Kenya ignites imaginations across the planet with its elephants, lions, and wild places that make hearts skip a beat.
Overlooking the Maasai Mara, Angama Mara is carved into an escarpment hundreds of feet above herds of elephant and journeys of giraffe that can be spotted ambling across the vast grasslands below.
It was magical and heart thumping as we explored the Mara Triangle.
But our most unexpected adventure at Angama Mara unfolded from a casual conversation with Roy Jackson Nangida, our housekeeper.
Discover Kenya’s Best with a Maasai Village Visit
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An Unforgettable Cultural Experience
When we arrived the entire village of Entiasamis - 150 Maasai - were lined up to greet us.
Roy told us this was a very special occasion as the children of the village had never met a white person before.
We toured the Olooshur Primary School where Roy’s wife was the head teacher.
The conditions at the school were spartan; the walls were bare, one classroom was made of mud and sticks, and the students wore uniforms and sat crowded together on rickety wooden benches.
The students and elders in the village performed a 10-minute welcome song and dance for us, and then we presented the books along with markers and notebooks to the senior leader at the school.
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I opened the geography book and a cluster of Maasai men pressed close to look at a physical map of the world.
Immediately, and without borders and names on the map for reference, the senior leader pointed to Kenya.
Then an elder, looking puzzled, asked in Maa (the official language of the Maasai) about the vast, blue-coloured area between Africa and America.
I told him it was water - the Atlantic Ocean - and he was stunned.
We were presented with traditional Maasai shuka blankets, and Chelsea received a beaded headband and a necklace.
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After we said goodbye to the students and teachers at the school, Roy told us he had a surprise for us.
We climbed back into our safari vehicle and were joined by eight male villagers excited to go on their first car ride.
We drove away from the school, turned left off the dirt road and plunged into the bush.
For the next 30 minutes we danced and sang with Maasai as they celebrated our visit and rejoiced in the books and small gifts we had presented.
The authentic cultural experience transcended our imaginations and we were given Maasai names by the villagers.
Chelsea was given the Maasai name meaning “Happy”, because the women of the village said she was always smiling and laughing.
Libraries for Kids
In 2018, Roy Austin traveled to Eastern Africa to visit five countries and witness the beautiful wildlife in the region.
His trip included cultural experiences in each of the countries, which he said “didn’t interest”him at the time.
Still, he went along and ended up meeting locals in Kenya, who taught him about their educational system.
That’s when Roy realized he wanted to do something to give back!
While he was in a rural part of Kenya, he met some students from Amboseli Primary and Secondary School.
They explained that the government doesn’t build schools for them; it simply provides them with necessary books and teachers.
Later, someone else on the trip with Roy asked a teacher if Amboseli had a library.
She told them they didn’t, but they would love to have one.
When he got home, he set up a nonprofit called Libraries for Kids.
Their mission is to purchase and send books to these students who are “hungry for knowledge.”
They do so by collecting monetary and book donations, all of which go toward building out school libraries in rural parts of Kenya and Tanzania.
When Roy initially started the nonprofit, many people told him it couldn’t be done because of the costs and the difficult process of shipping items overseas.
But that didn’t deter him one bit!
“Every worthwhile project will have problems and obstacles,” he wrote.
“If you focus on the problems, you will never start.
These days, the organization is steadily growing and is hard at work providing a variety of books to students who see the value in them.
What a wonderful way to promote literacy and open doors for these kids!
Seasons and Safari
The best time for a safari in Kenya is very much defined by the type of experience you are seeking. Many parks are good all year round, although you will find that one’s chances of a good sighting improve during the drier months of the year.
Kenya is incredibly climatically varied a country for its size.
Its location so close to the equator means that temperatures throughout the year are very consistent, the variable in play is often altitude, which varies greatly across Kenya, this, therefore, has a corresponding effect on both temperatures as well as rainfall.
In general daytime temperatures are warm to hot throughout the year, yet mornings can be surprisingly cool. So, if you intend to visit an inland safari region, we could always recommend bringing a warm fleece.
There are two wet seasons in Kenya, the first known as the long rains take place between March and May, the second wet season is known as the short rains which also tend to be a little less intense, these take place between November and December.
There are of course exceptions to this, such as the central highlands which have very high rainfall amounts throughout the year, arid regions such as Meru which have just one distinct wet season and coastal areas which have a more tropical oceanic climate.
The exact start and end of the rains are always a little uncertain, but generally, this period is the wettest time of the year, making travel to and from lodges potentially a little tricky at times. This wet season is also often characterised by overcast skies and consecutive days of rain.
The exact start of the rains is always a little uncertain, March can start well but it is worth bearing in mind that the weather will become more unpredictable as the month progresses.
A brief drier interlude before the more intense ‘long rains’ in March, April and May.
By June the country should generally have moved into the dry season, which marks a more stable and predictable time of the year, usually with clear skies. The weather can however still be a little unpredictable, especially at the beginning of the month.
A more stable and predictable time of the year, usually with clear skies. All in all the perfect time to visit the vast majority of the country.
A rather unpredictable time of the year with the occasional heavy shower or thunderstorm, but usually plenty of sunshine in between. While technically the wet season the rains are not as intense during this period as the ‘long rains’, it can therefore still be a great time to visit.
Average Monthly Temperatures in Nairobi
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