I could not stop crying as I viewed the blood-orange sunrise from my plane window as we descended into Nairobi airport. Last year’s emotional weariness lifted with my return to Africa; this big-sky land never fails to enchant me. I felt a new sense of humility and the exhilaration of simply being alive. Of course, I am aware of how fortunate I am, both physically and spiritually.
I traveled with a group of Black males from California community colleges, who realized the significance of their decision to travel and recognized that traveling now gives them the freedom they have never had before. Specifically, unique access to some of the world’s most sought-after viewing experiences without the crowds; personal space and solitude; a connection to nature; and the sense of success from knowing you are directly helping crucial conservation and community programs.
Many of my group members were eager to visit Africa when borders opened up after the COVID pandemic, and East Africa was an excellent choice. Kenya was on the list for the opportunity to go on a safari.
Some of the group members were nervous and excited about going on a safari with wild animals, experiencing a new culture, and learning to speak and understand the KiSwahili language.
It took some guts to make this long journey, but it was significantly less terrifying than I had anticipated. Of course, I expected to feel happy to be returning to Africa, my home, my passion. These experiences have inspired me to devote my efforts to encouraging more African Americans to visit Africa. Nothing is more responsible or fulfilling than nourishing your soul and raising your spirit while helping thousands of human and animal lives.
I honor Black Americans who have been the first in their families to return to Africa. I also want to thank our tour guides for making this trip a safe and secure site.
An African safari is a priceless education in nature and the pure splendor of releasing tension. Everything you can imagine is there: immense landscapes, beautiful people, animals, and flora. However, going may be more about the space to rediscover oneself than fresh discoveries.
A Once-in-a-Lifetime Experience
I flew to East Africa for the first time in July 2022. My non-profit Black Male group contacted me to see if I was interested in traveling to East Africa. Hearing that we will go on a safari in Kenya piqued my interest. This vacation also appealed to me since it blended luxury travel, adventure, the outdoors, and culture — all of which are essential for traveling.
Three months later, I was on my way to Zanzibar and Kenya, thanks to Soulful Safari and Brother Dahir Nasser. We learned about the Maasai, wildlife encounters, and the lovely beaches. I saw the famed adumu, a traditional jumping dance linked with a Maasai warrior rite of passage. A once-in-a-lifetime journey to Kenya to observe wildlife and engage with indigenous people was unforgettable.
There was a difference as soon as I stepped off the airport in Nairobi. Racism is something I encounter regularly in America. However, my arrival at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport was entirely different. I was not profiled, despite customs agents being rightly strict in verifying that every tourist had their passport, e-visa, health declaration form, and negative COVID-19 test results.
Daily contact with Kenyans made me feel like I belonged there and was truly welcomed. It starkly contrasts other places in the United States, where people greet me with a scowl and concern about my ethnic culture.
Traveling to Kenya allowed me to view wildlife grazing in lush green meadows, with Mount Kilimanjaro or Mount Kenya providing a scenic backdrop. The landscape in Nairobi National Park (directly across the street from the airport) resembled a modern-day Garden of Eden. It was also fantastic to see lions, giraffes, rhinos, zebras, and dozens of other species in their natural habitat.
Even when a storm was gathering in the distance along the horizon, the drives across Kenya’s scenery resembled a fantastic oil painting. It was equally crucial to spend time talking with our tour guides. It not only allowed us to understand the habits of each animal we saw, but it also allowed us to have open talks with locals who could provide personal tales of life in Nairobi or a Maasai community.
Meeting locals has always been an important element of traveling. The Maasai, unlike other indigenous tribes of Kenya, are nomadic cattle and goat herders who survive off the land. Life there reminded me of my vacations to Oklahoma to visit my grandma in the 1960s and 1970s. As a child, I would go to my grandmother’s farm once a year. Most of the food on the table came from her garden or the chickens she raised. So living off the land was nothing new to me. Farming was and continues to be, a prevalent way of life for many Black families throughout the South in the United States.
The Maasai people must relocate their goats or cattle wherever they can graze because they live off the soil. This usually entails living in distant regions, which has its advantages. Speaking with the Maasai males, I learned that their isolation from mainstream Kenyan communities served as a buffer for them throughout the recent pandemic. There are no documented coronavirus cases at this time. However, the Maasai are aware of the virus due to direct interaction with area safari lodges and camps.
Tourists are no longer permitted to visit Maasai villages due to the pandemic. The Maasai are staunchly committed to their traditions, although they have not been completely isolated from the outside world. Christians make up more than 80% of Kenya’s entire population. The majority of Kenyans learned English while attending missionary school. As a result, it is not unusual to see tour guides, hotel, and safari camp personnel wearing name tags with their post-baptism English name.
Some people changed their names to make them simpler to pronounce for tourists. As one travel buddy put it, not allowing them to use their given name is tantamount to “erasing their identity.” It is still being determined whether this is a company policy or a personal preference. Still, if it is not the latter, I see it as marginalizing African people and their culture. Why is it vital to simplify names for tourists? It is a question that demands an answer.
Diani Beach
Aside from Nairobi, we went to Diani Beach in Coast Province. We stayed at the beautiful Swahili Beach Resort, which is right on the Indian Ocean. The accommodations were excellent. The room contained a queen-size bed with a mosquito net over it. The resort had multiple outdoor pools, a spa area, a restaurant and bar, and a gift store. During our week in town, we visited several of the town’s bars in the evening. The people were friendly and laid back.
For me, one of our beach excursions stood out. It was our marine biology water walk. We looked at reefs, starfish, sponges, and other marine life. Some of the fishermen who hung out by the sea guided our tour. The next day, they grilled an octopus for me on the beach, and we ate, told tales, sang songs, and had a wonderful time.
Wrap-Up from Doc T Elliott
My trip through Kenya was not my first trip to Africa. Still, it sparked an interest in seeing other African nations I had not previously visited, such as South Africa, Zimbabwe, and the Congo. Kenya was an excellent starting point for further exploration of the continent. According to a handful of my friends, Kenya sets the standard for safaris.
My first trip to Kenya was full of surprise excursions and fancy lodgings, but I made it a point to chat with the locals and learn about their daily lives. I was also able to put my Swahili skills from college to use. The vacation was life changing. Kenya allowed me to study more about Africa so that one day I will immerse myself in the people and traditions of my ancestors. I plan to spend more quality time there in the coming future.