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Safaris and Cities
Safaris and Cities
We enter Kenya through its capital, Nairobi, and strike out into safari country. In the north, we wander the wildernesses of the central highlands and the East African Rift, while in the south we roll into Masai Mara—one of the huge reasons (we know) that you have come to Kenya! Outside, or amid, Kenya’s wild side, are its two big urban centers. Nairobi, inland, with its origins in the colonial period, and Mombasa, coastal, the hub of ancient maritime trade. We explore both, and their environs.

A sampling of our experiences

Wake up to the bush

Masai Mara
Masai Mara
Some countries have that one attraction which immediately springs to mind  when the country’s name is mentioned. For Kenya, it is undoubtedly Masai Mara. Indeed, if one were asked to list five great game parks of the world, the Mara would figure in many off-the-top-of-the-head lists. Adya takes you into the boundless open scrublands and snaking escarpments of the “spotted”—the meaning of Mara—land of the Maasai people, venturing into some of the lesser visited areas of the iconic reserve. The Mara hosts the African “Big Five”, but the herds of ungulates, numbering in hundreds of thousands, is mind-boggling too. For a special treat, come with us at the time of the Great Migration (June to October), surely one of the epic animal movements on Earth.

Additional experiences

A walk in the city
This walk is different. Experience the “local” areas of the city, through the eyes of a former street kid who came through a tough neighborhood and can tell you real stories that nobody else could.
A flamboyance of flamingoes
The elegant birds create a synchronous riot of pink and white while the contemplative eyes of resident hippos peep above the water’s surface.
Mijikenda Kaya forest
Mijikenda tribes consider these UNESCO World Heritage site forests to be the sacred homes of their ancestors.

Swahili food
Swahili food
Swahili culture evolved with the mingling of the Bantu people of Africa with Arabs, Indians, and even Europeans and Asians who came by sea to trade with East Africa. As such, Swahili food has taken many foreign cuisines and spun out iterations uniquely Kenyan, uniquely Swahili. You’ll get a variety of meats, including, of course, seafood, in subtly spiced curries, pilaus, kebabs, and roasts. Rice and coconut are ubiquitous. There’s much more, and it’s available in most parts of Kenya. However, civilizations from which Swahili culture was born met originally on the coast, and the most atmospheric place to appreciate Swahili food is Mombasa, with the sea breeze fanning imaginings of ancient dhows anchored offshore, loading up on ivory, ebony, and gold.

Additional experiences

Tea off at 3,000 feet
On the slopes of the Aberdare mountains grows a tea that is exclusively Kenyan. Its leaves are purple, it is super-rich in antioxidants, and very low in caffeine.
Nectar from the Rift
Growing along the Equator, warmed by a glorious sun, the grapes of Leleshwa vineyard yield wines that emanate the essence of Africa’s Great Rift Valley.
From the trees of a tribe
Coconuts are a Kenyan staple, and from them comes food as well as liquor. M’nazi, the latter, is a palm wine, steeped particularly in the traditions of local tribes.

Kazuri bead ladies
Kazuri bead ladies
Small and beautiful their creations are, and that’s what Kazuri, the name of the enterprise, means. Two ladies started it as a means of livelihood for single mothers, and now more than 300 use their hands to delicately roll, shape, polish, paint, fire, and glaze clay from Mt Kenya into colored beads, and then string them into necklaces that evoke the spirit of their land. We take you to the Kazuri factory, where you meet the ladies who shine behind the shine. 

Additional experiences

The Schoolpeople
At the northern edge of the game reserve is a school called Mara Rianda. An institution brimming with optimism, it works to equip future generations of Kenyans from rural backgrounds.
Akamba wood carving factory
Amid the sound of chisels and scrapers, stroll through lanes strewn with wood chips and see how Akamba craftsmen create their art.
The Magnificent Maasai
Can you leave Kenya without meeting one of Africa’s most well-known tribes? These impressive  people today seek a balance between traditional ways and the opportunities available in modern Kenya.
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