Last year, we had the pleasure of hosting Mark’s parents in Kenya. It was his dad’s second time visiting the country and the first time for his mum. As you can imagine, we were excited to show them all our favourite places in the country.
Mark and I had been living in Kenya for three years, at the time of their visit, during which, we have had incredible adventures, including exploring Nairobi, climbing Mount Kenya, spending weekends in Naivasha, visiting the coast and so much more!
Based on our experiences, we curated an itinerary with stops in several places, starting in Nairobi and heading to Nanyuki, Naivasha, and Watamu before culminating the experience in Champagne Ridge. Each stop felt unique and wonderful; having the privilege to share this experience with our family felt lovely.
The entire trip spanned three weeks and saw us travelling across several parts of Kenya, with the first stop naturally being Nairobi.
First Stop: Nairobi
Mark’s parents arrived in Kenya on a late-night British Airways flight. We picked them up from the airport and brought them home where they met our pup, Blue before he was shipped off to doggy boarding the next day.
Seeing as they had just arrived after a fairly long trip, we decided to leave the next two days open for them to acclimatize and relax a bit after the journey. We enjoyed catching up and taking a short walk in Karura Forest.
After spending the first few days in Nairobi, we hopped into the car for a 5-hour journey to Nanyuki, where we would spend the next three days unwinding at the Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club and visiting Ol Pejeta. Along the way, we made a quick stop for lunch at the highly-rated Trout Tree Restaurant.
After lunch, we continued for about 30 minutes, until we arrived at the Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club, where a pristine environment with well-manicured lawns and a majestic silhouette of Mount Kenya welcomed us.
We checked in and were ushered to our rooms, passing by a diverse array of birds and animals, including llamas, recently introduced to Kenya from Peru.
Nairobi to Nanyuki: Staying at Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club
Inside, the vintage decor and wooden furnishing of our rooms evoked a sense of timeless luxury, a reminder of a bygone era of elegance and adventure.
Each morning, we awoke to a stunning view of Mount Kenya as the sun rose, and spent the afternoons watching various birds, colobus monkeys and baboons run about the lawns. At night, the chilling shrieks of mating hyraxes pierced the silence, making it difficult to sleep. But when I managed to fall asleep, it was peaceful.
Over the next few days, we spent our time leisurely, visiting the onsite animal orphanage, golfing, and enjoying all the amenities and services the resort offered.
We ended our stay at Fairmont with a sunset horse ride around the property. As a non-rider, I couldn’t wait for this activity to end. However, our guides did a great job keeping us calm and making the experience pleasant.
After two nights, we moved to Sweetwaters Serena Camp inside Ol Pejeta Conservancy. Again, the itinerary was pretty laid back. We hung out outside our tents, sipping wine and watching animals gather around the watering hole.
Staying at Sweetwaters Serena Camp, Ol Pejeta
Later in the afternoon, we went on a short game drive in the conservancy and also visited the blind Black Rhino, Baraka, as well as the last two Northern White Rhinos.
I’ve written previously about our trip to Ol Pejeta, which was similar to this one. You can check that article out here to find out all the details about going on safari in this conservancy and seeing the Northern White Rhinos.
The next morning, while Mark and his parents went on a short early morning game drive in the park, I stayed behind to watch the sunrise and the activities at the watering hole. When they returned, we had breakfast, and just as we were about to check out, a mother and baby elephant came by the watering hole.
It was the perfect ending to our stay in Nanyuki. We checked out of the hotel and started the drive to Naivasha.
Nanyuki to Naivasha Road Trip – Crescent Island
The drive to Naivasha took a little under four hours. Like our previous visit, we planned to make the most of our trip by staying on Crescent Island.
This time, we chose to stay at the Giraffe House, one of the quaint accommodation options on the island. Over the next two days, we would spend our time at this self-catering house taking walks with the giraffes and observing the other resident wildlife, including zebras, wildebeests, waterbucks and hippos.
When our time here was over, we drove back to Nairobi and spent a few days there unwinding before travelling to Watamu.
Kenya Adventure: Nairobi to Watamu
As many of you would know, Watamu is our favourite Kenya coastal destination, so it was fitting that this was the place we chose to show our folks.
We flew to Malindi via Jambojet, picked up our rental car from the airport, and drove a short way to Watamu. Upon our arrival, we checked into Kobe Suite Resort, a beachfront property located on the most stunning beach in the village.
The rest of our time here was spent frolicking in the pools and ocean, and visiting some of our favourite restaurants; Mark and his dad went on a fishing trip, and we all ended our time in Watamu with a lovely sunset dhow cruise.
PS: I’ve written a comprehensive guide about visiting Watamu, containing everything you need to know about planning a spectacular visit to this small Kenyan village. You may read it here.
Champagne Ridge
Our last stop on this itinerary was Champagne Ridge. We rented a house that overlooked the Great Rift Valley and although the views were of the dried-out savannah, brown and bare due to an ongoing drought in the country, they were no less spectacular.
We enjoyed some delicious meals prepared by the in-house chef, evenings by a bonfire, walks in the area, observing several animals, including baboons, zebras and rock hyraxes, and relishing pool time in the adjoining property.
The two days we spent here seemed to fly by and soon, it was time to return to Nairobi for the end of this epic 3-week adventure in Kenya and priceless time spent with family!
