Destination of the Month

K E N Y A

Kenya is one of those rare, exotic destinations as exciting to a traveler with a full passport as it is to a first time international traveler. Most visitors to Kenya come to visit the game reserves. There are many, and each features different animals, terrain and climate.

MAASAI MARA NATIONAL PARK , the most famous of the game reserves in Kenya, is 337km southwest of the Nairobi. It borders Tanzania’s Serengeti Park and it is the place of annual migration of millions of zebras and wildebeests in their search of water.
The park offers a wide variety of game and here you can find the largest population of lions in Africa, carefully watched by their neighbors, herds of Coke’s hartebeests, topi and African buffalo. Huge herd of elephants blocked our road on our first day and it was the most amazing experience to watch these graceful animal so close.
The most typical way to tour the park is in four-wheel drive vehicle, but hot air balloon trips are also available.
Best times for game drives are early morning (we were woken at 6am with tea and English biscuits and were on our way shortly) and early evening. That is when the animals are most active.
Great place to stay is Kichwa Tembo tented camp- think luxurious tents with screened windows, large bathrooms and comfortable furniture. Your biggest problem  here are monkeys who are clever enough to unzip the tents and go through your luggage in search of food. Bring safety pins to secure your zipper against these clever thieves.

SAMBURU NATIONAL RESERVE lies 325 km north of Nairobi in the hot and arid fringes of the vast northern region of Kenya. Samburu is fiercely beautiful with its arid savannahs watered by the lovely Uaso Nyiro River. The Reserve is within the lands of the colorful Samburu people, close relatives of the Maasai, and harbors a number of wildlife species rarely found elsewhere in any numbers. These include Grevy's zebra, the reticulated giraffe and the Beisa oryx all species found only north of the equator.
This is where I saw the elusive leopard and his cub and the fastest cat of all- cheetah!
We stayed in Samburu Serena Lodge, situated  on the bank of the Uaso Nyiro River, each room has a verandah with uninterrupted vistas of the river and the wildlife it attracts.
You can sip your drink and watch the leopard on the other side of the river, resting on the tree branch or countless crocodiles that make the water their home.

MOUNT KENYA NATIONAL PARK,210 km north of Nairobi, consist of 3 areas: forest, alpine and rocky peak. The biggest draw of the area is Mount Kenya Safari Club- honored as one of the top hotels in Africa. Originally a private home, in the 1950s actor William Holden turned it into a exclusive private club with Winston Churchill, Bing Crosby, Clark Gable and Conrad Hilton amongst its founding members and frequent guests. Hotel lies 1,950 meters up the lower slope of Mt. Kenya right on the equator.
This is the place where weary traveler can change from their dusty clothes , relax, have a 7 coarse dinner (inclusive of tender meat of impala), play cricket and visit nearby animal orphanage.

Useful tid-bits:

Kenya is year round destination- the only months to watch out for are April and May, whichcan be quite wet.
First time visitors should spend at least 9-10days seeing Kenya on escorted/hosted tour, using a reputable tour company.
Nairobi is great cosmopolitan modern city, but it can also be dangerous, especially at night.
When deciding on souvenirs, you will get much better deals in Nairobi , the further from Nairobi, the higher the prices- bargaining is the rule!
Drink bottled water, unless cooked, eat only fruits and vegetables you can peel.
Go to see your doctor before the trip, to get malaria pills and appropriate vaccination.

We invite you towith us.