor lion and the whole night over dinner all we could talk about was that lion and how hard she worked for nothing. The next Journey took us to Tanzania. Again a long drive but not boring at all. Your face will be stuck to the window like glue.
The Ngorongoro Crater is the most spectacular place on earth. Words cannot describe this place but if I have to shoot a scene in a movie where we needed the area to look like time had just started and people didn’t exist, this would be it. The difference with the animals in this crater is they are trapped inside it so they all work a little different to the animals at the Serengeti and Masai Mara. The lions for example who usually work alone are all brothers in here so all work together. You won’t find any Giraffes in here but the Black Rhinos will make up for that! Lastly the Serengeti, what a place. As we drove in at sunset we just had to stop and stare in awe at the most magical sunset I have ever seen. One person on the trip described it perfectly. He said he feels like we are standing inside an oil painting. One of the highlights of the trip was camping a night in the Serengeti but of course you can experience that from you luxury tent if you don’t want to go without your comforts!
After 10 days of amazing game drives we all stopped to reflect on what we all loved about Africa and as amazing as the animals and scenery are, we all said they same thing that we absolutely fell in love with the people. A massive highlight of my trip was stopping to play a soccer game with some locals kids who had fashioned a soccer ball out of old coke bottles. These kids were happy and didn’t beg for money at all. We played a fun game with them and I showed them how to take photos with my camera and they laughed and played and made me realise how lucky I am and ungrateful I can be some times. It’s not a feeling that makes you feel bad or guilty but a realisation that life is actually really good and the world really is a beautiful and amazing place – I was having my spiritual moment!Then to top of my spiritual experience I went to a place I can only describe as heaven, Zanzibar. The whitest, softest sand, the bluest clearest water you will ever see. I swam with wild dolphins, I drank cocktails whilst on a sandbank out in the Indian Ocean, ate amazing food and had massages on the beach. It was the ultimate way to end my African Adventure and the start to a very long love affair.
To view more pics from my African trip click here.