Honeymoon Safari in Kenya
We booked a six-day safari with Nkishon for our honeymoon. We had both gone on safari before, so we had some idea of what to expect, but Abigail’s crew at Nkishon exceeded our expectations and made our honeymoon truly special. The adventure started with a smooth pickup at Nairobi’s airport. We arrived after 10 pm, but John was there to meet us with a legible sign and dropped us off at our hotel, the Somerset. Upon entering our room, we saw a beautiful arrangement on the bed, made with towels and tropical flowers. Abigail had informed them we were on our honeymoon, and the hotel staff went all out to accommodate us. The hotel was nice, and the restaurant food was very good. The restaurant on the hotel’s rooftop was especially good and had a nice view of the Nairobi skyline. We stayed two nights, adjusted to the time zone, and got some needed rest.
On the second morning, Abigail met us in the lobby and introduced us to our driver and guide, Leonard. Leonard was an excellent guide. He stayed with us through the trip, drove us to the three parks we visited, and conducted the game drives. He was very knowledgeable about the animals and their habits, and he made sure we were in position to get good views of the wildlife. Leonard was also very personable and attentive to our every need.
The first park we visited was Masai Mara, where we saw lots of animals and birds. On our first full-day drive we saw 20 different species, including lions, African buffalo, elephants, giraffes, zebras, and wildebeests. We had hoped to see the remnants of the Great Migration, but we were too late for that (although we did see the river that the wildebeests crossed, with huge crocodiles lined on the banks). At Masai Mara we stayed at the Sarova Mara Game Camp. The rooms here were beautiful (again, ours came with special honeymoon touches), and this lodging was probably the most upscale of the places we stayed at. One thing to note: although the roof and rear of our cabin were solid, the sides and the front were made of tent material. This allowed us to hear external sounds at night, including a troupe of extremely loud African bush babies at 3:00 am!
After two nights at Masai Mara, we drove about four hours to Lake Nakuru Park. This park, centered around a gorgeous mountain lake, was greener and lusher than Masai Mara. Here we saw rhinos and hippos, as well as elephants, lions, and buffalo. We also saw a large number of water birds, including flamingos, ducks, pelicans, herons, and swans. We overnighted at Sarova Lion Hill Game Lodge in sturdy, although somewhat small, stone cabins. The rainy weather we encountered made mosquito repellent a must. Due to the mosquitoes, we avoided walking down to the lake shore from our cabin.
The next morning we left for Amboseli National Park. This was a seven-hour drive on smooth tarmac for most of the drive. The road was virtually nonexistent for the last bit, and Leonard had a chance to show off his off-roading skills to get us through the many hard sand dunes that stood between us and our destination. Although the ride was very bumpy, it was well worth it. Amboseli was probably our favorite of the three parks. Not only did Amboseli have all of the animals that we had seen at the other two parks (save for rhinos), at Amboseli, you could look out your cabin window, or sit on the porch and watch them pass by within 100 feet of you! We had hoped to see the iconic Mount Kilimanjaro during our stay at Amboseli, but for two days it remained hidden in clouds. Then, on the third day, the majestic mountain revealed itself. It was spectacular to see, and our last game drive was even more memorable with Kilimanjaro as the backdrop.
Our Nkishon tour was one of the best travel experiences either of us has had. Abigail paid attention to every detail, and the level of hospitality and service was outstanding. We highly recommend Nkishon Tours for your safari adventure, and we hope to use them again in the future. Abigail is not only an excellent tour operator, she is an enterprising Black businesswomen who deserves your support.
