KENYA: Change Makers, Beaches + The Wild (11 days)
Coming Soon
To book this trip visit The Zawadisha Wesbite
An adventure rich in wildlife, serene scenes, and sheer woman-power.
Join us on a trip through colourful Kenya:
While hoards of travellers will be departing for the north, Origin Travels is taking you to the vibrant south.
+ Swoon over baby elephants at the incredible Sheldrick Wildlife Trust
+ Explore bustling Nairobi
+ Hang out with the change-making women of Zawadisha
+ Meet Mama Mercy - a local superhero who worked with women to help themselves improve their socioeconomic status, and a champion for the environment.
+ Safari through the secret gem of Tsavo National Park
+ Soak in the sun on the pristine beaches of the Kenyan coastline.
+ Devour Kenyan home cooking.
Let's just say we made sure that this trip had a bit of everything you could want. And more.
This trip is a special-edition collaboration with Jen Gurecki, Founder of Zawadisha and Coalition Snow, co-host of the Juicy Bits podcast, and editor of Sisu Magazine.
"We're changing everything"
Poor distribution and high costs make simple household items like rainwater tanks, clean cook stoves, and solar lamps out of reach to women whose lives depend upon them. Zawadisha is changing this.
Zawadisha provides small loans to rural Kenyan women to help finance their livelihoods. They remove the barriers for rural women to access clean energy and water products by eliminating up-front costs through an in-house financing and distribution program.
On this trip, you will travel to the town of Maungu- home to the Zawadisha headquarters - to hang out with incredible women. Plant trees, make paper out of elephant dung, laugh, make new friends, learn, feel at home. Learn more about Zawadisha.
Tsavo National Park
Then, explore the one of the oldest and largest national parks in Kenya. Keep your eyes peeled for the eastern black rhinoceros, hippopotamuses, Cape buffalo, elephants, leopards and lions.
Diani Beach
"a flawless, long stretch of white-sand beach hugged by lush forest and kissed by surfable waves" - Lonely Planet.
(Despite being a real adventure, you'll return home relaxed. We promise.)
The Plan
DAY 1 | NAIROBI | Arrival + private transfer to the start hotel. Welcome meeting at 6pm. Nairobi hotel: Ibis Styles or similar
DAY 2 | NAIROBI | A day of guided exploration through Nairobi: "the green city under the sun". Visit the elephants at the renowned Sheldrick Wildlife Trust to learn about the rehabilitation of orphaned elephants. Stop for lunch at a garden cafe contributing to peace and reconciliation for women from many African nations and cultures through art. Visit the giraffes African Fund for Endangered Wildlife. After an action-packed day, sit down to a delicious meal of Kenyan home-style cooking.
DAY 3 | NAIROBI - MAUNGU | Catch the train down south to our second stop, the village of Maungu - and settle in to our charming open-air home in the Savannah. You'll quickly feel at home here. Before dinner, be welcomed with a traditional dance performance by the women of the Taita-Taveta community. Maungu lodge: Private home
DAY 4 | MAUNGU | Spend the day with the women of Zawadisha. Learn about the Neema Women's Group and learn their crafts, like paper bead jewellery, and paper making out of upcycled elephant dung (thousands of African elephants call the Kasigau corridor their home between Tsavo West and Tsavo East National Parks, so there's never a shortage of dung!)
DAY 5 | MAUNGU | Meet Mama Mercy's - founder of the Tumaini Environmental Women’s Group and a local champion for improving the lives of women in her community. Then, the rest of the day is free day to hang out with the women in the community by helping with tree planting, or assisting with the kitchen gardens. Opt to take a hike into the Kasigau or Marasi hills.
DAY 6 | MAUNGU - TSAVO NP | Continue to Tsavo National Park, where you will enjoy your first game drive in the early afternoon in company of an expert driver-guide. Keep your eyes peeled for the eastern black rhinoceros, hippopotamuses, Cape buffalo, elephants, leopards and lions. Tsavo NP lodge: Rhino Valley Lodge or similar
DAY 7 | TSAVO NP | Full day game drive!
DAY 8 | TSAVO - DIANI | Rise and shine with your last morning game drive before continuing to the coast. Hop on a train to Mombasa and continue to Diani - "a flawless, long stretch of white-sand beach hugged by lush forest and kissed by surfable waves" - Lonely Planet. Diani hotel: Diani Sea Lodge or similar
DAY 9 | DIANI | Full Beach day. Opt to hammock, visit the coral mosques and sacred forests.
DAY 10 | DIANI | Full Beach day. Opt to relax, take a surf lesson or indulge in fresh seafood (or, do all three).
DAY 11 | DIANI - NAIROBI | Catch a flight from Diani to Nairobi. The trip comes to an end upon arrival at the international airport.
Please book your flight to depart after 2pm on this day. If you require help with booking extra accommodation in Nairobi, don't hesitate to reach out to travel@origin-travels.com
Important Itinerary Details
Inclusions
International flights are not included.
- All transport in air conditioned vehicles, and train tickets where applicable.
- Double/triple-share accommodations, with option to upgrade to private (private room will be given based on availability)
- Internal flight from Diani to Nairobi
Meals included: 10 breakfasts, 6 lunches 9 dinners.
- Full day guided tour of Nairobi with entrance to Sheldrick Wildlife Trust and Giraffe Centre.
- Craft making and tree-planting with Zawadisha
- 1 full day game drive and 2 half-day game drives in land cruisers with a excellent driver-guide.
- Free time to explore glittering Diani beach.
Save your spot with a $250 deposit
