Tag: #kenya

Travel Story: Nakuru & Aberdare, Kenya—The Art of the Micro-cation ©Dawn Minott

On By Dawn MinottIn Poetry14 Comments

According to the BBC, “micro-cations”—short breaks lasting two to four days—are reshaping how people take holidays. These trips are designed to feel like a holiday in a tight timeframe. They work best when you’re intentional and have a thematic focus.

Kenya is proving to be the perfect place for effortless micro-cations

These short escapes have been about more than taking a break. They’ve been about creating memories, gaining fresh perspective, rediscovering joy in nature, and protecting my peace.

When I need to clear my head, a change of scenery is only a two- or three-hours drive away. Whether it’s Nakuru, Naivasha, or another corner of this beautiful country, a couple of nights away is often all it takes.

On this trip, I ventured with like-minded friends to Nakuru and Aberdare for a safari experience.

The more I take these trips, the more grounded they make me feel

I’m a big National Geographic fan, and on these safari drives I get to see—not through the lens of someone else’s camera, but with my own eyes—elephants, giraffes, buffaloes, zebras, rhinos, lions, antelopes, gazelles, monkeys and a myriad of birds moving freely in their natural habitat, flittering in the air or drinking at watering holes against breathtaking landscapes that stretch as far as the eye can see.

This particular micro-cation took me to both Lake Nakuru National Park and Aberdare National Park.

Lake Nakuru National Park

This park lies about 100 miles northwest of Nairobi in the Great Rift Valley, roughly a three-hour drive. Our route took us through Naivasha, with stops at dramatic viewpoints overlooking the Rift Valley. While the elusive rhinos, lions, and leopards remained hidden during our visit, Rothschild’s giraffes and buffaloes were on full display. And instead of the seasonal flamingos that Lake Nakuru is known for, pelicans lined its shores. Nakuru was open savannah, lake views, and the classic safari experience.

Aberdare National Park

On the other hand, Aberdare National Park felt almost mystical. Misty forests, waterfalls, mountain scenery, and cool, crisp air create a very different experience. Wildlife was even more elusive here.

Only elephants, monkeys and one lone buffalo chose to reveal themselves, but the scenic drive through the forest and the refreshing mountain air were more than enough to make the weekend worthwhile.

Location. Location. Location.

For this micro-cation, I had the opportunity to experience three of Kenya’s premier safari properties: the sister hotels: Aberdare Country Club and The Ark Lodge, along with Lake Nakuru Lodge.

The Ark Lodge

The Ark is a nature lover’s dream come true.

Built to resemble Noah’s Ark and appears to be floating amidst the forest, this quirky hotel overlooks a watering hole and salt lick that attract a steady procession of wildlife. From the viewing decks—and even from the dining room—you can watch animals come and go in their natural environment.

Its biggest attraction is you don’t have to leave the lodge for the wildlife to come to you.

Aberdare Country Club

Aberdare Country Club, by contrast, is distinctly colonial in style, with stone buildings, fireplaces, wood-paneled lounges, and cozy indoor and outdoor sitting areas. Set on a sprawling estate nearly 7,000 feet above sea level on the slopes of the Aberdare Range, the hotel offers views of rolling hills and forests.

Imagine peacocks wandering through the gardens and soaring overhead; zebras grazing on the lawns; warthogs, impalas, and monkeys roaming freely across the grounds. Imagine horseback riding in the morning and a relaxing spa treatment in the afternoon. That’s Aberdare Country Club.

The hotel has the feel of a country manor, complete with crackling fireplaces that are perfect for Kenya’s cooler highlands. Falling asleep to the warmth of a fire and waking to the sounds of nature is exactly what a restorative weekend should feel like—especially when your goal is to disconnect, slow down, and immerse yourself in the natural world.

Lake Nakuru Lodge

Lake Nakuru Lodge was our lunch stop after our game drive through Lake Nakuru National Park.

Perched on a hillside and one of the few lodges located inside the park, it overlooks the lake and surrounding landscape. Its proximity to the wildlife gives you the sense that nature is footsteps away.

Like-minded friends and a trusted travel agent and guide

Above all, I had the pleasure of sharing this micro-cation with like-minded friends. Great destinations become even more memorable when experienced in good company.

To date, I’ve trusted my safari adventures to Skyward Safari Adventures. The company is locally, youth-owned and has consistently delivered the kind of thoughtful, reliable service that keeps me coming back.

This trip, the owner surprised my friends and me with traditional Maasai blankets—a generous gesture that reflected genuine appreciation for his clients. It was also a practical gift, keeping me warm during the chilly nights in the Aberdare highlands.

I’m grateful to call Kenya home and to have so much beauty within easy reach.

Sometimes the best reset isn’t a long vacation. Sometimes it’s simply a few days away, a change of scenery, and a reminder that peace can often be found just down or up the road.

2026 All Rights Reserved

Like what you see? To never miss a post click HERE👈 to subscribe & follow the blog. There’s more HERE👈 and on Spillwords, the Writers Club, Facebook & Bluesky.

💡 Only WordPress.com members can hit the “Like” button, but everyone’s welcome to share their thoughts in the comments. Thanks!

In creative solidarity, Dee

Travel Story: Diani, Kenya ©Dawn Minott

On By Dawn MinottIn Poetry6 Comments

When it comes time for that vacay getaway—whether for a weekend or a month—“check” ✅ sets the journey in motion.

My trip for a weekend getaway to explore yet another part of gorgeous Kenya flowed like this:

Staying in a “surpriseable” frame of mind. Check ✅

Besides the plans you make, every good escape needs room for the unexpected. How else will your inner child come out to play?

Good weather. Check ✅

Imagine the sun peeking over the horizon, meeting soft morning breezes as if ushering in the dawn of a new day. When I’m heading on vacation, I make every effort not to waste any part of the day—so I’m usually on the earliest flight in and close to the latest one out.

Seat selected. Check ✅

Without fail—even when I say I won’t—my trusty iPhone is ready to capture what’s below as the aircraft comes in to land. When you want an unobstructed view of the landscape, a window seat is best. So yes, I’m ready for online check-in the moment it opens.

Mode of transportation for a weekend getaway. Check ✅

This time, a propeller aircraft. Not my preference. But if you want quick and efficient, you bottle up your fears, get onboard, and settle in for the flight.

Dream destination. Check ✅

Imagine wide stretches of white, powdery sand against clear, turquoise-blue water. A “natural mystic blowing through the air,” giving off Bob Marley vibes.

Only, this is not imagination. It’s real.

It’s Diani!

Diani sits on Kenya’s south coast along the Indian Ocean—a short one-hour flight from Nairobi. One of Kenya’s most laid-back coastal escapes. Easy. Unassuming.

Days rise and settle into kaleidoscopic shades of yellow and orange against the horizon’s unending blue. Sunrise beckons a yogi’s sun salute—upward and downward stretches, standing tall in tree pose, letting the break of day center you. And sunsets lull you into a quiet sense of peace at day’s end.

At low tide, the sea recedes so far it reveals unspoilt white sandbanks. Walking these small expanses in the middle of the ocean feels like you’re suspended between water and sky. If “surreal” had a form, this would be it.

Along the beach, you’ll see dhows and glass-bottom boats, catamarans and speedboats, jet skis and canoes. I opted for a glass-bottom boat, having sailed a dhow while in Zanzibar. The beauty of it lies in the surprises it reveals—sea dwellers dashing by. At one point, our guide dives in and reappears beneath the boat, feeding the fish and giving us a closer look at the ocean’s varied life. This time, zebra fish made an appearance.

Starfish—different colors and sizes—dot the seabed, while sea urchins and sea cucumbers remain tucked into the crevices of coral exposed by the receding tide.

The diversity in the ocean is matched on land—flora and fauna varied in form and color—each one drawing out soft exclamations of appreciation.

Mother Nature has been kind to this land. And Diani is not shy about it.

It invites you to chill on its open, calm, spread-out beaches lined with palm trees. Trees that actually give shade—not just an aesthetic backdrop for photos (though the photos are, indeed, spectacular).

It moves at its own unbothered pace. And it nudges you to join in its rhythm—slow walks, ocean breezes, dhow cruises, a stretch into yoga, or simply frolicking in warm ocean water.

Vendors walk the beach, widened by the receding tide, peddling what they have—coconuts, woodcraft, wristbands, even camel rides.

And then it happens.

You find yourself in that in-between space—where you don’t feel rushed to do anything.

And you don’t.

You comply.

You do nothing… just chill.

And somewhere in that stillness, you find exactly what you didn’t know you needed.

Happy birthMONTH to me!

2026 All Rights Reserved

Like what you see? To never miss a post click HERE👈 to subscribe & follow the blog. There’s more HERE👈 and on Spillwords, the Writers Club, Facebook & Bluesky.

💡 Only WordPress.com members can hit the “Like” button, but everyone’s welcome to share their thoughts in the comments. Thanks!

In creative solidarity, Dee

Travel Story: Soft Life, Tigoni Edition ©Dawn Minott

On By Dawn MinottIn Poetry18 Comments

I’m intentionally making my way through Kenya. Trying to experience as much of this vast land as I can.

Today—Tigoni.

Why Tigoni?! A friend took me for a drive and to spend time at an organic farmers market.

Tigoni is northwest of Nairobi, in the highlands of Kiambu County. You pass Ruaka—a very busy built‑up spot with lots of shops, stalls and traffic—before the road gets more rural and heads up toward Tigoni.

In just about twenty or so minutes outside of Nairobi you start to feel the shift: quieter, greener, and noticeably fresher and lighter than the city. My lungs got a proper fill.

We are now surrounded by tea farms and open countryside.

Once we got out of the car, I moved slowly through it all. Soaking it all in:

  • Fresh juices that taste exactly like the fruit they’re made from, no additives.
  • A farm-to-table meal that didn’t need any dressing up.
  • I picked up a bouquet because it contained my favorite flower—the calla lily—and because it looked like it belonged in a painting.

At some point, the cutest baby girl wandered over, carrot in one hand, reaching for my bouquet with the other. She stopped munching on her carrot, and leaned in to smell the flowers in my hands, completely locked in. Be still my heart. That was an unguarded moment, one that will stay with me.

There was live music.

The singer greeted us as we walked by the tent and explained that she’ll restart singing soon.

After complementing her beautiful kaftan I asked what genres she sings—among them she listed … you guessed it …reggae! Now, hear the clincher, her surname is Reggae. You can’t make this stuff up!!! Some would say the universe was aligning. I say, that was a God-moment.

As we milled about, iconic Bob Marley songs wove themselves through the tea leaves and drew me to the white tent, where Ms. Reggae was doing the reggae!

I spread the kanga (also called leso)—Kenya’s colorful cotton fabric—and joined others sprawled out on the grass, just being.

No rush. “…Don’t worry about a thing…” melodically sung while Ms. Reggae lovingly cuddles her daughter and I couldn’t help but join in, making it a sing-along:

My ultimate find of the day was a handmade mango butter body moisturizer. I asked the shop owner skeptically: “Mango has butter?!” To which she gladly informed it’s in the seed and went on to describe how she makes it—the end product whipped, soft, almost like cream. It smells divine, and it lingers.

Now, not only do I get to eat one of my favourite fruits, I get to wear it too. My skin’s still holding onto it, smooth and hydrated. (I know what will be in Christmas stockings this year! 😆)

As if the vast spread of greenery all around wasn’t enough, somewhere behind it all, a waterfall—you don’t quite see it, but you hear it, steady and soft, like a backdrop Mother Nature threw in just because she could!

Nothing dramatic about the day. But it felt full. The kind of full that comes from slowing down enough to actually notice where you are.

Tigoni didn’t disappoint. 

2026 All Rights Reserved

Like what you see? To never miss a post click HERE👈 to subscribe & follow the blog. There’s more HERE👈 and on Spillwords, the Writers Club, Facebook & Bluesky.

💡 Only WordPress.com members can hit the “Like” button, but everyone’s welcome to share their thoughts in the comments. Thanks!

In creative solidarity, Dee

Holding Change & Loss

On By Dawn MinottIn Poetry, Prose44 Comments

Hi WordPress Fam,

I’ve been quiet here, not from lack of words, but because life shifted fast and hard. I recently relocated to Kenya for work — a major transition that has demanded my full attention, mind, and energy.

At the same time, my heart has been anchored back home, as I watched the devastation of Hurricane Melissa unfold across Jamaica. Many of you have shared kind words to the posts I managed to get out on the situation in Jamaica. Again, THANK YOU!

Holding both realities at once has been heavy. The emotional toll of uprooting, starting over in a new country, and witnessing so much loss in a place that shaped me has been A LOT. Some days I’ve felt stretched thin between responsibility and grief, between staying strong and needing rest.

I’ve taken this brief pause from this online space to steady myself and make space to process it all. Writing is never far from me, even when I’m quiet, and I’ll be back here soon with new stories, new reflections, and the same commitment to honesty and hope. I’ve got so much to share including from being on the ground in Jamaica, watch this space!

Thank you for your prayers and your steady presence here.

Quiet roots take hold
Storms pass, tired hearts still rise
Rest, to bloom again

One Love ❤️ One Heart ♥️
Dee

PS You’ll appreciate these posts:

we are JamaiCAN, we CAN rise again (with video and recital in patois)

Jamaica Strong

A Prayer for Jamaica

JamaiCAN: The Will That Refuses to Quit

SUPPORT JAMAICA REBUILD

If you’re able to support Jamaica’s recovery, the government has set up a site to coordinate all support coming to our beautiful island. We are grateful for all the countries, organizations, individuals, charities etc. that have come to our aid. We’re eternally grateful.

Image credit: Facebook, Jamaica Observer