Written by Grant on 17/07/10, filed under Kenya, Kenya Beach, Kenya Safari, Lamu, News | No Comments
There’s nothing like arriving from a long flight, stepping out of the plane and feeling the warm blast of equatorial air that meets you. At Nairobi, once you have made your way up the boarding gateway, you enter the main concourse which is lined with Duty free shops and departing passengers. Following the signs you make your way to the Visa and Immigration check-point. Here you can pay for your Visas in US$, € and GB £. When we were there the queues were not too long, the process is slowed down because you now have your fingerprints scanned and a web cam takes a picture of you. I tried to look my best but after a 9 hr film fest on the plane I was probably not looking great! Once through passport and Immigration it’s down the stairs to the baggage reclaim. There are not too many carousels so it is easy to find your flight. Whilst we were waiting we wandered over to the Bureau de Change and change our sterling into Kenyan Shillings. We also noted that the Barclays Bank at the exit of the baggage hall had an ATM on the outside. When we passed through it was easy to find our driver who welcomed us enthusiastically and showed us to our transport. All in all as airports go it was a fairly painless experience!
Written by Grant on 15/07/10, filed under General, Kenya, Kenya Safari | No Comments
Lake Nakuru
We arrived into Lake Nakuru National Park in the evening after a long but scenically fascinating drive and were barely through the gates when we came across a lion kill. A lion, with cubs, had killed a zebra and we got close for an excellent photo opportunity.
I had heard so much about the lake before my visit and I was not disappointed, the flamingos on the lake are an amazing sight, with the whole horizon in pink and I have never experienced anything like it before.
There was lots to see apart from the birds – giraffe, buffalo, hippo and zebra to mention a few – and again the scenery was breathtaking.
We spent the night at the Sarova Lion Hill Lodge which is very comfortable and has great views of the lake and the park. The lodge is spread over acres of land and rooms have tea /coffee making facilities, toiletries, hairdryer and mosquito repellent (which you will need!).
The food is buffet style with lots of choice, there is a nice deck off the bar area where you can sit and compare sightings with other guests.
The staff were friendly and helpful and the public areas are quite large and comfortable.
We also visited the smaller Sunbird Lodge, which I loved. The setting and views are fantastic, the lodge overlooks Lake Elementaita and is set on a hillside so that all rooms and public areas enjoy the stunning view. Some of the rooms are lower down the hillside and so are not suitable for people with walking difficulties but as long as the lodge are aware of this guests can be accommodated in rooms nearer the top of the hill. Once again the staff were friendly and informative. Unfortunately we didn’t stay long enough to experience the hot air balloon trip which must be absolutely amazing.
Written by Michael Clark on 15/07/10, filed under General | No Comments
Namibia is a safari with a difference; it offers more than just your ‘normal’ safari with animals around every corner at every destination you visit. Namibia’s signature destination is the Namib Desert which offers some amazingly different, contrasting landscapes from towering dunes in the South-West to ancient volcanic and metamorphic mountain ranges in the North-West.
If animals are your priority, where can you go in Namibia to see herds of herbivores moving acrosss the plains shadowed by the ever present threat of Africa’s charismatic cats, Lion, Leopard & Cheetah? The Etosha National park is Namibia’s answer to Kenya‘s Masai Mara, Tanzania‘s Serengeti, Botswana‘s Okavango Delta and the Kruger Park of South Africa. But how does Etosha differ from these other wonderful parks in Africa?
It is highly unlikely that you will see as many Lions in Etosha as you will in the Masai Mara, nor as many Elephants as in Northern Botswana; and Etosha certainly cannot boast as high a number of Leopard sightings as the kruger Park in South Africa. Having said this, four of the Big 5 can be seen here, Buffalo being the only absentee from the list. With the exception of the Black-Faced Impala there are no animals that you cannot see elsewhere on the continent; Zebra, Wildebeest, Giraffe, Oryx, Springbok, Hartebeest, Warthog are ever present throughout the year. But what Etosha gives you that nowhere else can is the dense concentrations of these animals. The main spectacle of Etosha happens between May and November when the surrounding plains dry up and animals are forced en-masse to gather at the natural and man-made waterholes of the park; it is not uncommon to witness 200 – 300 animals of differing species at a single waterhole at any one time! Countless hours can be spent observing the drama play out before your eyes from the comfort of your own vehicle without the nessesity of having to drive around for hours in search of these animals.
