The Ultimate 5-Day Itinerary For Kenya

11 Aug The Ultimate 5-Day Itinerary For Kenya

This past week has been a wild, unpredictable, and unequivocally adventurous ride! If you follow us on Instagram, you would’ve been part of (arguably) our biggest trip yet, as we flew in a hot air balloon, danced with the Maasai Tribe, and did a whole bunch of other typically-Kenyan things in our #CanYouKenya trip with the Kenya tourism board and the team from Expedia.

If you haven’t been following along on our InstaStories (firstly, why on Earth not?!) you might not know what we’re talking about, so let us shed some light…

• We’ve been excited to share the best that Kenya has to offer, with our incredible always-hungry-for-travel community.
• We wanted to find a way to get our community involved (and ultimately we needed a competition mechanism as we had two return tickets to Kenya to give away – epic, right?!)
• We knew the power of the InstaStory Poll, so we created a campaign that would allow our community to decide our every move, giving them two exciting options at the end of each day (and with each vote they’d be entered into the draw to possibly win a trip to Kenya for them and a friend).
• The community voted.
• We did what the community said.
• And so the ultimate 5-day itinerary for Kenya was established*.

*Now we’re not saying that our community chose the best experiences (because all 10 experiences available for choosing were mind-blowing, and we would’ve been ecstatic either way)…but since our community is better than any other community out there, um, I guess we are going to boldly say that they did design the ultimate Kenyan adventure.

The Ultimate 5-day Itinerary For Kenya

(as designed by the world’s greatest travel-loving community)

Day 1 – Putting a sleepy baby elephant to bed at the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust in Nairobi

Once you arrive in Kenya’s capital, and you’ve had a chance to freshen up (try stay at the Tribe Hotel or Karen Gables – both are the perfect introduction to Kenyan hospitality), and maybe grab something to eat (the chicken and chickpea burgers from Tin Roof Cafe were delish), you’ll want to make your way to the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust – an elephant orphanage in the national park, within the city of Nairobi. Watching those baby elephants run excitedly after their keepers (because they know it’s dinner time) has to go down as one of the most memorable experiences we’ve ever had. Late afternoon visits (to watch the little ellies go to bed) are only available to foster parents though, so make sure you adopt one of the precious orphaned elephants before arriving (you can do that here), or alternatively you’ll be able to do it in the office prior to your meeting the ellies – and you’ll receive your watercolour painting and certificate there and then. It’s just a minimum of $US50 for the year, and really the only way to assist this incredible cause, so guess what – YOU’RE GOING TO BE A FOSTER PARENT!

Day 2 – Dancing with the Maasai Tribe in Maasai Mara

After a short 45-min flight, you’ll arrive in the jewel of Kenya – the vast bush of the Maasai Mara. If you’re like us, you’ll check-in to your luxury tent at Little Governors Camp, spot some hippos and elephants from your tent #truestory, and head out to meet some of the most iconic people in the world. Upon arrival, you will meet your guide, who will introduce you to the Chief – the most respected man in the Mara. If granted the Chief’s approval, the rest of the village’s people will come out to greet you, by singing and dancing around you. They will also (more than likely) invite you to join them to dance, and since it’s rude to say “no’” you will find yourself chanting and dancing alongside them, as you enter the village, and watch them make fire, and perform the ‘adamu’ or jumping dance. After a quick look inside one of their homes, your tour will end with a quick trip to their gift shop, where you can purchase various crafts and jewellery. Head back to camp for a sundowner, and one of those memorable African sunsets.

Day 3 – A Jeep Safari through the Maasai Mara

It’ll be an early morning for you, as you head out to spot some of Africa’s rarest and most beautiful creatures (and if you prefer to sleep in, you have the option to take the afternoon game drive as well). Your personalised guide from Little Governors Camp will share stories and history of the area, as well as seek out the big five using “bush gossip” – the affectionate term for chatting amongst guides. We spotted herds of Elephant, Lions on the hunt, my new favourite antelope, the Topi, many Zebras, Hyenas, Hippos, and Giraffe. We also saw the tail of a Leopard, so we’re totally claiming it 😉 Once again, sundowners in the afternoon, or a bush breakfast in the morning are a MUST, as you experience life on the African savannah.

Day 4 – Sunrise Hot Air Balloon Safari over the Maasai Mara

This time you won’t have an option to sleep in (but we promise it’s WELL worth it) as you head out for one of the most memorable mornings of your life. A quick walk from the Little Governors Camp tents, and you’re at the ‘launchpad’, where five giant balloons lie deflated, and ready for their daily ride. You’ll sign some mandatory forms, listen to the briefing from your pilot, then admire as some of the world’s largest balloons get filled with air. You’ll hop in, wave goodbye to the ground staff, and head off for an hour-long cruise over the Mara. Breathtaking doesn’t begin to explain it, as the sun rises, and you see giraffe and hippo waking below you. Magical, magical, magical!

Day 5 – Tidal Creek Floating And Nature Walk On The Coast Of Watamu

Lastly, you cannot visit Kenya and not see the coast. The waters are crystal clear, and the beach sand – soft and inviting. There’s many things you can do when you stay at the Watamu Treehouse (that’s if you decide to actually leave this unique four-storey serves-the-best-food-we-have-ever-had place), and one of those things if the Tidal Creek Float. It’s only available for eight days each month – two days before and two days after the new and full moon – so you’ll need to time your trip exactly, but when you do, it’ll be well worth it. After a brisk Tuk Tuk ride, you’ll arrive at what looks like a tiny stream in the mangroves, and against your good judgement (with fear of crocodiles crossing your mind), you’ll walk into said mangrove, and start to float down the river, along with the current (turns out there’s no danger in this particular creek, so with fears and worries all gone, you can enjoy the hour-long float). Once the floating is done, you’ll get to try some local ‘Mandazi’ for breakfast, and then take a scenic nature walk along the beach, back towards the Treehouse, where the pool and delectable lunch awaits you.

We have to say ASANTE SANA (‘thank you’ in Swahili) to Expedia and the Kenya tourism board for making this whole crazy week happen; to the people of Kenya for being so kind and welcoming during our stay; and to all those who voted and got involved in this crazy cool trip – we will undoubtedly be back in Kenya soon <3 and cannot wait to announce our winner of the prize of two return tickets to Kenya! Stay tuned to our Instagram for that.

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Disclaimer: This was a sponsored post created for Expedia and the Kenya Tourism Board, however all opinions and comments were our own. For more info, you can read our full Online Privacy Policy here.