7 days in KENYA 🇰🇪 | nairobi, lake nakuru, maasai mara, giraffe center | kenya safari vlog

Let’s go to the Motherland! 🌻 Open for more info y’all!

Back in September 2023, I won a $5,000 grant for my travel business through Intrepid Travel and Nomadness Travel Tribe. Flash forward to April 2024, I embarked on a free trip to Kenya to learn how to be a better digital storyteller as a mentee on their BIPOC mentorship program, while also diving deep into Kenyan life and culture. This was one of the most remarkable trips I’ve ever taken and I am so happy to bring you all along with me as I unpack my experiences as a traveler, travel creator, and black American returning back to the Motherland.

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↳ WINNING Pitch Competition Video – https://bit.ly/intrepidnomadness
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🌻 TABLE OF CONTENTS

0:00 – Intro
0:54 – Welcome
2:07 – Nairobi Day 1
3:57 – Lake Nakuru Safari
8:40 – Lake Nakuru Village
9:26 – Maasai Mara Village
11:46 – Maasai Mara Safari
23:28 – Hot Air Balloon
26:35 – Trip Thoughts & Goodbyes
30:44 – Nairobi Day 2
32:19 – Closing

🌻 RESOURCES

7-Day Kenya Itinerary Breakdown: https://sojournies.com/kenya-itinerary/
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🌻 ABOUT ME

My name is Sojourner and my pronouns are she/her. My YouTube channel helps 9-5ers fulfill their career goals and bucket list dreams to bask in freedom and flexibility outside the office. Thank you for tuning in!

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[Music] Jumbo Welcome to Kenya Kenya the most visited country in East Africa known for the bustling capital of Nairobi and Wildlife at Lake nakuru National Park and masam Mara National Reserve Kenya is at the top of most Travelers East Africa bucket list including my own as a black American I’m always ecstatic to go back to the motherland and learn about the diaspora but I was also a little nervous I’m a solo train traveler y’all and this was a group trip with strangers therefore in addition to the weather roadblox we experienced is it close I also had to overcome my own mental roadblox to make new friends and not take the experience for granted with long days ahead of us I came with an open mind and tummy with a ton of questions for our guides about Kenyan culture people food and Wildlife so pack your bags we’re going to Kenya jumo I am in Kenya for the next 8 days with Intrepid Travel and nomadness travel I won this trip last September when I submitted a YouTube video on why I am a conscious traveler and part of the winning is also getting a spot on this bipac mentorship for digital storytellers in the travel space to refine our skills and also learn in a beautiful country and little did I know that it was going to be Kenya so right now we’re about to head to the welcome dinner today was a chill day I arrived really late last night but also got in with some of the other Travelers on the trip so it was nice to hang out to eat together we’ve been hanging out for the past 24 hours enjoying the pool but we’re staying at sarova lodge which is a really nice hotel here in Nairobi but yeah we’ve been hanging out by the pool we had a really delicious lunch just kind of been relaxing until tonight when everything commences so I’m so excited to be here so as I to take y’all along with me and show y’all what they have planned for us in keny so let’s go once everyone arrived we got to know each other as well as our guide Patrick and two trip host s and Courtney so that the next day we could eat breakfast pack up the Jeeps and head out on a walking tour of Nairobi with our local guide Clinton one place that struck me was the memorial Peace Museum built in honor of victims of a 1998 terrorist attack on the embassy inspired by some of the Survivor stories I asked Clinton why sharing his country’s history is important to him I think I love Kenya because the people are welcoming I like being a tour guide simply because it makes me experience different people different cultures and also it’s a way of making good friends and also learning more about them after a visit to the National Archives we headed to lunch for our first communal style meal of the trip one thing I learned about food culture in Kenya was the overlap with Indian Cuisine both rely a lot on Rice lentil potatoes tomatoes and flat brids like Roe and chapati also sosis and I for one was not complaining everything was delicious full and ready for our next stop we skipped walking and decided to have our first more local experience riding the bus we are taking the public bus it’s called with an m n n them a tattoo which means three three wheels cuz they be driving like so yes it’s a little hot okay I got on long sleeves today we’ll see if other people get on it may just be us oh okay so it’s not crowded but we are on the bus the wheels on the bus go feeling very very local right now love it for me what do you think Betty oh so good living life you know you know we’re just living life it’s and then out to the credits right I didn’t film a whole lot on the bus because I didn’t want us to stick out more than we are already did as tourists but we swiftly left Nairobi to head to our second location Lake nakuru soapa Lodge if planning this for yourself the ride is roughly 3 hours give or take depending on traffic we arrive late in the evening to a buffet SLE dinner I loved staying here because they had accommodated so many dietary restrictions which meant there were a variety of options to eat every meal the rooms were spacious and the beds were soft and surrounded by mosquito nuts which was perfect to protect us from any unwanted inex the lodge did feel like a hotel so it doesn’t feel like glamping the bathroom was very huge with a good shower pressure and it got hot relatively quickly one of the top things to do in Kenya is a safari to experience all the wildlife after waking up to the most incredible sunrise and eating breakfast I got ready for our first game drive to Lake nakuru National Park spanning 73 square miles it’s most known for the flamingos good morning team we’re on Safari I’m so excited it’s the first game Drive day and we are all standing up standing like look at the view the top is open today which is very exciting we’re well fed we all look good which is great that we all look good period we all got well most of us got some hats too to go with you know the theme come on Hakuna Matata show the Hat slave I mean when in Kenya get you a hat mine says Jambo Kenya so going to be cute lipstick on hand jewelry it’s going to be a good day we SE the sebr the set brush oh my gosh they’re so cute wow oh my God a Kenyan Safari will have you feeling like you’re hosting a show on National Geographic the wildlife was abundant and I had no idea what we’ll be seeing next but I knew I needed to stay ready okay so apparently these Buffalo are very dangerous and we need to stay away because they can attack at any time oh a w hog a Pumba where’s tone the view is crazy though we are out we are really out here okay so right now we’re seeing a ranger being followed by Buffalo like the dangerous kind the not cute kind and he’s like just walking like it’s so casual but the Buffalo are definitely following him let me show you two two Buffalo our following but like he also has his gun that thing on him home boy just kept walking like want he’s over here now he’s like walking around okay the ranger is coming by us oh my gosh are you okay buffal we were so scared wildest job ever I don’t think being a safari Ranger is ever in my future but before leaving him we did make sure he was okay as we headed off to spot some rhinos Gir rafts and of course living out my Eliza Thornberry dreams of having my head out the window as I enjoy the wildlife and fresh air around me it is an amazing experience to be coexisting with some of the most majestic animals you will ever see which led us to the lake to set our sight on the flamingos should I say different food cuz they have the white greater Flamingo which are white in color and Lessa Flamingo which are pink in color the second game Drive of the day was optional but after yet another favor meal I was ready to find the one animal we hadn’t seen in the morning Lions okay it is post lunch time and we went on another game drive and we finally got to see some Lions they are lying down so they are relaxing and one thing I’m not going to do is bother them but we see the Lions it looks like there’s three of them we’ve been waiting all day to see some Lions I kind of want them to walk around but also I like my life so if they just lie there I’m not mad at them seeing the lines was the best way to end our time at Lake nakuru the rest of the adventure was underway by day three with one more mini game Drive where we saw some zebras playing early in the morning and a waterfall stop as we headed to a local Village nearby at the Village we met Jen who shared about her life including their farming work and their Garden which I loved but the Highlight was learning about the women in the community and in true Kenyan fashion we were greeted with the song since Kenya is known for their safaris and Wildlife I think it’s easy to just focus on that as a tourist but as a black American woman the hustle and creativity of the Kenyan women we met felt familiar it reminded me of the we got this energy of my aunt’s mother and grandmothers and really set the stage for our next visit to the tasua Village one of the homes of the Masa our people the tasu widows income project is a community organization that helps widowed women provide for themselves by creating eco-friendly handicrafts and we got to meet Helen the founder and one of our Messiah hosts uh my aim when I started this project is to empower both women and girls and also the community Now by bringing clients here they come here uh they don’t only go to see the wild animals I’m happy that inted they take time and they go and interact with the community and that is one way of empowering community so we are doing a community echoism as someone who shares so much of her culture with others including how the Masai people are so connected to the Earth and even use it as earrings I wanted to know why Helen thought it was important for black Americans to come visit the continent I think it’s very good so that you you come and learn different cultures from your culture and also we learn from you because most of the community especially here they have no idea there blacks in America they don’t know most of them they don’t know other those who have been to school like me I know they are blacks who migrated to America or to Europe in general but uh for them like now when they see black people like you they think you are Kenyan after obsessing over her colorful jewelry watching one of the msai Warriors get his ears pierced with a stick and learning how the women create makeup from Plants Orange it’s like turmeric I realized this was probably one of my favorite experiences of the entire trip which is why I was determined to buy some jewelry despite the downpour that drenched us to sh in the rain little did I know that rain foreshadow what was to come at masara good morning and Welcome to our last lodging of this 8 day Canyon Safari I am at the zebra Plains Mar Camp which is a luxury glamping experience with eight tents here on the property it is Kenyon owned and operated and 80% of the people who work here are from the local community it’s a beautiful facility it’s a secure facility the bathrooms are huge the room is huge and you get a view from from your balcony so it’s been a wonderful experience thus far we got in late last night had a nice candle lit buffet dinner a wonderful breakfast this morning and later on we are headed to our first game drive because zebra Plains is located on the Mas Samara game reserve so I hope that today we are going to see the big five as I mentioned in Lake nakuru National Park you don’t get to see elephants so that is one thing I am looking forward to seeing today as well as the Lions the Rhinos the Buffalo the giraffes and if you’re wondering why masam Mara National Reserve is one of the most popular most coveted safaris in the world it’s because its nickname is home of the big cats so this is the place you come to if you want to see lions leopards and cheetahs because they have the highest concentration than any other Safari or Wildlife Experience in the world so not just Kenya in the world so if we’re lucky today we will see all three we are in rainy season here in Kenya and there is a river called the tallic river that is behind or around the hotel that apparently last night overflowed so it was really low yesterday and today it’s a bit too high so our wonderful Drive allowance who has been driving us around this whole time in a really really great guide information about all the placees we’ve been going said that he has to find a new route so that’s what we’re doing now but we are determined to see the big five the big nine the big nine and all of the Cats the big cats we’ve been promised elephants and cheetahs but maybe not leopards and maybe not leopards yeah I know I said earlier that like they’re known for leopards but laen also said said that because of like the wetness there are some areas he can’t go into so I don’t know if we’re going to be able to see the leopards but we’re going to see what we’re going to see and we’re going to love it and it’s going to be great okay so this is the bridge we were supposed to cross but as you can see it is not possible to cross it at all so we’re going to find another entrance into the masam mara National Reserve but yeah if we were to cross this we will be swept away so we are going to figure something else out because we cannot cross that it is impossible to get through how are we feeling about the you know the transition and not crossing the river it’s going to be I we are adoptable honey it’s going to be be adoptable when you’re doing things that are on nature period period we’re real popped over here so let’s see when we cross it okay we are about to cross the river the second bridge the water is still really high but we’re crossing the river now and I think we’re going to make it loow how we feeling we made it it was a huge sigh of relief crossing the bridge into the reserve to officially begin our game drive but it wasn’t long before more excitement was only a few roads away one of the big cats are ahead of us oh my gosh there he is baby oh wait there’s two oh my gosh one of the most interesting aspects of safaris is how much the wildlife don’t mind the Jeeps though the cheetah’s curiously approached as the mama cheetah was more focused on training her young and I was focused on spotting another one of the big FES we have officially spotted our first elephant we have a male elephant out here just existing living his best life the ears are flapping oh okay so my wonderful guide said that the ears flap to um cool the body temperature around big six tons six tons [Music] okay we’re still on the game drive and our driver lawence said he’s not telling us what we’re looking for cuz he said it’s going to ruin the surprise so your girl is on the hunt to see what he could be talking about maybe it’s Lions maybe it’s a leopard I don’t know but we are going to find out he’s looking I’m looking okay what do what do you think it is I’m guessing lies I’m guessing lines too when an animal has been spotted you’ll know because a lot of jeets flock to one area also it’s a communal experience as many of the drivers of the tour companies are friends and have radios to listen for any particular spottings we spotted what it is and it wor the Lions oh my gosh it’s sleeping on the Rock so cute apparently the lion that we’re looking at just had some babies they’re nowhere to be seen right now but she’s a mommy love she’s so tired she probably popping babies out she tired she is tired the reserve is 583 square miles which is 8 times the size of Lake nakuru National Park and due to the size there’s a higher probability of seeing more Wildlife so we saw many elephants and lots of giraffes and even saw one running for the first time which if you didn’t know they run in slow motion but the rain did not let us be great so instead of doing a bush lunch outside we were forced to eat in the Jeep instead and due to the flooding we didn’t even know if we’ll make it out of masara that night or have to sleep in the Jeep but I think we were down for the adventure we got rained out as you can see so we’re all eating yummy look at this adventurous crew yes who said we’re going to stay out even though it’s was kind of thunderstorming a little bit but giving once in a century flood you know it was a good lunch it was honestly better than that box lunch yesterday it was really good the rain has stopped and we actually got out this is the border between Kenya and Tanzania so they say the masara national Reserve is an extension of the serengetti kind of sort of so you can technically be in two places at once which is very exciting it’s like very are this is the Kenya side K this is the Tanzania side TC we are off to see not a crocodile cuz the water is too high but definitely a hippo a rager who has um a g and he works here is going to take us to see the hippo and this is one of the parts where you actually walk with the ranger the rest of it has just been in the Jeep so it’s nice to stretch your legs and also see some cool things look at the hippo tracks they’re huge hippos are not the friendliest animals either so we definitely have to be careful as we are going over here not to fall in the river but also to follow the ranger so that we can stay safe during this part of our game Drive I would like to thank Converse for making these shoes cuz baby the little tread at the bottom they work yeah no they they work for sure we have spotted the hippos they’re hippos look at them floating your little cave the resolution might not be great but we got to do this look at this oh my gosh let me show you the hippos stayed submerged in the water and as we walk back to the Jeep we saw just how high the leg had risen and thought this was going to be the end of our game drive but Wildlife had other ideas we just spotted some Lions so we’re going to go see the Lions it’s whole pride of them okay so they were all just chilling sleeping being big lazy cats but have slowly inch closer to two lions that walked away it’s wild they definitely see hear smell they friends they food it’s un one coming oh they saw they saw a warthog kba by one they saw a warthog they are they about to kill it nap time’s over friends do you think we’re going to see a kill no the Pumas of run oh they thought they saw some food but it ran away but they were ready that’s for sure after seeing our fair share of wildlife it was officially time to end the game drive but we had one L obstacle to cross which was the bridge we just saw a hyena which also means good luck which we’re also going to need to cross back over across the bridge is it closed closed it’s closed yeah the water is still over yay it’s closed this is the original one we came and we got our but wait I think we’re crossing you let’s close the windows oh okay no we see it nothing that’s what this is the water we’re crossing with all our trust allowance we attempted to cross the bridge with water rushing so fast Under and Over It I Now understand why it was so dangerous for us to cross earlier some of us were praying others were vlogging but we were all anxious and hopeful to make it across safely and get us out of here we made it laen laen laen we’re not staying overnight at the campsite we made it after the second huge sigh of relief for the day we finally made it back over to zebra Plains Mar Camp just in time for Patrick to not have a heart attack I was I was in lying on the bed I saw the video like Patrick how are you feeling how are you feeling today cuz you having hard I’m good worried but I’m happy now the girls are bad period smiling to the Dream Team the bridge thege to the bridge thege to the bridge to the bridge a nice drink after a wild day on a game Drive I was like those people who were there know if you know you know cheers me giggling in the background last activity that many of us were most excited for was taking the hot air balloon ride over Masai Mara with an early wakeup call to see the sunrise plus a trained guide the group got ready to fly high in the sky and boy was it worth it [Music] [Music] being in a hot air balloon felt like I was gliding in the clouds and I could not have been happier it’s one thing to be down with the animals during the game drive but it’s a whole other experience when you’re seeing Mas Samara from above you can’t help but relax enjoy the peacefulness and of course smile and laugh to take it all in but all incredible experience this must come to an end kind of as we descended back to the mara hopped out of the balloons and hopped back into the Jeeps there was a hearty experience waiting for us just a short drive away it is post hot air balloon ride and we’re having a champagne [Music] breakfast this is so nice my phone out [Applause] [Music] cheers day once we all got over the shock of having a champagne breakfast in Kenya it was time to eat said breakfast full English prco Bush and I’m most excited about the toilets as well I’m finished and a full English it was indeed everything was delicious and there was a healthy supply of champagne and Mimosas I had to do my happy dance but also wanted to to know how our guy Patrick had felt about leading a tour of predominantly black and brown Travelers considering he had not seen a tour like ours in his 17 years of being a guide I’m very happy to have the black Americans with me here they are social media influencers oh my God this is nice because I’ve never had a group like this they’re very happy and they very respectful the culture it is very important for you guys to come back here in Kenya or in Africa to see your roots where you come from what you have and we here with our Open Hands welcoming you back oh my God the end of the champagne breakfast marked the end of our safari in Kenya we got to do another short game drive on the way back and even cross the same Bridge from the day before with a lot less anxiety relaxing by the pool for the rest of the afternoon with drinks music and conversation our last meal at zebra Plains felt like a family dinner and ended with a welcome surprise from the msai workers who we had gotten to know during our time in the [Applause] marrow good morning we are checking out today of the zebra Plains Mara Camp I am so sad to be leaving the national Reserve was actually one of the most incredible experiences of my life however I think one of the best parts of this entire trip has been the people it’s one thing to Win $5,000 from a travel company who is supporting black and brown travel travel creators it’s another thing to get a free trip on top of that and then to go to Kenya so I am feeling super blessed I’m feeling super grateful and thankful that I have been able to spend this time learning and growing not only as a traveler you know getting to know Patrick and our drivers and all the guys Jen and Helen the women who are making handcrafts and supporting their local communities and their children and their families but also learning from other creators on this trip people who I followed for a long time and have looked up to to be here and learn from them and meet so many new people is something I don’t think I’ll ever forget and I just can’t believe this is like what I’m able to do so I’m very happy that I took that leap if you are watching this video and you’re like dang she really want to free to Kenya how do I do that too I would say just follow your dreams babes if you have dreams to be a travel creat or whatever you want to be in life do not be afraid to apply for things cuz you literally have no idea where you will end up this trip also means a lot to me as a black American woman I think one thing I’ve realized as I’ve grown older is I really want to connect with my African roots and I am not from Kenya I do not have roots in Kenya directly but what I love about traveling is that you’re able to learn about black folks around the globe and black folks who are part of the African diaspora I think talking to Patrick talking to Helen and hearing their perspective on why it’s important for us to come back to places like Kenya that we may not be from directly because a lot of us are from West Africa or have West African ancestry in countries like Ghana and Bene which I hope to visit one day too but just being able to see other black folks in their cultures and traditions and learn from them and get to know them even if it’s for a brief time on a tour I think it’s a great priv and something I do not take lightly so if you’re also a black American watching this video come to Kenya just again to get to know them and it’s great to see them outside of all of the stereotypes that we normally are presented with in Western media so I have so much to be grateful for and to share this experience with other black Americans honestly is one of the greatest privileges I’ve had as a traveler and a travel Creator thus far we’re about to head out real soon we have a day or two left in Nairobi before we officially end the trip and head back to the United States and I do have a few fun things planned so we’re going to pack up eat breakfast and head back to Nairobi the 5 to 6 hour drive back to Nairobi commenced and we had to bless Patrick and lawen with our Jeep Tunes AKA our wonderful on key [Music] voices but along the way there were some coordinated stops to buy souvenirs for ourselves or our friends and family back home because I am a sucker for jewelry and purses that’s what I focused on but there were many options and Views to enjoy on the ride once we arrived in Nairobi it was unfortunately Time to Say Goodbye to Patrick and our drivers James and lawence and of course we had to give lawence his flowers one last time your favorite group my favorite group l l l l these guys were the backbone of our tour driving us around answering our questions enduring our singing and giving Insight on their culture and Wildlife as they have been doing these tours for years so instead of a tearful goodbye it was a joyful see you later on the final day in Kenya I decided to visit giraffe Center to feed the giraffes I did a short experience with our previous Intrepid guy Clinton and to be honest it wasn’t what I expected those giraffes were ready for me but I was not ready for their tons a time like I will eat all you got give it to him like this I know I was lying I did not know that so when you go to the giraffe Center be prepared to stand a little further away so they don’t eat everything in your bowl they can also headbutt you so be weary of the taller ones but is a very cool experience to add to your Kenya itinerary to round out my time in Nairobi I made one last stop to visit some women beaters artists and creators at Kobe Tuff this be making started as a direct response to the effects of climate change among the Messi agriculture is the primary livelihood of the Messi and due to extreme weather such as long droughts and intense flooding their livelihood has been washed out over the years Kobe Tuff has worked with 400 msai women and been able to provide livelihood support to keep girls in school and reduce incidences of female genital mutilation this was a fitting end to my time in Kenya just as Helen said earlier in the trip it’s great to do safaris but also it’s important to learn about Kenyans and how they provide for themselves and express their creativity and supporting black Kenyan women is one small way I can support as a fellow black American woman in the diaspora new friends a deeper understanding of Kenyan culture and Wildlife and experiences I will never ever forget I couldn’t have asked for a better trip as I was sitting on my 17-hour flight back home I thought about how I laughed and smiled so much on this adventure I think as a solo train traveler I had forgotten what it was like to share travel experiences with other people in real time though I love picking up and leaving on my own there is a communal aspect of Group Travel that can be replicated solo especially in the motherland the learning the bonding and even the champag toes were all reminders of the beauty of travel and the connections it can create so never stop dreaming take time to reconnect with your roots and as always stay curious [Music] [Applause]