LOOKS Travel Diaries

Amboseli National Park, Kenya – Africa

marcyyu_amboseli-village

Jambo (Hello in swahili) my dear travelers!!!! How has December treated you so far? It’s incredible that it is almost the end of 2016 right? I’m writing this post from Kenya, Africa where my new adventure is about to begin and I am very excited to tell every detail of my new life change.

It took me almost 2 days to travel from my dear Panama to reach Kenya and meet with Mr. Poole and start this new adventure. We estimate to be around the region for 2 months exploring East Africa and finally be able to scratch this destiny of our bucket list.

During this trip we will be collaborating directly with the Kenya Tourism board @Magicalkenya and with Fly Safari Link @Flysafarilink which is a domestic airline that has flights to different destinations and national parks that we will be exploring for the next weeks. Follow their Instagram accounts because we are taking them over!

When we arrived in Kenya the first thing we did was to take a Fly Safari Link flight for less than an hour to Amboseli National Park to explore the famous land of the giants. It’s about 140 km south of Nariobi. If you are traveling domestically in Kenya I recommend to bring with you a small carry-on bag so you can only bring the amount of looks or clothes you need for your stay. Since the planes are small they have a limit in weight per person. The same airline can store your extra luggage like they did with mine as you can imagine I bought lots of bags for this trip (it’s 2 months lol).  As for the flight it was extremely pleasant considering it was a really small plane, we did not even feel the flight as we were admiring the views of the famous Kilimanjaro mountain from the captain’s front window!

The Amboseli Park is called the “Park of the Giants” as it is very famous for the elephants (my favorite animal apart from the flamingos). Amboseli National Park is the second most popular wildlife area in Kenya, famous for its large population of over 1,600 resident elephants. Amboseli is also well-known for its scenic beauty with a backdrop of the world’s highest free-standing mountain, the snow-capped Mount Kilimanjaro. It covers 392km², which is less than 5% of the entire 8100 Km2 ecosystem of the Amboseli basin crossing from Kenya into Tanzania. The green wetlands in this otherwise dry area make the park one of the best wildlife-viewing areas on the planet, with more then 600 species of birds including pelicans, kingfishers, and cranes, as well as the African elephant, cape buffalo, impala, hyena, giraffe, zebra, gazelle and wildebeest, with lion and cheetah among the big cats that roam the area.

Where to stay? Tortilis Camp part of the chain @ElewanaCollection is the luxury hotel / camp where we decided to stay and who offered us the best experience to really experience our first ever safaris! This is situated in a pristine area on the southwest edge of the park, and is very famous for having the best views of Mount Kilimanjaro.

To tell you a bit about Elewana Collection this is a chain that has about 15 luxury camps and lodges between Kenya and Tanzania in emblematic locations, they provide some of the most authentic safari experiences in Africa with real African hospitality.

In fact, as soon as we arrived in Amboseli, Tortilis Camp took care of picking us up at the airport and coordinated the entrance to the park which costs US $ 95 per person per day. Immediately we had access to the park, so we went on safari and instantly Robert and I were able to spot many elephants quickly.

We were a total of 4 days and 3 nights exploring this region and I have to admit that for being our first destination we were really lucky to be able to experience and see so much that we expected to see in several weeks. What really made this experience unique for our first safari were the hotel rooms, as these are luxury tents which gives you the whole experience of a safari camp with views of Kilimanjaro.

The truth was that there were so many moments and highlights of this trip that I certainly do not think I have imagined a better way to have started my first safari in this way. No doubt we were lucky enough to have seen so many animals in our first trip that we did not expect to see immediately, although I also think this is due to our Tortilis Camp driver as they know the park like the back of their hands. They know all the spots, the routes, where to find them, at what time and even how to approach animals so that they don’t run away.

One of my favorite moments and certainly many of the #Elewanamoments was when we took the bush breakfast in the middle of the safari. I have to say that the hotel food was exquisite and with a super varied menu that combines lots of local influence as well as Italian. Another highlight was when we took the sunset downers overlooking Tanzania, accompanied by an exquisite glass of wine with our new Puerto Rican friends we met on this trip.

Without a doubt the finishing touch and my favorite part from this trip was when we visited the Maasai village which was a truly amazing experience and truly one of those moments that remain in our hearts forever. This has a cost of $ 40 per person which is all for donation from the Maasai community. When we walked in they were all waiting in line for a welcome dance which was such a beautiful and amazing feeling that I do not know if I can find the exact words to describe this. It was without a doubt the most enriching experience I have ever had in my life. The Maasai culture is truly enchanting with their dances, their songs, their work, their charisma, their simplicity, their desire to learn, their perfect English are really something to admire. After the dance we could also see the school where the children study, where they live, even taught us how to make fire. I think if one day I am left destitute on an island or some desert place making fire naturally is something I could do thanks to my Maasai friends.

Finally, the Maasai made a small market or bazaar for us where they exhibited their crafts made by themselves. They have really beautiful pieces all made by hand by the Maasai. You can picture myself how crazy I was by wanting to take everything hahaha. At the end after such a difficult decision I took a complete outfit that included a set of necklaces, earrings, bracelets, band and Maasai dress.

I hope you enjoyed this post and the photos of this new experience. Advance apologies for the over spam of photos and videos in my social media networks!!!

Hugs from Kenya!

Love

Marcy

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Firma

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Robert Michael Poole

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  1. Stephanie says on December 12, 2016

    This sounds like it was one incredible trip. All the places you visited and the things you saw are going to be memories for a lifetime. I loved seeing all the color and vibrancy in the photos, bringing such life to them! Thank you for sharing your experience with us. I can’t wait to see what else your travels hold for you!

    Stephanie // SheSawStyle.com

    http://shesawstyle.com

  2. Christine Kong says on December 11, 2016

    Wow, I have been swooning over your Africa travel photos and really wanting to go and visit! It is such a magical and undiscovered place still and the beauty of all of these photos are incredible. What an amazing adventure and an experience you will never forget. I can’t even begin to fathom how unbelievable this trip has been for you! So jealous and have to just live vicariously through you! xoxo, Christine
    http://dailykongfidence.com/

    http://dailykongfidence.com/

  3. Mariann Yip says on December 11, 2016

    Wow this trip is so inspiring! I’m so glad you had a great time. Kenya is definitely a place that I feel not a lot of people would go to so thank you for sharing your experience!

    http://Www.mariannyc.com

  4. Samantha Mariko says on December 11, 2016

    Marcy, these photos are just simply breathtaking! The elephants and just the overall scenery especially are so beautiful… This must have been such an eye-opening experience for you!

    http://www.samanthamariko.com