2024 Engaging Africa Travel Experience 1

Relive the Student Experience: Culture, Environment and Development

~ June 22 to July 1, 2024 ~

This Engaging Africa Laurentian Travel Experience will visit the Nairobi, Kericho, Nakuru, and Navasha regions.

Left to Right: Tea Fields of Kericho, Lake Nakuru National Park, Mt. Longonot, Lake Naivasha

Left to Right: Tea Fields of Kericho, Mt. Longonot, Lake Nakuru National Park, Lake Naivasha

Itinerary (subject to minor changes):

If you would like a .pdf version of the itinerary and trip information, please email bknauf@stlawu.edu.

Participants will be picked up at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport by Kenya Program staff and transferred to SLU’s campus in the leafy Nairobi suburb of Karen. You will enjoy a three-night stay and a relaxing introduction to campus life and Kenya’s cosmopolitan capital city. You will be able to experience the student perspective 1st hand throughout the trip

  • Overnight on the KSP campus—live/relive the student experience.
  • Meet with Nairobi host communities and alumni in the region and explore the city through a student perspective.

We will travel west to the tea producing highlands of the Great Rift Valley for a two night visit with our longstanding rural homestay families in Kericho and Bomet Counties. We will visit with host-families and explore the challenges and innovations of rural Kenyan life.

  • Two night stay in Kericho at Sunshine Hotel.

Heading back down the Rift Valley escarpment we will visit Nakuru national park known for its rich concentration of wildlife and flamingos

  • Overnight at Lake Nakuru Lodge or equivalent.

From Nakuru we will continue back east along the Rift Valley floor to the Lake Naivasha region. Participants will be able to choose from a number of activities students do, including visits to Hells Gate National Park, a hike up 9,000 ft Mt. Longonot, visits to a raptor conservation center and/or a hippo boat tour of Lake Naivasha.

  • Two nights at Elsamere lodge or equivalent.

Heading back up the Rift Valley escarpment to Nairobi the trip will end with a final celebration dinner and city excursions before flying back to the U.S. overnight Monday with a Tuesday, July 2nd arrival.

Cost (airfare not included):

Alumni group photo in front of a building holding the St. Lawrence flag.

Alumni travel group in 2019 at lunch in Nyeri.

$2,600 per person (for double occupancy/sharing)

$2,900 per person (for single occupancy off-campus)

Maximum of 22 Laurentian participants - family members above age 13 are welcome to join.

Housing Information

Some shared accommodations may be required on the Nairobi campus, all other accommodations will be in single occupancy hotel rooms outside of Nairobi.

Additional Information

All meals and non-alcoholic drinks during meals are included throughout the trip. Cost is also inclusive of local travel/health care insurance coverage during the duration of the trip. Bottled/filtered water will also be provided for drinking.

Registration

This trip is now SOLD OUT.  If you would like to be added to the waitlist, please contact Barb Knauf via the contact information listed below. 

An initial deposit of $500 per person must be received to reserve your spot on a first-come, first-serve basis. Full payment is due by March 31, 2024. If the University cancels this experience, we will work with travelers on a future visit to Kenya or work to refund the full or partial deposit amounts as circumstances allow.   

Questions?

Please contact Barb Knauf via email at bknauf@stlawu.edu or by calling 315-229-1847, or email Dr. Matt Carotenuto at mcarotenuto@stlawu.edu.

Alumni group with homestay families during 2019 trip

Alumni travel group with homestay families in 2019.