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Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know that a small group of us YBCers are headed to Kenya next month for our Kenya Safari Yoga Retreat (we have three spots left, if you’d like to join!). I’ve been once before, and I learned so much about what to bring and putting all that knowledge into this post here, hoping to help any of you who might be heading out into the bush in the future!
The town we’ll be in sits on the equator, which probably makes you think you should bring all the summer clothes you own, but I promise you’ll regret that. Fun fact! When the sun goes down, it is instantly chilly because you’re about 2,000m above sea level and at the base of Mt Kenya, the second largest mountain in the country. For this reason, you’ll want to bring a hat, maybe some gloves, and a solid jacket. I’ll also bring a scarf because as you drive around in the Land Cruisers, a lot of dust blows around, and you’ll want to protect yourself from inhaling all that.
Speaking of the game drives, I’ll be bringing sunglasses to protect my eyes, and a safari hat which is kind of a necessity! I’ll also be bringing binoculars because even though the guides have a pair, it’s nice having your own!
Now let’s talk clothing. As I mentioned, we’ll be directly on the equator. Another cool fun fact is that there’s really no dusk or dawn. The second the sun comes up, it’s light, and the second the sun goes down, it’s pitch black. So a flashlight is a nice thing to have, and because there’s such a huge difference in temperature in those few minutes, it’s important to pack layers. I’ll be bringing chinos and khakis, tanks and tees, a cardigan, and bandanas which can double as face masks to protect from the dust, or headbands to keep hair out of your face as the wind blows.
Ok let’s talk shoes. I have these hiking boots in brown and they are comfortable, durable, and have been with me for muddy hiking in Hawaii to walks through the desert in California. I highly recommend them. I do like to workout when I travel, though, so I’ll also bring my Nike MetCon 4’s - they are the perfect weight - lightweight enough for running and WODs, but have a good heel that make them double as a good alternative to lifters. In the bush, there’s not much need for sandals, so I won’t be bringing any.
As far as yoga gear, the venue we’re staying at has some stretching mats, so that’s what I’ll use because I’m not picky, but if you prefer a great travel yoga mat, I highly recommend this one because it’s so close to a regular mat in terms of thickness and comfort. Some travel mats (like this one) are just very thin - uncomfortably thin for most people’s joints, in my opinion.
And then lastly, entertainment. Not that there’ll be a ton of down time, but I love to read and in our YBC® App Book Club, we are reading The Hate U Give this month, if you’d like to join. I also have this on my to-read list, and I just finished this, which I found so inspiring for entrepreneurs. I’m also currently in the middle of this book and I cannot put it down!
SO! That’s it from me. I’m so excited about this trip, and like I mentioned, we have three spots left, so please reach out if you’d like to join last minute!