Three cheers
for the Governors - photo by
Muguette Goufrani
Governors'
Camp wins award for World's Best
WILDERNESS EXPERIENCE
Kenya
Grand Tour- Part One
by
Jerry W. Bird
As
editors and publishers of Africa Travel
Magazine, our recent 40-day stay in
Magical Kenya was the grand finale of a
two-year effort that will result in 3 new
issues designed to shatter the media myths
and set the record straight on Kenya's
return to world prominence as a tourism
superstar. Our photographic profiles of
people, places and events are linked from
the selections on the navigation bar at
the top of each page. Like National
Geographic, Africa Travel Magazine issues
are "keepers, still in demand up to five
years after publication date. This demand
has been proven at our series of travel
expos in the USA and Canada, some
attracting up to 22,000 enthusiastic
visitors. Africa Travel Magazine's
exhibits anchor the Africa Section at
shows across the USA and Canada starting
the first week of January every year.
Features from our new Showtime Edition,
the Africa Yearbook, Air Highways to
Africa, and Sports Tourism Edition are
previewed on the ATA web site and
following publication, complete issues
will be available in downloadable
pdf
files.
The opening capsules on this and
succeeding pages are from visits to Kenya
in May and June 2004 and 2005, the most
recent of which included the ATA 30th
World Congress.
UN
World Urban Forum
Africa's
Cities-
Gateways
to Tourism
Lake
Naivasha, Hell's Gate and the Great Rift
Valley
Quick
Now! What location in Kenya is a favorite
weekend escape and holiday retreat for
families and their guests from Nairobi?
The nearby parks and lakes such as
Naivasha are a natural, and facilities are
quickly being upgraded. We considered
ourselves fortunate to have enjoyed the
attractions of Lake Naivasha and the Great
Rift Valley Lodge on two separate
occasions - our first visit was with the
ATA Congress media group, and the encore
was at the invitation of Phyllis and Dave
Mwangi of Speedbird Travel, who own
several residences facing the 18-hole golf
course. They are introducing some exciting
golf and tour packages this season. It is
a pleasant one hour trip on excellent
roads, via Nairobi's upscale residential
areas, then stopping at a marvelous
viewpoint on higher elevation before
descending into the lush farmland of the
Rift Valley, where we noticed a pleasant
rise in temperature. Photo right:
Attractive and spacious lobby at the Great
Rift Valley Lodge.
More
photos of Lake
Naivasha
area and spectacular
Hell's Gate.
Several
things I loved best about the lodge is the
panoramic view from the dining room, most
especially the broad patio that overlooks
the golf course, with Lake Naivasha on the
horizon. From here we enjoyed several day
trips. One was a cruise along the shores
of Lake Naivasha, where we encountered
hippos and a variety of waterfowl. We
stayed at the Great Rift Valley Lodge,
followed by two additional nights at one
of the private golf course residences
owned by the Mwangis. It was an
unforgettable experience, and there's much
more to come on this topic. Speedbird
Travel and Safaris is in Nairobi's
Westlands area. E-mail
speedbird
safaris
Kenya
Wildlife Service On Guard.
One
of the important visits we made while in
Kenya was to the Kenya Wildlife Services
headquarters in Nairobi.Here our editors
learned first hand of the many great works
this worthy organization is doing. They
left the offices with a wealth of material
for Africa Travel Magazine library and
photo archives. We take pleasure in
publishing the latest KTS news releases
which cover a variety of topics related to
conservation and so many areas that impact
on Ecotourism, one of our magazine's main
topics. Currently there is a story on
reforestation with a photo of Hon. Morris
Dzoro, Minister of Tourism and Wildlife
watering a newly planted tree.
See
KWS
page.
"This
congress has achieved its main
objective, which is to enhance
cooperation in the promotion and
marketing of our African destinations
in the United States of America. I
believe it would be a great idea to
have an umbrella tourism organization
such as the Africa Travel Association
that can supplement our promotion and
marketing efforts in other
tourist-generating markets such as
Europe and Asia." Hon. Morris
Dzoro, MP, Minister of Tourism and
Wildlife, Kenya
/
Stop
and smell the roses.
Talk
about Aromatherapy! During our first tour,
the scent of roses filled the vehicle and
gave our spirits an added lift. Should you
ever pass this way, be sure to breath
deeply - it's one of the most delightful
natural perfumes one could imagine. And
here at the Central Kenya greenhouses, the
scent is free. Thanks to a recent
marketing effort, we are proud to report
that Kenya is a major exporter of fresh,
cut roses for the markets of Western
Europe. It's a promising sign of the times
for this agriculturally based country. On
our second visit to Kenya we visited
several of the large greenhouse complexes
designed for the care and feeding of
beautiful, sweet-scented African
roses.
Lake
Nakuru - Birds and
Buffalo:
Approaching Lake Nakuru from the National
Park gates, I had little idea of the
unforgettable sight awaiting us. Some call
it the "World's Greatest Bird Spectacle,"
and I can agree, having never experienced
such a large concentration of pink
flamingos on one body of water. Since the
Lake Nakuru Lodge, our destination for the
day, was on the opposite shore, we circled
the lake and our driver soon discovered a
relatively dry area where we could motor
along the shore. We were soon positioned
in the midst of a sizable flock -- an
ideal photo op. Like a typical
beachcomber, I spotted a sun-bleached
buffalo skull lying in the sand, and by
the time our photo session began, one very
large buffalo presented himself directly
in front of the camera lens. In the
background, like a chorus line from the
Follies, dozens of white pelicans took
center stage and began their parade for
the camera's waiting eye. We discovered
that the reason flamingos are pink because
their consumption of the blue-green algae
in the lakes. Lake Nakuru Park is home to
over 400 species of birds, from the more
numerous flamingos and pelican, to herons,
egrets, fish eagles, grebes and more.
(see
Birds of
Kenya)
Ark
of the Aberdares
We
arrived at the Ark Game Lodge before
dinner after a pleasant afternoon at the
Aberdare Country Club, a 45-minute drive
away. Aptly named, with reference to Noah,
the Ark is located in Aberdares National
Park, and seems to operate around the
clock, as it overlooks a floodlit water
hole. Being a salt lick , the area
attracts a passing parade of wildlife,
which seem to come in bunches, as if each
group was allotted its own time on stage.
For example, a horde of frisky baboons
might be followed by a family of
elephants, a herd of bushbuck, or a
combination of characters. The management
kept us informed by an en-suite buzzer
system if anything unusual was happening
at the water hole. Guests can watch the
action from one of three observation
decks. A bunker at ground level, offers
the photographers among us an unobstructed
view. The lodge, with its cabin style
rooms, reminds me of some of my favorite
hideaways in Northern Canada, and we felt
at home immediately. As expected, the food
in the dining room was outstanding, and I
later assumed a position by the large
stone fireplace. What a
life!
Photo
- click for blow up
Amboseli
National Park
Minutes
after our Kenya Airways jet touched down
at Nairobi International Airport,
following a cross-continent flight from
Cameroon - - we were Amboseli bound.
Spectacular sights on the route south
included a panoramic 'passing parade,'
with a backdrop of grassy fields and
rolling hills covered with a blanket of
lily white blossoms as far as the eye
could see. In the foreground, every few
miles stood Maasai herdsmen, alone or in
pairs. From nine year olds to great
grandfathers, they were guarding their
mixed herds of cattle, sheep and goats.
Clusters of wildlife mingled with the herd
as we drew nearer to the park gates. One
of the most enduring, endearing and
colorfully garbed of African tribes, the
Maasai culture has flourished since
earliest times. Directly south of Nairobi
in the shadow of the legendary, snowcapped
Mount Kilimanjaro,
Amboseli
National Park was first on our list of
Kenya's must-see attractions. The most
compelling reason is its large
concentrations and wide variety of
wildlife. Little time was wasted in
getting us out 'on Safari, " as no sooner
than we checked in at the Amboseli
Serena
Safari Lodge, like Dr. Doolittle, we were
off to see the animals.
The
first Safari stop was at a nearby Maasai
village, where we met and mingled with the
chief and villagers; visiting their
lodges, watching a fire-making
demonstration, capturing some unique
photos and bargaining for a seemingly
endless selection of craft items. We
ventured inside one of the dwellings, made
entirely of indigenous materials,
including dried elephant dung. This
mixture keeps the homes cool in summer and
protected from rain and biting winds in
winter, as it has for generations.
(see
blowup
map)
At
one point during our evening game drive
from Serena's Amboseli Lodge, I was struck
by the fact that you could look in every
direction - 360 degrees -- and see some
form of wildlife. A family of elephants on
the horizon at 12 o'clock -- several
frisky giraffes to the right - a herd of
buffalo grazing on our left - and other
grassland creatures bringing up the rear.
George, our driver stopped for fifteen
minutes as we watched two large Crested
Cranes in attack mode. One was hopping
about, spreading his wings and hunching
his back defiantly as he approached a
cobra, which lay by the side of the road
totally unperturbed by all the cavorting
and saber rattling.
On
the Road
Again:
Early in life, being a Boy Scout brought
about my proudest moments, and each
proficiency badge I earned was cherished
like a purple heart. So heading north that
afternoon from Nairobi, as we passed
Nyeri, we learned that this beautiful
agricultural area was the final resting
place of Lord Baden-Powell, who founded
the Scout movement . Knowing this fact
brought a flood of gratitude for the great
man and his legacy. We need heroes and he
is one of mine. Our next trip's agenda
will include a visit Baden-Powell's grave
site, gardens and Paxtu cottage, which now
houses a museum in his
honor.
East
African Wild Life Society
During
our editorial team's recent 40 day visit
to Kenya, we were fortunate to arrange a
meetingwith the East African Wild Life
Society, one of the pillars of
conservation and ecotourism throughout a
vast and highly important sector of
Africa. We consider this one of the most
important interview sessions in our fact
finding mission. Here in brief capsule for
is a profile of this worthy organization,
which invites you to get involved. The
East African Wild Life Society, EAWLS, was
formed in 1961. The Kenya and Tanzania
Wildlife Societies, both started in 1956,
joined together with wildlife enthusiasts
from Uganda, and thus EAWLS was born.
EAWLS was established as a membership
organization, as reflected in its
constitution, and is registered as a
Non-Governmental Organization, NGO, under
the NGO Act of 1990. For over forty years
now, EAWLS has been at the forefront of
efforts protecting endangered and
threatened species and habitats in East
Africa. More
details on this
site.,
E-mail: info@eawildlife.org
. Web ite:
www.eawildlife.org-
Alliance
Hotels & Resorts
When
Africa Travel Magazine's editors paid
their second visit to Kenya in the last
two years, they became acquainted with the
Alliance Hotels Group and will be writing
about this fine selection of resort hotels
and lodges in our next three issues.
www.alliancehotels.com
Notes:
Amboseli
lies immediately North West of Mt.
Kilimanjaro, on the border with Tanzania.
Amboseli was established as a reserve in
1968 and gazetted as a National Park in
1974. The Park covers 392 km2, and forms
part of the much larger 3,000 Km2 Amboseli
ecosystem. Large concentrations of
wildlife occur here in the dry season,
making Amboseli a popular tourist
destination. It is surrounded by 6
communally owned group ranches. The
National Park embodies 5 main wildlife
habitats (open plains, acacia woodland,
rocky thorn bush country, swamps and
marshland) and covers part of a
Pleistocene lake basin, now dry. Within
this basin is a temporary lake, Lake
Amboseli, that floods during years of
heavy rainfall. Amboseli is
famous
The
Lodge: In harmony with nature, the
Amboseli Serena Safari Lodge, being
located in the center of Maasai territory,
reflect the tribe's colorful culture in
its architecture and interior design.
(more to come)
The
Crested Crane of Africa resembles a
peacock and flies in wedge shaped
formation during migration. Its animated
courtship dance involves bowing and
hopping about noisily while circling its
partner. The cranes we saw at Amboseli
performed a similar version to scare off,
or at least impress the
cobra.
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