Best Hotels in Kenya and East Africa: Simply the Serena Group of Hotels

In keeping with the Serena philosophy of harmony with the environment, each property demonstrates an ethnic design making full use of local materials that blend with the immediate surroundings. The attention to detail and commitment to hygiene, using only the highest standards of produce is legendary across East Africa.

Serena hotels have also been eco-tourism pioneers for many years and have initiated important environmental programmes to protect wildlife, communities and fragile habitats. Their philosophy that tourism should offer a distinctive experience of the country visited rather than simply an experience in a country, is their firm ethos.

The Nairobi Serena Hotel

There are seven Serena properties in Kenya-the first is their city flagship, the Nairobi Serena, a member of the Leading Hotels of the World organisation, located on the edge of the city in a tropical garden setting, but only a few minutes from the town centre.

The Mombasa Serena Beach Hotel

The second is their coast flagship, the Mombasa Serena Beach Hotel, a member of Club Best Hotels of the World organisation, situated along Shanzu Beach on the North Coast. Since September 2003, the property now offers a brand new state-of-the-art conference facility built in the luxurious grounds of the hotel, capable of holding up to 140 delegates.

Amboseli Serena Safari Lodge

Moving to more traditional safari lodges and hotels and camps, the third property, the Amboseli Serena safari Lodge, nestles in the foothills of Mt. Kilimanjaro, hidden beneath a grove of a giant Acacia trees set beside a gentle flowing natural spring.

Kilaguni Serena Safari Lodge

The fourth property, the Kilaguni Serena Safari Lodge, is located on a ridge that commands magnificent sweeping views of the Chyulu Hills at the foot of Mt. Kilimanjaro whilst the fifth property, the Mara Serena Safari Lodge, is perched on the saddle of a hill commanding one of the most spectacular views imaginable across the vast plains, forests and rivers that make up the Maasai Mara, one of the worlds richest wildlife sanctuaries.

Serena Mountain Lodge, Nyeri

The sixth Serena property, the Serena Mountain Lodge, Nyeri, is located 2,194 meters high up on the slopes of Mt. Kenya, surrounded by a dense rainforest that comes alive at dusk with a myriad of sounds that make the African bush so special and exhilarating.



Samburu Serena Safari Lodge

The last Kenyan Property, the Samburu Serena Safari Lodge, is located right in the centre of the Samburu Game Reserve, a Semi-arid, open savannah plain broken by small rugged hills in Kenya’ Northern province.

Tanzania Lodges

Lake Manyara Serena Safari Lodge

Similarly, there are five properties in Tanzania- the first; Lake Manyara Serena Safari Lodge is located on the Great Rift Valley Escarpment with a fantastic view over Lake Manyara and the Valley below.

Ngorongoro Serena safari Lodge

The second, the Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge, is perched high on the rim of the breath taking Ngorongoro Crater.

Kirawira Camp:

The third, Kirawira Camp, recently awarded membership of the much coveted Small luxury Hotels in the World accreditation, is situated in the Western Serengeti.

Serena Mountain Village

The fourth, The Serena Mountain Village, nestles in the heart of a coffee plantation on the shores of Lake Duluti near Arusha.


Serengeti Serena Safari Lodge

The fifth, the Serengeti Serena Safari Lodge, inspired by the traditional African Village based on individual thatched huts, set high on a hill with 3600 views out over the Serengeti savannah.
Like the Kenyan Properties, all were designed to blend in with their natural surroundings and constructed using local materials and labour.

Zanzibar Serena Inn
Moving away from the mainland, the Zanzibar Serena Inn, located at the Heart of the Old Stone Town comprises of two restored sea-front buildings, one dating back to the 18th Century and the other colonial building to the 19th century.

The Serena Inn also comprises the Mangapwani Serena Beach Club and Restaurant, famous for it’s freshly caught local sea food, located on the North West Coast of the Island and just a short drive by courtesy bus or boat journey. Serena Inn guests are able to enjoy all the facilities of a luxury beach club in exclusive private surroundings.


Hotel Polana-Mozambique

The group recently acquired two further properties; the hotel Polana in Mozambique, overlooking the Bay of Maputo, now restored to its former colonial glory.



Kampala Serena Hotel

And the very latest, the Kampala Serena Hotel which represents a US$18M investment for extensive refurbishment of the former Nile Hotel, opened in September 2005.

Serena Hotels East Africa; keeper of high standards and unique designs

When the Serena group was established in the mid-70s, by the Aga Khan Fund for Development, the aim was simple but challenging, to become the leading hotel group in East Africa. Today, this aim has become a reality and Serena Hotels are recognized both locally and internationally as clear market leaders, offering the highest standards of service and properties of unique design set in prime locations through out each region.

In addition to its East African portfolio, the Serena Group owns properties in Pakistan, Tajikistan and Afghanistan. For further detailed information on your safari accommodation and bookings visit http://www.landmarksafaris.com/planner

Mt. Kilimanjaro & Amboseli elephants: the tale of Ol Tukai

The Amboseli National park has the highest number of elephants which roam freely around a lodge. The elephants are so habituated due that you will find one feeding right outside your room. Amboseli Park is the classic post card symbol of Mt. Kilimanjaro and Amboseli of Africa. The photo, familiar to most visitor’s, features a herd of elephants wallowing in clear water with a backdrop of a bald-snow-capped Mt. Kilimanjaro.

I’m chatting with Soila, the project manager of the Amboseli Elephant Research Project. The mid-morning sun, a warm orange glow in a blue sky, casts a lush tone of green on the swamp by Ol Tukai lodge. Ambling in the background is one of Soila’s favorite charges, Adam.

“Adam is in his 30s.He”s used to breaking fences and staying near the lodge,” explains the pretty Maasai woman who has worked for the project for more than 20 years and can recognize most of the elephants of Amboseli. “I think he likes being around sometime he will be behind a tree and people will walk right passed him and he trumpet to scare them away”. He was away for four months with a group of males at kimana, a ranch 40 kilometers away.

Adam disappears into the horizon, a grey hulk in a green swamp with Mt. Kilimanjaro glued like a poster in the clear blue sky.

“The AERP office is based in the lodge in the middle of Amboseli”, she continues .And the elephants have influenced them [meaning the lodge] a lot. You have got to see the chandelier of tusks [not real thank goodness] hanging above the bar. All the chalets have elephant brass plates on the doors. “That’s besides the enormous wooden elephant by the bar and other ele-phernalia around Amboseli’s Ol Tukai. Incidentally, Ol Tukai is the name of the palm found around the swamps of Amboseli and very central in many a Maasai ceremony.

Ol Tukai is a beautiful lodge set by the fringe of the swamps that’s fed by the snows of Mt. Kilimanjaro, the world’s tallest free-standing mountain. I enjoy a couple of refreshing laps in the swimming pool and afterwards, a mini massage in the beauty clinic. One is spoilt for choice at the lodge where there is everything from French manicure and pedicure to aromatherapy massages while the elephants keep busy in the swamp right outside.

The AERP project was started in Amboseli by Cynthia Moss, a world renowned authority on elephants. Cynthia came to Amboseli in the early 70s and so began one of the greatest chronicles of elephant’s family in the world. The AERP is renowned as the most longest and most detail of free–living elephants. Today, names like Adam and Echo of Amboseli are known to a world –wide audience watching wildlife documentaries in the comfort of their sitting rooms.

The elephants of Amboseli are very special. Every one of them has a file complete with a photograph, name, number and code. The project, like its founder, is renowned as the longest and most detail study of free living elephants since 1972. It is used as the model of assessing the status of other elephant of populations in Africa. It’s also used increasingly as a baseline data on the elephant social and reproductive patterns.

Elephants are like people comments Soila. “Some are weird, some are loners, and some are friendly and others crazy.”

The swamp by Ol Tukai is fascinating, more so because it’s the home ground for the EB family. Cynthia pioneered her research by getting to name each one in alphabetical family units. From the initial ‘E’group, the generation down the family tree has spilt into EA, EB, EC.

We get to meet the Echo of the EB group on the afternoon game drive. She’s really beautiful with a perfect pair of slim curved tusks, the tips almost touching each other in perfect symmetry. With her, is the youngest calf. Echo is the matriarch of her group and well into her 50s.

Ol Tukai of Amboseli is full for the moment after the long rains which have fed the swamps and the grasses. The mirages of the salt lake fed in the sinking sun as we climb up the vent of Nomatio, the tiny mountains from the Pleistocene era when mammoths and mastodons and saber toothed cats ruled the plains and birds with wingspans of 30- feet flew the skies. The time span of the Pleistocene lasted from 1.8million years ago to the last ice age 10,000 years ago. This is also the time that the homospecies became smarter thinkers

Your Kenyan safari

Your Kenyan Safari

The Kenyan holiday experience is touted to be the most comprehensive in Africa. It is the only country that you will experience 3 district climatic conditions namely, Coastal Humid, cool highland and dry desert. The attractions here also range from the beaches 1) white sands, 2) wildlife, 3) the scenery of the great Rift Valley, 4) the green plantations of the highlands, 5) the cradle of mankind archeological sites, 6) No distinct cultural ethical endowments show-copped markets among others.

a) Wildlife Safaris
Kenya has managed to maintain its wildlife in natural areas in National Parks and Reserves. The big five wildlife including Rhino, Lion, Leopard, Elephant and Buffalo is all found in these parks Including the small bovid. Among Kenyans most parks include the indomitable - Massai Mara
- Nakuru National Park
- Aberdares National Park
- Tsavo National Park (11,000 kms equal size of Israel)
- Samburu
- Amboseli National Reserve
- Among other 57 Parks and Reserves
Nairobi National Park is the only park located within a capital city in the world. Lions, Zebras, gnus, Leopards, Rhino, Buffalo are 5minutes from the CBD.

Wildebeest Migration

The single most popular wildlife spectre in Kenya is the annual wildebeest migration to and back from Serengeti into the Maasai Mara. The wildebeest migration is such a phenomenon it involves movement of over 10 million animals crossing plains and rivers. The huge migration is such that the satellites in space picks it up as a fluid mass of black trail. The Maasai Mara lodges are usually overbooked and full in the migration months of June-Nov.

Lion and Oryx

Some years back a story extra ordinaire caught the attention of international media. This was the story of an old lioness called ‘Namunyak’ in Samburu National Reserve. The lioness had formed a bizarre habit of adopting 4 young Oryx for days on end. The lioness was actually protective of its adoptee(s) that she couldn’t go to hunt for fear of her being killed by the males of her pride. This made her loose a lot of weight but still held on strong. On four different occasions the lioness adopted an Oryx calve after the other despite being frustrated by the male lions and disposition of others by the rangers. Namugaki is still out there in the wild while the 4th adoptee was rescued by the Kenya Wildlife Rangers can now bee seen mature at the Nairobi orphanage.



Mzee the Tortoise & Owen the Hippo

Haller Park is the former world reclaimed Bamburi Nature Trail at the coast. Reclaimed from cement Quarries of Bamburi Cement Factory the park has been fully rehabilitated with conserving trees and stocked as a zoo with giraffes, hippo gazelles Oryx, Eland, fish, snakes, etc.

A very recent and ongoing development at Haller Park has been the extra ordinary friendship between 100+ old tortoise and a young 5+ hippo. While mzee the Tortoise has seen it all unfold at Bamburi, Owen the baby hippo was orphaned after the mother died elsewhere. Now, the story is said that Own started to spend time with Mzee (Old man) upon arrival at the Park. This bond has now developed such that the two, feed, sleep and walk together. They are inseparable and Owen is especially aggressive to any intruders.

Other stories always emerge of unique unions between different wildlife species including one between a lone buffalo and a murderous black Rhino in the Maasai Mara Game Reserve. It all goes to show how free ranging animals take their entitled liberties.

Wildlife viewing in the Mara is done in 8 seater Mini vans and land cruiser trucks. The Mara is so beaming with wildlife that you can almost touch an elephant feeding. 1 – years one metre off the road. And that is from right next to the gate. Balloon safaris are the most satisfying way to view the gazillions of wildlife and especially the big five balloon safaris are booked on demand from Nairobi.

ii. Beach Safaris

Nothing beats a coastal holiday like one experience in the Kenya White Sand Beaches. This is especially good for visitors in need of lazing in the tropical coast sure for a tan and swim. Other water sports available along the beaches include
- Water/wind skiing
- Surfing
- Deep sea fishing
- Scuba diving
- Swimming with dolphins
- Jet skiing
- Coral garden snorkeling and
- Glass bottomed boat rides into marine parks

The accommodation facilities along our beaches range from 4-5 star deluxe with top of the range international service standards. You can make your choice between beach cottages, lodges, hotel and eco-camps


iii) Cultural Safaris

Kenya has a diverse cultural background from its over 42 ethnic groups. The most spectacular is however the Maasai warrior tribe which lives among wildlife in the Mara Reserve. The Maasai have a specifically intriguing lifestyle as they co-exist side by side with very dangerous wildlife. Their Moran warrior culture prepares young initiates into the warrior (army) age set. These Morans emerge from their clustered life in braided, red ochre hair, clad in very colourful red kikoi (cotton fabric) tyre sandals and complete with a spear, they are a sight to behold.

The Swahili culture at the coast is also very unique including their architecture, dressing, food etc. Cultural safaris are also organized around mythical stories like the Samson-like Lwanda Magere, Warriors, the Nyamgondho man who turned into a tree stamp after chasing away his wife given from the Gods.

The Bomas of Kenya offers traditional dances and foods and is located in the city far 1 day excursions. There are also National Museums that have collected artifacts from traditional societies for display in Museums in most towns in Kenya.

iv) Adventure Safaris

And for that visitor full of energy, Kenya offers a variety of high energy, high adrenaline, dare devil activities for that memorable feeling. The snow-copped 5000m+ Mt Kenya is a challenge to may seasoned mountain climbers. There are several built-up resting camps as well as provided for climbing routes. Climbing gear and guides are lined at base camp for the 5-6 day climb.

Bangee jumping and white water rafting is done 50 km from Nairobi town at Sagana/ that is along the upstream of Tana River.

Biking is usually organized activity within wildlife areas from your lodge. Trekking game safaris are also done in community group ranches in the Maasai Mara area.

Other adventure safaris include the overlander camping, off the beaten truck trips. These camping safaris usually involved covering larger areas and gets more interior, takes longer days but is also the most rewarding.

Adventure safaris will usually include camping in mobile 1-2 man tent units. Catering is provided while transport is by overlanders and or trucks.

v) Sport Safaris
Kenya is globally recognized for its world class, record breaking athletes. Our success in International athletic gains is attributed to high attitude training. World standard high altitude camps have now been started and caters for athletes looking to improve performance.

In addition there is now a national calendar of Marathons in Kenya that athletes can test their performance i.e Nairobi Marathon, Lewa Marathon among others. Lewa Marathon is especially unique as it takes place in the middle of a game community reserve. The runners are running in the middle of Lions, Buffalo, Zebra, giraffe etc. It is a world famous event that attracts international participation. Other sparking activities in Kenya popular with visitors include Deep Sea fishing, the Coastal Regarta,---


vi) Nature Safaris

Kenya enjoys a spectrum of scenic attractions test the appetite of any nature loving tourist. From the snow capped mountains in the tropics to the descent dunes to the North East of the Country.

The Natural tropical forests of Arabuko Soloike is a must go for any nature tourist. The coastal forest has resident elephant regulations. Among the endemic species include the elephant shrew, and the little scoops owl. The community butterfly project is also a must see for visitors.

Kakamega forest is a remnant of equatorial forest running through to DR Congo. The forest canopy is so high and interlocked it creates a permanent dark under cover. Activities in many of Kenyans forests includes bird watching, forest walks, camping Biking etc.

The Great Rift Valley provides scenic beauty observed from the Eastern Escarpment. The Rift Valley floor is dotted with active volcanic activity in the form of geysers, hotsprings and smouldering mountains, fresh water, lakes and crater lakes. L. Bogoria is an exciting destination where one boils eggs off the steam of hotsprings, flamingoes are plentiful in these lakes including Elementaita, Nakuru and Bogoria . Preferred accommodation is exclusive camps and lodges.

vii) Charity & Mission Safaris

The philanthropy safari magnitude is growing exponentially due to the increasing North South pro-pour movement. Needy situations in Africa including Kenya are a result of HIV/AIDS,Education, poverty environment, Hunger etc. There exist very ideal projects with which charitable financial and human resources are channeled to Kenya including:
- Destitute Homes
- Conservation Organization
- School teaching
- Hospitals
- Churches/mosques/temples

Participants in this kind of travel include

- Gap year students
- volunteers
- Missionaries
- Internship programs etc

There are as such organizations and tour operators that handle the traveling, orientation, booking and other logistics of such groups. Others also understand placement of these human resources in needy institutions as volunteers, teachers, interns, missionaries etc.

Accommodation is mainly hostels, home stays & Budget hotels due to the lengthy stay and the fact that this group is more of workers than tourists.

viii) Historical Safaris

Kenya is credited as the cradle of mankind, from where the earliest remains of human bones were discovered by Dr Richard Leakey. Evidence of the earliest, man were discovered at Koobi. Fora on the shores of L. Turkana formerly L. Rudolf. Other areas that remains and tools of(adze) of the human ancestry have been found include Kaariandusi and Ololgesavile, archeological sites. All early ancestry artifacts are collected and displayed at National Museum at Nairobi. These archeological sites are also developed into tourist attractions.
There are also caves believed to have been shelter of the early man across the country. Rock paintings are evident in such areas as the

a)Mt Elgon Kitguu and Makingery Caves
b) Mfangano Island and in Malaba district.

The USAID has recently given aid to rehabilitate and preserve these caves. Other caves at Shimoni have been used as stockade for slaves in transit to major markets in Zanzibar for onward transmission to South America & Europe.
Recent colonial war between the Mau Mau freedom fighters is also evident. Bombings of the Mau Mau that created lakes can be seen at Aberdare forest and Buffalo Springs Reserve.

Accommodation for historical tourists is arranged in towns closest to such sites.

Visiting Kenya for Safari

Tour operators have already pre-packaged safaris on Beach, Nature, Historical, Wildlife, Adventure Cultural, charity and Mission, Sport activities. You will need to select from a pre-arranged list of the sum.

Alternatively, some tour operators have facility to tailor a safari, whereby you fill in a form indicating your preferences from which the tour operator makes your itinerary with your endorsement. Accommodation in Kenya depends on your budget and you are able to choose from budget to 5 star deluxe.

On land transport also offers you options between 8-seater minibus, self driven cars or 4x4 and coaches.

I welcome you to Kenya for an experience worth its weight in gold.

Joe is a tour Consultant based in Nairobi Kenya.

THE THRILLS OF THE MARA : The Great wildebeest migration

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THE THRILLS OF THE MARA : The Great wildebeest migration

The wildebeest is feted as the clown of the Savannah. Also known as a gnu the animal has a structure of a horse with a heavily built frontal shoulders and chest and a slender posterior. Its legs are so slender its intriguing how its able to support the proportionately larger body frame. The ‘clown’ title results from its unusual behavior considered to other builds, for example a gnu herd will usually scatter in different directions when attacked by a lion. This makes it easier for the predator to isolate and strike. Its disproportionate structure does not help it either and resembles a misfire in creation. It has some blurry long fur that flows on its unusually large head and inwardly bent horns to boot.

THE MIGRATION

What gives the gnu its worldwide repute is not its body structure however but the sheer numbers and specter created by its migration. The animals migrate between the Serengeti and Mara Savannahs in Tanzania and Kenya respectively in search of grass and water. It is estimated that over 10 million of these animals are on the move during the annual migration between June and October. The numbers are so high that miles upon miles of grassland is blanketed by a mass of moving gnu. They simply stretch from one horizon to the next of the conveniently flat and treeless Maasai Mara Savannah. It is a sight to behold when on your wildlife safari. The wild beast migration phenomenon is so huge that satellites miles away in space are able to capture the surge as a black moving mass on the plains of East Africa. Now that’s huge: and its even more awesome watching it on the ground or with Mara balloon Safaris.

RIVER CROSSING

The most dramatic memorable safari experience is when you observe the migrating wildebeest/gnus at the several Mara river crossings. Numbers upon numbers are annually at such crossings that the gnus have developed a self preservation instinct over time. Wildebeests will amass in their millions at banks of river Mara which is rife with the notorious Nile crocodiles and raging currents. Put in the swift current, eminent stampedes and jaw snapping crocodiles. Millions of gnu die in this picture and you get guaranteed recipe for mass genocide at the Mara river crossings. Over 250,000 of the wildebeest die from drowning, stampede, crocodiles and the predators on opposite river banks every year. But even this annual carnage is not enough to reduce their numbers. The deaths during migration is now considered as a natural population check natural selection at its best. The maasai Mara river is usually awash with bloated mass of wildebeest bodies that crocodiles feast on for days on end.

DO OR DIE POINT

River crossings in the Mara are favourite vantage points to observe the Mara wildebeest migration on your Kenyan safari. The animals will gather hesitantly in huge numbers on the banks unsure of when to take the plunge. The other wildebeests behind a frontline keep amassing into hundreds of thousands until the pressure on the animals ahead is too much to bear.
They finally take the leap; and when they do, even the waiting crocodiles scatter to the flanks. The fear of being trampled by the millions of wildebeest is too real foe even a crocodile to risk a head on affront. Hundreds upon hundreds make death daring leaps so high and into the water that the splash makes such swash it sounds like a million water falls.

THE WILDEBEEST PREDATORS.

Wildebeest Migration is such that a smattering population of other bovids join in the migration including Zebras and Gazelles. Lion prides also escort (well eating as well) and welcome the migrating wildebeest on either side of the Mara River Crossings. The lions stark up their stomachs with gnu carcass to a point the prey subdues the pride with little fear. As long as a lion has had his 35 odd kilos of meat a day, they pose no threat. “All that is needed is to sacrifice a cousin here, a distant aunt there and we are fine.” Its surely a game of numbers. Leopards on other hand don’t have to move far to hunt its prey. All they do is pounce on unsuspecting wildebeest as they pass their (leopards) free patches. The rest scatter as usual in different directions. “Its just another sacrifice after all, we still got the numbers no matter what. This is one of the elusive picture perfect moments when you are on your African Wildlife Safari.

VISITING THE MARA.

Its not only the carnivores that will escort migrating wildebeests but humans as well. The Maasai Mara attracts such interests that the ensuring demand during the months of June-October cannot be met. You will find it difficult to get a space in the lodges if you do not book. Your accommodation in the Mara ranges from 4star to 5star deluxe lodges, tented camps and simple camping tents. (See marawildlifemania.blogspot.com for pictures) you will need to do advance booking at least 3months will guarantee you a placement. However sometime few beds may be available for you on short notice. The wildebeest Migration takes place everyday of the 4th month duration. You are as such guaranteed a sighting irrespective of which month of the year you visit.

Your bookings are handled by several very professional companies which also provide transportation and transfers from airports, self drive car hire and accommodation in the Mara, make sure you see the migration the next time you make a Kenyan wildlife safari. Among other safaris offered in Kenya include Beach safari and venture safaris, culture safari charity missions, nature safari wildlife safaris balloon safaris.

To plan your own Gnu migration click safari planner

A home for the gods

Ol tukai is set at the foot of Mt Kilimanjaro in the world-renowned Amboseli National park .the park has unusual and exquisite wildlife , bird and fauna species. Writes have described Ol Tukai and the surrounding Amboseli national park as a home for the gods

Set on 100 acres of manicured lawns with wide –open spaces complimented by its unique double deck bar and exclusive restaurant the lodge blends into a natural surrounding .it has top of the range facilities including conference rooms, a wildlife library a beauty spa, a boutique offering African art collections and an attractive chapel for couples wishing to tie the knot

The beautifully appointed rooms provide comfort with attention to details. Spectacular champagne breakfasts are the exclusively set in the open plains of the Amboseli in the proximity of the elephants and other wildlife. After am exciting game drive the elephant bar offers a variety of stylish cocktails and cooling smoothies.

Exquisite dinners are set in a truly traditional style under the star –lit night. some of the special features include barbeque game meat .Theme nights are regular attractions, offering a variety of menus prepared by highly acclaimed continental Indian and seafood chefs an array of exclusive wines from all over the world is offered to accompany meals Celebrities regularly visit kibo Vila a log cabin set on four acres of garden with direct views of mount Kilimanjaro

The lounge spills onto the veranda and the vastness of the Amboseli plains .with the Jacuzzi on the upper deck, staying at the villa becomes an unforgettable experience .with its self catering facilities, kibo is ideal for families.
Ol tukai is an environment friendly lodge and is proud to be the member of the environment society of Kenya .the management supports all the environment programmes in Amboseli and is home to the African wildlife fund for elephants.

for your safari email jmwas@landmarksafaris.com

Africa Lion Safari Kenya: Ultimate safari help

The African lion is fabled as the King of the African Jungle. On a recent vacation to the Maasai Mara game reserve in Kenya, I was awed at the sheer respect that the African lion commands. It was one of the most rewarding trips in all my wildlife safari vacations.

It was the morning a day after our arrival at Olarro Camp located in the Maasai Mara, one of the best animal safari destinations in Africa. We departed camp at around 6.00am in the morning for our much awaited morning game drive. Our Maasai guide, Sammy, and the camp manager Sean packed us in their open Land rover truck and off we went on a popular game track. We were pleasantly surprised at Sammy’s spotting prowess that, less than a kilometer from camp, had already spotted a lone male cheetah. Probably on its early morning hunting stakeout, the cheetah wasn’t very amused at our unwelcome intrusion and trudged along grudgingly.

The mating Lions
Off we went to look out for the elusive lions in the short savannah brush. We were negotiating a blind corner when …..Wham… a pride of 3 young males in the company of a lone female. The minute I spotted the lions, I knew this is not the situation you want to seem too intrusive. One seemingly larger male Lion with a slightly darkening mane was separated from other 2 young and was busy courting a Lioness. The two other lions seemed to have lost the contest for the single lioness and were circling around the pair with a lot of bitterness. Our arrival had simply compounded their anger. On the other hand, we had walked onto a mating pair and the dominant male was so infuriated by our interruption of his engrossing activities with the lioness. We simply had too many lions against our arrival. For a full 5 minutes, there was absolute silence as each party looked deep and hard into the eyes of the other. Trying to read the intent of either, we starred long and hard. I could feel my thunderous pulse as through my heart had moved into my arms and ears. Our fear was worsened by the fact that we were riding in an open vehicle and the lions would have had no trouble taking us out …. one by one.

Deceitful distraction
The African lion has this uncanny behaviour when faced by such an intense gridlock. It simply looks aside as if something else more urgent got its attention, while keeping you within its visual sphere. This serves two purposes, one is to disarm you by trying to distract your stare and secondly to cleverly provide a leeway to the impasse and hostility created by locking eyes in an imminent confrontation. When faced by a formidable enemy who it cannot translate to food, the African lion will never attack if you have your eyes locked. One cannot be too cautious; “you never know what surprise these humans can spring… a club, machete or worse even….a bloody gun”.

The day is saved
A relief to this situation came from the other two young, small maned lions who noticed their chances of contesting for the lioness, had just gone from worse to impossible…..there were just too many of us for their liking. They casually strolled of with their heads high and into underbrush. It took the older male Lion about five minutes to be reassured that we posed no threat to his mating advances to the lioness. Usually, the most dangerous situations to be caught in are between a mating pair or a lioness with its cubs. The King lion proceeded to mate with the female unperturbed by our presence; like we never existed…. and if we did then he was seeing things or could as well have been blind. “A lion’s got to do what a lion got to do….you want to stay and watch… well that’s your problem”

We finally decided that we needed to give them their space and started to drive off. The dominant king lion must have thanked us for making his competition from the other two go away. But just as we started off we heard excited human voices and knew they were headed for certain disaster. We revved off our car towards the noises and found four Maasai women chatting animatedly as they made a beeline to a river, 100m between them and the mating lions.

Maasai co-exist with the wildlife

We were about to leave when I noticed their surprised look. Like we didn’t understand that lions are part of their life. Like we needed not to have bothered them with the obvious. That’s when I realized how much the Maasai have learnt the art of co-existence with the wildlife. I wouldn’t have been amazed if they had walked right passed us, as we watched the lions like there was no danger. I imagine them walking in between us and the pride, chatting and laughing at this group of tourists huddled silently, scarred stiff and almost immobilized by the sheer might of the African lion at a mating contest.

The million dollar gaze of the lion

This was an experience that I always relive when I look at the photos taken on that safari. It’s what an African lion safari does to you. You get to be in the presence of his highness the majesty king of the Jungle…in his tuff. Nothing beats that glaring look and the thrill that goes with it when your eyes lock into his menacing, unblinking and threatening stare…That’s the African lion stare….humbling it is.

African Lion coming of age

The African lion matures at the age of 4-5 years. A fully grown male lion has a very dark mane while the youth grow a mane gradually, which then darkens as they progress in age. The males are pushed off their families when they become sexually mature by the king of the pride. African Lions usually sleep and rest for 16hours a day only getting up to hunt in the early mornings, late evenings and at night. Usually the King-lion of the pride commands between 5-10 lionesses including the cubs. This male will aggressively protect its territory against intruding males who contest for the females.

Overthrowing the Lion King

There are a lot of coup d`e’tat in the lion kingdom and the male constantly gets into territorial wars with invading lions. Once in a while a female becomes disenchanted and leaves the pride to seek out younger and more aggressive males. Once a lion has successfully overthrown a dominant male, they set upon establishing their kingdom immediately by making the females submissive. How they do this is what will surprise you.

Conqueror males kill all Cubs
One of the most bizarre behaviour of lions is that a conqueror male often kills all young cubs fathered by the defeated former king lion of the pride. The lioness will fight, sometimes to death, when the male lion goes for her cubs. There are two reasons for this behaviour, one is to establish a lineage of his own and secondly to as quickly as possible make the females come to oestrus and ready to mate. It’s always a rush before other male lions come to undermine his authority over the pride.

Traveling to the Maasai Mara –Kenya

On arrival in Nairobi, one is picked up by his tour operator for an overnight stay at the city’s many five star Hotels. It’s always advisable to have a night rest before embarking on to the Mara; if you are to enjoy your game drives. The next morning you drive about 400km to the Mara in either a 4x4 or a minivan and you are booked into many of the world class lodges in the Game Reserve. You will be entitled to at least 2 game drives a day and you will be surprised at the animals you will see immediately outside the gate to your lodge…That’s Mara for you.

The wonder that is the Mara
Elephants graze 1 metre off your game drive tracks, cheetahs will stare at you seated majestically under tree trunks and occasionally jump on the hood of your car for that vantage view point for prey, a herd of a thousand buffalos will gaze at you all at once with over 2,000 eye balls, lions will sprawl for an hour underneath your van for the shade and wildebeest will gallop past your car in their millions as they head for the breath taking river crossings packed with crocodiles and strong currents. (See previous articles and shots on the great wildebeest migration at: http://www.eastafricasafari.blogspot.com , http://www.safarishots.blogspot.com )

An experience worth its weight in platinum. Please email this article to friends who enjoy wildlife in the Wild.


Joe Maina is a travel consultant and conservationist from Kenya, East Africa.

Investing in Kenya: Registration of a company or office in Kenya

Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) into Kenya are increasing at a steady rate given the continued streamlining of registration and set up processes by the new government. After a long hiatus of bad governance, the democratically elected government of Narc moved with a lot of speed to remove most of the red tape that previously marked investment road into Kenya. It required an investor a total of 21 business licenses and registrations to be able to do business in the country.

All these licenses would be from separate ministries and local authorities and one had to hop from one place to the other. It was almost criminal to think FDI in Kenya in those days Not only was this time consuming and tedious but it was also very expensive. Put in the scourge of corrupt officials and it was a sure dead-on-your-tracks scourge. Most investment attempts by foreigners became a cropper before they even started when they came to realize it might cost them more in under the table dealings than it would to actually put down their money to invest.

Now the process has been highly reduced by cutting off all the unnecessary bureaucratic processes in an effort to make investment a one stop shop. The introduction of the Kenya Investment Authority (KIA) marked the centralization of investment procedures within the government. Kenya is now among the easiest country to invest in, in regards to establishment of companies by foreign investors. The KIA developed a simple step by step manual to investment in Kenya which simplified the procedures to a 5 step process.

This includes:-

1. Fill the "One Stop" KIA application Form.
2. Engage legal advice in Kenya.
3. Register your business
4. Submit KIA form + Certificate of Incorporation + Articles and memorandum
of association to KIA
5. Issuance of The Investment License

Business Types you can register in Kenya

The principal types of business enterprises in Kenya are:

1. Registered Companies (Private and Public)
2. Branch offices of companies registered outside Kenya
3. Partnerships
4. Sole Proprietorships
5. Co-operatives

Companies are registered as limited liability companies as in 1 and 2 above, and regulated by the Companies Act (Cap 486). Kenya's legal system is based on English law and practice. A wide range of legal services are locally available.

Company Registration
The initial step in forming a company is to register the proposed company name with the Registrar of Companies at the Attorney General's Chambers in Nairobi. The Memorandum and Articles of Association should be filed with the Registrar of Companies who, upon satisfaction, issues the Certificate of Incorporation.

Opening a branch office of an overseas company
An overseas company wishing to open a branch office in Kenya should deliver the following to the Registrar of Companies:

• A certified copy of the Charter, Statutes or Memorandum and Articles of
Association of the Company, or other instruments defining the constitution of the
company;
• A list of the directors and secretary of the company, giving full names, nationality
and other directorships of companies in Kenya;
• A statement of all existing charges entered into by the company affecting properties
in Kenya;
• Names and postal addresses of one or more persons resident in Kenya, authorised
to accept, on behalf of the company, service of notices required to be served on the
company;
• Full address of the registered or principal office of the company in its home
country; and,
• Full address of place of business in Kenya.

Both private and public companies may allot shares for considerations other than cash. Companies need to inform the Registrar of Companies of such allotments and submit a written contract constituting the title of the allottee.

Patents and Trade Marks
Patents are regulated by the Industrial Property Act and administered by the Kenya Industrial Property Institute (KIPI), while trademarks are regulated by the Trade and Service Marks Act (Cap 506) and administered by the Registrar of Trademarks at KIPI. The duration of trademarks is seven years from the date of filing and renewable every 14 years.

Work permits
The Government allows investors to have key expatriate staff in senior management positions or where locals with specific skills are not available. Work permits for such expatriates are issued by the Immigration Department and are valid for one to two years, renewable on application.

Import and export procedures
There is no import licensing except for a few items restricted for security, health or environmental reasons detailed in the Imports, Exports and Essential Supplies Act (Cap 502).

During the Budget for Fiscal Year 2001/02 the Minister agreed to waive the 2.75% Import Declaration Form (IDF) fees applicable on imported goods used for manufacturing goods for exports under the Tax Remission for Export Office (TREO) scheme. Manufactures under the TREO will however have to pay Kshs. 5,000 which is processing fees.

For assistance on Kenya Business travel and making investments in Kenya visit www.landmarksafaris.com

Joe Maina

Trekking Safaris: a trek through the glades and Lava Caves of Chyulu

Trekking Safaris: a trek through the glades and Lava Caves of Chyulu

A chance visit to this fascinated area reveals the world’s second largest lava and a trekking safari paradise.

The long rains have fed the rivers off the otherwise dry and lands with rich earth waters coursing through the parched terrain. Every thing in kamba area is luscious green with grasses and flowers blooming in all colours. On an impulse, we take the road with the sign post reading “Chyulu Hills National Park”

That the Chyulus are fascinating for a trekking safari by nature lovers is an unforgivable understatement. They are ravishing, a trekking naturalist’s delight full of a stunning array of plants, animals and scenery. The hills run almost 100 kilometres parallel to the Nairobi-Mombasa road. You can see the cones from Sultan Hamud and way past Kibwezi

Volcanic activity in the area began 1.4 million years ago. There are hundred of hills and cones that make up the range of Chyulus. Most estimate the hills at between 600 and 10,000years and volcanic eruptions like the famous Shetani and Chaimu in Tsavo West.

The road to the park headquarters is lined with baobabs and thatched homesteads of the Kamba. The cattle, with there ribs etched clear against the skin from the drought, are showing sings of fattening up. We reach the park headquarters where beautiful wooden carvings are placed around the compound. I compliment the warden, Mr Onyango, nicknamed Simba (lion).

We get our rangers, two young men, Adan and Mohammed, while the warden continues his meeting with the local community. There are many issues to address, especially those of the elephants straying out of the park during the dry season and raiding the farmers meager crops. “One of the ways of bringing income in the community is to start eco-projects with them, so that they can benefit from the park, “explains the warden.

Our rangers suggest that we do a trekking safari of the caves. I’m more inclined to hike the hilltops but it is too late in the day to do that. We drive over volcanic stones and dry tracks until they is no road. The long grass has completely colonized the tracks. Its good that the guides know where we are going. Finally we have to abandon the car and trek through the long grass.

The faint sound of an elephant trumpeting carries through the glades as we reach the opening to the first crop of caves called the Kisula caves.

We don’t have torches, but we wander through the cool cave until the point where the opening shows. There is rock strewn about and animal foot prints trailing inside and then pitch darkness.

“There is one more cave popular with trekking safaris you must see, “our rangers enthuse. A trek away and another short track through the towering grasses bring us to an enormous hole in the ground and a ladder that takes you down. There are two openings with rocks littered about.

“Come here,” says the rangers sitting at the opening of the cave. From where we are they is nothing to show why the men are so eager that we see. We climb down through a vent in the ground. There is a cold draught, and its so fresh and cool.

The Leviathan Cave is the world largest lava tube. Much as I would love to walk through, the opening is blocked by green moss-colored boulders and the inside is too dark.

“Caves have their own unique ecology, “says Simon of the nearby Umani Springs Camp, who founded the local cave exploration group of East Africa in 1964, whose heydays are sadly passed.

“The openings of the caves are actually collapsed holes in the tubes, “he explains “Caves have distinctive vegetation because they actually breathe. ”They have a constant temperature and the cool air you felt at the Leviathan is the air drawn out.” He says.

Lava caves are relatively rare and different from the more common limestone ones at the Coast. They have their own features like lava ropes and benches, stalactites and stalagmites produced by different minerals dissolved in the ground waters.

“The caves are believed to be connected to the Mukururu side,” the warden explains later.” People have done only about 16 kilometers but if these lava tubes reaches Mukururu, then they are almost 60 kilometers long.”

“But we need money to establish that”, says the warden lamenting the lack of funds not only for caves exploration but also for the park, which is so full of exciting finds.” It’s not easy to go through these caves. Sometimes there are pockets of stumble gases you can stumble into during your trek.”

I’m getting really excited about these caves and the trekking safari. There have been blind scorpions recently discovered in them and bats that are now becoming more endangered in them, besides tons of undiscovered stuff. I can’t wait to organize a longer trekking safari and explore more of the Chyulu lava tunnels with a powerful torch and, of course, a speleologist.


Where to stay
There is a wonderful trekking safari campsite near the headquarters complete with a shaded banda and plenty of trees to hang your hammocks on. Water is available at the camp HQ. The basic of camping is being smart. The Chyulu Hills National Park is a heaven for people who love walking. Alternatively, you can stay at Umani springs camp, a tented affair in the heart of Kibwezi forest. Its affordable with a range of nature walks around the forest and the second largest collection of natural springs after the Mzima, percolate through the Chyulu Hills. Your tour operator will arrange for transportation and accommodation as well as other exotic sites.

Email requests for additional info.

Email this article to other lovers of glades, caves, blind bats and scorpions.

Mt. Rwenzori: The Gorilla Mountains of the moon

Mt. Rwenzori: The Gorilla Mountains of the moon

Fort Portal at the foot of Mt. Rwenzori is a one–Street Town that resembles any other small town of East Africa.

Maps are wonderful things. The smaller the tourist guidebook or atlas, or even one drawn across the bar counter, the greater the inclination to go and see a place. Everything looks so close. At that point everything vanishes from the mind, and the brain goes into auto-pilot. Images of vast savannahs and things all new to see paint the mind’s eye and with tinted glasses we hit the road. I felt all powerful.

You can only go to Kampala so many times and not see the rest of Uganda. Like I said ATMS are wonderful things. I got some money in seconds from the smart Cosmo shopping mall. The garden city. UGSh 100,000 seemed like a lot of money and I hit the road.

I chose the route from the tattered little tourist book. The Rwenzori, the fabled mountains of the moon, popped out. I’d do that; take a nice bus ride along the mountains of the moon where gorillas and chimps still find a home in the equatorial rainforest of Africa.

Two hundred kilometers away lay fort portal on the foothills of Rwenzoris; my first stop. Uganda is a well watered country. You see that driving almost from anywhere. Roads pass through lush, green swamps of papyrus.

Indigenous forests of incredibly tall trees bracket the roads and they are matoke fields all over. Uganda and matoke are inseparable. Thick green banana clusters fill the roadside markets .Men on bicycle and pickups ferry them up and down the roads, and nobody can go hungry in Uganda. It’s the fertile land- “the pearl of Africa.”

As we approached fort portal the town on the slopes of the mighty Rwenzori Mountains, it was pouring like skies had burst open. Heavy clouds hung over the horizon. Riffle in hand a statue of sir Gerald portal stood guard over the township he founded over a century ago.

“Over there, behind the clouds, “she replied looking in the direction of the Mt. Rwenzori. Needless to say, all I saw was a white sky. Remarkably, there were two banks in town, just not my bank. But the only tourist-class hotel was fully booked. But there was nothing to worry about. The king’s palace sat perched on the hill-top, a circular structure built by Libyan strongman Colonel Muammar Gaddafi. King Oyo Nyimba KabambaIguru Ukiidi IV of the world’s youngest monarch. Now 14, he was only three years old when he succeeded his father who died of a road accident in 1995.

The rain subsides and Mutesi suggests a drive to the Tooro Botanical gardens on the outskirts of town, where project manager Samwel gives the spiel. “The objective of the botanical is to conserve the Albertine Rift species and at the time sensitize the public to the uses of the plants and how to derive sustainable income from them, “he says.

I realize that I am close to the Albertine Rift valley, which is part of the Great Rift valley and home to some of the most unusual and endemic species of flora and fauna. “The Rwenzori is heavily forested and it’s in our interest to protect it because it’s a very good source of honey, “says Patrick of Kabarole Bee-keepers Association. Everybody’s got something to say about the mountains.

It’s getting late and I haven’t a glimpse of the mountains yet, even though everybody says they are there. Mutesi suggest that we drive to Sebitoli Forest camp.10 Kilometers from fort portal. Its a beautiful forest surrounded by tea plantations and in the bitter sweet-cold of a finishing day, monkeys fill the thick canopy of the upper branches.” Can you tell the three species up there?” asks Tumusiine. He offers to take us for a walk in the forest in search of chimps the following morning I have to decline because he doesn’t accept credit cards. So it’s back to town to the pearl Guesthouse, which offers” peaceful accommodation” on the main street opposite the expensive hotel.

I finally had to cut short my trip and head back as I faced my worst fear of running out of money. The exchange rate played a trick on me this time and I promised myself that next time it would be different.

How to get to Mt. Rwenzori in Uganda.

Your tour operator will organize either a die-hard camping adventure or a softer roomed accommodation in Fort Portal. This is the base town where you can launch your escapades into the Mt. Rwenzori forest. Gorilla trackers will have to do advance booking preferably 3months or more in advance. The reason is that gorilla safaris are highly controlled to limit the impact on the very endangered species in Uganda. Sometimes the gorilla tracking is booked for over a year due to limitation in numbers they put for each tracking party. For more information on Gorilla and chimp tracking contact your operator.

Kenya Camping Safaris: Biribiriet, the haven for camping & nature addicts

Deep in the Nandi hinterland are scenic waterfalls and pristine rivers-perfect for camping groups. It’s where nature meets man in his bare essentials of camping, a cloth over your head for shelter.

The valley opens below. Cliffs and high valleys stand in the midst of a sky pregnant with moisture. The rains are about to come. We stop at the Kerio Tingwa Ecotourism camping site for a stretch and to admire the beautiful landscape. We are on our way to Eldoret via the Eldama Ravine road and then to Chepkiit waterfall.

A map on the sign board points to the interesting features in the view. We can see Tongwoto caves, Tingwa hills at 2,700 meters and somewhere below are the Kabilet waterfalls and Kerio River. At the next viewpoint, we can see the white rug on the terrain of the Fluorspar mines.

It’s nearly midnight and we are camping just off the turning from Biribiriet near Eldoret on the Eldoret-Kapsabet road .The night air is cold but stunningly revitalizing. This is the ultimate forest camping experience. The gurgle of the stream running at the bottom of the field, is inviting. The moon, hidden in the clouds, send a little light in the terrestrial grounds but our eyes have become accustomed to the darkness and we are no longer daunted by it. Instead, warmed by the camping fire, we are suddenly animated when somebody suggests a midnight walk with Beryl to the rivers edge in search of frogs! This may be my proverbial chance to kiss the frog and end up with prince charming, so I join in.

The trouble with frogs is that you get to see them more at night and so much of Beryl’s field work is stalking the wilds in the dark armed with torch and plastic bags to catch the jumping jacks.

We tread the grass softly so as not to frighten the amphibians. Ringed by the glow of the torch light, a tiny reed frog tenderly perches on a thin grass. It’s quite a piece of art, this delicate scene.’ That’s a reed frog,” Beryl says as our torches beam on many more in the shallow edges of Kipkeren River which thunders over the nearby Chepkiit waterfalls and onwards to Kingwal swamp. Many of the tiny water frogs are breeding and their throat sacs are ballooned enormously to call out female mates. It’s quite a busy little scene by the banks of the river. In contrast, the bigger grass frogs look quite monstrous and scary.

“Frogs are a good indicator of a clean environment “says Beryl.” Any disturbance of the water quality effects their populations. “There is no long term national data on the amphibians to compare the state of the environment or the diversity of frogs. Beryl is one of the few young Kenyan’s studying frogs.

It’s amazing. In the light of the following morning, where the scene was busy the night before, there is not a single frog to be seen. I take a leisurely stroll to a secluded water pool surrounded by massive rocks for a morning bath. The water is cool, the early morning clean and pure and the sky is lit with diverse colurs. The Ross’Turaco with its bright scarlet under wing has everybody taken ‘under its wing ‘it’s a bird of the old forests and quite rare to many birders.

This place is a find for camping nature lover groups. We are camping in this beautiful place surrounded by trees and open glades sandwiched between a picturesque Nandi homestead and the river overlooking a stone buff, all thanks to Mary, who has been researching in the vicinity for six years. “Everybody keeps running to coast for their holidays. They should come here for a once in a life time camping experience,” she says vehemently. “You won’t believe the number of stunning places like these.”

We lumbered early out of our camping gear and after the private bath in the rock pool and a leisurely breakfast, Mary gets us up on our feet again. This time, it’s a walk to the Chepkiit waterfall. There is so much to see walking through the glades of grass and forest, its like being in a wonderland.

The turacos awe us time and time again. The harrier hawk, glides to perch on a rock while the tiny leaf-loves and green doves fly about. Black and white casqued hornbills send noisy trumpets in flight while the graceful crowned cranes spread their feathers in elegant flight. There is life everywhere .Even on the rocks “I wonder what these are? “Mary asks as she kneels to gently touch the white straw-like threads weaving a pattern on the rocks. I have no idea either. Silk threads touch our bare faces as we walk the jungle part to the waterfall. Its sound reaches us faintly and we step over a border to see this most amazing scene of giant rocks and water and through the wide split in the gorge, a forest stretching into the horizon.

“This is Chepkiit waterfall,” announces Mary proudly. Everybody is bowled over and with a new lease to life; we explore the vistas, moving from rock to rock as the water crashes down. This water will flow on Yala swamp and finally into Lake Victoria.

“The Nandi area is very rich in bio-diversity,” says Mary.” There are lots of places like these.” What we need is to manage these places through researches that they are sufficiently protected.”

We visit the nearby homestead; Janet is busy with the usual house hold chores. The sheep and goats have been let out, the cows have had there morning drink at the river having to walk around the tents, and the cooking is going on. Inside the kitchen, the hand-made stove is ablaze with the firewood, little escaping from the sides so as to make the most efficient use of the precious fuel. Above are the calabashes, adding a dash of deco in the earth walled kitchen. The ‘botet’ or calabashes are used to store ‘mursik’ the traditional sour milk of the Nandi. I buy a couple, not to store milk but as a small token of the place.

For more information on the area, you can email; joe

To explore more of the outdoors and discover all that’s wild, visit a local operator for more information on camping tours. You get to explore places that are off-the-beaten track with people who make every trip an unforgettable forest camping event.