appreciate visitors. Continuing your drive toward Nairobi, you could stop at Kituluni Hill, a place near Machakos, where water flows uphill! According to local legends, the opposite gravitational force on Kituluni is the residual attraction of two people who once lived there. Be careful that you don’t also fall under its enchanting spell. ▶▶
www.youtube.com (Search: gravity defied mua)
Elephants and Rhinos Nairobi 39 miles (63 km) from Machakos
After seeing giraffes only in small pens at zoos, many visitors are astonished to watch giraffes run free under the acacia trees in Kenya’s national parks.
If you want to pet a baby elephant, visit the Elephant and Rhino Nursery of the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. Organizers of the trust know the risk of death that these orphaned animals would face if left alone in the wild, so they assign caregivers to become loving, adoptive parents who watch over these not-so-little ones. During the afternoon, caregivers even put sunscreen on the baby elephants’ ears and walk beside them, shading them—not with a large pair of ears as their real mothers would—but with umbrellas instead. If you want a unique, personal experience with wildlife, come make a friend for a lifetime. ▶▶
www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org
Photography by Julie Ogborn
Flamingos and Leopards Lake Nakuru 100 miles (161 km) from Nairobi North of the equator, you will reach Lake Nakuru National Park. This sanctuary for birds, beasts, and travelers provides a complete safari filled with Rothschild giraffes, black and white rhinos, Cape buffalo, and
Look out from the Baboon Cliffs to see the forests and meadows surrounding Lake Nakuru in the Eastern Rift Valley of Kenya.
so many flamingos that they make the water’s edge look pink. Here you can enjoy lush acacia forests, picturesque Makalia Falls, and panoramic views of the crystal blue lake’s surface. Since leopards stalk the limbs of Nakuru’s rich green forests, don’t go exploring on foot. A printable roadmap will help you heed Nakuru Park’s cautions. One map says, “Do not drive too close to the lake as the shore, a wet grayish ash powder, is very soft.”
As you proceed with caution, you will enjoy a safe journey on the Trans-African Highway. ▶▶
www.webkenya.com/eng/safari
—Julie Ogborn
Check out other gorgeous photos of Kenya on our website.
www.stowawaymag.com ◀ 61