Why I Love Kenya Issue 1 May/Jun 2017 by Mike Jones

MAY-JUNE 2017 ISSUE 1

The

Greatest

Wildlife Show on Earth

Wild ride

A safari on horseback

The

Butterfly People

The colourful Samburu

THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE KENYA TOURISM BOARD & KENYA TOURISM FEDERATION

mapping the migration

WHY I LOVE KENYA May-June 2017

Foreword by Hon. Najib Balala, EGH, Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Tourism.

Welcome to the inaugural issue of Why I Love Kenya magazine, the official magazine of the Kenya Tourism Board. Inspired by our recent Why I Love Kenya social media campaign, which prompted thousands of people, locally and abroad, to share their love of Kenya with the world, the aim of this magazine is simple – to make YOU love Kenya too. And we are sure that you will. Uncontested holder of the title Safari Capital of the World, Kenya is unique in her diversity. Boasting 56 national parks and reserves, she offers sanctuary to some of the world’s most ancient and most threatened creatures. Named after Mount Kenya, the second highest mountain in Africa, she shelters the last of the primordial rainforests while boasting more species of birds than almost anywhere else in the world. Stunning, scenic, steeped in history, Kenya has provided a playground for royalty, millionaires and pleasure seekers for decades past. And she does so still. But Kenya promises so much more than the glory of her scenery, the perfection of her beaches and the wonder of her wildlife. Thought to be the original Garden of Eden, Kenya is the cradle of mankind and the adopted home of over seventy ethnic groups. A land of endlessly harmonious contrast: Indian Ocean escape and tropical ice, high-action sports and ancient culture, Kenya is a land where ‘Hakuna matata’, (no problem) embodies the national attitude; where the welcome is as warm as the weather; and where a smile is the most valuable currency. So come to Kenya and let us give you the holiday experience of a lifetime, the wedding of your dreams, or a really wild corporate venue. Come to Kenya and discover the magic. Come to Kenya and fall in love. Enjoy reading this issue and come visit Magical Kenya!

Hon. Najib Balala, EGH, CABINET SECRETARY

WHY I LOVE KENYA May-June 2017

Explore

East Africa

With Us

Private Safaris (E.A.) is a premier Safari Specialist and Events Management company in the East Africa region, covering Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Ethiopia. Our product range includes safari and beach packages, adventure tours, honeymoon packages, golf tours, incentive travel, conference and events management. We are committed to providing excellent service to our clients. We boast of a well trained staff compliment and many years of experience. Our long standing and cordial association with suppliers ensures strong buying power, enhancing value for money without compromising on product and service quality. Are you planning your conference/events? Let us do the running around for you.

For all your leisure and corporate travel needs, contact us on: Tel. 3607 000/242/243 or 0722 211 231 Email: info.ke@privatesafaris.com Office: 2nd floor, Oil Libya Plaza, Muthaiga, Nairobi

Conferences & Events • Team Building • Meetings & Incentives • Safaris & Beach Holidays • Golf Tours

www.privatesafaris.co.ke

Contents

MANAGING EDITOR: Jane Barsby

ASSISTANT EDITOR: Evelyne Kibe

SALES: Beth Litunya, Sharon Kwama, Richard Steel

CREATIVE AND EDITORIAL TEAM Pam Kubassu Papa, Moses Ochieng, Sam Ndung’u, James Mwania, Alpa Shah, Lily Cheyanne Munavu

PHOTOGRAPHIC AND EDITORIAL CREDITS Dr Richard Leakey, Sean Dundas Safaris, Severin Safari Camp, Hot Air Safaris, Balloon Safaris, Beverly Joubert, Liz Phillips, Mcklein Publishing, Eric Kihiu, Paolo Parazzi, Sam Stogdale, Ride Kenya, Angama Mara, Kenya Treks, Severin Safari Camp, Elewana Collection, Hemingways, Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club, Serena Hotels, Skydive Diani, Tropic Air Kenya, The Sands at Nomad, Safarilink, Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, Saruni, Turkana Basin Institute, Jerry Riley, Mills Publishing Ltd, Make It Kenya, Peponi Hotel, KTB, Erik Hersman, David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust.

ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES: advertising@colourspace.co.ke

EDITORIAL ENQUIRIES: editorial@colourspace.co.ke

PUBLISHER: MJS Colourspace Ltd. Victoria Towers, Kilimanjaro Road, Nairobi Tel: +254 (0)20 2738004, 2737883 Mobile: +254 (0)727 794041 Cover photograph © Saruni Foreword photograph © Make It Kenya / Stuart Price Copyright © 2017 Why I Love Kenya Magazine. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior permission of the publishers. The publishers do not accept responsibility for the advertising content of the magazine and nor do they promote or endorse products from third-party advertisers. Why I love Kenya is published by MJS Colourspace Ltd. Printed in Kenya.

www.whyilovekenya.com

03 Foreword 06 Zoom Lens 10 Spotlight on: The cradle of mankind 14 Cameo Shot: Richard Leakey on ‘Why I love Kenya’ 16 Wide Angle Lens: A mother’s love 20 Focus on: The greatest wildlife show on earth 23 In the Frame: Wild ride 29 Capturing the coast: Swahili coast 34 Depth of Field: On cloud nine 36 In Portrait: The painted desert 39 Cultural Contact: The butterfly people 40 Positive Take: Mount Kenya 42 Wild Action: Hiballs and low dives 50 Moving Image: Ticking the sundowner box 52 Exposed: Why did the zebra get its stripes? 54 In Close Up: Nairobi ‘scene & herd’ 56 Portfolio: Focus on specialist travel 58 Snapped: The best of the Kenyan buys 60 Kenya Brief

zoom lens

We’re watching YOU Ring the changes: let the wildlife stare at you as you pound across the savannah in a cloud of dust. Over the past 17 years, the Safaricom Lewa Marathon (June 24 2017) has raised over US$4.2 million for projects ranging from conflict resolution to conservation. This year one thousand runners from twenty nations will gallop across the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy and cross the finish line beneath the glittering snow-capped peaks of Mount Kenya.

Jointly organised by Tusk Trust and the Conservancy, it is one of the few marathons in the world run on a wildlife conservancy and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. For further information: www.safaricommarathon.com

Pippa Middleton running the Lewa Marathon. © Liz Phillips

The Lewa Wildlife Conservancy is East Africa’s pioneer private sanctuary for endangered species. Top: Lewa is home to Nicky, the baby rhino featured on David Attenborough’s Africa Series. Bottom: Lewa was recently awarded Silver in poverty reduction by the World Responsible Tourism awards in recognition of its support to the neighbouring communities through education, health, provision of water and women’s micro-credit. Photos © Lewa Wildlife Conservancy

Rhino Charge 2017 Heaving through mud and haring across plains, the off-road motorsport competition known as The Rhino Charge has it all: grit, dust and muscle-on-the-move as the 65 entrants battle for supremacy over a gruelling 13-point course, spread over 100 km² of rough terrain, the venue for which remains a secret until the very last moment. Join the excitement 2-4 June and help raise funds to support the activities of the Rhino Ark Charitable Trust, which works towards the conservation of Kenya’s mountain range ecosystems, the so-called “Water Towers”. Further information www.rhinocharge.co.ke

WHY I LOVE KENYA May-June 2017

zoom lens

The toughest safari rally in the world

The East African Classic Safari Rally is one of the world’s toughest, featuring over 1,000 km of timed stages covering some of the roughest terrain in Kenya. Flagged off and finishing at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre in Nairobi, you can catch up with the rally at any point along its wild and dusty route. The rally will be held between 23rd November and 1st December 2017. Classic Safari Rally © Mcklein Publishing

For further information: www.eastafricansafarirally.com

Saddle‘em up, move ‘em out,

rawhide

If you’d like to try racing a camel against some of the world’s finest international camel racers, or if you’d just like to spectate, then head up to Maralal in Northern Kenya in late August 2017 (dates TBC) for the 28th Annual Maralal Camel Derby. Staged against the brilliance of Kenya’s searing-hot desert region, this world-famous event also showcases the very best of Samburu dance, heritage, crafts, cuisine and culture while proceeds go towards promoting peace and cohesion amid the pastoral communities. For further information: www.samburu.go.ke

Don’t miss out on Maulidi Set against the sublimely picturesque backdrop of Lamu, which is the oldest and best-preserved Swahili settlement in East Africa, the festival of Maulidi is one of Kenya’s most colourful events. Attended by pilgrims from all over Africa, and annually attracting thousands of tourists, it features donkey races through the town, dhow races across the ocean, a carnival parade through the narrow streets, and a showcase of cultural events ranging from poetry-readings to a Swahili food bazaar. In its entirety, Maulidi spans the entire month of Ramadan (27 May to 25 June 2017), but the festival itself takes place over the final three days of the month. Since accommodation in the tiny town is at a premium, however, it pays to book early.

Further information: www.discoverlamu.org

WHY I LOVE KENYA May-June 2017

zoom lens Maasai Olympics. © Beverly Joubert

The new

‘Lunatic Express’ Famous in 1898 as the location for one of the most famous railway projects in the world, the so-called ‘Lunatic Express’, Kenya is about to gain recognition for another megaengineering project. And whereas the ‘Lunatic Express’ was built with the intention of linking Mombasa to Uganda (but only got as far as the shores of Lake Victoria), the new railway aims to link Mombasa to Uganda, Rwanda and South Sudan. Quite a haul. Begun in 2013, stage one of the 609 km Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) is scheduled for completion by December 2017 at which point it will reduce the time taken to travel between Mombasa and Nairobi from over ten hours to around four. The builders of the new railway are unlikely, however, to face the problems encountered by their predecessors. At that time, while laying track across what is now Tsavo National Park, they encountered a pair of man-eating lions that devoured 35 men. One night, or so the story goes, having consumed the station master, the signalman, and the points man alike, the lions tried to tear their way through the corrugated iron of the station roof, at which point the terrified telegraph clerk sent the following message to Nairobi; ‘Lion fighting with station. Send urgent succour’. The ‘man-eaters of Tsavo’ (stuffed) can be viewed in the Chicago Museum of Natural History, Illinois. The carriage from which they dragged the man employed to shoot them can be explored in the Nairobi Railway Museum. Alternatively, if you’d like to catch the last train to offer one of the world’s greatest train journeys, you can pull out of Nairobi at around 7pm, enjoy a manic dinner in one of the maddest dining cars on earth, sleep in a carriage that rocks so violently that earlier travellers were advised to remove their false teeth, and arrive in Mombasa, gritty, disheveled but exhilarated, at around 7am – give or take the odd hour or two spent waiting for sundry rhino or elephant to move off the track. It’s quite a journey – do it while you still can. For more information www.krc.co.ke

The Maasai go for gold For an entirely different ‘take’ on the Olympics, where the high-jumpers leap straight up into the air propelled only by their sandals, where a spear is hurled across the plains rather than a javelin, and where the male contestants spend more time on their make-up than the females - check out the Maasai Olympics. Established in 2012 by Big Life Foundation with major funding from The National Geographic Society’s Big Cats Initiative, the initial goal of the strategy was to offer the young Maasai warriors an alternative ‘rite of passage’ to the traditional one – that of killing a lion. Five years later, however, not only have the Olympics more than succeeded in this goal, but they have also created a new hybrid of ‘ambassador-warrior’, into whose hands the elders of the community have placed the Olympian task of maintaining both the vibrancy of the Maasai culture and the delicate balance that exists between man and his ecosystem. The Maasai Olympics is held every two years. For details on the next event, visit: www.maasaiolympics.com

The original Lunatic Express leaving Nairobi Railway Station circa 1900 © Mills Publishing Ltd

WHY I LOVE KENYA May-June 2017

spotlight on

Cradle of

Mankind Shimmering like a mirage in the harshly beautiful landscape of northern Kenya, Lake Turkana (6,400 sq km) is the largest permanent desert lake in the world, an alkaline giant, whose treacherous mercurial blue-green waters have earned it the title ‘The Jade Sea’. Fringed by stark cliffs, rocky beaches, and the petrified remains of a once-great cedar forest that flourished seven million years ago, this surreal landscape is lashed by searingly hot winds and is home to the world’s largest population of crocodiles. Survivors of an epoch long before mankind, Lake Turkana’s estimated 12,000 crocodile have hardly changed in 130 million years. Despite their monstrous size and formidable appearance they are generally inoffensive beasts living in perfect harmony with their environment and feeding on the Lake’s prolific fish. Located on the Lake’s northeastern shore and known as the ‘Cradle of Mankind’, Sibiloi National Park was created to protect the sites of the many remarkable hominid fossil finds revealed by its searing winds. The Park yielded its most striking treasure in 1972 when a 2 million-year-old fossilized skull was discovered by eminent paleontologist, Dr Richard Leakey, and his team at Koobi Fora. The almost complete skull (labelled ‘1470’ by the National Museum of Kenya) confirmed the existence of a sophisticated evolutionary hominid named Homo habilis, the direct ancestor of Homo sapiens. Evidence of Homo erectus was also unearthed along with some 160 additional finds relating to the early hominids. Although all Koobi Fora’s human fossils are now housed in Nairobi’s National Museum, you can still view the fossil of a 3 million-year-old giant tortoise, an ancient species of crocodile and a 1.5 million-year-old behemoth on-site.

Wildlife highlights: Grevy’s and Burchell’s zebra, Grant’s gazelle, reticulated giraffe, Beisa oryx, topi, greater kudu, hippo, lion, cheetah, leopard, striped hyena and silverbacked jackal. Birds: 350 recorded species.

Main photo: Nabuyatom Crater, Lake Turkana. © Sean Dundas Safaris

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WHY I LOVE KENYA May-June 2017 11

cameo shot

Kenya Why I Love

By Dr. Richard Leakey D.Sc., FRS

am always surprised when I’m asked to explain why I love and care so much for Kenya. It all seems so obvious: Kenya has everything one could possibly need, and everything to love. And there is nowhere on our planet that I would prefer to live, work and, I suppose, die! Let me expand; firstly Kenya is my home, the family having arrived here in their current manifestation almost 130 years ago. Furthermore, if we look at our DNA and genetic history, my earliest ancestors were living here about 45,000 years ago. It’s an intriguing thought that every living human on the planet today can trace their earliest origins, through genetic studies, back to Africa - fairly close to Kenya on the eastern side of the continent. And while I have no certainty that there is such a thing as genetic memory, it would offer a possible explanation as to why so many very different people from all the corners of the world are heard to say, ‘Kenya feels good, it feels like home.’ Because it probably is just that. Beyond the positive subconscious feelings generated by Kenya, there is also the fact that her diversity of landscapes is simply extraordinary. Wonderful beaches with all-year warm seas, fantastic semi-deserts, verdant hills,

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manicured farms, highland forests and mountains. Even a little bit of snow! And on these landscapes live warm, friendly people with profoundly diverse cultures and ways of life. There is little you cannot find in Kenya if you look for it. Our cities are modern in all aspects, with fantastic restaurants and hotels. And yet, within sight of many of the city’s tower blocks lies Nairobi National Park where lion, cheetah, rhino, buffalo and all sorts of other wild game can be viewed on a ‘120-minute safari’ or morning excursion. Only Kenya offers such a privilege. Travelling further afield, you’ll encounter some of the finest game-viewing parks in the world. Elephants abound. And they’re always ready to welcome our visitors with a good showing. Indeed, in many ways, I find watching elephants quietly living their natural lives to be one of the most therapeutic and restorative pleasures I know. You should try it; it’s safe, it’s unique and it upgrades life. More visceral and equally unforgettable is watching a predator hunting. Many visitors, if they’re patient, will get the chance to watch lions stalking and making a kill, or to observe the cheetah, whose turn of speed is a marvel. Thereafter, they can watch as

the hyaena and vultures take over the kill – an extraordinary and utterly awesome experience. If you’re a bird lover, you’ll find paradise in Kenya. So many species, so easy to see, and so extraordinary to discover how they all fit into their particular niches. Then there’s the wonderful dawn chorus and the often eerie silence of the hot noon hours. So much better than the famed tropical jungles, where there may be many birds but they’re all too difficult to see. Getting to know the people of Kenya may take time, but you’ll find that the nomadic pastoralists such as the Maasai, Samburu, Gabbra and Turkana make wonderful hosts who will readily welcome curious visitors. We’re a very diverse nation speaking over thirty languages, but we can all tell you why we love our very special country – in English and in quite a few other languages too. As to our hotels, lodges and tented camps, they promise faultless service, good food and excellent guides and naturalists. So, my question is simply this: how could I not love Kenya? One personal note of caution to the reader: be prepared. Because the Kenyan experience is powerfully seductive, and you’ll always want more!

©Turkana Basin Institute

Richard Leakey, second son of world-famous paleoanthropologists, Louis and Mary, has lived his entire life in Kenya. Born in 1944, he participated in many of his parent’s field expeditions, thus inheriting their legacy of opinion-changing discoveries. Serving for many years as the director of the National Museums of Kenya (NMK), he led the first expedition to Lake Turkana’s famous Koobi Fora site in 1968 where between 1968 and 1989, he and his team discovered not only an extraordinary range of 1.9 million year-old tools, but also the skulls of Homo habilis and Homo erectus. Further finds included the remains of robust australopithecines A. boisei and A. aethiopicus, and the world-famous near-complete 1.6 million year-old skeleton of “Turkana Boy”, a Homo erectus youth. Appointed Head of the Kenya Wildlife Services (KWS) in 1989, Richard later became involved in Kenyan politics, retiring in 2001 to concentrate on a wide range of environmental projects.

African Elephant © Beverly Joubert

I find watching elephants quietly living their natural lives to be one of the most therapeutic and restorative pleasures I know. You should try it; it’s safe, it’s unique and it upgrades life.

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wide angle lens

16 WHY I LOVE KENYA May-June 2017

A Love

Mother’s

Elephants are expressive creatures. They display joy, anger, grief, compassion and love. But a mother’s love for her calf is the strongest emotion of all. Mother and child remain in constant touch, the calf never straying more than a trunk’s length from its mother, while she gently steers it by grasping its tail with her trunk. The mother carries her calf over obstacles, rescues it from mishaps, and uses her own body to protect it from attack: even from the hot sun. She bathes it using her trunk, both to spray water over it and to gently scrub it clean. Protector and nurturer, the mother is also the calf’s teacher. From her it will learn where to find water, what to eat, and how to avoid its only predator – man. It’s a lot to learn for a small elephant, which for the first six years of its life will only taste solid food in its mother’s mouth, and receive sustenance only from her milk. Elephants have the longest childhoods of any creature on earth other than man and, like us, they stay in family groups until they reach puberty (10-15 years). However while the females may stay with the matriarchal herd for life, the young bulls must leave as soon as they reach puberty. Capable of mating at the age of ten, they will not be socially mature until they have reached the age of thirty, at which time they will have attained the size and the experience to compete against the other bulls for the females when they are on heat. When it comes to choosing a mate, the female always has the last word. Careful study of elephant behavior in Amboseli National Park has revealed that the female elephant knows exactly what she wants in a male. Those she fancies, she entices by brushing gently up against them, coyly hesitating to one side, or simply striding up and saying hello. Those she doesn’t favour, she simply ignores, tosses her head at – or runs away from. Sound familiar? Well so it should.

WHY I LOVE KENYA May-June 2017 17

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FAIRMONT THE NORFOLK Whether passing through on business, or at the start or end of a Kenyan safari adventure, Fairmont The Norfolk is a peaceful haven for all guests. Since opening its doors in 1904, the secluded gem in the heart of Nairobi has remained a celebrated Kenyan landmark and boasts of luxurious suites and rooms set around tranquil tropical gardens, a heated outdoor swimming pool and a modern health club with a fitness center and indulgent spa facilities. The iconic Lord Delamere Terrace is a classic, charming, modern all-day dining restaurant while Tatu is an award winning fine dining signature steak house offering delectable, flame grilled aged cuts of high quality meat prepared by the chef to a supple texture. Cin Cin Bar, a permanent fixture on the Nairobi social scene offers a delicious lite fare menu and premium drinks crowning the hotel’s offering of an elegant range of comforts and facilities.

FAIRMONT MARA SAFARI CLUB Fairmont Mara Safari Club is tucked peacefully in the north-western corner of the renowned Maasai Mara Game Reserve; home to the great wildebeest migration and rightly considered to be one of the ‘Seven New Wonders of the World’. The Club is set on the foot of Aitong Hills and surrounded on three sides by the Mara River; a perfect base for safari adventure in the incredible African Savannah. The 51 luxuriously furnished tents with four-poster beds and en suite facilities also have spacious private decks overlooking the river giving a vantage view of the crocodiles and hippos below. The property features an outdoor heated pool complete with a poolside bar, lounge, restaurant and private massage tents. Activities include game drives, walking safaris, hot-air balloon safaris with spectacular views of the wildlife, sundowner bush cocktail and private romantic dinner served on the deck.

Nestled in the lush foothills of Mount Kenya, and with a history as rich and evocative as the surrounding landscape, the Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club offers a snapshot of Africa from a bygone era. Spread over 100 acres of manicured lawns, tranquil streams and landscaped gardens with spectacular views of Mount Kenya in the distance; the guest rooms, suites and cottages reflect the original charm of the residence complete with modern day amenities. Dining options include lite fare menu served next to the outdoor pool, authentic cuisine at Tusks Restaurant and drinks at Zebar, strategically located on the equator with the server crossing from the southern to the northern hemisphere to retrieve an order. Activities include an early morning breakfast on the slopes of Mount Kenya, walk or horse ride through the forest, dinner on the pond deck, game drives and use of health club facilities. For reservations or more information kindly call: +254 20 226 5555 or Email: kenya.reservations@fairmont.com

KENYA

focus on

The

Greatest

Wildlife Show on Earth

It’s known as the Greatest Wildlife Show on Earth. The largest single movement of wildlife on the planet, the annual migration of the wildebeest is a spectacle unrivalled in grandeur. Pure theatre, it is always awe-inspiring, sometimes comic, often tragic. Painted large across the face of the savanna it presents an image that is both breathtakingly beautiful and bitterly brutal. Between the end of July and November, over one-and-a-half million blue wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus), accompanied by half again as many zebras and gazelles, migrate from the short-grass plains of Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park to fresh pasture in the grasslands of Kenya’s Masai Mara National Reserve. Moving in groups of up to 20,000 at a time they thunder across the plateau hesitating only briefly to cross the Mara River, where many fall prey to the waiting crocodiles. Towards the end of October they begin crossing back into Tanzania. The actual timing of the migration, however, is dictated by the weather and does not always run to schedule. As well as featuring in the main migration, Kenya has its own private migration, known as the Loita migration, which commences in April when some 30,000 wildebeest migrate from the conservancies to the north of the Masai Mara National Reserve to the mineral-rich soils of the Loita Plains – lingering until June when they move back to the private conservancies.

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WHY I LOVE KENYA May-June 2017 21

17 destinations daily across Kenya & Tanzania @FlySafarilink

+254 (0) 20 6690 000

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in the frame

t’s hard not to feel exultant as you gallop across the savannah stage with the theatre of the wild playing in the space between your horse’s ears. Herds of zebra, momentarily transfixed, career away in a flurry of dust and flailing hooves. A lone kongoni, startled out of his long-faced contemplation, skitters away across the carpet of rain flowers, putting a grey heron into flight as he goes. Plum-coloured topi stare from atop their termite mounds, delicate dik-dik dive for cover and, as the posse of riders approaches, a group of browsing giraffe erupt into stately motion and sail majestically off across the plains. Not all of the actors in your one-act wilderness play are alarmed by your arrival: two old bull buffalos regard you with a metaphorical shrug of their horns; a troop of elephants gaze in polite but placid enquiry; and the hyena loping purposefully in pursuit of the wildebeest and their day-old calves, throws you no more than a knowing leer. And so he might, because you’re a very privileged spectator in an arena seldom visited by anything other than people on wheels. >> Photos © Ride Kenya Photographers: Max Melesi / Sam Stogdale

Wild ride WHY I LOVE KENYA May-June 2017 23

in the frame

Riding through the African bush, however, is not a walk in the park. It’s a canter into a wild world of predators, kills and creatures of unnerving size and unpredictability. Best then, to be very sure that your horse won’t bolt at the whiff of an elephant, and that the chap in front knows exactly what he’s doing. Good to know, then, that Martin Dodwell, Equestrian Projects Manager of Ride Kenya, has twelve years’ experience in leading African wilderness horse-back safaris; and that his carefully trained stable of 15 horses are not only in their prime, but also what he calls ‘sensible’, which roughly translated means that they regard the ‘Big Five’ with the slightly detached but appreciative gaze of a seasoned tour guide. As the lead rider, Martin is the scout. He scans the horizon, picks his way through the dry riverbed in advance of the rest of the group and, when his gloved hand is raised, everyone halts. ‘Hippo,’ he says, ‘just coming out of the river.’ He’s got eyes like a hawk. But sure enough, there in the middle-distance is the glistening brown-and-pink humbug shape of a young hippo. It presents no great threat, but the fact that you’re confronting it on an equal (fourlegged) footing pulls the experience into sharp focus. And therein lies the thrill. And, according to Martin, it’s addictive. ‘Once a rider has spat the dust from between their teeth as they ride in the wake of the wildebeest migration,’ he says, ‘they’re straight back for more. Some come for days; some for weeks.’ He holds up a hand as a bachelor herd of gazelle explode from the undergrowth and bound stiff-legged and ‘pronking’ across the plains. ‘But it’s never enough,’ he says.

24WHY I LOVE KENYA May - June 2017

It’s hard not to feel exultant... the theatre of the wild playing in the space between your horse’s ears

WHY I LOVE KENYA May-June 2017 25

in the frame

Need to know Where: the newly established Ride Kenya stables (part of Great Plains Conservation) are located in the Olare Motorogi Conservancy, which lies to the north of its more famous cousin, the Masai Mara National Reserve, and can be easily reached from any of the conservancies that surround the Mara. What: a standard ride lasts for two hours (led by either Martin Dodwell or his partner, Ali Mundy, and accompanied by members of their carefully trained team of grooms). The horses, all safari-trained, span various breeds, size and temperaments. Should you wish to ride for longer, or further, the ride can be tailored to your specification; and can even include a picnic breakfast or lunch. Ride Kenya can also tailor riding safaris with overnight accommodation in simple camps or fivestar lodges; covering a broad spectrum of landscapes – not only in the Mara but also in the beautiful Chyulu Hills where sister-stables, Ride Chyulus, were established in 2005.

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How: rides must be booked in advance, but can be arranged at very short notice and, if you’ve not brought your riding gear with you, Ride Kenya offers a complete range of beautifully presented kit – from helmets to boots – with everything in between. Ali and Martin will also take pictures of you as you gallop off across the plains; and email them to you later. Terms: riders must be reasonably proficient, which Martin qualifies as ‘around 50 times in the saddle’. All riders will be given a thorough briefing before the ride commences; they will also be required to demonstrate their competency with a brief ride around the stable’s central arena (and sign a simple insurance waiver). Know more: martin@ridekenya.com Ride Kenya is owned by Great Plains Conservation.

May - June 2017 WHY I LOVE KENYA27

capturing the coast

Swahili Coast

“The sea at Mombasa is as blue as a cornflower and, outside the inlet to the harbour; the long breakers of the Indian Ocean draw a thin crooked white line, and give out a low thunder even in the calmest weather.” Karen Blixen, Out of Africa

Diani Beach. © The Sands at Nomad

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capturing the coast

Kite surfing - Kenya’s latest craze

When it comes to beach-life Kenya is hard to beat, offering 700 kms of Indian Ocean coastline renowned for its white sandy beaches, clear waters, remote islands, and mysterious Swahili ruins. Protected for its entire length by a coral barrier reef lying just a kilometre offshore, Kenya’s beaches offer calm lagoons that are ideal for swimming and watersports, nine national marine parks promising sightings of whale sharks, dolphins, turtles and thousands of other tropical species; and some of the finest dive sites on the planet. Add to this the fact that the coastal climate is as near perfect as it gets with an average daily temperature of 28 degrees centigrade, and a daily average of eight hours of sunshine, and you’ll rapidly conclude that Kenya’s coastline is one of the most alluring in the world.

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And then there’s the culture An exotic fusion of Arab, African and Portuguese influences, the Swahili culture is found nowhere else on earth. Typified by its serene pace of life, its sublime cuisine, its profound heritage and its welcoming people, the sheer delight of the Swahili lifestyle prompts thousands of tourists to return year after year to immerse themselves in its lilting languor; and to step out of their everyday worlds and into the enchanted Swahili world of winding alleys, peeping faces, bustling markets, white-walled mosques and black-veiled women. Roughly divided into ‘North’ and ‘South’ of the island city of Mombasa, Kenya’s beaches offer a surprising diversity. South of Mombasa are; Shelly, Diani and Msambweni beaches. North are Nyali, Kenyatta, Bamburi, Shanzu, Kilifi, Watamu, Malindi and, ultimately, the beaches of the island resort of Lamu. Which to choose? Diani Beach is regularly voted one of the ‘finest beaches in the world’ by the global tourism press, but coastal charm is not entirely dictated by beaches. And each stretch of coast has its own subtle allure. Malindi, for instance, is famous for its aura of Italian chic, its stylish shops and restaurants and its vibrant nightlife. Watamu is adored for its sleepy rusticity, its magical mangrove creeks and its big game fishing. Mombasa is the place to go if you want bustle and bazaars, and arriving in Lamu is a little like entering the enchanted world of the Tales of One Thousand and One Nights. Finally, if all you want is beach, sky and sea, with perhaps the occasional harpoon fisherman emerging from the waves every now and then – head for Msambweni.

Gedi Ruins, Kilifi County

Sable Antelope in Shimba Hills National Reserve

Lamu Old Town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site © Erik Hersman

Elephant shrew in Arabuko Sokoke Forest

Coastal Highlights If your idea of bliss is lounging on a sunbed, snorkeling over the reef, eating fresh fish simmered in lime and coconut and drinking cold beer on a silver beach you may have no interest in wilderness and cultural exploration. But if you’d like to ring the changes here are some venues worth leaving the beach for:

> The Shimba Hills National Reserve Easily reached from Diani Beach, the Shimba Hills are cloaked in forest and wandered by elephant. They are also the only Kenyan habitat of the rare and magnificent sable antelope.

> The Arabuko Sokoke Forest Reserve Within easy reach of Malindi and Watamu, this cool and shaded retreat shelters the last remnants of Kenya’s coastal forests and hosts some of Africa’s most rare and unusual creatures. It also promises a network of nature trails and some unrivalled bird watching.

> Kenya’s Machu Picchu, the lost city of Gedi Once buried in jungle, this ancient Swahili town was not discovered until the 1940s. Built in the 13th century and abandoned in the 17th century – some say due to the arrival of cannibals – it features ruined sultan’s palaces, sunken gardens and a network of medieval streets. It is also reputedly haunted by a dark creature that always seems to have just disappeared around a bend in the walls: yet always seems to be watching you. Next door is the Kipepeo Butterfly farm featuring 260 species of butterfly. Gedi is being considered for UNESCO World Heritage Site status.

May 2017 WHYMay-June I LOVE KENYA 31 WHY- June I LOVE KENYA 2017 31

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depth of field

Cloud

Nine

allooning starts early: at around five am with the arrival of the tea tray. It’s inky black outside the flaps of your tent, and surprisingly chilly as you follow the night watchman’s wavering torch-beam to where an open-sided safari vehicle awaits you. Your fellow ballooners acknowledge you with a nod. It’s too early for wit. As the vehicle grinds its way across the savanna, the sky turns from indigo to lilac, and then to a heaven-tinged golden pink. There’s still no conversation: and a strong smell of toothpaste and shampoo pervades. Arriving at the take-off point, you wonder why you had to get up so early. There’s plenty of activity from a team of men in overalls with torch-lights strapped to their foreheads. But the balloon itself lies limp as a rainbow-coloured pancake. A tangle of ropes streams out behind her, like the fronds of a beached jellyfish. A huge basket is dragged into place. The ballooners shiver in the chill morning air. A sudden roar shatters the grey blanket of dawn as a bank of burners fire up, and great dragon-breaths of fire lick into the swelling rainbow belly of the balloon. And very slowly, very steadily she begins to inflate; then bloat, then slowly right herself and rise into the dove pink dawn. On the ground, the tempo changes. The watching ballooners stuff their cameras into their pockets, zip up their jackets and await the signal to hoist their chilled-stiff bodies into the high-sided basket. There are

34 WHY I LOVE KENYA May-June 2017

four compartments; four passengers in each. And it’s only when we’ve settled on our allotted benches and grimaced at the three total strangers squeezed in beside us, that we realise what a rash thing we’ve done. The balloon, now fully inflated above us, is the size of two elephants. And she’s straining on her guy ropes, keen to be off. Do we really want to do this? Benignly aware of the rising tide of panic amongst his passengers, the balloon pilot begins his spiel. He tells us in which direction we will be flying. He explains how the balloon can be steered by her guide ropes, and how she can dip down over the river and rise up again into the ether. Unease stirs when the landing is mentioned. I shall say, ‘no more photographs’, says the pilot, looking round the white-pinched faces, ‘at which point you must put away your cameras, make sure you have nothing hanging around your neck, and take up your landing positions.’ He indicates the loops of rope that hang from the sides of the basket, ‘holding on to the landing ropes’. We nod grimly. But by this time a curious form of balloon-bravado has kicked in. We’re all punch drunk. Even when the pilot mentions the three big bumps that will happen on landing we don’t flinch. Or when he mentions that the basket may fall over and drag along the ground. It’s too late for all that: we’re along for the ride.

‘Right,’ says the pilot, pulling on a pair of thick leather gloves, ‘lets go.’ He pulls down on the aluminium bars that control the burners, the ground-men cast off the ropes and, with supremely silent grace, the great orange and green bulb rises serenely through the morning mist, flirts with the tree tops, and sails away. Flying at bird-level in the vastness of avian air space is a novel experience. So is skimming the tree panoply, flying past eagles nests, and peering down into glades where waterbuck browse. The experience has a curious dream-like quality. Only the great gouts of hot air belching into the balloon disturb the silence as we drift over the peacefully plodding elephant herds, and spy on the courtships and clashes taking place in the theatre of wildlife below. The hippos, drawn up on the banks of the river, look like so many well-browned sausages, and breakfast seems a long way off. The balloon is curiously agile. She swoops down to skim the surface of the river; and hangs suspended over the flurry of hoofs and horns that is a leopard kill. She ascends rapidly and twirls like a lollipop at the pull of the pilot’s guide-ropes. Far below, toiling ant-like in the massive shadow cast by the balloon on the landscape, the cavalcade of support vehicles trails us.

‘Cameras away please,’ says the pilot suddenly. Sixteen stomachs lurch. Amid the soaring magic of our flight we’d forgotten that what goes up must come down. He is suddenly stern; and we are glad – this is serious stuff. ‘Take up landing positions,’ he says. The balloon descends swiftly from on high: she’s moving fast across the scudding landscape. The ground draws ever closer: and looks ever harder. We brace, grab the ropes, clench our teeth, and accept our fate. Bump number ONE – the basket merely kisses the ground. Bump number TWO – the basket ploughs through the grass and then hauls herself up again. Bump number THREE – we’re down. All tearing, gouging motion stops. There’s a profound silence as we peep timidly over the side of the basket. Behind us, with a sigh of exhalation, the balloon topples away to lie flaccid on the khakicoloured turf. We don’t know whether to whoop that we’ve made it, or wail that it’s all over. But it isn’t. Chilled fizz is proffered. A low table has been laid out on the plains, surrounded by erect Maasai spears and set around with folding stools. ‘Welcome to the most expensive breakfast in Africa,’ says the pilot. And we fall on the full British breakfast with adrenaline-fuelled gusto. Fear, it seems, makes ravening beasts of us all. As for the balloon, no sooner have we turned away from her deflation than she is neatly packed away into her basket and driven away. Trouble is – just one hour of hot air with her and we’re hooked. In fact… we’re basket cases.

WHY I LOVE KENYA May-June 2017 35

in portrait

The

Painted Desert Nkadoru Murto - also known as ‘Cat and Mouse’ - near Mt. Ololokwe, Samburu. © Tropic Air Kenya

36 WHY I LOVE KENYA May-June 2017

ot and arid, Samburu National Reserve lies on the fringes of the vast desert that was once known as the ‘Northern Frontier District’, whose heat-scorched scrublands extend all the way to the jade-green waters of Lake Turkana and beyond. An evocative cocktail of uniquely contrasting habitats, Samburu’s landscape veers from stark cliffs and boulder-strewn scarps to lush swamps and muddy sandbanks; and from bone-dry bush to fronded riverine forests. A painted desert of brilliant colours, often set against dramatic skies, this is the realm of the indigenous succulent known as the ‘Desert Rose, which bursts into exotic pink bloom amid the golden rocks and otherwise uniform khaki scrub. Known by the local nomadic tribe, the Gabbra, as ‘the Plains of Darkness’, Samburu is essentially a lava plain theatrically punctuated by dry riverbeds (wadis), steep-sided gullies, rounded

hills and harsh outcrops of ancient basement rocks, which form into isolated inselbergs. Roughly in its centre rises the stark outline of Koitogor Mountain. The lifeblood of this dust-dry desert region, the Ewaso Ng’iro River meanders in mud-brown loops throughout the reserve and is home to plentiful pods of snorting and chortling hippos. On its raised sandbanks immense Nile crocodiles bask, remaining stock still, utterly camouflaged and menacingly patient. Amid the dense riverside thickets impala, common waterbuck and buffalo lurk. Prey to the harsh dictates of a dry country ecosystem, the reserve is prone to large variations in the animal populations as they move about in search of water and pasture. However, elephant encounters are common as large herds roam the reserve and they are best seen crossing the river, or returning to its banks at dusk to bathe.

May 2017 WHYMay-June I LOVE KENYA 37 WHY- June I LOVE KENYA 2017 37

in portrait Samburu holds healthy numbers of lions, leopards and cheetahs as well as spotted and striped hyenas, bat-eared foxes and common genets. In the heat of the day, droves of banded and dwarf mongooses scurry in voracious hunting bands; at night golden and black-backed jackals prowl and aardwolves are occasionally seen. Samburu is one of the few areas in Kenya where one can view the Grevy’s zebra, which with its rounded ‘Mickey Mouse’ ears is notably different from its more common cousin, the Burchell’s zebra, which also populates the reserve. Other browsers of the thorny shrub include the increasingly uncommon reticulated giraffe and the rare Beisa oryx, as well as elands, impalas, Bright’s gazelles (the pale northern species of Grant’s gazelle) and gerenuks. Elsewhere rooting warthogs and Kirk’s and Guenther’s dik-diks can be seen, and in small numbers both lesser and greater kudus. Samburu’s birdlife is so abundant that over 100 species can be spotted in a day. Perhaps most noteworthy of the sightings is the rare blueshanked Somali ostrich; the most memorable, the flash of coral rump that flags the flight of the white-headed buffalo-weaver. Secretary birds are plentiful, as are bands of bustling helmeted and vulturine guinea fowls. Along the river, storks feed and sand grouse congregate at dusk. Both red-billed and Von der Decken’s hornbills are common. The Reserve’s characteristically rugged cliffs and starkly rising inselbergs provide the ideal habitat for raptors, which range in size from the tiny pygmy falcon to the giant martial eagle. Verreaux’s eagle owls also hunt the rivers.

Top: Gerenuk Right: Camouflaged Samburu leopard Bottom: Vulturine guinea fowl Photos © Saruni

Fact File Altitude: 850-1,230 meters above sea level. Area: 165 sq km. Location: Samburu County, Rift Valley Region. Distance from Nairobi: 320 km north-east of Nairobi. Gazetted: the reserve was established in 1948 as the Samburu-Isiolo Game Reserve, part of the once extensive Marsabit National Reserve, and became a National Reserve in the 1960s. Climate: the reserve lies in a hot and dry semi-arid area. Traditionally the long rains fall March/April and the short rains October/November. Vegetation: varies between acacia woodland, bushland and scrubland and narrow riverine woodlands. Wildlife: includes: elephant, cheetah, reticulated giraffe, oryx, gerenuk, vervet monkey, zebra, buffalo and crocodile. Birds: over 380 species have been recorded. Roads: 4WD is recommended for the journey to and within the reserve although 2WD vehicles with good ground clearance can be used outside the rainy seasons. Gates: in addition to the main Archer’s Gate, there is Uaso Gate which leads to Buffalo Springs Reserve, and West Gate which leads to Wamba.

38 WHY I LOVE KENYA May - June 2017

cultural contact

The

Butterfly People

Kenya is a microcosm of Africa. People have migrated here from all over the African continent for centuries past, and each incoming group has added to the cultural weave with a distinctive ethnic thread of their own. More brilliant than most, are the strands contributed by the Samburu, who live in the painted deserts of the north. It is said that the word ‘Samburu’ means butterfly, and there is much of the butterfly in these brightly coloured people, who flit across their harsh but beautiful landscape like so many exotic moths. The young warriors, lithe and slender, may pride themselves on their beauty but they are renowned for their prowess as warriors. Unlike their cousins, the Maasai, the young Samburu men do not smear their entire body with ochre but make triangular designs down their chest and back. Wearing their traditional shukas wrapped tight around their waists, they apply elaborate paint around their eyes and accentuate the fineness of their elegant facial features with a beaded visor. Down their backs hang long braids of hair. The girls, close shaven, wear intricate beadwork caps that loop around their eyes and nose. Their necks are encircled by hundreds of rings of beads, which undulate as they dance. Every woman’s collar is unique. Her first loops are given to her by her father. Later, her boyfriend may give her a collar as an indication of his love, but this must be returned when the girl is betrothed to the man of her parents’ choice. Now she will wear only scarlet beads until her marriage, and thereafter her beads will indicate how many children she has born. Lovers of butterfly yellow, brilliant blue and flaming pink, these days the Samburu seem to be conducting a love affair with the imported plastic flower. Both sexes like to top off their headdresses with either a daffodil or a tulip, worn in the style of a plume.

Samburu Warrior © Saruni

WHY I LOVE KENYA May-June 2017 39

positive take

AGiant born of fire and ice An extinct volcano some three-and-a-half million years old, the icy spires of Mount Kenya crown one of the world’s highest national parks. Straddling the equator yet striated by a number of glaciers, Mount Kenya is Kenya’s highest mountain, the nation’s namesake, a UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site and the sacred home of Ngai, God of the Kikuyu people.

40 40 WHY I LOVE KENYA May-June 2017

Lenana Peak © www.kenyatreks.com

Climbing the

mountain of God Mount Kenya is climbed by thousands of trekkers every year. Anyone in reasonable health accompanied by properly certified guides can make it to Point Lenana, the highest point for trekkers. Climbs to the other two peaks, Batian and Nelion, are rated Grade IV, (more testing than the routes up the Matterhorn). Climbs to Point Lenana take between three and five days – but additional days are usually added to allow for acclimatization and to avoid altitude sickness. The mountain can be climbed at any time of year, but January, February, August and September are considered the best months.

The Maasai ‘laibon’ (wise man), Chief Lenana (centre) after whom Lenana Point was named by Sir Halford Mackinder who made the first recorded ascent of the mountain in 1899.

Need to know Altitude: 1,600 - 5,199 m above sea level. Location: Nyeri County, Central Region. 175 km north-east of Nairobi. Vegetation: alpine and sub-alpine flora with montane and bamboo forest, moorland and tundra. Wildlife: includes giant forest hog, tree hyrax, white-tailed mongoose, elephant, black rhino, suni, black-fronted duiker, bongo, leopard, Mount Kenya mouse shrew, hyrax, duiker and the endemic mole-rat. Birds: 130 recorded species.

MayWHY | JuneI LOVE 2017KENYA WHY IMay-June LOVE KENYA 41 2017 41

wild action

Hiballs and low dives

Shaken but not stirred

It’s official, 2016 was the hottest year on record, or at least since records began in 1880. And, according to those in the scientific ‘know’, temperatures are set to keep on rising. As will our expectations as to what constitutes the ideal holiday cocktail. For some, the blend of sun, sand and scintillating nightlife is intoxicating enough. Others prefer their lounging to be spiced with a slice of action; the odd few like to take vacations ‘on the rocks’ while scaling the peaks of Mount Kenya. Whatever your preference, Kenya has the ingredients – so go ahead and build your own holiday cocktail.

Mixing it up on the safari front Kenya may be the most long established safari destination in the world, but she also knows how to move with the times and now offers a range of alternative safaris ranging from yoga to sculpting. In the northern semi-arid desert areas you can go on a walking safaris accompanied by Samburu warriors and their camels. On the coast you can take a dhow safari from Mombasa to Lamu. Elsewhere you can go on a photographic safari, a painting safari or a cooking safari. Finally, on the shores of Lake Elmentaita in Kenya’s Great Rift Valley you can spend a weekend perfecting your archery skills.

Enjoy the thrill of a tandem jump or learn to skydive over Diani Beach - the most spectacular dropzone in the world! © www.skydivediani.com

42 WHY I LOVE KENYA May-June 2017

As golfing venues go, Kenya is hard to beat. You can tee off on the slopes of a volcano (www. heritage-eastafrica.com), or you can sample the quirky delights of an ‘up country’ course. Best of all you can take on the 18-hole PGA accredited Baobab Course at Vipingo overlooking the Indian Ocean (which has just been named number one in Kenya www.top100golfcourses.com). You can also spice up your par with some unusual playmates, because Kenya is the only country in the world to have the following rule: ‘If a ball comes to rest…close to a hippopotamus or crocodile, another ball may be dropped at a safe distance, but no nearer the hole, without a penalty’.

wild action

Sky ball Take to the skies in Kenya and you get an entirely different interpretation of the traditional safari. Watch a lion kill from the basket of a hot-air balloon, take a private helicopter safari around the Chalbi Desert or the Mathews Range, or fly around the snowy peaks of Mount Kenya in an executive jet. And for those who’d like to add some spice to their flight, there’s hang-gliding, paragliding, skydiving, micro-light flying and abseiling too. Top tip: Kenya is one of the best, cheapest and most pleasurable places in the world to qualify as a pilot.

Silale Crater, Northern Kenya. © Tropic Air

Spritz Quite apart from the sparkling water sports (windsurfing, kite surfing, snorkelling, fun-boats, glass-bottom boats, catamarans and sailing dinghies, boogie boards, jet-skis, surfing, pedalos and water-skiing), Kenya packs a punch with her world-class dive sites, which blend wall dives with pinnacle dives, and drop-offs with wreck, drift and night dives. Add a splash of adrenaline courtesy of the resident dolphins, turtles, giant manta rays and sharks (choose from reef, hammerhead or whale) and you have the ideal spritz of watersports. A Mecca for deep-sea fishermen, Kenya holds many of the world and all-Africa game fishing records, while her billfish catches include: striped, blue and black marlin; sailfish, swordfish, shark, wahoo, yellow fin, tuna and dorado. As for fresh water angling, excellent Nile perch and tilapia fishing can be arranged from Mfangano, Rusinga and Takawiri islands in Lake Victoria, or from Loiyangalani or Kalokol on Lake Turkana. Spinning for black bass and tilapia is popular on Lake Naivasha, and there is good trout fishing (fly) in the lakes and streams of Mount Kenya and the Aberdares. The fishing season in the Indian Ocean is August to March (billfish season from November to March).

WHY I LOVE KENYA May-June 2017 43

The morning game drive was

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TNB3646_ANGAMA_MagazineAD_WILK2017-FApaths.indd 2

2017/03/20 9:35 AM

kenya tourism board

Find your luxurious moments in Kenya Kenya is an exceptional destination for luxury safaris and beach holidays suitable for diverse visitor demographics: single travellers, backpackers, couples, honeymooners or families. For those looking for excitement and originality, Kenya is the best safari destination you will find in the world. Indeed, Kenya is famed as a world leading safari destination and in many ways Kenya is the ultimate African destination; luxury travel in Kenya provides travellers an intimate window into the heart of Africa. Located near the equator, Kenya offers savannahs teeming with game, cultures as old as time and unchanged by the modern world, forests, snow-capped peaks, deserts, beaches and even coral reefs. The entire spectrum of luxury hotels and tented camps, combined with endless opportunities for adventure and breathtaking moments of discovery, wrapped in the warmth of the people is what makes your safari so special. The next time you book your flight for this type of unforgettable experience, you will be spoilt for choice. Hot air balloon safari For honeymooners, leisure seekers, or for a couple wishing to enjoy their excursion in Kenya, perhaps this is an opportunity to exchange vows while aboard a balloon safari in the Masai Mara - one of the world’s most famous Game Reserves. The balloon safari enables one to traverse the vast savannah, have a bird’s-eye view of the big five, and even watch the new 8th wonder of the world: the wildebeest migration. Beach and golf safari After a balloon safari, one might opt for a more gentle and relaxing experience. Transfers from the Masai Mara to the Kenya coast is simple thanks to superb connectivity through numerous airstrips that enable domestic carriers to take you across the country in no time. Golfers will also enjoy a thrilling experience. Imagine having a round of golf in the morning and in the afternoon basking on one of our pristine, white sandy beaches. Or

46 WHY I LOVE KENYA May-June 2017

choose to have a round of golf in the morning then take a ride in a glass bottom boat and marvel at nature in one of the richest marine parks you will ever see. Swim with the dolphins or relax on the beach to the sound of the Indian Ocean: Kenya offers you tropical sunshine, blue skies and endless silver-white beaches backed by waving palms and tranquil lagoons. Spa and relaxation With the excitement of a relaxing beach holiday and a photo-snapping game safari, Kenya has thrown in an equally exciting recipe to the holiday menu that guarantees total relaxation while invigorating the mind, body and soul at the same time. Many of our four and five star hotels and beach resorts boast a well-equipped spa manned by highly trained therapists. Enjoying a luxury spa treatment, be it a simple massage or a hot stone massage that sinks deeper into the muscle tissues, is an excellent way to unwind and de-stress. For the leisure traveler, a spa visit helps the body relax, rejuvenate and energize, so they are fresh for the following days’ activities. Total exclusivity If you would like a more private and exclusive vacation experience, Kenya has the solution. Several top-notch and luxury lodges across the country are ready for you. Their exclusivity gives you an unrivalled opportunity to share the pleasures of the moment, exchanges vows, or just dream. Imagine dining in the wild and watching the sun sink over the savanna. And there can be few evenings as special as those spent around the blazing fire of a tented camp, or on a dhow for two sailing to a tropical island where lunch is served beneath a palm tree. It’s simply magical. A culinary safari As well as an adrenaline filled adventure, Kenya also offers a tantalizing ‘culinary safari’. Whether you opt for fresh seafood from the Indian Ocean, a zebra steak, or one of a wide selection of local and international delicacies, you will never forget the taste of Kenya.

Here I am, where I belong. Karen Blixen, Out of Africa

Kenya Tourism Board Kenya Re Towers, Ragati Road, Nairobi Tel: +254 20 2749126 www.magicalkenya.com

The Quintessential Holiday Experience The sights, sounds, colour and texture of our magical land offers you an extraordinary carnival of pleasures Experience it first hand through deeply personal and transformative journeys KENYA . TANZANIA EST. 1994

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moving image

There are plenty of things to fall in love with in Kenya – but one of the easiest is the tradition of the ‘sundowner’. Straddling the Equator, the sun goes down in Kenya at much the same time all year-round. But it does so spectacularly – typically in a blaze of gold-tinged pink – that watching the sun go down has become something of a national pastime; and a firm favourite with visitors. Typically planned to coincide with the end of the late afternoon game drive, the ‘sundowner’ takes many forms. Some comprise little more than the provision of a couple of folding canvas safari chairs and a cool-box of drinks; others feature campfires, hot snacks and even cultural dance displays. One thing imperative to all good sundowners, however, is the provision of a stunning view. And here are some choice options.

Ticking the

Sundowner box Out of Africa. © Angama Mara

50 WHY I LOVE KENYA May-June 2017



Born Free

Sundowners don’t get more spectacular than amid the volcanic eruptions of the breathtaking Shaba National Reserve, which was once the home of Joy Adamson of Born Free fame. Here, on the banks of the Ewaso Ny’iro River you might be lucky enough to catch the large herds of elephants as they come to the river to bathe at dusk. During your game drive to the river you may also spot the other rarities of the region, the reticulated giraffe, gerenuk, Grevy’s zebra and beisa oryx.

Sip in Saiwa while Sitatunga-spotting Set your safari chairs up overlooking Kenya’s most famous swamp where, as dusk falls you stand the best chance of spotting the rare and endangered semi-aquatic Sitatunga antelope as it creeps out of the swamp on its specially adapted splayed hoofs. Saiwa is Kenya’s smallest park and one of its least visited. Situated in Western Kenya it is a realm of swamp, bulrushes and dense forest. Unique, it is the only place in Kenya where vehicles are prohibited and the walker reigns supreme.

Tipples in Tsavo The joint mass of Tsavo West and Tsavo East National Parks forms one of the largest national parks in the world and covers a massive 4% of Kenya’s total land area. Located equidistant between Nairobi and Mombasa, Tsavo West excels in sundowner options. Choose from Poachers Lookout, a conical hill with views over one of the last great wilderness areas on earth; Lion Rock, a vast hump of rock traditionally the home of basking lions; or Roaring Rocks, a volcanic crag where the raptors glide past at eye level. Wildlife highlights: elephant, lion, hippo, rhino, zebra, hartebeest, lesser kudu, eland, waterbuck, Grant’s gazelle, impala, gerenuk, giraffe, dik-dik and klipspringer. Birds: 600 recorded species.

Pink drinks Sometimes frosted by millions of sugar-pink flamingoes, Lake Nakuru National Park is Kenya’s first and largest rhino sanctuary, so sightings of both black and white rhino are almost guaranteed from its many look-out spots. This is also the park where you are most likely to spot a leopard.

WHY I LOVE KENYA May-June 2017 51

exposed

Why did the

zebra get its

stripes?

52 WHY I LOVE KENYA May-June 2017

verybody knows that zebras have stripes. The question is: why? And the so-called ‘stripe riddle’ has puzzled scientists, including the great evolutionary theorist, Charles Darwin, for over a century. Many theories have been put forward: the most popular being that the zebra’s stripes protect it from predators by blurring its image, especially from a distance. And, since zebras are essentially very restless creatures, always milling and jostling, the theory goes on to suggest that the constantly shifting mass of stripes presents a background against which the individual zebra is camouflaged. Thus, even when the predator draws close, he is so confused that he cannot get the necessary ‘fix’ on his chosen prey before making his final killer leap. Predation theories apart, some scientists claim that its stripes protect the zebra from equine fever, research having shown that insects such as the tsetse fly have a marked aversion to landing on striped surfaces. Others claim that the constantly flickering patterns made by the massed stripes of a zebra herd act on the retina of the individual zebra in such a way as to give it a feel-good ‘high’. And finally there are those who claim that, since no zebra has an identical pattern of stripes on its rump, the individualized stripe-patterns act as a kind of ‘follow me’ signal, which is used by the leading zebra of a herd. All such theorizing has, however, recently been undermined by the results of research carried out by the University of California in Los Angeles. These suggest that the zebra’s stripes act as an elaborate cooling system. Known as the ‘cooling eddy’ theory, the hypothesis suggests that when air flows over a zebra, the currents it generates are stronger and faster over the black parts (since black absorbs more heat than white). Consequently, when the slow currents meet the fast currents the resultant swirl of air acts as a fan and cools the zebra down.

The San Bushmen of the Kalahari Desert, however, have their own theory, which is embedded in one of their traditional folk tales. It goes like this: Long ago when the animals were still new to Africa, it was very hot and what little water there was remained in a few small pools. One of these pools was guarded by a very bad tempered old baboon, who claimed he was Lord of the Water, and wouldn’t let any of the animals drink from his pool. One day, a zebra and his son were passing by the pool and tried to drink. But the baboon, who was sitting by his fire, leapt up and barked, ‘this is my pool. I am the Lord of the Water, go away!’ To his amazement, however, the cheeky young zebra retorted, ‘you’re wrong monkey face. The water is for everyone; not just you!’ Furious, the baboon replied, ‘well, if you want my water you must fight me for it.’ Immediately the young zebra and the baboon were locked in mortal combat. Back and forth they went biting and kicking until they had raised a huge cloud of dust. Then, with a mighty kick, the zebra sent the baboon flying high up among the rocks of the cliffs, where he landed with such a smack on his behind that it took all the hair clean off leaving him with a bare patch that he bears to this day. As for the young zebra, he was so exhausted by the fight that he stumbled into the baboon’s fire, which scorched him so badly that it left black burn stripes across his white fur. And the shock of that sent him galloping away to the savannah plains, where he has stayed ever since.

WHY I LOVE KENYA May-June 2017 53

in close up

Nairobi scene

herd

Millenium city Eclectic is the only word to describe Nairobi’s attractions. There are restaurants galore and one that is world-famous - the Carnivore (tamarind.co.ke), the ultimate meat-fest where you can get your teeth into everything from crocodile to ostrich. There are bars and clubs ranging from roadside shacks to five-star chic. There are hotels aplenty, with two of historical note: The Stanley (www.sarovahotels.com) and The Norfolk (www.fairmont.com). There are art galleries and art cooperatives; there are theatres and musical performances. And there are also a few staples that shouldn’t be missed, such as: the Kenya Railway Museum, the Karen Blixen Museum, the Nairobi National Museum and Snake Park (all at www.museums.or.ke), Daphne Sheldrick’s animal orphanage (sheldrickwildlifetrust.org), the Bomas of Kenya (www.bomasofkenya.co.ke), the City Market, and African Heritage House (www.africanheritagebook.com)

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This was Nairobi in 1899, when it was established as a camp at mile 327 on the Uganda Railway. Today Nairobi is a city of over four million people and is easily the largest city in East Africa. It is also the youngest, the most modern, the highest (at 1700m) and the fastest growing.

Adopt a baby elephant If you’d like to meet a baby elephant, or even adopt one (in name only), you’ll need to visit one of Nairobi’s most popular attractions, the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, which is located within the boundaries of Nairobi National Park. Established to pioneer research into how orphaned black rhinos and elephants can be reared and reintroduced into the wild, this enchanting experience includes your introduction to around a dozen baby elephants. Bottle-fed by their carers whilst you watch, the elephants take a mud-bath, gambol about like enormous puppies and take every opportunity to show off to their audience.

Visit your most ancient relatives

Visiting times: 11a.m. – noon, Mon – Fri. Further information www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org

Turkana Boy, also called Nariokotome Boy, is believed to be 1.6m years old.

A visit to the newly (and wonderfully) modernized Nairobi National Museum offers an unrivalled introduction to Kenya’s rich natural and cultural heritage. It also allows you to catch up with your earliest relatives in the single most important collection of early human fossils in the world. The line-up includes ‘Proconsul’ which is 18-million-years-old; ‘Homo habilis’ which is 1.9 million-years-old, and ‘Turkana boy’, a mere 1.6 millionyears-old. For more information: www.museums.or.ke

The quickest safari in the world Nairobi National Park is unique. No other city in the world can boast a natural wilderness, teeming with wildlife and home to over 400 species of birds - just ten minutes from the city centre. Not only can you hope to see rhino, buffalo, lion, leopard, crocodile and hippo, but you can also visit the enchanting Animal Orphanage and enjoy the fabulous Safari Walk – a roller coaster of undulating boardwalk that allows you to stretch your legs and see captive animals living peacefully in their natural habitat. For further information www.kws.go.ke

portfolio

Specialist Focus on

Travel

Travelling with the family? Planning a conference? Looking for some incentive travel ideas? Dreaming of an Indian Ocean wedding – or looking for a safari with a theme? Look no further, Kenya has all the answers.

Keeping it in the family Kenyans love children. So wherever you go you’ll find that your offspring are adored and, should you wish it, occupied. Most lodges offer such ‘edutainment’ as guided walks, Maasai warrior-skill training, visits to local schools and dedicated child entertainers. They also offer children’s meals and baby sitting. So you can enjoy your holiday secure in the knowledge that the children are too.

Wild conferences If you’d like to take your next conference out of the board room and into the bush, Kenya offers a wide range of options. Some of our lodges have tented conference facilities in the wilderness, others can actually stage meetings in the wild. Alternatively our city and coast hotels excel in the provision not only of conference facilities but also product launch capability, exhibition space and a wide range of corporate incentives. Right: A brainstorming session recently held in Nairobi National Park. For more information: www.serenahotels.com

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portfolio

Planning your wedding? Come to Kenya. We can promise you beautiful weather, easily-arranged ceremonies, competent wedding planners, stunning venues and some exquisite honeymoon retreats.

Having tied the knot, there’s simply no better destination to enjoy a magical honeymoon.

Say

‘YES’ to Kenya

Barefoot bride Imagine this: a bougainvillea bower overlooking the Indian Ocean, champagne beneath the coconut palms, a dance down the beach… and a lantern-lit BBQ beneath the stars.

Into Eden Play Adam and Eve in the Shimba Hills National Reserve floating 400 metres above Kenya’s famous Diani Beach. Say ‘Yes’ beneath a waterfall, above the tree canopy, or in one of the sacred glades (Kayas) of the Mijikenda people (recently collectively declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site). For further information: www.kws.go.ke

Say ‘Cheese’ For a really alternative wedding line up – try this: a fat pod of hippos, some muddy elephants, a flutter of white egrets and Mount Kilimanjaro as a backdrop. Sounds good? Then head for Amboseli National Park where there is a volcanic hill, topped by a simple pavilion, and surrounded by 360 degrees of show-stopping views. For further information contact Amboseli Serena Safari Lodge (www.serenahotels.com) or Ol Tukai Lodge (www.oltukailodge.com).

WHY I LOVE KENYA May-June 2017 57

snapped

The best of the

Kenyan

Everyone needs a shot of retail therapy, even when on safari, so we’ve put together a basket of authentic Kenyan items that will make great gifts or souvenirs.

buys

Gorgeous GLASS Utterly unique, captivating in depth of colour and inspiration of design, this bewitching range of glassware is hand-blown and 100% recycled. The people at Kitengela are also well-versed in the art of packing for export. Visit Kitengela Hot Glass either in Nairobi or at the studio on the edge Nairobi National Park. Info: www.kitengela.com

New shops, OLD TRADITIONS

Star quality

Kenya’s most famous export, the actress Lupita, now a Hollywood star, is seen here modelling a Lulea bag. Lulea bags are hand-made in Kenya using local leather and hand-woven Kenyan wool and cotton provided by local communities. For more information: www.luleabychesneau.com

Quite apart from enjoying the accolade of being the world’s most famous safari capital, Nairobi is rapidly emerging as one of Africa’s hottest shopping cities boasting five mega malls, the most recent of which, Two Rivers, is the largest in East and Central Africa. Hugely popular with locals and visitors alike, the new malls have set a new benchmark for the global shopping experience. Innovatively styled and so landscaped as to feature art-installations, waterfeatures, dedicated ‘villages’ of restaurants and bars, hotels and multimedia entertainment areas; they also feature children’s play-parks where parents can literally ‘park’ their children under expert supervision. Best of all the new mega-malls host weekly handicraft markets where shoppers can browse the kaleidoscope of baskets, bead-work, carvings, artifacts and fabrics that reflect the ancient cultural heritage of the country. For further information, visit: villagemarket-kenya.com, tworivers.co.ke, galleria.co.ke, westgate.co.ke and saritcentre.com.

Adopt the Kenyan

national

DRESS

All visitors to Kenya become hooked on what passes for the Kenyan national dress – a uniquely printed rectangular length of cotton that serves as beach wrap, night wear, tablecloth, baby-carrier or impromptu anything-you-like. Traditionally a man will wear a kikoi and a woman a kanga – but anything goes. Available on the beach, in the craft markets or from specialist supplier Kikoy.com.

Dress your DOG IN STYLE Once your dog has sported one of these gorgeous Maasai-beaded collars he/she will never accept anything else. Hand-crafted by women’s cooperatives the collars come in all sizes and colours. And for the ultimate in pooch-chic, you can get a matching lead as well. Widely available in all craft markets.

A bag with a

Blessing

Buy one of these exquisite hand-made beaded bags made by the Mokogodo Masai women of Tassia in Northern Kenya. The Antassia project is a grass roots initiative empowering the Masai women by enabling them to utilise their traditional beading skills. They make beautiful bespoke pieces in the form of bags and other accessories, thereby creating a sustainable income which they can spend on the family or their children’s education. For information on how to buy a bag and support the Antassia women please go to: www.antoniastodgale.com

Take a

monkey

home with you If you’ve enjoyed getting to know Kenya’s monkeys, you might like to take one home with you. But better to take a childfriendly hand-knitted one, because the real ones can bite. These monkeys are part of a wide range of items knitted by Kenana Knitters, a women’s self-help group that provides women with health and optical services, savings plans, daily newspapers, and access to electricity to run a phone and a torch: changing their lives a stitch at a time. For further information, visit www.kenanaknitters.wordpress.com

Taste the DIFFERENCE The perfect takeaway for the coffee aficionado – a packet of pure Kenyan Arabica coffee from Dormans, the Rolls Royce of Kenyan coffee houses. When you taste it, you’ll wish you’d bought more. Check out dormanscoffee.com

WHY I LOVE KENYA May-June 2017 59

kenya brief

Need to know For full information on Kenya visit magicalkenya.com

Climate

Entry

The coast is always hot with an average daytime temperature of 27-31 degrees centigrade whilst the average daytime temperature in Nairobi is 21-26 degrees centigrade. Temperatures elsewhere depend on altitude. July and August mark the Kenyan winter. Typically, January-February is dry, March-May is wet, June-September is dry, OctoberDecember is wet.

To enter Kenya, a valid passport, not expiring for at least six months, is required as well as a valid entry visa (obtainable on arrival for a fee of US$50 or online via evisa.go.ke)

Time GMT +3 all year-round. Kenya maintains an almost constant 12 hours of daylight, sun-up and sun-down being at around 6.30 and 18.45 daily, and varying only by 30 minutes during the year.

National Parks and Reserves Kenya has 56 national parks and reserves covering 44,359 sq km.

Health Currency Kenya shilling. ATMs are available countrywide with 24-hour access. All major international cards are accepted.

Language English (official), Kiswahili (national), multiple ethnic languages (Bantu, Cushitic and Nilotic language groups).

Electricity 220-240 volts, with standard 13-amp square three-pin plugs.

Telephone International telephone code +254.

A number of vaccinations are recommended (check with your doctor in advance). A yellow fever vaccination certificate is required ONLY if you are arriving from an infected country. Malaria is endemic in tropical Africa and protection against it is necessary.

Travelling to Kenya Numerous international carriers serve Kenya, and Nairobi is the hub of the East African region. Kenya has two international airports: Jomo Kenyatta International Airport is half an hour’s drive from Nairobi’s city centre, and Mombasa’s Moi International Airport is even closer to the town centre. Taxis are readily available at both airports (officially regulated tariffs should be displayed).

Internal air travel Frequent flights (both scheduled and charter) operate from Nairobi’s Wilson Airport and from Mombasa and Malindi to the main towns and national parks.

Fort Jesus, Mombasa

Historical sites Kenya has over 400 historical sites ranging from paleolithic remains, 14th century slave trading settlements, Islamic ruins and the 16th century Portuguese Fort Jesus.

Fauna There are 80 major animal species and around 1,137 species of birds. Spotting over 100 bird species in a day is not uncommon. © Safarilink

60 WHY I LOVE KENYA May-June 2017

The Kenya Tourism Federation (KTF) is the umbrella body representing the interests of the tourism industryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s private sector. Its mission is to provide a single voice for the industry, to enhance standards, and to engage with Government on issues affecting its members. In recent years, KTF has taken an active role in destination marketing and was the driving force behind the Why I Love Kenya campaign. The KTF member associations are: Kenya Association of Hotelkeepers and Caterers (KAHC); Kenya Association of Tour Operators (KATO); Kenya Association of Travel Agents (KATA); Kenya Association of Air Operators (KAAO); Ecotourism Kenya (EK); Kenya Coast Tourism Association (KCTA) and the Pubs, Entertainment and Restaurants Association of Kenya (PERAK). For more information visit: www.ktf.co.ke

The Kenya Tourism Federation gratefully acknowledges the support of our Gold Sponsor, Swahili Beach