Africa and Kenya have always been a fascinating region for me, It has been on the Bucket list for a while! And the reason we have always avoided it is that we were afraid of the “Yellow Fever injection” But since we already got our shots during the Brazil Visa! It was a matter of time, till we would be planning for Kenya!
But… A wedding in Kenya! Excited us! And one of the reasons we changed our tickets and plan for Egypt was because of the destination first and second this would be a fun family wedding to attend.
In the next 24 hours, we have reworked are plans and are all set for the Indian wedding in Kenya.
Kenya is popular for the Masai Mara for its lion & leopard spotting.
But, Amboseli National Park, was making news recently for its celebrity Elephant “Craig Super Tusker” who had passed away!
And Amboseli was also our wedding destination.
Arriving in Nairobi after a 3 hr flight delay from the airlines, We Were tired but fresh to explore the city, with just about one day in hand here!
The city’s roads were beautifully wide and smooth, the Traffic too was one of the worst we had experienced during the peak hours of locals heading home!!
The Food we ate was satisfying and yum! Greek food at a Greek restaurant for lunch and Kenyan food ( Beans, Vegetables and Rice) we tasted during dinner.
Kenyan! Has like a lot of other countries in the world, an Indian population who has settled there in the early 1900s and an Indian community that meets often!
A couple of things I learnt on my trip besides the fact already known that Kenyan Coffee is one of the best! Kenyan Exports a huge amount of Roses, to Europe & Tea to the United States.
This is a little insight into the Kenyan economy.
Let’s get back to the Kenyan experience- The Safari I am talking about!
The safari set for 5 am, with a hazy sunrise that had shades of purple was an experience of quietness and An Army of elephants walking together, zebras on either side and hyenas chasing, deer flocking together. We enjoyed the safari so much, we headed again for an afternoon one, trying to spot Giraffes and lions/leopards.
The afternoon safari… we were lucky to have spotted a couple of giraffes but none of the lions or leopard.
The different sounds, the calmness of animals and the early morning of Kilimanjaro mountain before it would play its hide & seek game was one of the highlights of the Kenyan wedding experience.
The wedding decor with backdrops of the mountains and simplicity of colours and florals made the whole decoration look beautiful without any OTT emphasis on filling up the space.
The grazing table during the cocktail dinner had space utilised well!
The Dholki’s during the afternoon mehendi was a vibe that stepped up the whole wedding mood for the coming functions.
While we were still soaking in Kenya, we had to leave for another destination…
A few facts on the coffee from Kenya:
Kenyan coffee undergoes a unique doublefermentation process, which sets it apart. After the beans are fermented and washed, they are soaked in fresh water for up to 24 hours and then fermented again to enhance the development of intricate flavours. This process amplifies the coffee’s acidity and brings out bright, fruity notes characteristic of Kenyan coffee
The eight coffee grades are:
AA: Large beans (20 mm) with the highest quality.
AB: A mix of A and B grades (6.80 mm).
PB (Peaberry): Rare round beans, highly prized.
E (Elephant): The largest beans.
C: Smaller beans.
T: Smallest, thinnest, often faulty.
TT: Light beans, typically from “elephants.”
MH/ML: Unwashed beans (Mbuni) with lower prices and a sour taste.
A K H I L N A N D A 