Think you’ve heard it all before? Not yet! Most people think touring Kenya means taking part in safaris and some cool beaches, but there is so much more to Kenya than safaris and beaches. Yes, numerous things you probably didn’t know you can do on a Kenya trip. Next time you travel to Kenya, make sure you check out some of these 10 wild and thrilling experiences that are sure to blow off some steam.
1. You can dine in a cave
You could visit Ali Barbour’s cave restaurant in Diani, a candlelit cave at a site said to be between 120,000 and 180,000 years old. This underground cave, to which a spiral staircase leads, offers you the most amazing dining experience. The restaurant serves international cuisine but specializes in seafood. Gaze at the stars as you dine al fresco at a table 10 meters above the ground in this coral cave. A sight that makes you want more. In inclement weather, sliding covers are placed over the holes in the roof to ensure a romantic evening. Speaking of cost, entrees start at around KES 900 (US$10) for vegetarian cannelloni. The catch of the day will set you back KES 1,650 ($17) and lobster at KES 3,950 ($39).
See this: Every true Nairobian must have experienced these 5 things
2. You could also do the Rhino charge
Rhino Charge is an off-road motorsport competition held in Kenya every May or June. Motor sport often requires participants to visit a series of checkpoints while slowly moving over rough and trackless terrain. This allows you to navigate one hundred square kilometers of rough terrain, which takes up to 10 hours, 13 checkpoints, a map, a 4×4 vehicle and no set route. The person who reaches the most checkpoints in the shortest time wins. The location to be used is always kept secret until a few days before the competition to discourage participants from sneaky survey missions. The event is organized to raise funds for the conservation of Kenya’s Aberdare ecosystem.
Only 60 vehicles can participate in this competition to reduce environmental damage and only allows crews that are between two and six people. The more cash you can wager, the more likely you are to get a seat.
3. You can share your breakfast with giraffes
Ever fantasized about having tea, toast and a shot of giraffe slobber for breakfast? A 1930’s boutique hotel, Giraffe Manor is located about 20 kilometers from Nairobi on 10 acres of private grounds overlooking the Ngong Hills. The place offers its visitors the opportunity to enjoy a remarkable breakfast with giraffes by opening the windows so that people can look directly inside. These giraffes know too well how to gently whistle at the homemade jam and exercise some quality control over the toast, their long necks poking out into the conservatory.
Other species like warthogs, dik diks, birds, bushbuck and other city attractions with enriching sights will kill every dull moment. One thing to remember while in this place that offers an experience like no other is to make sure your curtains are well closed at night as you never know who you might be looking through.
2015 rates start at $525 per night for an adult and $350 for children. Price includes airport transfers, area transportation, meals and beverages (including wine, beer and spirits).
4. You can participate in a rally
If you liked Fast and FuriousThen you can join the East African Safari Classic Rally. In this rally, drivers must cover a 4,100-kilometer route that begins and ends in Mombasa while dodging wildlife and trying not to blow their suspensions on boulders, allowing participants to feed on the dust kicked up on the roads. It’s fun and allows some of the world’s best ‘classic’ cars and drivers to race on tough Kenyan terrain. The event was cooked up in 2003 and aims to evoke the glory days of the East African Safari Rally, which began as an endurance race in 1953. Competitors must have international competition and a driver’s license to participate. Cars must be passenger cars and made before December 31st.
5. You can marry or remarry Maasai style
You can decide to renew your vows or marry your special someone for the first time in a Maasai-style ceremony, just like this couple. The couple you see in the picture above is called Roger and Laurie Moore. They have been married for about 46 years but have both decided to remarry Maasai style, which has turned out surprisingly well. The ceremony began with the Embiti village chief “adopting” Roger while a family in a nearby village took Laurie under their wing. They dressed Laurie in traditional robes, warriors painted her face, and grass was put in her shoe (symbolizing food for her livestock). After dressing the bride, she was to be introduced to her groom, who was also made up.
The bride was accompanied by the happy people, who disguised her in a solemn walk from her village to that of the groom amid song and dance. The elders gave them blessings, gifts were exchanged and a dowry negotiated. It seems Laurie was a steal. In her words, “I was worth a cow and a goat, a very affordable bride!” Are you already thinking about having a wedding that’s authentic and true to Maasai tradition? Okay, but keep in mind that it will take around $20,000 to meet someone special at a Masai wedding, covering food, a week-long safari, accommodation and transportation costs.
6. Embark on a snake safari
Kenya is home to more than 100 species of snakes, Bio-Ken organizes tours to find them in forests, river beds, rocky cliffs and mangroves. This snake tracking journey is often led by Kenya’s top reptile experts. The goal of this trip is to increase awareness and education about snakes and their role in the ecosystem. The most popular package you could try is a 3-day snake safari along the banks of the Galana River, or an alternative, the Big Five safari – a search for pythons, boomslang, puffadders, cobras and mambas.
The three-day snake safari costs USD 1,200 per person, per night. The prices for the longer Big Five safaris are based on the wishes of the customers. The average price per person per day is around USD 1,000 and includes transfers and flights on full board and domestic flights.
7. You can visit museums archaeological and ethnographic exhibits
You can browse the ethnographic and archeological exhibits of the National Museum, which is located within walking distance from the city center. Alternatively, visit the suburban Karen Blixen Museum, housed in the farmhouse made famous by the book Out of Africa. In fact, the museums in Kenya are packed with natural history and cultural exhibits that offer visitors an amazing experience.
8. You can groom an elephant
The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust in Nairobi saves the lives of elephants and rhinos whose parents have died and rehabilitates them with the intention of returning them to the wild. So you could call it an elephant orphanage. Thousands of elephants are reported to be killed each year for their ivory, which is in high demand in Asia, particularly China and Thailand. Conservationists say more elephants are being poached now than in the past decade.
The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust allows visitors to have direct contact with the young survivors of the illegal ivory trade at the trust’s Nairobi nursery. The babies play in their daily mud bath between 11am and 12pm. Entry to this place costs around 500 KES (US$5.80). You can also foster an elephant or rhino with some money, starting at $50 a year if you fall in love with one.
9. You can get engaged at Africa’s Hogwarts
Based on the description of Journey to Africa Ol Malo’s whimsical design of stone with thatched roofs and an occasional spiral staircase is a sort of African Hogwarts.
You can decide to propose a trip to Kenya to your partner in Ol Malo Game Reserve, located on the edge of the Laikipia plateau and known for being a perfect place in Kenya to ask the question. Grant yourself a yes if you hear the words “Will you marry me?” at this point.
10. You can fish in the deep sea
Dive into a deep sea fish in Watamu or MalindiThe main coastal fishing centers in Kenya. Deep sea fishing is often at its best on the Kenyan coast between July and April. You could take a trip to Kenya during this time to try yourself. Of course, sailfish, marlin, swordfish, kingfish, barracuda and tuna are all in abundance.
11. Take a cheese tour
You can take a 30 minute drive from Nairobi, where the award winning Browns Cheese factory is located. The product has won numerous awards including the South African Dairy Championship and the East Africa Cheese Festival. Brown’s belief is to run the farm “on unparalleled biodynamic and ecological principles.” A cheese tour at Brown’s Factory shows you how the cheese is made. Afterward, guests can sit down to a cheese platter, followed by a three-course lunch of homemade chutneys, bread, and homemade salad. In addition, Browns offers cheese-making courses and children’s milking sessions with the factory’s Friesian cows.
It costs around KES 3,600 (US$36) per person. Spend an afternoon at the farm enjoying up to three glasses of wine or beer. Children under 5 years are free, 5-11 years 500 KES and 12 years and over 1,500 KES. Guided tours by appointment only.
12. You can talk
Carnivore Restaurant is a meat specialty restaurant in the suburb of Langata in Nairobi, Kenya. It offers rare prizes such as beef, lamb shanks, chops, sausage and ribs, crocodiles, ostrich, chicken livers and gizzards. Various delicious side dishes and an exceptional selection of sauces complement this fixed price feast, which also includes soups, a selection of desserts and Kenyan coffee. They prefer not to order here, the guests sit down and the carvers in zebra aprons and straw hats bring meat from the Maasai swords. When guests are done, they signal by lowering the white flag on their table. Set in attractive tropical gardens, the service and decor is exceptional and open daily for lunch and dinner. A complete dinner menu with soup, salad, side dishes, Dessert and coffee or tea costs about KES 3,265 (US$38). Carnivore also offers a vegetarian menu.
13. Go twitch in Kakamega Forest
You can visit this beautiful rainforest in the western province of Kenya, northwest of Nairobi and close to the border with Uganda. The forest is arguably the premier bird watching site in Kenya and features dozens of species that you are unlikely to find anywhere else in the country. But if you’re not a bird watcher, you’ll love the shady forest trails and the numerous charming monkeys.