Nicholas Mwangi
It was in my early childhood that my love for traveling really began. I grew up at the slopes of Mount Kenya the second highest Mountain in Africa an area that was rich in biodiversity with many wild animals like antelopes, foxes, leopards as well butterflies and wide variety of beautiful birds.
. After school I studied a degree in Travel and Tourism Management, before embarking on tourism career. While in college I was occasionally involved in trip planning process for students and staff, connecting them with service providers, I would help staff and student groups arrange holidays, manage their tours and travel itineraries, navigate travel insurance policies, applying for passports, visas and other necessary travel documents. All along I was mesmerized and enchanted by uniqueness and diversity of the African culture, landscape, history, cuisine, un spoilt wilderness and this inspiration led to establishment of Animal Kingdom Safaris so as to be able to facilitate and provide a magical experience to those seeking an authentic taste of Africa
Since then, I have been part of Animal Kingdom Safaris with over 25 years’ experience as the lead safari guide, and I couldn’t imagine working anywhere else now. Animal Kingdom Safaris has extended my knowledge abroad, through extensive, first-hand, on-the-ground research trips.
Do give me a call/Whats-app or send an email to discuss your plans. There's nothing I enjoy better than talking about African destinations and planning trips for other people!
What places and activities do you specialize in?
"Private Tours, Honeymoon, Golf tours, Mountain climbing, History & culture, Adventure & Trekking, Beach & relaxation."
How did you get involved in travel?
"In my early school/college days, traveling solo had been on my bucket list for a while, but while it was something that excited me, it also scared the hell out of me too. I’d never even been out to dinner on my own, what made me think I could pack up my things and take a trip in another country all by myself?
The hype around solo traveling had also started to build, everything I read claimed that it would be the one thing to help me find myself, and eventually I started hearing stories of friends of friends doing it. Suddenly, it didn’t seem like this thing that only cool and confident people on the internet were doing, but people who I knew or were in my wider social circle were doing it. Then, the perfect opportunity presented itself, and it was just too hard to say no. I was to take a volunteering trip to Uganda for 7 days, and if I was able to plan it properly by myself, I’d be able to extend my flights to the neighboring country to cover a longer time for volunteering activities, and would only need to fund my accommodation and spending money. I needed to decide quickly, as these trips were usually booked in quite last minute (a month or so in advance at most), which didn’t leave me much time to think or start to worry about it. So, I did it, all went well, and here I am, enjoying amazing and top destinations worldwide.
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Please share a unique travel experience you will never forget.
"Hiking Mount Kilimanjaro to catch the sunrise. When I was told we were going to be waking up at 2 a.m. on my birthday to hike up Mount Kilimanjaro to catch the sunrise, i was less than thrilled. With an early morning start between midnight and 2 a.m., this is the most mentally and physically challenging portion of the trek. We trekked our way to the summit between the Rebmann and Ratzel glaciers trying to stay warm and focused of the amazing sense of accomplishment that lies ahead. We ascended through a heavy scree towards Stella Point on the crater rim, where we were rewarded with the most magnificent sunrise during our short rest here. Another 1 hour ascent to Uhuru Peak, encountering snow all the way until we reached the peak the highest point on the entire continent of Africa!! We took a few moments to enjoy this incredible accomplishment as I celebrated my birthday. It was one of those moments that made me stop and feel awe-inspired by just how incredibly beautiful this great big world is."
