Kenya Holidays Blog

Last year I visited the Masai Mara, where I took the photographs that I used to create the FREE Kenya Safari Screensaver, and had an absolutely wonderful time.

I went in November but if you are thinking of taking a safari then now might be the best time to go.

From June until August the most spectacular part of probably the world’s largest migrations sees millions of wildebeest, zebra and predators cross the treacherous, crocodile infested Mara, Grumeti and Mbalanget rivers and onwards onto the Masai Mara.

Our guide, Joram, who’s voice you can hear on the soundclip on the Kenya Podcast player told us that we should return when the plains were “black with animals”.

You can take a 2 night Masai Mara whilst enjoying your Kenya beach holiday. Please feel free to call either Barbara or myself on FREEPHONE 0808 1089 100 for details and prices.

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Reading my favourite Sunday newspaper travel section, (The Observer) I read about “Kahawa Shamba” which is the “favourite eco-escape” of Harriet Lamb, excutive director of The Fairtrade Foundation.

A community-based project built on the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro, the project aims to bring extra income to the small scale coffee farmers in the region by opening it up to tourism.

Accommodation is in simple chalets, thatched with banana leaves and built in traditional style, and local families look after the guests and cook the meals.

According to Harriet, “It is one of the most beautiful and tranquil places I have ever been”.

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I thought you might like to view this wonderful video of Harvey Croze flying over Amboseli. Although I have downloaded it from Google Video I also read the comments that Harvey made when he first posted the video to Elephant Trust website.

I think the video is brilliant and the accompanying music, “Out Of Africa” gives it a really wonderful feel. I hope you enjoy it and would love to hear your comments:

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I read another post on the www.wildlifextra.com website that I thought you might find interesting and, perhaps, a little disturbing in that it shows what effects tourism can have on wildlife even though it’s overall benefits are massive in comparison.

Elephant Rescued from Waste Pit at Tourist Lodge in Kenya

Elephant Rescued from Waste Pit at Tourist Lodge in Kenya
Kimojino, Wildlife Ranger on the Masai Mara, Wildlife Direct
January 2008 Read the rest of this entry »

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We recommend to many clients that they combine their Kenya beach holiday with the opportunity to experience a safari whilst in Kenya and one of the most popular is the Tsavo East 2 night safari so I was very interested when I read this report the Coast Week website. So if your going to Tsavo this year you can expect some wonderful experiences:-

MANY MORE TSAVO ELEPHANTS

BIG INCREASE IN TSAVO AND MKOMAZI POPULATION

Coastweek - - The elephant population of the expansive Tsavo and Mkomazi conservation area now stands at 11,696 - up 1,299 from 10,397 re-corded in the last census three years ago.

Kenya Wildlife Service Director Julius Kipng’etich has confirmed that this new figure represents a very welcome 4.1 per cent growth rate.

Tsavo’ is the largest protected area (four per cent of Kenya’s landmass) and hosts the highest number (a third) of Kenya’s estimated 30,000 elephants. Read the rest of this entry »

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I’ve just returned from a few days on the Masai Mara and on our second morning’s game drive we came across a family of cheetahs who had just made a kill. We missed the actual chase but as cheetahs can accelerate from 0 - 100kph in three seconds it seems pretty likely that we may have missed it if we had stopped to blink!

I’ve just come across a fascinating 12 day Tanzanai trip, “Cheetahs of the Serengeti”, run in conjunction with the Zoological Society of London (ZSL). Travelling through the Arusha and Tarangire national parks and the legendary Ngorongoro crater, the tour arrives at the Serengeti, where visitors will spend time with a ZSL researcher tracking the world’s fastest land animals.

Departures are on 29th January (missed that one!!) and 4th Novermber 2008 only and cost £2,995 per person.

For more details of this unique travel experience please call Barbara on Freephone 0808 1089 100.

We’ve also just had some clients return from visiting the Gorillas of Rwanda, whom some of you may have seen on the recent “Long Way Down” programme on the BBC. If you would like any more details of the trip they took please call Barbara on Freephone 0808 1089 100 and we’ll be pleased to let you know the itinerary we arranged for them.

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When I was in Kenya in November I heard some great music playing in the safari lodge I was staying at.

It was played in the bar and also I heard it when I was back in Nairobi. It was great, happy music and I wondered what it was called.

Well, when I got back home I started to try and found out more about this great music and by using the web I found it’s called “Benga” and the distinctive guitar sound is based on the sound of the Luo’s eight-string lyre, an instrument played by the Lua people of Kenya.

Here’s a description of Benga…

Guitar pickers had long mimicked the quick, syncopated melodies of the Luo’s eight-string nyatiti lyre. Now, as electric benga emerged, the nyatiti’s push-and-pull character also influenced prominent electric bass lines. In Benga, the hi-hat sizzles, the bass leaps and voices cry out high-pitched harmonies, while two or three guitars chase each other in sprightly interplay.

I’m going to add a few Benga tunes to the Podcast jukebox here on the blog as soon as I can but if you want to hear more you should just do a search on iTunes for “Benga”.

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Unfortunately we had a problem with our mail server which meant that inadvertantly subscribers to our kenya Holidays mailing list received 10 unsolicited emails from us in one day. The emails were actual copies of the various posts here on the Kenya Holidays Blog.

If you were one of those who received these unwanted emails please accept my apologies for the inconvenience caused. I know how annoying it is to receive unwanted emails.

Sadly 3 people unsubscribed as a result of this error but I can assure anyone who is a subscriber that this error will not happen again.

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Here are 5 great Kenya Safari Offers with up to £400 off. They are for the month of June and must be booked and paid for before the 30th of April.

Beach extensions are available from just £100 per person including three nights half board at the 4 Star Southern Palms Hotel/.

5 Star Masai Safari - only £1085
Samburu - Lake Nakuru - Masai Mara

Travelling through some of the richest game areas in the world, the Masai Safari presents excellent opportunities for viewing the “Big Five”.

Includes return schedule flights, Safari, 6 nights full board, 1 night B&B.

5 Star Wings Over Mara - only £1089
Masai Mara

We offer this wonderful safari staying at the iconic Governers Camp. You will have plenty of time to enjoy game drives.

Includes return schedule flights, 3 nights full board and game drives.

4 Star Porini Camps Safari - only £1280
Amboseli - Masai Mara

This tour provides a wonderful opportunity to stay in Porini Camp’s exclusive accommodation. You will combine unforgettable safari experiences where you are able to walk with Masai warriors and guides whilst exploring the wilderness areas.

Includes return scheduled flights, 6 nights’ full board including free house wine, beers and soft drinks, transfers, internal flights
and gane drives in 4×4 vehicles PLUS sundowners and guided walks.

5 Star Intrepids Flying Safari - only £1299
Samburu - Masai Mara

Intrepids camps are situated in key positions to allow viewing of wildlife. The Mara Intrepids camp is close to one of the wildlife
migration crossings. Accommodation is in luxury tents. We include three internal flights to avoid long and bumpy roads and to
increase time spent in search of game.

Includes return scheduled flights, 6 nights full board, 1 night B&B, transfers, internal flights and game drives.

4 Star+ Porini Wilderness Safari - only £1345
Amboseli - Ol Pejeta - Masai Mara

Accommodation is in three eco bush camps that complement each other perfectly. The camps are small and exclusive and run on the same environmentally sound principles - working closely with the local communities.

Includes return scheduled flights, 6 night’s full board including free house wine, beers and soft drinks, transfers, internal flights
and game drives in 4×4 vehicles PLUS sundowners and guided walks.

These special offer Safaris will book up quickly so if you are interested in knowing more about any of them or if you would like
to check the availability please call Barbara or Colin on Freephone 0808 1089 100 as soon as possible.

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A colleague of mine recently persuaded two clients of her’s to reconsider cancelling their forthcoming holiday to Kenya after
explaining to them how important it was to support the Kenyan people and to help restore the vibrant tourism industry that is so
important to Kenya and its’ population.

She was delighted to hear from them whilst on holiday. Speaking from their lodge on the Masia Mara her clients, Ann and Tony Gregan, said “We are so glad we made the trip. It has been a wonderful experience. We saw flamingos at Lake Nakuru and hippos at Lake Naivasha and there was absolutely no sign of any trouble. The best thing has been the cheerfulness and sense of humour of the people we are meeting”.

They went on to thank my colleague for convincing them to travel and hoped that more people would join them in helping to restore the badly hit tourism industry on which so many Kenya people and their families depend for the livelihoods.

I read this week several interviews with Kenyan’s who work in the tourist industry and they all expressed their fervent hope that UK tourists will support them and return to Kenya soon.

One worker from Timboni finished by saying, “When the first tourist bus drives down the road there will be a parade of people waving and cheering”.

There has probably been no better time to holiday in Kenya than at this moment with great prices being offered for both beach holidays and safaris so please look out for the latest offers on our Kenya Holidays website or please feel free to call us on Freephone 0808 1089 100.

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