Part 4: Tips and Advice
For the novice Western traveller, the less developed swathes of Asia and Africa can sometimes seem overwhelming and unfamiliar. However, I find that the best travel experiences by far are those when you are immersed in the unfamiliar. Hopefully, these quick bits of advice will help deconstruct the wall of mystery and misinformation which surrounds Africa.
Here are 5 recommendations for to maximize enjoyment of your Kenya experience, coming from someone with a deep affection for the country.
1. Appreciate the little things
Most safari-goers come to Africa to see the big, brawny beasts, the elephants, lions and rhinos. And why wouldn't they? The Big Five game, as they're known, are spectacular and majestic animals. However, if you search only for the flashy and popular species, you really only scratch the surface of what Kenya has to offer.
The beauty of this country is not just in its big cats and buffalo. It's in the hundreds of varieties of splendid birds, the scarabs and the serpents, the flowers and the landscape. In my view, the true measure of a country's beauty is in its light, its sounds, smells and smiles. If you open your mind and search for these magical things everywhere, you are guaranteed to have a fantastic time.
2. Learn the language
This more or less applies to wherever you go in the world, but I strongly recommend you try and pick up a handful of Swahili vocabulary. As the saying goes, if you talk to a man in a language he understands, it goes to his head. If you talk to a man in his own language, it goes to his heart. Learning some basic words is a sign to the locals that you respect their culture.
Here are some useful ones to start you off. To say hello, you say "jambo". "Asante" is thank you, and "asante sana" is thank you very much. "Kwaheri" means goodbye, and "sawa" okay. "Pole pole" is a popular saying - it means "slowly, slowly", reflecting the easy-going Kenyan way of life. You probably know "hakuna matata", although you probably don't know that you should emphasize the first A in matata, not the second, as the Lion King song did.
3. Expect poor roads
Compared to other East African countries, Kenya's transport infrastructure is quite well-developed. However, it'll still probably be jarring for visitors coming from first world countries. Few roads are paved when you get outside the urban centres, and they're bumpy - very, very bumpy. The violent rattling of vehicles on these roads is jokingly called the "African Massage".
Another thing to bear in mind is dust. If you're in one of the drier regions of the country, such as the northeast, Samburu, or Tsavo, cars are going to kick up a lot of dust. If your jeep has the roof pushed up and gets overtaken here, it's a good idea to sit down before you get struck by a plume of sand.
4. Respect the wildlife
Needless to say, all the animals you see in Kenya are wild, living creatures which must be afforded respect. Leaning out of your car to take a picture of a lion is both foolish and distressing for the big cat. In the most popular parks of the country, prized animals like cheetahs can end up surrounded by hundreds of jeeps, something which is surely extremely upsetting for them.
If you come by a massive congregation of vehicles like this, I advise that you take a few pictures and then leave - give the animal one less jeep to worry about. This might seem strange, but you can bet that all the other parties present disapprove of everyone else being there. The moral thing to do is to not be part of the problem and move on as soon as you can.
5. Take a camera
If you'd like to take some photos of the wildlife you see in Kenya, then you could get by with a smartphone, but I strongly recommend you acquire a proper camera of some sort, with a zoom lens, and bring it along. Often, animals will not be close to the roadside, and you can be punished for going off road. A fine at best, a permanent ban from the reserve for the whole safari company at worst.
With a proper camera, you can take beautiful shots of wildlife even if they're in the distance. Of course, if you're not too bothered about taking photos and would rather just live in the moment, that's completely fine as well.
Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed.
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