5 Ways to act like You’re in Kenya When You MUST stay Home

COVID got you feeling a little stir crazy? Here’s some medicine to ease your wanderlust.


1. Get out there and socialize

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Kenyans are some of the friendliest people in the world. Most people in Kenya wouldn’t leave their house without saying hello to their neighbors and anyone they meet along the way. Since many people travel around town by walking, there are plenty of opportunities to stop and talk to new people or catch up with old friends.

No one is ever too busy to say hello and spend time together. Take a page out of the Kenyan guidebook and take a leisurely walk alone or with a friend. Prioritize spending time with people and take life at a slower pace. There is always time to enjoy the people around you, whether you know them or not.

 

2. Eat and drink like a Kenyan

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One of the most loved foods in Kenya is chapati. It’s an unleavened flatbread that is delicious eaten with meat, eggs, or even by itself. In Swahili, chai typically refers to any kind of hot tea drink. It doesn’t specifically mean spiced tea with cinnamon and cloves like in the US, but it does usually have lots of milk and sugar in it.

Donuts in Kenya are called mandazi and they’re absolutely delicious in the morning with your cup of chai. Be aware that they are not as sweet as American donuts, so if you want that sweetness, you’ll need to add honey or sugar.

If you’re looking for other Kenyan recipes, this website is a great place to start. They even break up the recipes into categories based on which people groups in Kenya the dishes belong to.

 

3. Read a book or watch a movie set in Kenya

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Though Kenya is not the official setting of The Lion King, they have a lot in common. One of Kenya’s national languages is Swahili and many Swahili words are used in the movie. Some of which are: Simba (lion), Pumbaa (slow-witted), and Rafiki (friend). Additionally, the landscape in both are very similar and you can also find all the animals in the movie within Kenya.

There are quite a few non-animated movies that were filmed in Kenya as well. Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life was shot in Hell’s Gate National Park, and The Constant Gardener was filmed in a house that you can actually rent through Airbnb.

The book and 1986 Best Picture winner, Out of Africa, is set in Kenya and you can still visit the house of the author and main character of the film! If you’re looking for more of a thriller, the book Man-Eaters of Tsavo, and subsequent film starring Michael Douglas and Val Kilmer titled The Ghost and the Darkness, are great choices for an exciting evening full of true stories of man-eating lions.

 

4. Watch these live cams to see Kenya in real time

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Live cams are a great way to feel like you’re really in a place even if you can’t actually go there. Kenya has everything; beaches, mountains, waterfalls, and large cities.

If you want to see African animals in their natural habitat, look no further than the webcams in Aberdare National Park and Tsavo East National Park. Aberdare National Park is a beautiful forested park in central Kenya with waterfalls, scenic hiking trails, and plenty of wildlife. Tsavo East National Park is known as one of the oldest and largest parks in the country. It is famous for being one of the only places where the male lions have no manes.

In addition to the parks, the beautiful clear, teal blue waters of Kenyan beaches will make you want to jump right in. Watamu Beach, located on the Indian Ocean is the perfect place to lay on a beach chair while enjoying a cold drink (preferably with one of those little umbrellas in it). Lastly, don’t forget about city life if you want a little taste of Kenya.

This video of Nairobi is not a live cam, but it’s a great way to see what life is like in Kenya’s biggest city.

 

5. Listen to Kenyan music

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Even if you don’t understand the words, Kenyan music just seems to be able to brighten up any dreary day.

If you’re in the mood for a bit of a slower song, try these: Kuliko Jana, Hawa Wasichana, El Shaddai, Nikikutazama. On the other hand, if you want some songs to play while you dance around your house in your underwear, listen to these: Mungu Pekee, Bazokizo (you could even try learning the dance in this video if you’re feeling really wild).

These three have a bit more English for all you anglophones out there: Suzanna, Brighter Days, Midnight Train. If you’re looking for music about current events, this song was recently written about COVID-19: Mungu Mkuu.

And finally, if you’d like to see more of Nairobi, the music video for this song shows some really great videos around the city: Nairobi.