The Journal #12
My East African vacation, travel tips to Zanzibar, Nairobi and Lamu & the hunt for the best fish curry recipe
Greetings from 36,000 feet in the air! I am writing this entry from seat 8J from Amsterdam to Detroit, the last leg of a 34+ hour journey from Lamu, Kenya to Detroit, Michigan. It took a boat, four flights, two Ubers and a ride home from my mom. This wraps up my near 30 day East African vacation. From Kampala, to Zanzibar, to Nairobi, to Lamu, this trip was exactly what I needed to unwind a bit. The end of the year was so hectic.
My cousin and two friends traveled with me and it was their first time in Kenya, for one friend her first time in East Africa and another, her first time on the continent. It was great to be with them to experience it. Plus, Kenya is such a great African starter country! If you're thinking of your first trip to the Africa, Kenya is a great entry point because it is easy to navigate without knowing a local, everyone speaks English, there are tons of activities from city life to safari to amazing beaches, the people are kind and the weather is great!!
During our time in Nairobi, we spent some time in the markets, got some local food, went to a party and caught up with old friends. We also did a half day safari in Nairobi National Park, which was exciting because I have never done it. I had, of course, heard of this safari in the city, but I assumed it would feel more like a zoo than a real safari. I was WRONG!!! Nairobi National Park is a very real safari and it is the most unique in the world because you get to look at giraffes, zebras, antelopes and lions against the backdrop of Nairobi's urban skyline. 🤯 For our adventure, we went with Oribi Expeditions. They organized our entire tour from providing the car and an amazing guide named Teddy, to making sure that we got the most out of 10 hours in Nairobi.
Our driver picked us up at 6:30am and we headed straight to the park for an early morning game drive. During the drive we saw lots of giraffes, many antelopes, a dazzle of zebra, rhino and we even saw a lion! It really was incredible. Apparently people even do this safari on long layovers! Reach out to Oribi Expeditions if you are passing through Nairobi and want to go on a safari. Let them know that I sent you and you’ll receive a discount depending on the destination or excursion you are booking. And make sure to send me note if you make your way to Kenya!
Following the safari, we visited the Sheldrick Elephant Sanctuary. This was my second time visiting and this time gave me pause. I have many local friends in Nairobi and heard some unfavorable things about the people running the sanctuary as well as their efforts to thwart another sanctuary from helping elephants. Further, they allowed people to touch the elephants without any precautions, such as washing hands. Feel free to do your own research and make your own decision about visiting. I for one, will not visit in the future.
After elephants, there were giraffes. We went to the Giraffe Center, which I have visited at least four times and it is always an exhilarating experience. You enter, wash your hands, and get to feed the giraffes. When we arrived Lucy 4, who is 16 and pregnant, was the only one close enough to be fed. As we were were feeding her, she decided to bite me, and HARD! Apparently, I wasn't feeding her fast enough. SMH. Greedy girl! Highly recommend the giraffe center. Be sure to do the short tour, which gives you the chance to learn more about giraffes and most importantly, listen to the experts, in order to avoid any dangerous situations. To round out our day, we went to the Masaai market, which is a huge market that moves every day. It is one of my favorite craft markets in the world. Everything is handmade and really beautiful. Be ready to negotiate and take cash.
After Nairobi, my friends and I spent a very relaxing five days in Lamu. It was my second time there and I had been longing to go since I first visited in 2017 and returning reminded me of why I love it so much. There isn't a lot to do, but I enjoyed lazy days, sitting on the rooftop, eating fish sambusas, the sunset dhow, dodging donkeys, hunting down the best fish curry and getting to know residents of the village. Lamu is a dream. It is on my shortlist of a place to write a book! It was the perfect place to end my vacation!
My first Substack newsletter!
You probably realized that this week’s newsletter’s a little different: as I previously mentioned, I moved The Journal to Substack. Many of you might be wondering why I am moving to a paid subscription model, so I wanted to share a little bit about my work and income. Most of my income is based on work that I do with brands and because I am very particular with brands that I work with, the work is becoming more and more limited. I cultivated this audience to share my travels with you, travels that I pay for 95% of the time. I want to continue sharing these travels and recommendations with a level of quality and consistency that makes sense for both me and you. To do that, it requires time and resources.
I want to continue to be an independent travel expert, not only sharing my expertise and experiences, but being honest about the world around me, at all times. You know I love to share my uncensored opinion and with changing and biased algorithms this is getting hard to do on platforms that we do not own.
So please, if you want to keep getting recommendations and travel tips from me, consider becoming a paid subscriber! If it’s not the right time to subscribe, no worries. You’ll still receive one monthly newsletter for free.
Where I’m travelling
Zanzibar recommendations
Stay at the Neela Collection in Stone Town: This is a beautiful hotel with a great staff and delicious breakfast.
Have dinner with live music at Secret Garden. Call ahead to make a reservation and to confirm which day they have live music.
Eat Samaki Wa Kupaka at Beach House. It was by far my favorite fish curry in Zanzibar.
Have a local lunch at Lukmaan. Be sure to get a fresh juice as well. The people working there will navigate ordering and finding a seat, just ask for help.
Dinner at the famous restaurant, The Rock, was well worth it.
The fish curry at Kendwa Rocks was pretty good.
I still love White Sand Villas in Paje if you are looking for luxury digs on the beach.
Kisiwa on the Beach is a more moderately priced option in Paje.
I made a list on Google Maps with all my Zanzibar recs so you can have them in one place and easily look them up for your next trip. Click here to access the list!
Nairobi recommendations
Stay at the Social House: It is a cool new hotel, that is well located, has good restaurants and is very clean and comfortable. They also have a great staff. If you go, tell Ibrahim, I said hello!
Visit Maasai Market. You can google to find where the market is each day.
Do a safari in Nairobi National Park
Visit the Giraffe Center
Try local food at Mama Oliech
Visit Alchemist: It is a mixed use entertainment venue
Get a burger from Mama Rocks
Click here for the Google Maps list with all my Nairobi recommendations!
Lamu Recommendations
Peponi's is largely responsible for the original tourism in Lamu. It is a great place for drinks around sunset and to meet some people that live on or frequent the island. The crab linguine is hit or miss, but a huge HIT when it is a hit.
Kijani Hotel has delicious curries. We loved the fish curry and Kijani crab chilli.
Lamu House, in Lamu town, had a great ginger crab, lobster, and catch of the day.
Salma is a young woman who sells some of the best sambusas (samosas) that you will find on the island. Just ask around and you will be able to order.
If you are looking for a good tailor in Shela, ask around for Joseph. He is great and fast, he also is the only "ATM" in Shela, so if you need cash, he is the one to know.
Forodhani House is my absolute favorite place to stay, but you have to book MONTHS in advance.
Click here for the Lamu Google Maps list!
What I'm Reading
Since I have been traveling with friends, I have been slacking on my reading the last two weeks. I have been reading two books: Matthew McConaughey's Greenlights, which was a bit difficult to get into, mostly because of his sing-song voice, but his story is interesting. He has certainly had quite the charmed Hollywood life. The second book that I am currently reading is Ikigai. I will report back in full on this book in the next email once I am finished. I'm reading the actual book and there is A LOT that I have underlined so far.
What are you reading?
A Few of My Favorite Things
Vim&Vigr Compression Socks: With the long journey home, wearing compression socks was absolutely necessary to help with blood circulation and reduce swelling.
Lo and Son's OG Bag: I've talked about this bag in the past, bringing it up again because it is my ride or die bag that I have been traveling with for YEARS. It is sturdy and super convenient for getting your laptop in and out of the bag.
What I'm Eating/Drinking
For the last two weeks, I have been on the hunt for the best fish curry recipe. I have collected a few and once I perfect it, I will be sharing. If you make it to coastal East Africa, please use my recommendations. The seafood is out of this world and I will be dreaming about this food for months to come. And speaking of East Africa, if you are in the region, you have to try Kenyan, Tusker beer. I prefer the Malt version. It is the only beer in the world that I drink!
Until next time: catch me if you can!
Jessica
Say hi on Instagram or check out my book for more travel tips!
Lamu sounds amazing 🤩 thanks for the recs!