As a high school teacher, Ricky and I have to schedule most of our travels around the school calendar. This usually means we’re off exploring during spring break. In late 2021, one of our dear college friends was teaching special education in Nairobi, Kenya. Despite the hefty price tag associated with East Africa flights from Arkansas (since none of our airports are international), we were determined to visit. I set up alerts on Going (formerly Scott’s Cheap Flights) and one fine November day, got an email about tickets from Dallas to Nairobi for less than $600. Without hesitation, I snatched them up, even before confirming our friend’s availability.
Our trip was set for spring break 2022. Our friend Alejandra was instrumental in planning, helping us book almost everything at local resident prices, saving us a significant amount of money. Despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we had a smooth experience with entry requirements, applying for a Kenyan visa, and navigating airport lines.
We flew Delta from Dallas to Atlanta, then Amsterdam, finally landing in Nairobi at 10:00 PM local time. We stayed at a breathtaking guesthouse on the campus where my friend taught. Our first full day in Kenya began at the Nairobi History Museum, this museum was so incredibly impactful and had some of the msot amazing pieces I’ve ever seen. They had skulls of the first humans to have ever walked this Earth and I realized just how much the African countries have given our world and how little we remember that. We followed the museum with a trip to Limuru’s Brackenhurst Hotel located within a tea field. Kenya was the world’s largest exporter and producer of black tea in 2018 We ended the day at an artisan market in Nairobi, an overwhelming yet exciting experience. This would probably be an overwhelming experience for anyone that hasn’t been to a market like this before, people will try to pull you to their tent and give you “free” souvenirs that you later have to pay for. Growing up in CR this wasn’t as foreign as it was for my husband, but you still have to be careful and firm when you are there. We bought some beautiful pieces while at the market and definitely recommend anyone to go.
We knew we wanted to go on a safari. After some research, we chose Safari Update Travels. I can’t recommend Safari Update Travels enough if you find yourself in Kenya. The tour, costing less than $500 per person, included transportation, meals, accommodation, a guided tour through the national park, and a visit to the Masai tribe. We stayed at the Jambo Mara Safari Lodge, had close encounters with wild animals, and learned from the Masai tribe – an enriching experience. The Masai are one of the few tribes in Africa that still live without technology, and mainly speak their mother tongue.
Post-safari, we visited the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, an elephant orphanage, and the Giraffe Manor. Although staying at the Manor was beyond our budget, we purchased tickets to roam the grounds and feed the giraffes. We wrapped up the day at the Fahari Courtyard, an outdoor market with restaurants, bars, a dance floor, and souvenir shops. Experiencing the Kenyan nightlife among locals and tourists was a memorable conclusion to our time in Nairobi.
The last three days of our trip were spent lounging by the Indian Ocean on the picturesque Ukunda Coast of Kenya. We hopped onto an internal flight from Nairobi to Diani Beach via Kenya Airways. The whole package, which my friend had arranged through a travel agent, included roundtrip plane tickets, airport pick-up, and a two-night stay at the all-inclusive Baobab Beach Resort. The best part? It was less than $400 per person.
If you find yourself in Diani Beach, dining at Ali Barbour’s Cave Restaurant is an absolute must. Getting a reservation might be a bit challenging, but trust me, it’s worth it. The cave, estimated to be between 120,000 and 180,000 years old, offers a unique dining experience. With no roof overhead, you can enjoy your meal under the starlit sky. Apart from this memorable dinner at Ali Barbour’s Cave, we savored delectable meals at one of Baobab’s four restaurants.
The resort’s suites were beautifully decorated, and playful monkeys greeted us every time we stepped outside. The ocean, with its warm, transparent waters, resembled a natural swimming pool. With no rip tides or massive waves to contend with, we could fully appreciate the stunning blue hues of the water.
As part of our vacation tradition, Ricky and I always treat ourselves to an hour-long massage when we stay at a resort. At Baobab, the prices were so reasonable that we initially thought there had been a mistake. A one-hour deep tissue massage, in a hut overlooking the ocean, cost us less than $30.
On our departure day, we flew back from Diani Beach to Nairobi, ready to catch our flight back to the States. Due to ongoing COVID-19 protocols, we immediately headed to a lab for testing upon landing in Nairobi. With negative results in hand, we proceeded to the Nairobi airport.
Unfortunately, our return journey turned out to be one of the most stressful travel experiences I’ve ever had. Unbeknownst to us, a Delta counter employee in DFW had accidentally cancelled our return flights a week prior. With no cellphone service or internet, we struggled to figure out what had happened. Eventually, I managed to connect to the airport’s Wi-Fi and chat with a Delta employee online, who located our ticket number. We boarded the plane just minutes before departure. To make up for the mishap, Delta kindly provided us with some travel credits. Our journey home was a long one, from NBO to CDG to DFW and then to NWA, but we finally made it, wrapping up a truly unforgettable trip.
Buckle up, folks! It’s time for another round of “Traveling with Tourettes”: Kenya edition! Now, my Tourettes was a bit shy on this trip, not as chatty as it has been on others. But oh boy, I was bracing myself for the explanations I was going to have to roll out, especially with the language barrier thrown into the mix.
Airports? You bet they’re always a hoot! The usual parade of stares and whispers were my traveling companions, but let me tell you, the Kenyans are masters of discretion—total pros, I tell you!
Before setting out on safari, I gave our tour guides the heads-up about my Tourettes. Anthony, the boss man of the company and our tour guide, brought along his 8-year-old son Jason. Let me tell you, Jason was absolutely bamboozled by my TS and fired off questions left and right. Poor Anthony felt mortified, but honestly, I love it when kids get curious. They’re just little sponges ready to soak up knowledge, aren’t they?
So, Jason and I got down to the nitty-gritty of all things TS throughout our trip. We became fast friends—or as the cool kids say, we turned into “besties.”
When we booked our massage at the Baobab, I gave the masseuses a heads up about my TS. They were nothing short of angels—kind, accommodating, and totally cool about it.
To everyone else who had a question or wanted to learn something about my TS, they approached me with kindness. But for the most part, everyone took my out-of-place noises in stride. It was like I was playing a solo on a kazoo in the middle of a rock concert, and everyone just kept rocking on. So here’s to all the wonderful people I met on this journey—you guys rock!
