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Kenya: 12 Days in the African Bush |
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There are daylight and night time flights to Kenya. Choose the one that you find most comfortable. We will be here at Jomo Kenyatta Airport in Nairobi to meet you on arrival. Once the brief formalities are completed, drive to Giraffe Manor, a small and most unusual hotel near Karen, some ten miles out of town. Wake up the next morning for a breakfast, which will bring you eye to eye with Rothschild's giraffe. For those who prefer to stay in town, we recommend the Norfolk Hotel, the starting point for safaris by Teddy Roosevelt. DAY 1, 2, 3 & 4 DAY 5 & 6 DAY 7 DAY 8, 9, 10 &
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DAY 12 N.B.
Kenya: 12 Days in the African Bush.
African Safari Adventures throughout the East African Bush. |
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Leave Nairobi by charter aircraft north past the massive peaks of Mt. Kenya to the arid little-inhabited bush country beyond. Touch down on a dusty runway in Shaba Game Reserve where a private tented camp will have been set up ready for you in an idyllic spot beside the Uaso Nyiro river. Glorious days are spent here photographing the varied wildlife in this region made famous by the movie "Born Free" featuring the conservation work of Joy and George Adamson. Well known for its elephant and many northern game species such as Beisa oryx, Grevy zebra, kudu, gerenuk and reticulated giraffe, most big predators including lion can be seen in Shaba. The biggest challenge is to spot the rare striped hyaena. In the midst of this most spectacular scenery one can also see something of the fascinating age-old traditions practised by various local tribespeople, especially the Borana and Meru, nearby -something that future generations will not see. All drives are in very comfortable, well-equipped 4-wheel drive vehicles (there is cushioned seating even on the roof). Stretch your legs with a good brisk walk along the river, watching out for thirsty wild creatures, and then back to camp for a most delicious meal. Our food is quite cosmopolitan and many different tastes can be catered for. Only fresh fruit and vegetables are served. At night enjoy an ice-cold drink by the campfire and dinner under the stars before retiring to huge, insect-proof tents with comfortable double beds and crisp linen. 
Leaving Shaba by road, head off west to Laragai House, a private home hidden away on a large game ranch. It is set on a hilltop, looking down from the Laikipia Plateau onto the Mukogodo Forest and the Samburu plains far below. Find time somehow for a quick game of tennis beneath the shadow of Mt. Kenya. The buildings are truly unique in design, the exteriors taking their cue from the rugged setting and the whole accommodating up to16 people in magnificent, spacious cedar and stone thatched rooms all very originally furnished. There is a stunning swimming pool. As well as walking and driving on the ranch, visits can be made to the neighbouring rhino sanctuary and horses are available so that one may ride amongst the giraffe and zebra, which are quite, tame. A sortie may be made up on to the mountain for fly-fishing.
A charter flight in the afternoon to the vast rolling plains of Masailand and the endless herds of game for which the Mara is famous. This is where you will re-join your camp (the staff having packed up the many tons of equipment, loaded it onto the lorry and moved it a few hundred miles over the preceding couple of days). Here the game viewing is always amazing and the chance of seeing a big cat in action is good, since the Mara has more lions than any other park in Kenya. Patience is often rewarded with the incredible sight of lions springing from cover onto their prey or a cheetah racing along (at sixty mph.) hard on the heels of a fleet-footed gazelle. Sharp-eyed spotters on the roof of each vehicle increase the chance of such sightings. Among these teeming numbers of buffalo, topi, zebra, and gazelle are the Maasai with their great herds of cattle. Evening walks beside our rocky stream are filled with the sounds and smells of Africa; scampering baboons and the loud snorting of impala, the thrill of getting close to elephant on foot and listening to their gentle rumblings. End each day with a fine dinner at a candlelit table, a glass of wine, stories by the fireside and then to bed with the roar of lions.
