NAIROBI, KENYA

Where can you find one of the world’s most incredible adventures? How about an exploring vacation that gives something back to humanity? It can all be achieved in one trip…to Africa! Africa…just the name is exciting! This is a place where journeys begin and where you can discover adventure at
every turn.

To many people, the country of Kenya is synonymous with “safari”… one of the most memorable vacations you can have! Located on the east coast of Africa, Kenya is known for its incredible natural beauty and its amazing animals that still live in the wild, roaming the savannahs and open plains. Kenya is also a country of extremes---and extreme poverty is one fact of life that never makes the tourist brochures.

Here you can experience a vacation concept that’s called “volun-tourism.” Where you can combine your African safari with a few days helping people who desperately need it. I came to go on an incredible safari- yes…but also to work with people who need help, and see how we all can spend a part of our vacation time giving something back.

Nairobi is the capitol of Kenya … and where you’ll spend a night or two before heading out to your game lodge. There’s a lot to see here, and several attractions for visitors. Luxury hotels, exclusive shops and expensive restaurants cater to those with money in Nairobi. But Nairobi is also a city of extremes and where the difference between “haves” and “have nots” is staggering. More than 70% of people who live in cities, like this one in Nairobi, live in slums, where people live in basically inhumane conditions---no toilets, no running water, no drinking water, and most of the time, no food. That's why volunteers make a difference here. Charitable organizations and volunteers donate what they can here in Kenya, but it’s never enough.

Volun-tourism is starting to bring awareness to what’s needed here as well as to provide an outlet to those visitors who want to help but don’t know where to go. There are never enough helping hands, and where there’s hungry children, your children can help too.

After few days of volunteer work, visitors will want to then see the other side of life in the city of Nairobi. The capital and largest city in Kenya, Nairobi was founded in 1899 as a simple rail depot. Today, it’s booming and a hotspot for tourism in east Kenya, earning its nickname, the “safari capital of the world.” Visitors come to Nairobi for museums, famous national parks, spectacular hotels and of course, the safaris.

But one of the most popular attractions here is the Giraffe Center, a sanctuary of wildlife and wilderness. Located about 5 kilometers outside Nairobi in Langata, the Giraffe Center has become a critical tool in conservation education, tourism, and the re-population of the Rothschild Giraffe.

It’s a rare opportunity to interact with these gentle giants. And here, you can feed, hug, pet, and take lots of pictures with this unique species of giraffe. The center has an incredible history. The late Jock Leslie-Melville and his wife, Betty, first established the Giraffe Centre as a sanctuary to protect the endangered Rothschild giraffe in 1974.

And it all started at the Giraffe Manor House. The owners of the property found out about the plight of this sub-species of giraffe, the Rothschild giraffe, and brought a couple down to compound to start the process to save them. Aware of the endangerment of the Rothschild giraffe, whose numbers in the wild had fallen to a devastatingly low 130, the Leslie-Melvilles began the careful process of protecting and rehabilitating the Rothschild species. Betty raised one of the first giraffes like a pet, naming her daisy and taming her. She later wrote a book about their experiences called Raising Daisy Rothschild, which was later made into a movie.

Jock and Betty were extremely successful in their efforts, and founded the African Fund for Endangered Wildlife in 1977. Today, the population of the Rothschild giraffe has proudly grown to over 300 strong, and the Giraffe Center is now a highlight for visitors! The main thing is to feed the giraffe and just have a relaxing time. There's a hundred acre sanctuary that is open to the public. All the school kids go through walks in there to find out about the trees, the birds, the bees, and the animals, as well as visit the giraffes in the compound.

The sight of these long-necked beauties can be intimidating at first, but they’ve been raised here to be very gentle with people. They'll eat right out of your hand. But there's another way that's a lot more fun. Put the pellet in your mouth. The giraffe takes the pellet from you gently and gives you a kiss in the process! What soft lips you have! Don’t be shy…everyone gets in on the action. And most go back for seconds! This has to be a once in a lifetime opportunity, and, who knew? These giraffes just love to kiss!

All the giraffes have names here and you can tell them apart by looking at their faces. They all have different markings on their face. Now if you stay in the Manor House, you can be upstairs in your bedroom and they'll come right up to the window. Can't do that on safari, can you?

The Giraffe Manor House opened as a small hotel in 1993, and only its guests are invited inside, keeping it private and exclusive. It’s still very much like a private home, surrounded by over 140 acres of African forest and wildlife. Peaceful and quiet, with only those wonderful Rothschild giraffes as curious neighbors! Now, where else do you know where you can go and have breakfast and have a giraffe eat right out of your hand?

Staying at Giraffe Manor also helps support the Giraffe center. As well as the Leslie-Melville African Fund for Endangered Wildlife. It not only helps protect the growing Rothschild giraffe population, but funds conservation education classes and special workshops for kids here at center. There were so many giraffes on the property, they thought it a great idea to build the center so that kids could come and feed the giraffes and learn about conservation.

Africa is an amazing experience, and while going on a safari is something that I’ll never forget, spending part of this trip volunteering was a life changing experience.

I feel like I got to know some of the people, I got more involved in the culture and I learned a lot about myself and my family. You know… I think this is the best travel experience I’ve ever had and I hope you will feel the same.

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