Lake Baringo National Reserve

J.W. Gregory, an English geologist who travelled to the Rift Valley on foot from the Kenyan coast of Mombasa first set eyes on Lake Bogoria in 1892 and described the scene as “the most beautiful view in Africa”. The late Leslie Brown, a world authority on birds, and birds of prey in particular, wrote “I have been there when the spectacle of flamingos and other birds around the lake was of a sublime magnificence”. Read more

Malindi

Malindi is a town on Malindi Bay at the mouth of the Galana River, lying on the Indian Ocean coast of Kenya. It is approximately 120 kilometres northeast of Mombasa.

Malindi is home to the Malindi Airport, and Broglio Space Port.

Malindi has been a Swahili settlement since the 14th century. Once rivaled only by Mombasa for dominance in this part of East Africa, Malindi has traditionally been a port city for foreign powers. In 1414, the town was visited by the fleet of the Chinese explorer Zheng He. Malindi’s ruler sent a personal envoy together with a giraffe as a present to China on that fleet. Read more

Severin Safari Camp - Tsavo West

Tsavo National Park with over 21,000 sq km of vast bush land is by far the largest national park in Kenya. “Full of wild beasts, such as rhinoceros, buffaloes and elephants” from a missionary’s diary written in 1848. Read more

Breath - Taking Experience At Naro Moru River Lodge

Naro Moru River Lodge is one of the places that you should be having on your list on places to visit before the end of this year if you are a resident in Kenya. The lodge is located 170 km from Nairobi making it a 2 hour journey. One would opt to use the karatina Nyeri road to Marua River Bridge then off Kiganjo before heading to Nanyuki. The place is situated at the side of Mount Kenya; therefore by the time you get there, the temperatures are quite low since the altitude is 2155 m above sea level. Read more

Masai Mara National Reserve

Kenya’s masai mara is best know for the annual wildebeest migration which is by far the greatest wildlife spectacle of the modern world. Watching it happen, one can easily see why this is the case. This truly must be the ultimate African   Kenya Safari experience.

These animals cover fast areas during the migration knowing no boundaries. From the magnificent and vast plains of the Serengeti, to the champagne colored hills of Kenya’s Masai mara over 1.5 million wildebeest are followed closely by 200,000 zebra and gazelle. Read more

The Masai Mara National Reserve

The Masai Mara is Kenya’s finest wildlife sanctuary and is widely considered to be Africa’s greatest wildlife reserve. Immortalized in books and films such as Out of Africa everything about this national reserve is outstanding.The Masai Mara area has seen more than its fair share of controversy. The reserve originally created in the 1960’s was set aside as a game reserve. This soon resulted in a conflict with the Maasai, a nomadic Kenya tribe, that have maintained their cultural way of life, because of the huge displacement of their villages and livestock. The Mara was originally one of the grazing areas for Maasai livestock and manyatta. Read more

Mara Sopa Lodge masai Mara

Nestled within the Ngama Hills in the verdant Oloolaimutia Valley sits
the Masai Mara Sopa Lodge.

The word sopa comes from the maasai word meaning “Welcome” The lodge is located in the eastern side of the masai mara. Outside the masai mara game reserve it is about 2 kilometers from the Oloolaimutia gate as you can see from the masai mara map.

The location of the lodge gives it warm days and cool evenings.

Masai Mara sopa lodge has 77 rooms and 12 suites with one presidential suite, all of which have en-suite bathroom facilities with hairdryers and shaving sockets for those who may want to shave.

Every room and suite has a private, elevated verandah with splendid

views across the valley and on which guests can relax, sunbathe as they

watch the wildlife that are also found in the reserves surroundings

Each rooms also have mini bars. As with most lodges in masai mara, the lodge has direct-dial telephone and also satellite television.

Water supply to the lodge comes from the nearby springs.

Ilkeliani Camp Masai Mara

Ilkeliani camp pronounced (eel-kelly-ahni) gets it name from the maasai. The word refers to a certain age group of maasai young warriors. A young maasai warrior is first an ilkeliani before he can be a il moran.

Ilkeliani is an eco-friendly permanent luxury tented camp, centrally located in the Maasai Mara. Camp environs have been intentionally preserved so as to feel as close as possible to nature. Ilkeliani has 17 tents with each guest tent positioned on the edge of the Talek River looking out onto the Maasai Mara plains.

Guest tents are also well spaced out thereby ensuring that guests have maximum privacy. Lighting is provided by solar power and all tents are en suite with flush toilets and hot water showers 24 hours (we use a recycled by-product as fuel to keep the boilers hot).

Ilkeliani is the name given to the age group of the young Maasai warrior. The young warrior is thus an ilkeliani before he becomes the il Moran.To become a warrior is the dream of every Maasai youth; the word itself seems to convey magical powers.

A warrior must be strong, clever, courageous, confident, wise and gentle. Warriors enjoy great comradeship, sharing with one another everything from food to girl friends.

In addition to the practical services they provide for the group they live among, warriors also add an immeasurable sense of excitement, adventure, and romance; without their songs, their poetry, their flirting, their bold masculinity, Maasai life would not be the same.

Ilkeliani Experience

The Ilkeliani experience is one enjoyed entirely under canvas, and a very personal affair…
We accommodate a maximum of 30 guests at any one time. Personal attention and care is paramount to our service delivery. We offer extended game drives with the proficient help of your experienced Masai driver guide who has an intimate knowledge of the Game Reserve. The camps Resident Naturalist conducts daily nature walks along the Talek River and guests can identify different animal spoors and spot the diverse Birdlife in the camps extensive grounds . Excursions to the Masai village are encouraged to enrich ones appreciation of the Maasai Culture.
All meals are prepared by the camps chefs, offering hearty breakfasts, alfresco lunches and candle light dinners in the Mess Tent. Picnic breakfast/ Lunches are prepared if you prefer to stay out and explore the reserve all day long. A camp fire is lit from 6 pm onwards and the safari experience is shared with fellow guests while enjoying a “tusker”/drinks. Biting are served with Sundowner.

Kenya with something for every traveler

Scenic Safari

The Kenyan coast holds rare beauty, flaunting a distinct shade of the blue Indian Ocean outlined with white sand beaches. The ocean embraces glistering coral reefs reflecting life and beauty. Along the lamu and mombasa coast are Arab and portugese forts, old township, and ruins of swahili settlement. Mombasa and lamu are a perfect mix of natural beauty and fascinating history. The ideal beaches protected by the reefs are calm and appealing.

The offshore reefs enfold coral, innumerable fish, sea turtles and dolphins. The spectacular coral gardens and marine life is an  ideal spot for divers and snorkellers. The Pemba Channel is an excellent base for big game fishing. Visitors can enjoy this natural paradise with a wide range of resorts around Diani Beach.

Lake Naivasha is another water-side flocked by nature lovers. This beautiful freshwater lake is surrounded by thick paprus and forests of the yellow barked Acacia Xanthophlea. The region flourishes with bird life and is ideal for bird watchers to walk along the nature trails.

The picturesque countryside and the friendly people are the charm of the land rich in the wealth of its contrasts; the landscapes and cultures that keeps you intrigued every second of your awaken moment. From the colourful and diverse culture of the inhabitants to the colours that the sky paints from dawn to dusk, Kenya is truly Magical.

Culture Safari

Kenya’s people are just as diverse as its natural world. The 42 tribes with their different culture and traditions inhibit the region along with the migrant Arabic, Asiatic and European populace. The country demonstrates an outstanding multi-ethnic and multi-racial blend.

Kenya is most popularly known for its maasai people and their culture, but many other regions and ethnic communities have a rich culture too. Communities the likes of the Samburu that live in and around the samburu national reserve. Samburu is just as enchanting. The Ewaso Nyiro in the North of Kenya flows through three reserves, samburu, Buffalo springs and Shaba. The lush green region nurtured by the river draws wildlife in great numbers and is visited by large herds of Elephants and other game. The samburu vicinity has several common Northern species like Gerenuk, the Reticulated Giraffe and Grevy’s Zebra. The forests down the riverbanks are also home to many birds, Impalas, Zebras, Grant Gazelles, Giraffes, Buffaloes, Leopards, Lions and Cheetah.

Beach and Wildlife Safari

Kenya is a land of expansive  savannas, white sand beaches, snow-capped mountains and extensive wildlife. Home to the world’s biggest concentrations of elephant, giraffe, antelope and zebra it boasts some of the richest and varied collection of game in its parks and game reserves. The game reserves also flourish with rhinos, buffalos, lions, leopards, cheetah and are also abode of the rare green turtle, the sable and Hirola antelope and thousands of bird species.

Sports Safari

Kenya has embraced all modern international sports that one enjoys in other parts of the world. This includes the trilling spor of river rafting, steep rock climbing and the lot. All over Kenya, sport is a part of every day social life.

Wildebeest migration safari

In spite of the fact that the great wildebeest migration occurs in two countries Kenya’s masai mara and Tanzania’s serengeti, and all the vagaries of weather patterns and apparently random game movements coupled with pressure to find the right spots … planning a trip to catch the best of the great annual wildebeest migration is reasonably straight forward…

The thing to consider when trying to catch the migration is the time of year.

If you are looking at going on safari during July to mid October then Kenya is the place to be. The best places to be at this time is Mara River and Central Plains. In fact the closer your tents or lodges are to this places the better because at this time of the year this is where the action is.Off course if you are considering a masai mara balloon safari then the location of your lodges might not matter that much.

Any other time of the year the migration will be found in Tanzania.

The migration solution…in summary

If the migration is your primary focus then

• Plan and book well in advance
• If destination is first priority that is you prefer one of the two countries, then you’re going to have travel at specific times
• If you’re flexible time wise then choose destination based on what other add-ons you’re keen to do so the logistics don’t get too complicated. A great way to cap an African wildlife safari is often a beach experience.
• Don’t think of combining or switching at the last moment on the cheap.
• Logistically it’s best to handle the Serengeti from Arusha and the Mara from Nairobi - this will help with decisions on beach breaks or other safaris into southern Tanzania or elsewhere in Kenya.
• If you’ve left things a bit too late or if you can’t get the right space for this season then rather postpone your trip for next year than take second best now.

Finally

The trick is to work with smaller outfits or more specialized tour operators with the flexibility and real interest to get out into the bush before the big tour companies arrive, are happy to typically hold breakfast under a tree when the minibuses are doing their rounds and then spend some time looking for quieter spots to catch the afternoons and early evenings without crowds.