“If I have ever sen magic, it has been in Africa.” – John Hemingway

Africa has a way of stealing your heart. It gets under your skin, into your soul, and leaves you changed in ways you can’t quite put into words. The endless skies, the raw rhythm of life, the wild beauty – it all sweeps you up and refuses to let go.

For me, stepping onto the red earth of Kenya was more than just another trip. It was a dream I hadn’t fully realized I carried until I was living it. And from the moment I fed my first Giraffe in Nairobi to the moment I cried at the sight of my first lion in the wild, Africa wrapped its magic around me and never let go.

A Last Minute Dream

This safari wasn’t planned months in advance. In fact, it was the opposite. In November, we found a last-minute opening and without hesitation, I looked at Chris and asked, “do you want to go on safari in Africa?”

At first, he laughed. He thought I was joking. I had to ask again before he realized I was serious. That’s when he smiled and said, “I thought you were joking…but yet.”

And just like that, we booked it. By February we were boarding a plane bound for Nairobi, visas in hand and hearts racing with excitement.

We spent a short 24 hours in Nairobi, just enough time for me to live out a little dream – feeding the gentle giants at the Giraffe Center. Standing eye to eye with those long-lashed face was surreal, and I knew right then that the magic of Africa had already begun.

Looking back that quick exchange – Chris saying yes the second time – became the start of the greatest adventure of our lives. Proof that sometime, saying yes twice leads to the adventure of a lifetime.

A Glimpse of Nairobi

Before heading to the wild, we spent 24 hours in Nairobi. It was just enough time to get a small taste of the city’s vibrant energy.

The highlight for me was visiting the Giraffe Center, a place connected to the iconic Giraffe Manor. Feeding the giraffes had been a dream of mine for as long as I could remember. To stand eye to eye with these gentle giants, feeling their long tongues brush against my hand, and watch their graceful heads bow down for pellets was surreal.

The profound amount of joy I experienced in that moment was unlike any joy I’d ever felt before. It was pure, childlike wonder – the kind that makes you laugh through happy tears.

In that moment, before we’d even reached the Mara, I felt the magic of Africa take hold.

The Rhythm of Safari Life

From Nairobi, we drove deep into the Maasai Mara, where the next seven days became a rhythm unlike any other.

Every morning started in the dark, at 4:30 AM, when the child of the night still clung to the air. By 5:00-5:30, we were bouncing along dirt tracks, the first light of dawn spilling across the golden plains.

No two days were ever the same, but the cadence of safari life quickly became second nature:

• Morning game drives as the savanna awakened.
• Coffee and tea breaks in the bush, a simple ritual that felt like pure luxury surrounded by the wild.
• Bush lunches on the days we stayed out until sunset, the horizon stretching endlessly in every direction.
• Returning to camp at dusk, dusty and tired, yet overflowing with stories to share by the fire at dinner.

And then there were the moments that broke the routine in the best way.

• One morning we floated silently above the plains on a hot air balloon ride. Watching the sun rise over the Mara from the sky felt like being inside a drea. Herds of wildebeest and zebra looking like moving brushstrokes on the golden canvas below.

• After landing, we were welcomed with a champagne breakfast in the bush – a spread laid out under the open sky. It was a reminder that safari life could be both rugged and unexpectedly luxurious.

The Moments That Took Our Breath Away

Some moments are etched into memory forever. For me, one was the moment I saw my first lion in the wild. I cried. There was something about its beauty and regality – the way it carried itself with effortless authority – that stirred something deep inside me.

We didn’t witness a live hunt, but we did see nature’s rawness when hyenas tore into a fallen topi. We saw cheetahs, elephants, leopards, giraffes, zebras, and countless wildebeest. Everything except the elusive rhino.

And then there were the skies. The sunrises and sunsets of Kenya are like nothing else. On the equator, daylight comes and goes quickly, but with no mountains or skylines to block the view, the horizon feels endless. The sky becomes a canvas of gold, orange, and pink – changing and fading before your eyes. Every day ended with that kind of magic.

Why the Mara Stays with You

The Maasai Mara isn’t just about wildlife – it’s about the feeling of being fully immersed in nature. The golden grasses rippling in the wind. The silhouettes of acacia trees against the dusk. The silence, broken only by birdsong or the distant call of a lion.

It’s the kind of place that humbles you. Reminds you of how small you are, yet how deeply connected we all are to this planet.

”Everything in Africa bites, but the safari bug is the worst of all.” – Brian Jackman

And he’s right. Africa stole my heart. It’s not a place you simply visit – it’s a place that stays with you, forever calling you back.

Looking Ahead

This post is just the beginning of our Kenya safari store. Over the next few weeks, we’ll share more:

• A Maasai Mara Safari Guide with tips and insights from our experience.
• A spotlight on the Nairobi Giraffe Experience, where my dream came true,
• A Kenya Safari Packing Guide with what we actually used.
• And finally, Why a Safari Belongs on Your Bucket List, because if there’s one trip that will change you – it’s this one.

The Mara changes us, and I hope through these stories, it will inspire you, too.