There is much to see and do in Kenya. It is
accessible to all—be it the free and adventurous, the leisure travellers, the
silver-haired groups or the families. This culture rich and affordable
destination has long been a favourite with the Europeans, Americans and
Australians and now with Direct Air Arabia Airlines flights from Delhi and
Mumbai ( a round trip fare to Kenya is between INR 20,000 to 25,000 only )the
number of Indian tourists is on the rise. During my weeks stay each of the
three must visit places provided a different experience and I not only made
wonderful friends from across the world that I will keep for life, but memories
that will also last a life time.
AMBOSELI
We
did four game drives in total and having very little vegetation made it easier
to spot animals. The star attraction here is the elephants. Everywhere we
looked they could be seen, either solitary loners or massive herds scattered
across the landscape. In addition to elephants, we saw hippos, buffalo,
giraffes, wildebeests, antelopes, zebras, hyenas, and an amazing variety of
bird life. On one of our game drives, we stopped by the huge swamp, anxiously
scanning the breath of it, looking for all types of animals. This swamp is
always full of fresh water and plant life due to the melting of the snow from
the mountain. We had the opportunity to view elephants, Cape buffalos, and
hippos, all chomping away, sometimes almost completely submerged as they filled
their bellies with the lush green growth. On our last evening we enjoyed sun
downer drinks atop Observation Hill with views of Mt Kilimanjaro….Bliss!
FAST FACTS
Best Way to Reach- Take a chartered flight from Nairobi’s Wilson
Airport.
Best place to Stay- OlTukai lodge, an Eco-rated lodge with a unique
collection of African art.
Reservations-Tel: 254-0456-22275 /Fax: 254-0456-22280
Web: www.oltukailodge.com
LAMU
Just
off the northern Kenyan coast, 40 miles from Somalia, is a little stretch of
car-free paradise, also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Only two cars exist on
the island, one for the hospital and the other for the police station, hence
the herd of donkeys and narrow motor boats. Am not sure though that Lamu is not
touristy - the number of smart hotels and restaurants on the sea front prove
that it is but it’s managed to keep its charm and hasn’t yet lost its soul.
Narrow winding alleys, exquisitely carved wooden doors lining coral pathways
and the bustling Arabs, each sparkling in the fierce village lighting. The town
is mesmerizing with scents of humanity harvesting, preparing and cooking spicy
Swahili dishes. Mix the aromas with various loads of donkey dung, raw prawns
and red snapper, into the perfume and voila—a rustic seaport ripe with
tradition.
FAST FACTS
Best Way to Reach - From the mainland you have to jump in a ferry or a
speedboat to get to the island itself.
Best place to Stay- With awe-inspiring seafront views over the Ras Kitau
bay and Shela village, one can relax at “The
Majlis” in the lap of Lamu Island’s unaffected charm.
Reservations- Deepa or Claire, Warwick Centre, Gigiri, Nairobi. Tel: +254 (0) 712 3300/1/2. Mobile: +254 (0) 773 777 066. Fax: +254 (0) 20 712 3303.
E-mail:
welcome@themajlisresorts.com
WATAMU
The
next part of our travels took us across the border and north to the small town
of Watamu on the Kenyan coast. Set in an idyllic location, the town has an
upbeat but relaxed feel to it. It has got one main street and the beach and
that’s about it. However, tourism thrives here there thanks to the Italians,
who dominate the local area; especially the next main town which is much larger
called Malindi. Watamu maintains the small town feel but has some of the
luxuries like red wine and traditional wood fired pizza! And while the vendors
and waiters assume that everyone is Italian, it is very much a soft sell and
they are happy enough to take no for an answer, which is always good. While in
Watamu we even got out for a dive on the local marine park and it was like
diving in a tropical aquarium, with lots of tropical fish and pretty corals. It
also helped diving in 28 degree water with huge visibility.
FAST FACTS
Best Way to Reach- It is an hour’s drive away from Malindi airport.
Best Place To stay- “Garoda”
is a unique resort overlooking the stunning beach of Watamu Marine Park, 2o
miles south of Malindi.
Reservations - Tel: + 254 (0) 20 2437871/Mobile: 0721242711
(Safaricom)
Email:
info@africanspicesafaris.com
published in The Man
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