B E R EZ SAFA R I 2 D E SI GN E D BY JA M E S RO BE RT S O N
2 2 nd
K E N YA JU N E - 2 nd 2 0 1 9
J U LY
I T I N E R A R Y
O V E R V I E W
N A I R O B I - L A I K I P I A - M A S A I M A R A - S O U T H E R N R I F T VA L L E Y - N A I R O B I
22nd June 2019: NAIROBI
On arrival at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport you will be met by your guide Oliver Nicklin and transferred through Nairobi National Park to the Emakoko for one night.
23rd - 25th June 2019: LAIKIPIA
After breakfast and a game drive through Nairobi National Park you will be transferred to Wilson Airport from where �ly together north past Mt.Kenya to Lewa Downs. You will have three nights at Lewa House.
26th - 29th June 2019: MAASAI MARA
After breakfat on 26th June you will �ly, again by private charter, southwest over the Great Rift Valley and into perhaps the best known area for Big Game in the World - the Maasai Mara. You will be based at Tangulia Camp for four nights.
3 0 t h J u n e & 1 s t J u l y 2 0 1 9 : S O U T H E R N R I F T VA L L E Y
Today you �ly east over the Loita Hills and into the �loor of the Great Rift Valley. You will stay at Shompole Wilderness for two nights.
2 n d J u l y 2 0 1 9 : N A I R O B I A N D T R A V E L D AY
After breakfast you will �ly to Nairobi where we welcome you to our home, Hog House for the rest of the day until you �ly out in the evening. There will be a chance to visit the Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage and craft centres if you wish. We will transfer you to the airport for your �light home.
R E G I O N S
B E R E Z FA M I LY S A FA R I I T I N E R A R Y 2 This 11 day safari itinerary takes in three of Kenya’s most abundant wildlife areas. You begin with a day and night in Nairobi National Park at the Emakoko superbly located close to both airports and giving you the feel of being on safari from the moment you arrive. Good rhino and plains game here.
D AY 1
NAIROBI E M A KO KO D AY 2 - 4
Lake Turkana
LAIKIPIA
L E WA H O U S E D AY 5 - 8
MAASAI MARA TA N G U L I A C A M P D AY 9 & 1 0
SOUTHERN R I F T VA L L E Y
SHOMPOLE WILDERNESS D AY 1 1
NAIROBI
HOG HOUSE
You then head north to Lewa Downs at the foot of Mt.Kenya where, as well as all the Big Five you will see northern species such as Reticulated giraffe and Grevy’s zebra. Both Black, and White rhino are found here, the big cats especially lion and cheetah are great too. On Lewa you have the freedom to explore on foot and also at night.
Lake Logipi
Lake Baringo
Ewaso Nyiro River
Samburu
Shaba
Lake Bogoria
Lake Victoria
Mt. Kenya
Lake Nakuru Masai Mara
You then head to the Maasai Mara which at the end of June should be seeing the �irst of the great herds of wildebeast coming in from Tanzania. You’ll be based just on the edge of the Reserve in a superb location. All the cats are superb here and great elephant too.
Equator
Lake Naivasha Nairobi Tana River
Lake Magadi Amboseli
Ts a v o Watamu
Mombasa
Lamu
Finally we take you to Shompole in the Southern Rift close to Lake Magadi with it’s pink fringed �lamingo lined shores. Here the focus will be culture and you’ll spend time with some of the most traditional Maasai families in Kenya. On your last day we bring you to our home located in the Giraffe Sanctuary in Nairobi where you can base before your �light home. We encourage a visit to the Sheldrick Elephant orphanage which is close by.
K E N YA
‘ S A FA R I ’ i s t h e S w a h i l i w o r d f o r ‘ a j o u r n e y ’ a n d K e n y a e v o k e s n o s t a l g i a f o r t h e e a r l i e s t o r i g i n s
of the African safari. Romance and adventure are plentiful in the classic stories told in ‘Out of Africa’ a n d ‘ B o r n F r e e ’, i l l u s t r a t i n g K e n y a ’ s s c e n e r y, w i l d l i f e a n d p e o p l e , w h i c h h a v e e n d u r i n g a p p e a l .
Kenya is a sovereign state achieving political independence from the British in 1963. Since, anxious times have been de�ied, mainly due to its dynamic people who are amongst the most colourful in East Africa. Friendly and hospitable, the Kenyan people rely heavily on tourism.
Located on the east coast of Africa, the Equator bisects the country resulting in a tropical climate, although diverse geography provokes wide variations in temperature, rainfall and humidity. In relation to size, the assorted landscape is unparalleled and the multitude of national parks and reserves all have their own unique attractions. Marine reserves boast coral reef gardens with palm fringed beaches and turquoise oceans, while the savannah grasslands exhibit quintessential depictions of imagined Africa, harsh trackless expanses, solitary �lat - topped acacias and incredible concentrations of plains game.
Kenya remains one of the best places in Africa to see great wildlife – lions, elephants, leopards and of course the annual ‘wildebeest migration’ streaming into the Masai Mara from Tanzania. The East African Rift Valley runs through the country from top to bottom and provides stunning landscapes of giant volcanoes, hot springs and �lamingo sprinkled lakes.
Dominated by Lake Turkana, the ancient source of the Nile, the Rift Valley lakes are some of the most picturesque in Africa. The formation of the Rift created Mt Kenya, the second highest peak in Africa, some three millions years ago. “The spiritual home of safari, Kenya is where it all began. From the big cats of the Mara to the elephants of Amboseli, combined with traditional tribes, real tented camps and an unparalleled physical diversity, Kenya has it all. ”
Uganda
KENYA Lake Victoria Rwanda Burundi
Tanzania
Zanzibar
“A c o n t i n e n t i n o n e c o u n t r y ” Sandor Carter
T H E
E M A K O K O
Uniquely positioned on the edge of the Nairobi National Park, this elegant lodge is a spectacular way to start or end your safari.
The Emakoko is a family-owned and run
offers a wealth of treasures all locally
Nairobi National Park. It is located a short
Take a game drive in one of the most unique
lodge, artfully built into the side of a valley
on the Mbagathi River which borders the 45 minute ride from both airports in Nairobi city.
5 rooms are located on the same level as the
airy main dining and lounge areas and a
further 5 rooms are at the top of the lodge, perched on the cliff overlooking the valley and with the most spectacular views. All
are ensuite and beautifully furnished with
contemporary African �lair in rich chocolate browns, creamy beiges and crisp white linens.
Deep, comfortable chairs nestle
around your own stone �ireplace.
Whether you are enjoying an Emakoko
cocktail in the viewing area or simply a
coffee by the pool overlooking the river, relaxation
is
assured.
The
Emakoko
crafted in Kenya.
game parks in the world, Nairobi National Park, or visit the community that borders it.
An excursion in the environs of Nairobi to visit the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, the giraffe centre or the local shops may be more appealing.
“The park is home
to lion, leopard & rhino, all of which range
within spitting distance of camp, while hippo
and impala are known to frequent the
l o d g e ’ s g r o u n d s .”
L A I K I P I A
I n t h e c e n t r a l h i g h l a n d s o f K e n y a , s t r e t c h i n g f r o m M o u n t K e n y a i n t h e e a s t t o t h e R i f t Va l l e y i n t h e w e s t is a 2.149 million acre area of semi-arid grassland and bush savannah known as the Laikipia Plateau.
This region serves as a portal to Kenya’s remote and wild, Northern Frontier and is a patchwork of cattle ranches and tribal lands that have been amalgamated under the umbrella of eco-tourism.
The Laikipia Wildlife Forum promotes this collaboration and is an incredible example of successful conservation whereby ranchers and pastoralists encourage the practical co-existance of people, livestock and wildlife. The desire to truly understand all the inhabitants of this natural environment is illustrated in the large number of research and community conservation projects within the area. Straddling the Equator at altitudes of between 5,000 and 8,000 feet, this secluded part of Africa is incredibly scenic, comprising of magni�icent escarpments which descend into open grasslands, basalt hills, lonely kopjes and riverine forest, fed by rivers sourced on the slopes of Mount Kenya. This diversity attracts considerable animal numbers and is home to the highest number of endangered species in East Africa. Half the population of black rhino, Kenya’s second largest elephant population, the fastest growing wild dog population on the
continent and the globally threatened Grevy’s zebra have all found their home in Laikipia. This is a unique and fascinating wildlife experience when adding the animals that occur solely in central and northern Kenya, such as the reticulated giraffe, Jackson’s hartebeest, gerenuk and Somali ostrich. With such an array of plains game come the predators and Laikipia is home to signi�icant numbers of lion, cheetah and the ever elusive leopard.
Lake Turkana
LAIKIPIA Lake Victoria
Mt. Kenya N.P
Masai Mara
Nairobi Amboseli N.P
Kilimanjaro N.P
Ts a v o N.P
L E W A
H O U S E
L o c a t e d a t t h e v e r y h e a r t o f t h e C o n s e r v a n c y, L e w a H o u s e i s s e t o n t o p o f a h i l l w i t h e x t e n s i v e v i e w s over gentle valleys. It faces Mount Kenya to the south, the rugged Mathew’s Range and the sacred mountain of the Samburu, Ol Lolokwe to the north. The exclusive Lewa House is located to the east of the Laikipia district, and central within the 62,000 acre Lewa Wild life Conservancy. This acclaimed Conservation area comprises of semi-arid grassland, ridged escarpments, small kopjes and riverine forests and contains 10% of Kenya’s black rhino population, 15% of its white rhino population as well as the highest concentration of endangered Grevy’s zebra in the world.
4 single room cottages and 3 family cottages, which enjoy double and twin rooms, rest on lush lawns beneath the dappled shade of acacia trees. Each family cottage boasts lavish ensuite bathrooms with Victorian baths and a private viewing deck for outstanding bird spotting. The decor re�lects the wild surrounds with dark wood furniture, stone walls and bright bursts of blue, reminiscent of the cerulean day-time sky. The crystal clear waters of the swimming pool provide a welcome escape from the African heat whilst observing herds of lumbering elephants as they trample their way to the waterhole below. The superb African style cuisine invites indulgences in the culinary delights offered either in an elegantly appointed boma area or alfresco beneath a star scattered ceiling.
Lewa House places heavy emphasis on time spent in the bush and therefore offers wildlife viewing by way of vehicle, walking safaris with expert Maasai guides, or both horse and camelback safari excursions. Each unique experience provides the opportunity to view endemic species including the gerenuk, reticulated giraffe and Somali ostrich, as well as the more fearsome predators such as the ever elusive leopard, high numbers of wild dog, lion and cheetah. At the close of each day, adventures are shared while sipping sundowners with a backdrop of the breathtaking Mt. Kenya, as the setting Kenyan sun stains the sky pure crimson.
“A c e l e b r a t i o n o f s e r e n i t y and African passion,
Lewa House provides an intimate and
e x c l u s i v e s a f a r i g e t a w a y.”
M A S A I
M A R A
Only in the Mara does the whole spectrum of life and death, birth and growth seem to be there for you, right before your eyes. Most documentary wildlife �ilmmakers choose the Mara due to the abundance and easy access to wild animals here. Almost 450,000 acres of rolling grasslands make up the Maasai Mara and its surrounding conervancies, bordered by mountains to the north and east and the Siria escarpment to the west. The permanent meandering rivers traced by deep forest snake across the savannah. The Mara’s proximity to Lake Victoria, which creates its own weather patterns, ensures that the area receives much higher rainfall than the Serengeti ecosystem. This crucial fact enables millions of animals, including gazelle, zebra and antelope, to survive through the driest time of year. An estimated one and a half million wildebeest make the annual migration up from the southern Serengeti plains into Kenya and remain here from late June into October. You will be staying in one of the quitest parts of the Mara, a conservancy. Even during migration season you can be away from the crowds. An hour can pass in nail-biting anticipation as a cheetah conducts a painstaking stalk of her prey, only to lose her meal at the last moment when the wind changes.
Watch the peculiar quality of the light, and the shadows of the clouds on the plains, the strange optical illusions of the distant herds silhouetted along the horizon. Light and shadow, rock and grassland, predators and prey, this is quintessential Africa.
Lake Turkana
Lake Victoria
MASAI MARA
Mt. Kenya N.P
Nairobi Amboseli
Serengeti N.P Ts a v o N.P
T A N G U L I A
M A R A
S i t u a t e d o n p r i v a t e l a n d o n t h e w e s t e r n b o u n d a r y o f t h e M a r a R e s e r v e , Ta n g u l i a a l l o w s f o r e a s y a c c e s s i n t o b o t h t h e T r i a n g l e a n d R e s e r v e p r o p e r. B o t h a r e a s h a v e a r i c h b i o d i v e r s i t y a n d o f f e r p r i m e w i l d l i f e viewing and, during the migration ready access to the main crossings.
This small and intimate camp is solely
open-fronted
owned”.
River. The camp has expansive views south
Maasai owned and aims to demonstrate that Community Conservation can be “home
It is a great alternative to the
traditional cattle-owning way of life of the
Maasai people and recognises the potential on their doorstep.
building,
overlooking
Olotulo Murt Salt Lick, frequented by wildlife, and which leads down to the Mara and eastward across the Mara.
With over twenty-�ive years of guiding visitors to the Mara the team at Tangulia are
more than quali�ied to give their guests a truly authentic insight into the Maasai Mara
and have a deep knowledge of the fauna and �lora here.
Game drives in the Mara Reserve or Triangle
are the main attraction but Tangulia also
offers uided walks on the slopes of the escarpment outside the Reserve.
TANGULIA MARA is a traditional safari
camp built on a rocky hill. The mess – living
room and dining area – is a thatched and
the
“A c a s u a l l y c o m f o r t a b l e
tented camp, combining EXCEPTIONAL wildlife with a contemporary e x p e r i e n c e .”
THE
G REAT
RIFT
VAL L E Y
T h e G r e a t R i f t V a l l e y, a l a n d s c a p e i n t u r m o i l , t o r n a p a r t b y t h e t w i s t i n g a n d b u c k l i n g o f t h e E a r t h ’ s c r u s t . I t i s a l s o a l a n d s c a p e o f h u g e u n p r e d i c t a b l e c h a n g e , t h a t f o r c e s a n i m a l s d a y b y d a y, s e a s o n b y s e a s o n t o gamble with their lives, but for those that win, this is one of the most fertile landscapes on Earth. The Great Rift Valley was the name given by British explorer John Walter Gregory, to the continuous geographic trench, approximately 6,000 kilometres in length, running from northern Syria to central Mozambique in South East Africa. The East African Rift Vally has two branches – the Eastern branch which runs through Kenya and Northern Tanzania, and the Western branch through DR Congo, and Western Tanzania. The Western Rift is edged by some of the highest mountains in Africa including t h e V i r u n g a M o u n t a i n s i n Rwa n d a , a n d a l s o includes the Great Lakes. These are some of the deepest lakes in the world and all of the African Great Lakes were formed as the result of the rift.
In Kenya, the valley is at it’s most dramatic to the north of Nairobi, the ancient volcanoes of Longonot and Suswa are easy to see from the road. Most lakes in northern Kenya are shallow and poorly drained and therefore have become alkaline. Their waters are rich in blue - green algae which
David Attenborough
feed insect larvae, small crustaceans and massive �locks of �lamingos. The Kenya Lake system is also a key location on a route followed by huge numbers of birds in their annual migration from breeding grounds in the north, to wintering places in Africa. The lands around the lakes include large populations of Black rhino (Lake Nakuru), Rothschild's giraffe, Greater kudu, lion, cheetah and wild dogs. Lake Turkana
GREAT RIFT VALLEY Shaba N.P Buffalo Springs N.P Lake Victoria Masai Mara
Mt. Kenya N.P Nairobi
Amboseli N.P
Ts a v o N.P
SHO MPO LE
WILDE RN E S S
A small luxury tented camp nestled in the shade of giant �ig trees on the banks of the
E w a s o N y i r o R i v e r i n t h e S h o m p o l e C o n s e r v a n c y o n t h e b o t t o m o f t h e G r e a t R i f t V a l l e y. Located between Lake Magadi and Lake Natron, the conservancy is a large, privately operated concession area in the south of the Great Rift Valley in Kenya. The camp is located in the Shompole group ranch, and is collaboration between the local Maasai community and Shompole Wilderness Ltd, a company owned by established tour operators and safari guides and a Swiss trained hotelier. Your hosts at the camp will be the local Maasai and long-time supporters and residents, Johann du Toit and his family, who have lived and worked in the area for over ten years.
A dry climate, hottest in October and November and most likely to be wet in April and May, the �lora are adapted to semi-arid conditions and include umbrella thorn trees and the colorful toothbrush tree. The main source of water is the Ewaso Nyrio which orignates in the Mau forest to the north and �lows into Lake Natron. There are riverine thickets along the banks of the river. Wildlife include giraffe, buffalo, elephants and desert antelope such as gerenuk and oryx.
Early morning and late afternoon game drives enhance your chances of sighting a big cat and a visit to the Shompole swamps, waterfalls or soda lakes with fabulous �lamingos is a must. The camp is however, very aware of the fragile environment so tracking and walking based activities are high on the agenda. Floating down a river passing huge �ig trees, baboons and monkeys is a highlight as this river is surprisingly, crocodile free.
The 4 luxury tents stand in the shade of a giant �ig tree and are very private with plenty of space between them. Ensuite facilities have bucket showers and lighting in the tent is all solar. The camp has no electricity or internet access and the phone signal is extremely weak. This is a true get away from it all; a refuge from daily life where you can be at one with nature both in mind and body.
“A p h o t o g r a p h e r ’ s p a r a d i s e , an escapist’s UTOPIA,
b e a u t i f u l , w i l d a n d a u t h e n t i c .”
E L E P H A N T
O R P H A N A G E
Daphne Sheldrick was the �irst person in the entire world to successfully hand rear newborn fully
milk dependent African elephant orphans, something that spanned 28 years of trial and error to achieve. Located on the edge of Nairobi National Park, the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust is home to some 20+ baby elephants. Ranging in age from a few weeks to several years, a visit here is a must for any animal lover.
To date, the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust has successfully hand-raised over 200 infant elephants, and 17 black rhinos. It has also accomplished its long-term conservation priority by effectively reintegrating over 100 orphans back into the wild herds of Tsavo. These hand-reared elephants are fully established and living free amongst their wild peers in Tsavo, some returning with wild born young to show their erstwhile human family. The older orphans are based within Tsavo East National Park at either of 2 established rehabilitation centres for the gradual process of the re-integration, with others in early infancy are at the Trust’s Nairobi National Park Elephant and Rhino Nursery.
The Trust has trained a team of competent elephant keepers who replace the orphans’ lost elephant family until such time as
the transition to the wild herds has been accomplished, something that can take up to
10 years, since elephant calves duplicate
their human counterparts in terms of development
through
age
progression.
Those that were orphaned too young to recall
their
dependent
elephant
longer,
but
family
all
the
remain
Trust’s
orphans eventually take their rightful place amongst their wild counterparts, including those orphaned on the day they were born.
“The world’s most emotionally h u m a n l a n d m a m m a l .”
Daphne Sheldrick
H O G
H O U S E
Hidden in the 130 acre Giraffe Sanctuary in Langata, Hog House is a private home with incredible views across to the Ngong Hills. Serene and peaceful you would hardly believe you are in one of Africa’s largest capital cities.
Located close to both Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, and Wilson Airport, this unusual family home is an ideal place to begin or end your safari. Its rustic décor and the fact that it is surrounded by wildlife will help to ease you in, and out, of your time here on safari. The straw bale construction uses plantation cedar and fallen African olive and blends with the wooded sanctuary perfectly. The house itself comprises 2 double bedrooms and a triple, all ensuite. There are a further 2 cottages outside in the garden for larger groups. Hog House is only available for exclusive use. The large open plan sitting/dining is cosy with a warm �ireplace and lots of seating for all to congregate. Daytime meals we normally take outside in the shade of the Euclea trees in the garden, and a beautiful horizon pool beckons on hot afternoons. Walking in the sanctuary is the perfect way to loosen up stiff joints from long intercontinental �lights and you have
every chance of seeing Rothschild’s giraffe, warthog, dik dik, bushbuck, suni and Syke’s monkeys. Birds of every colour throng around the bird table and hyrax will doubtless entertain you at night! The Giraffe Centre, Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage, Karen Blixen Museum, and many craft centres are all within a stone’s throw of Hog House.
“It is a privilege to stay in this unusual and
beautiful home within the G I R A F F E S A N C T U A R Y,
so close and convenient to all the classic
Nairobi attractions, and yet quietly tucked away in your o w n h a v e n o f s e r e n i t y.”
K E R
&
D O W N E Y
“ S o m e t h i n k t h e b e s t l a r g e - s c a l e o p e r a t i o n a f t e r t h e w a r…
was the one launched over a drink or two on the veranda of the Imperial Hotel in Addis Ababa” – Bartle Bull, Safari: A Chronicle of Adventure, 1
Like so many great ventures, Ker & Downey Safaris was born from a chance encounter. Donald Ker and Syd Downey, two big game hunters from Kenya, had been �ighting with the British in Ethiopia shortly before the fall of Addis Ababa in 1941. Syd had just been released by the Italians and was celebrating at a local hotel when he bumped into Donald Ker. With one car and a lot of bravura, the pair made a plan to establish “the best safari company the world has ever known”.
and 70’s, the company continued to grow – extending its reach across southern Africa, east to the jungles of Congo, and north into the deserts of Ethiopia and Sudan. By 1977, when hunting was of�icially banned in Kenya, K&D had transformed itself into the leading provider of customised mobile photographic safaris in Africa.
In 1962, shortly before Kenya’s Independence, Ker & Downey spread its wings to Botswana, with Harry Selby and a couple of other guides offering safaris in this ‘new’, uncharted corner of Africa. Through the 60’s
“Because we’ve been doing
It was not until January 1946 that Syd and Donald, newly discharged from the army, took out their �irst safari. They were hired to run a camp in the Maasai Mara for the production of “The Macomber Affair”, the United Artists blockbuster starring Gregory Peck and Joan Bennett. It was the beginning of a long love affair with Hollywood, which would see “K&D” out�it some of the biggest �ilms ever to come out of Africa.
Today, Ker & Downey is celebrated as the longest-existing safari out�itter in the world, and the standard-bearer for unsurpassed luxury in some of its last great wild places. So successful has the “K&D” name been that it has been brazenly borrowed by a number of copycat companies in Africa and the West. Yet to this day, no one has come close to emulating the luxurious standards, the rich experiences, or the peerless guiding of “The Original Ker & Downey Safaris”.
t h i s f o r 7 0 y e a r s . . .”
J A M E S
R O B E R T S O N
T h i r t y - � i v e y e a r s a f t e r l e a d i n g h i s � i r s t e x p e d i t i o n , J a m e s i s c h a i r m a n o f t h e b o a r d a t K e r & D o w n e y, and an in�luential leader of the new movement in community-led conservation.
Like the safari industry itself, James Robertson was born and raised in Kenya, where his appetite for adventure has earned him a reputation as one of the modern pioneers of the global safari business.
James’ dependability for never following the same itinerary twice, and for continually searching out new experiences for his clients, has won him admirers across the industry, as well as an army of repeat guests (including two families who have each travelled with him 26 times!). Among his long-standing Kenyan crew, he’s known as “Ndorobo” after the fabled hunter-gathers of northern Kenya – a tribe renowned for their resourceful bushcraft, and their complete absence of fear for wild animals. Although James’ �irst love and main base is Kenya, he is an “all-Africa guide” and just as likely to be found travelling through the game-rich parks, reserves and conservancies of eastern and southern Africa. In recent years, he has been supporting a number of Maasai and Samburu communities that have turned part of their grazing lands over to conservation – giving guests a chance to see some rarer wildlife species, and to experience an absolutely authentic immersion in two of the world’s oldest tribal cultures. In 2001, James was a founder of The Mara Conservancy, a ground-breaking and widely-admired partnership between conservationists and the county government, which established a new public-private template to protect the critical wildlife dispersal areas north of the Maasai Mara Reserve. He sits on the board of the (removed the MMWCT) Kenya Wildlife Trust , and his unrivalled contacts enable his guests to meet some of the leading conservationists and wildlife researchers in the world.
Having been raised on the edge of Kenya's largest National Park, Tsavo is close to James’ heart. His most recent focus is on protecting the last remaining Great Tuskers of which there are around 10 bulls each carrying in excess of 100lbs of ivory per side. He is working closely with the Tsavo Trust to protect these valuable elephants.
James and Abigail live within a wildlife sanctuary on the outskirts of Nairobi, where they host most of their guests personally. They work together as much as possible out on safari where their shared passions are apparent to anyone travelling with them.
O L I V E R
N I C K L I N
Born and brought up in Kenya, Oliver spent much of his childhood on the east African coast and exploring the bush. With a surfer for a father and a safari guide for an uncle,
Oliver developed a passion for water sports and a parallel love of the African wilderness.
An unconventional student with a love of physical and mental challenges, on leaving school Oliver
set up a kite-sur�ing business in Watamu with a friend. They ran the business successfully for
three years, teaching kite-sur�ing, organizing tailor-made trips for clients and guiding kite-sur�ing safaris along the coastline. During this period, he travelled extensively around East Africa - climbing
Mount Kenya, �ishing on remote lakes and camping in diverse landscapes. He also broadened his experience with trips to South East Asia, South Africa and Europe - sur�ing in Indonesia and Vietnam and travelling by train around Europe.
Three years ago, Oliver decided that it was time for a change and a challenge, and shifted his
career from the beach to the bush. He studied Business in South Africa and completed an EcoTraining course in Borana, Kenya. Since then, he has worked on several safaris, guiding for
Ker and Downey Safaris, The Luxury Safari Company and Africa Born. When Oliver is not guiding he also works as a lodge manager in Northern Kenya and the Mara working closely with the Maasai and Samburu tribes. More recently Oliver spent 3 months in Rwanda Managing Sabyinyo
Silver Back Lodge where he was able to immerse himself in the inspiring Rwandan history and learn all about the incredible Mountain Gorillas of the Volcanos National Park. Invigorated and
inspired, he is passionate about conserving Kenya’s wildlife and habitats on land and in the ocean - and about sharing that very special world with others.
Oliver is a professional, informative and entertaining guide with an infectious love of wilderness and exploration.
TEL: +254 (0)720 911 143
EMAIL: INFO@JAMESROBERTSON.CO.KE S K Y P E : J RS A FA R I S
W W W. K E R D O W N E Y S A FA R I S . C O M