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Picnicking in Solitude

By Kwame Akinyi

Picnicking in Solitude

Picnics are often illustrated as a group thing. It could be couples, close friends, family or even a colleaguesthing, but it’s not every day you hear someone telling you that they picked up their picnic basket and went out alone.

Personally, I have done infinite solo trips,park visits and restaurant dates but never solo picnics until  recently when I decided to challenge my self and go out for one. With all the working from home vibe and literally no groupings, I decided there’s no harm in doing certain activities alone.

I made a quickgoogle search for ideal picnic locations in my locality and one of the resultscaught my eye- the Kisumu Impala Sanctuary http://www.kws.go.ke/content/kisumu-impala-sanctuary. You see, the best thing with having a destination in mind prior is that you are able to plan accordingly and also, you know what to expect.

The KisumuImpala Sanctuary has five different picnic sites to choose from all of which offer a beautiful view of Lake Victoria. Despite being from the lakeside, this stood out for me because I never get enough of this scenic view, especially the sunsets.

So with the destination in check, I settled for a Saturday afternoon for my first solopicnic. I was excited and looked forward to a fantastic me-time. being that I hadn’t gone on a solo picnic before, I didn’t have a sizable picnic bag, so Iopted for my medium sized kiondo, oneI had from Maasai market on a previous trip to Nairobi.

I packed myMaasai leso, a pair of sunglasses and of course wasn’t going to leave behind was one of my favourite/current read, The Alchemist, such a great book if you ask me. I would totally recommend it. Nothing beats soaking up all of nature's wonders while reading your favourite book. A perfect way to travel in another dimension.

For my meal and being a light eater, I opted for my favourite chicken sandwich, two chocolate bars, cold lemonade and a bottle of water- Kisumu is one hot place I wasn’t going to risk  dehydration. I was keen to pack my sunscreen as well. I settled for a white sleeveless top and below the knee shorts and with a picnic hat to complete the look, I was good to go.  

I arrived at the Kisumu Impala Sanctuary and was treated to a great reception. The experience was everything I was looking forward to and their services offered  exceeded my expectations. The scenery was beautiful with zebras and Impalas roaming freely around the park.It was just a beautiful experience soaking into all this nature and reading my favourite book while at it.  

Out of all my solo activities, this would rank as my top two, to be honest. I had such a relaxing afternoon, enough to unwind with all that's going on currently, I got to watch the sunset and complete two chapters of my current read. Couldn't ask for a better afternoon.I would definitely recommend a solo picnic. You owe it to yourself.