Jess Cervi
- Mar 6, 2023
- 3 min read

Africa in 33 Pounds

My African journey started the evening of February 8, 2023. A large group of us boarded our 8 hour flight to Amsterdam, then a second 8 hour flight to Nairobi. We spent two nights in Nairobi, with one day of activities where we visited a conservatory for orphaned baby elephants, as well as a trip to Giraffe Centre, where they take care of the endangered species, educate the public, and allow you to feed them. Our day ended with a tour of the Karen Blixen Museum.

Our third morning is when the jeeps arrived and our safari began! First we headed out to Lake Naivasha where we did a lake safari and got to see hippos and different varieties of birds, including an African Fish Eagle. From there we ventured to Lake Elmenteita Serena Camp. The accommodations were outstanding and had a fantastic view of the lake, where thousands of flamingos were staying. The camp also has a watering hole and a lot of different animals came up for a drink during our stay. We did our first game drive here and had our first sundowner, which is where you get to have some snacks and (adult) drinks in the wild while watching the sunset.

We all wanted a second night at Lake Elmenteita, but it was time to move on to the Mara. This was around a five hour drive to reach our next camp. It was a nice experience to see the different landscapes of Kenya on our drive.

We arrived midday at Sarova Mara Game Camp for our next four nights. The property was stunning and had an open air restaurant with a buffet that had plenty of options. They were really fantastic at taking special care of my friend who has celiacs and made sure her food was prepared separately.

The camp has different levels of glamping tents, a lake, a pool and a lookout deck, where you might spot an animal or two coming in for a drink.

This is when we really got up close to the animals. We saw lions, cheetahs, hyenas, giraffes, elephants, varieties of birds, gazelle, warthogs and even a leopard. It was truly fascinating to see these creatures in their natural habitat. We got to visit with the Maasai tribe at their village and see how they live and survive day to day.

A champagne bush breakfast was set up on Valentines Day, which will go down in my book as the greatest Valentines Day ever (even though I'm single)! There were two more sundowners to enjoy the gorgeous view of the sun setting over the Mara.

My last few days were spent solo traveling to Zanzibar, where I saw some of the most beautiful ocean water I've ever seen. The snorkeling was breathtaking and I saw so many types of fish, octopus, starfish and coral. I stayed at the Sunshine Marine Lodge, which is remotely located an hour from the airport, but a great place to stay for a few days of relaxation. The Dive Point is located on the hotel's property and is a hot spot for snorkeling & diving. You can even get your scuba certification there.

Packing list for Africa. We had a 33 pound limit for our jumper plane from the Mara back to Nairobi. We were very worried about this prior to the trip, but it turned out the airline wasn't nearly as concerned. They didn't weigh or measure our bags, but it was nice not lugging around as much weight.

Duffel Bag

Lightweight Backpack (this is a must for the plane rides & day trips out to the Mara)

Reusable Water Bottle

A neck gaiter can help keep the dust out of your nose

For the dusty days, a sinus spray is a lifesaver

4-6 tank tops (laundry can be done at most hotels)

2 shorts

2 pants