Today has been a very eventful day and I am so glad we got to cross out a few items from our itinerary. We started the day at the Sheldrick Wild Life Trust (DSWT) which is a rescue and rehabilitation program for orphaned elephants. They open their doors between 11 am and 12 pm which is when they feed the baby elephants, and the entrance fee is Ksh 500 (equivalent to about $5). We over estimated traffic and we ended up getting there at 10 am so we had an hour's wait before we could get in, we were actually not the only people who got there early and as the minutes inched to 11 am more people kept showing up and I was glad we actually came earlier because we were able to get good parking and a nice spot for viewing the baby elephants.
After watching the adorable elephants we decided to head out to the Giraffe Center which is a sanctuary for giraffes. The giraffe center is located not too far from the David Sheldrick Wild Life Trust so it was very convenient to head out there next, we actually bumped into several people that we had seen at DSWT. The entrance fee here was Ksh 250 (equivalent to $2.50) for residents and Ksh 1000 ($10) for non-residents, their hours of operation are 9 am - 5 pm so there is more flexibility with visiting times. At the center we got to feed and pat the giraffes which was super cool! as cute as those animals were I was very mindful of the warning signs indicating the possibility of being head butted, yikes! I guess you can't trust those adorable suckers.
Next on the list was Nairobi National Park which is the only park in the world that borders a capital city. We had three options to explore: a game drive into the park where the animals roam free, a visit to the animal orphanage where the animals are in cages or go on a nature walk where you can spot some animals living cage free but sort of fenced in for protection. I figured since we are going on a safari soon we could pass on the game drive, we didn't want to see animals in cages so we opted on the nature walk which the guides told us is the next best option to the game drive. Entrance fee here was Ksh 215 ($2.15) for residents and $22 for non residents, unlike the other two places we had been to they were only accepting cards or M-PESA for payment, no cash.
The nature walk was actually really nice and I am so glad we chose to do it.
That's it folks! the beginning of many adventures to come. Tomorrow we are heading out on a Safari so watch out for a post on that.
Random Thoughts of The Day:
The last time I was in Kenya was in 2010 and things have changed so much! I feel like such a stranger in my own country which does pain me. I really should be visiting as often as possible.
There is so much construction and development around Nairobi and it seems like apartment buildings are springing up left, right and center. I can't count the number of billboards we have seen advertising properties for sale.
It really does feel good to be back home although I am overwhelmed by the change, sometimes I wonder how my life would have been like had I never left Kenya.
It's actually very refreshing to see and hear kids playing outside and just being kids, It brings back so many memories of my childhood.
My husband is really enjoying himself here and I am so excited showing him around. As I am re-discovering Kenya he is discovering it.
Next on the list was Nairobi National Park which is the only park in the world that borders a capital city. We had three options to explore: a game drive into the park where the animals roam free, a visit to the animal orphanage where the animals are in cages or go on a nature walk where you can spot some animals living cage free but sort of fenced in for protection. I figured since we are going on a safari soon we could pass on the game drive, we didn't want to see animals in cages so we opted on the nature walk which the guides told us is the next best option to the game drive. Entrance fee here was Ksh 215 ($2.15) for residents and $22 for non residents, unlike the other two places we had been to they were only accepting cards or M-PESA for payment, no cash.
The nature walk was actually really nice and I am so glad we chose to do it.
We came across a Maasai guy in his traditional clothing and he humored us by dressing my husband up and letting us take photos.......a little fee was involved, nothing is ever free but it was fun all the same
Random Thoughts of The Day:
The last time I was in Kenya was in 2010 and things have changed so much! I feel like such a stranger in my own country which does pain me. I really should be visiting as often as possible.
There is so much construction and development around Nairobi and it seems like apartment buildings are springing up left, right and center. I can't count the number of billboards we have seen advertising properties for sale.
It really does feel good to be back home although I am overwhelmed by the change, sometimes I wonder how my life would have been like had I never left Kenya.
It's actually very refreshing to see and hear kids playing outside and just being kids, It brings back so many memories of my childhood.
My husband is really enjoying himself here and I am so excited showing him around. As I am re-discovering Kenya he is discovering it.
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