EAT YOUR HEART OUT TOURS
Kenya - Beyond the Guidebook
Samburu proverb: Memanyai meleeno - Don’t just move from one place to another without seeing
An African odyssey like no other.
Kenya is SO much more than a wildlife safari (although there's that too if you want). On this tour, go beyond and explore Kenya’s cultural tapestry through distinct traditions, textiles, crafts, customs, and communities. Dig deep into societal and environmental issues in this vanguard African nation and learn how we are all globally connected. See, hear stories, work with artisans, experience universal truths, and come away transformed.
Conceptualised by two women with generational roots in and an abiding passion for Kenya, this culturally immersive tour will take you on a journey as diverse as Kenya itself. Experience Nairobi’s "textile mountain" and bustling second-hand clothing markets. Meet contemporary innovators and activists. Move to the bush for traditional craftsmanship and ancestral significance of beadwork of the Samburu people, as well as safari in Samburu. Lastly, learn about Kanga coastal textile traditions while soaking in the charm of the Indian Ocean coast.
Highlights
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Learn how Kenya and its people are confronting the environmental and social challenges of global textile waste with ingenuity and resilience.
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Spend time with the Samburu people in their ancestral lands, gaining insight into daily community life, their beading traditions, and how they have adapted through generations.
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Experience a one-of-a-kind safari in Samburu, where the arid beauty of the northern plains forms the backdrop for incredible and unique wildlife.
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Explore the coastal town of Watamu, learn the stories woven into khanga fabric and the circular journey of textiles in Kenya.
Optional safari - Tanzania
7 days
The journey of the earth’s last remaining great wildlife migration starts in the south of the Serengeti. Lush landscapes herald the birth of half a million calves between January and March. The air is full of new life. Big cat predators are never far behind. Tanzania’s “Reverse Migration” is one of the planet’s most awe-inspiring natural phenomena, testament to a triumphant nature and a never-ending circle of life.
Over seven days pre main tour, experience fabled Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, and Tarangire National Park. Travel to the dawn of our species to connect with our primal beginnings.
What to expect
Textile "mountain"
Ever wonder what happens to all that clothing discarded by industrialised countries? You're about to find out. Learn how Kenyans are confronting environmental and social challenges of global textile waste with ingenuity and resilience.Meet award-winning activists and innovators, and shop markets geared towards recycling and repurposing.
From waste to art
Waste-to-art upcycling in Kenya is a celebrated movement that tackles the country's severe pollution while generating income for local artisans. Flip-flop sculptures, glass reimaginings, discarded jeans and metal bottletops are just some of the "waste" that feeds artisans' creativity and sparks advocacy. You'll be astonished at the creativity!
Wildlife safari in Samburu NP
Dramatic northern beauty, greater seclusion, and a safari that feels a little more under the radar. Rare, arid-adapted wildlife found only in Samburu NP. Kenya's astrotourism hotspot has near-zero light pollution that reveals constellations from both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres due to unique equatorial position.
Beading traditions of the Samburu
In the north of Kenya, Samburu tribespeople's beadwork is more than mere decoration; it is a vibrant, living language that communicates a wearer's age, marital status, and social standing. Engage with the semi-nomadic pastoral community for insight into tradition that acts as a visual guide through the most important milestones of an individual's life
Coastal textile traditions
The Swahili coastal peoples' Khanga textiles convey modesty and identity, and commemorate major life events. Khanga welcome newborns, adorn brides, and bury the deceased. Also known as "Cloth with a Voice" for proverbs (jina) printed along the bottom edge. Meet khanga artisans and create your own khanga in a cyanotype workshop
Handicraft, textiles, and folk arts
Shop vibrant, open-air markets in Nairobi and Watamu where local artisans sell authentic Kenyan crafts, beadwork, wood carvings, and vibrant fabrics. Bargaining is expected and part of the fun as you engage with the locals, swap stories, and make friends. Visit a social enterprise womens' beading workshop where beads are hand moulded and fired.
Natural world experiences
Elephant orphanage, giraffe sanctuary, turtle conservation, bird rehabiliation, bird migration tracking . . . some of the close encounters with the natural world on this tour. Learn about the trailblazing work of Kenyan conservationsists, tirelessly working to reverse the ecological status quo.
Indian Ocean exhale
Relax -- You've earned it! Wrap up in the charming coastal town of Watamu, a small, picturesque fishing town that lies on one of the most coral-lined beautiful coastlines of Kenya. Swim, walk pristine white sands, and cruise down the Indian Ocean in a dhow, a traditional Arab sailboat.
Optional - Tanzania Migration Safari
An iconic, once-in-a-lifetime wildlife safari to fabled Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, and Tarangire, home to the Big Five and massive herds of elephant, calving wildebeest, and predators that stalk them. Luxury tented "Out of Africa" experience. As only insiders born and raised in EAst Africa can share with you!
Meet your tour leader
Born and raised in Kenya, Shivani leads this tour from a deep connection to the country’s landscapes, people, and culture. She shares engaging stories of Kenya’s rich history and vibrant contemporary life, offering guests a truly personal perspective.
Previously, Shivani served as Arts Manager for Kenya at the British Council, where she supported the growth of the country's creative economy through close collaboration with artists and cultural organizations. She brings this network of trusted artisan relationships, along with firsthand knowledge of their craft traditions, to give guests an authentic experience.
As an advocate for community-based tourism, Shivani is dedicated to offering genuine, responsible safaris that give back to local communities while celebrating Kenya's rich culture.
Our travellers speak
Liz Hatcher, NM
An extraordinary safari: truly the trip of a lifetime. There are not enough adjectives to capture the magnitude of the experience. Everything was perfect: lodgings, the drivers - huge thanks to Goodluck and Godlove! - the food, even the weather. The experience of seeing the animals was life-changing. Truly shifted my perspective from everyday puny to a monumental scale
Deb Dyer, Michigan
I had a wonderful safari and trip—I realized just how much as I stepped back into life at home.
Thank you again for a wonderful adventure. Shila, you are the tour guide and facilitator of all times! – Jody Hawley, Salt Spring Island
Meg Hale, NYC
I cannot imagine anyone could have done a more professional, more well thought out, more well organized, more intellectually stimulating, more interesting, more fun trip than you! My personal reasons for knowing I was making a good choice with you include your current and lifelong experiences living and traveling in Africa, the kind of trips you offer and style of travel which meshed perfectly with mine
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