CYA!

September 5 & 6, 2025 | Eat, Pray, Love: Africa Edition

The Day That Wasn’t 🌚

September 5th was supposed to be my big Amboseli safari day. Pickup was set for 5 a.m.!

Here’s the thing: I was jet lagged, couldn’t fall asleep the night before and just before I could make it to REM sleep my alarm goes off! 🫩 I was just running on fumes, but I told myself, “It’s fine, I’ll just sleep on the four-hour drive to Amboseli.”

Around 1:30 a.m. I texted the Activity Provider (CTS KENYA) to confirm pickup was still at 5 a.m., as I hadn’t receive confirmation or heard anything about my pickup. 3/3:30 a.m. comes around and still no response back so I just proceed to get ready as planned so that I ready to go. Finally at 4 a.m. that’s when they hit me with: “…any chance we do safari tomorrow please our car has a mechanical problem”

Now be for real — why am I finding this out an hour before pickup, when I reached out hours earlier? An earlier heads-up would’ve been nice! 🙃 Also didn’t sound like I had much of a choice so it is what it is I guess, but definitely not the best first impression.

So, I threw my pjs back on, crawled back into bed, and went back to sleep. I woke up around lunch, ordered food, caught up on some work for CYA Abroad, and prepped for Safari Day Take 2 🎬 and another early wake-up call. Because guess what? Pickup was now moved up to 4:30 a.m. 😩 Love that for me.

Safari Day For Real 🦓🦒 🐘

Now lets fast forward to September 6th: I was up and ready at 4:30 a.m., ready for take two. My guide, Douglas with CaraLuxe Safaris, was right on time! Shoutout to him! He was so kind, patient and professional. He picked me up first, then three other solo male travelers from different hotels . . . and in case you were thinking it, no they were not eligible bachelors, so unfortunately this does not turn to an episode of The Bachelorette. 😅

Nonetheless, I really loved that it was just four of us on this trip. It meant plenty of space in the truck to move around, stand up, and get all the good angles during the game drive. 

Bucket-List Moment: Mount Kilimanjaro 🗻

Ticket Trouble 🎟️

Now, this part . . . chile. When I booked the safari, it did not include the entrance fee to the national park. I saw online and read in the reviews you could pay for this online in advance. So as a person who likes to plan and be prepared, I did just that! Well the three gentlemen didn’t. They just walked up with the guide, paid at the gate and returned quickly back to the truck. But we were still sitting around waiting on the guide to return. Low and behold, behold on low (in my Jessie Woo voice) the delay was because of me!

via GIPHY

Apparently, my prepaid ticket from the rescheduled date caused a conundrum at the gate. Even though the Activity Provider told me my “rescheduled” ticket wouldn’t be a problem and it was good for 24 hours.

✍🏾 Lessons learned:
1️⃣ Always expect the unexpected.
2️⃣ Sometimes booking ahead doesn’t save time — it buys you headaches and delays.

Next time I’ll just pay at the gate!

Gateside Souvenir Hustle 💸

While waiting at the park gate for my ticket saga to get sorted out, local men & women came up selling jewelry, trinkets and various souvenirs. They were very persistent. I ended up caving under the pressure yall and bought a couple of bracelets (cute ones), but I later found out I definitely overpaid. 😑

✍🏾 Lessons learned:
1️⃣ Stand firm
2️⃣ Negotiate hard, and don’t be afraid to say no
3️⃣ Prices always start high for tourists, never pay the asking price

Game Drive Highlights 🐘🦒🦓

Once we finally got in, it was so worth it! Amboseli really delivered:

• Elephants everywhere (my fave 🥹)
• Zebras, giraffes, wildebeest, buffalo galore
• Warthogs (aka real-life Pumbas 🐗) running around
• Ostriches strutting
• Baboons chilling
• And yes… we even saw cheetahs 🐆 sleeping in the shade

No rhinos, no leopards, and no hippos that day, but honestly, the variety was amazing.

And with Kilimanjaro towering in the background! 🏔️ Truly unforgettable.

But let me tell you, the drive through the park! The dust is real. Thankfully since COVID I always travel with KN95 masks 😷 (pandemic habits), which came in clutch. Pack one and thank me later.

Safari Pit Stops 🚻➕🍛➕🛍️

Long drives mean pit stops. On our way back to Nairobi we stopped at Goldfinch Curios & Art Gallery for lunch (included in the tour). The food was . . .okay. Not bad, not amazing. The chicken was cooked fresh and came out pipping hot, the mixed veggies were actually seasoned really well 😋, and the fruit was refreshing. But the rest of the buffet, lukewarm at best.

A Scheme That Todd Set Up👨🏾‍🎨🖼️ 💸

Now here’s where the real “adventure” came in—the souvenir gift shop!

No price tags. The price is whatever you’re able to negotiate!

I bought what I was told was a “unique, one-of-a-kind” intricate painting on silk fabric from a guy who claimed he was thee artist who painted this piece of art himself and of course had the other workers in the store vouching for him.

via GIPHY

✍🏾 Lessons learned:
1️⃣ If you see it in a gift shop, it’s not one-of-a-kind.
2️⃣ Unless you see the artist painting live and in person, don’t believe the “here’s the artist right here” story.
3️⃣ Pro tip (shared with me by a local Kenyan): Whatever price they say, cut it in half. If you’re bold, start at one-third so you can meet them at half.

Wrap-Up 💜

By the end of the day, I was dusty, tired, but smiling big. Amboseli gave me elephants, cheetahs, Pumbas, Kilimanjaro views, and even a crash course in the importance of negotiation.

Would I recommend Amboseli? Absolutely. Whether you do a day trip like me or stay longer, it’s a must-see! I booked the DAY TRIP AMBOSELI NATIONAL PARK FROM NAIROBI BUDGET SAFARI on GetYourGuide.

Just remember:
😷 Pack a mask
🧢 Keep your bargaining hat on
🎨 And if the “artist” appears too convenient . . . chile , just smile and say no. 😉

Amboseli National Park set the safari bar high for me. Stay tuned for my next blog to hear all about my 3 day safari to the Masai Mara!

– CYA! ✌🏾