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Kenya, General Reviews

A GREAT KNOWELEDGE OF KENEYA DEFENCE
Nov 06, 2016 10:14 AM1178 Views

The Chief of Defence Forces(CDF) is the highest-ranking military officer in the KENEYA


DEFENCE FORCE and the principal military adviser to the President of Kenya .The CDF outranks all respective heads of each service branch and has operational command authority over the service branches. He leads the meetings and coordinates the efforts of the Service Commander, comprising the CDF, the Commander of the Kenya Army and Kenya Air Force, Kenya Navy and the Commandant of Military Intelligence. The CDF has offices in Ulinzi House.


The office is considered very important and highly prestigious, because the CDF as a body has command authority over the Armed Forces. The chain of command is from the President(as the Commander in Chief), directly to the CDF. The CDF, as a Principal Adviser, does have authority over personnel assignments and oversight over resources and personnel allocated to the commands within the respective services. The Chairman may also transmit communications to the service commanders from the President. He also performs all other functions as assigned from time to time by the President. The CDF may also allocate those duties and responsibilities to other officers under his name.


Retired Air Force General Julius Waweru Karangi was the outgoing CDF. Gen. Karangi's tenure came to an end on May 4th 2015, and President Uhuru Kenyatta, the Commander in Chief, has promoted the then Vice Chief of Defence Forces, Lt. Gen. Samson J Mwathethe who is now a full General to be the next Chief of Defence Forces(CDF) effective May 4th 2015 and his Deputy will be Lt. Gen Kasaon who until his appoint was the Kenya Army Commander. Within months of British Brigadier A.J. Hardy handing over command of the Kenya Army to Brigadier Joseph Ndolo on 1 December 1966, British influence was underlined with the appointment of Major General as Chief of the General Staff, a new position as senior officer of the entire armed forces. Ndolo succeeded


Penfold as Chief of General Staff in 1969, but was retired on 24 June 1971 after being implicated in a coup plot allegedly organised by Joseph Owino. The service chiefs thereafter reported directly to the Minister of Defence, James Gichuru.[2] The post of Chief of the General Staff was only filled again seven years later when Daniel arap Moi moved Lieutenant General Jackson Mulinge from Army Commander to CGS in November 1978.[3] Mahamoud Mohamed succeeded Mulinge in 1986, and was CGS until 1996. Mohamed was succeeded by General Daudi Tonje, CGS 1996-2000.(Hornsby 554)


The Kenya Defence Forces are the armed forces of the Republic of Kenya. The Kenya Navy, and Kenya Air Force comprise the national Defence Forces. The current Kenya Defence Forces were established, and its composition laid out, in Article 241 of the 2010 Constitution of Kenya; the KDF is governed by the Kenya Defence Forces Act of 2012.The President of Kenya is the commander-in-chief of all the armed forces.


Masai Mara: Animal Kingdom of Africa Part 1
Sep 25, 2004 12:50 PM4024 Views

Masai Mara: Animal Kingdom of Africa Part 1



Masai Mara: Animal Kingdom of Africa


Discovery and Animal Planet TV channels have done their best to bridge the gap between human beings and animal kingdom. So when I had weekend at my disposal during my business trip to Kenya- there would have been nothing better choice than African Safari at Masai Mara.


Masai ? a fiercely cow worshipping tribe and Mara ?a place on the border of Kenya and Tanzania make it Masai Mara. Travel from Nairobi would take around 5 hours but for me being in Nakuru- a place where flamingos descend in thousands from far away place?made me travel for another 1 hour. I started my Journey from Nakuru at 2.00 pm and by the time we reached Mara it was past 9.00 pm. Journey takes through Rift valley and some of the villages inhabited by Masai.


The gradual transition from Urban Masai to Rural ones is evident as one enters the Mara. Masai with their lean, tall figure wrapped around with crimson red clothing and a wooden stick in hand, walking past dirt road is ubiquitous site till they are overtaken by charm of grazing Gazelles and Zebra.


We were traveling in Nissan Van that had convertible open rooftop. Our stay was at Simba Lodge. Till we arrived at this place, we had no idea about sense of direction except looking at setting sun and silhouettes of slender trees at the backdrop of silvery clouds. The silence was eerie as vehicle was trying to move along the trench created by passing vehicles. The arrival at lounge made us realize to be back among human settlement with hoards of European travelers.


The beauty of Mara became evident only when we got up next day to be ready for safari. The rooms at Simba lodge are nestled amidst jungle shrub with rivulet of Mara River flowing behind. The place is designed with natural wood with almost no sign of man-made material. With a wide balcony one can hear chirping sound of 300 odd species of birds and footsteps of grazing animals while slurping the water. First introduction of animal world came with team of Mongoose who like squirrels stand on their back feet beseeching for bread crump from travelers who are having breakfast at the perched top. These mongooses are domesticated by hotel to make place safe from snakes.


As we begin our safari on open rooftop, we are welcomed by teeming batch of Zebras and Wild beasts. Soon we realize that many others ? all coming along in a single line, are joining this batch. With binocular (provided in the van) spanning Mara land, scene of thousands of such pairs- zebra and wild beast marching towards the Serengeti in Tanzania. Mara-Serengeti migration is one of the nature?s spectacle that one shouldn?t miss. We were told that during September migration was only remaining 1/3rd of Mara animal population.


Imagine spectacle in the month of July- August with 40 km at stretch with a million gazelles, 200,000 zebras and antelopes, 750,000 buffalos, 9,000 Giraffes, 5000 elephants and 100 rhinos. This is truly wild show on earth !! Why the migration? Animal kingdom arrives in Mara when grassland is thick and this is perfect season to mate. From October till March ? they would be at Serengeti in Tanzania with their body toned up by ferocious eating to get bring new generation. But not all the animals go to Serengeti- there are some who are always residents of Mara.


Zebra ? wild beast seem to companion made for each other. Zebra thrives on top portion of grassland that is dried leaving remaining down portion of fresh ones for wild beast. It is interesting to see baby Zebra identifying her mom with her pattern of stripes. For naked eyes, they all look similar but closer observation reveals the intricacies like that of fingerprints.


As we past them, suddenly we spot Cheetah, with his watchful steps and piercing eyes looking all around. Cheetahs are unique with their ability not to touch the food unless he himself kills it, but irony is: when he kills his prey, very often Hyena and others make a feast on this. This makes Cheetah go hungry and add to that tourist vehicles surrounding them during their mating season make them uneasy to mate thereby reducing their population at alarming level.


Mara can never satiate human curiosity of animal?s social behavior and natures eco system. Imagine Male Gazelles(with horn) fighting with each other to have supremacy over all female Gazelles in that season. The defeated male Gazelles hoard like all bachelors leaving sole winner to plant his genes in every female.


This is a very best way to have genes from strongest male. Why so? Because when female gives birth to calf, she takes 15 min to have her baby ready to come out of the womb. In another 15 min, baby calf is ready to gallop at the same speed as mother. These 30 minutes are matter of life and death for mother and baby who is being prime target from all predatory animals.


As migration of animals goes past Mara River, hungry crocodiles are waiting for their annual feast. Crocodile in between taking bites of her meal comes out to hatch her eggs. While she does that she keeps her mouth wide open for birds to clean her tooth for blocked meat. Along the side in the river, hoards of Hippos guard their tiny ones from hungry eyes of crocodile.


The sign of grown up Hippos is enough to keep crocodiles silent. In small waddle of water, these fierce enemies co-exist with each other. I wondered how is that Lion never come to drink this water and be confronted by Crocodiles? The answer was: Lion never goes to flowing water sensing the risk. He chooses stagnant water instead.


On our way, we also spot Black Rhino. This is very shy animal who like to be alone unlike Hippos who like to be together. Another animal, which makes its mark on Mara with his group dynamics, is Elephant. They move along the line with 13-14 of them with father figure marching the lead and baby elephant snuggled in between by grown ups. Invariably stronger one is at back much in the same way a guard is at the back of a train. Father elephant decides the course and everyone follows.


They like to perch at the elevated plain when night descends and this place is always changed every night. Female elephant have this unique ability to contract or prolong her pregnancy. This is often decided by her sixth sense of impending draught or rainfall.


THE LION ROARS TONIGHT
Mar 06, 2003 03:18 AM4278 Views

Kenya is a Republic, (that is suppose to be Democratic), but I don't think it is! The Area is 583,000 sq km and that is about the size of Texas in the USA or Alberta, Canada. The Population is over 30 million People and there are 42 Tribes, (22% Kikuyu, 14% Luhya, 13% Luo, 12% Kalenjin, 11% Kamba, 6% Kisii, 6% Meru). They only count the Natives and not the East Indians, English...etc. The Official Language are Swahili and English. The People belong to the following Religions: 40% Protestant, 36% Roman Catholic, 16% Muslim.


We were in Kenya at the time of the ''small migration'', (the Animals are moving South). This happens ever year from January to March, (I was here in January).


THE WILLIAM HOLDEN GAME RESERVE:


After we left Nairobi we travel North and stopped for lunch at the William Holden Game Reserve.


We were shown the Bedrooms, and both the Private Dinning Room & the Public Dinning Room. Then we had lunch on the Patio.


The Animals and Birds stroll by you as you are eating. I loved the Peacocks who spread their tails.


This was the first time I noticed all of the Waiters wore white Gloves and we were being serves like we were ''royalty''! (This continued at every meal we had until we returned to Nairobi).


Then we were back on the Coach and driving towards the Mountains.


THE ABERDARE MOUNTAINS:


The Aberdare Mountain area is Ranch Country. It reminded me of the ''foothills'' in Alberta, (the Mountain's weren't all that tall). We saw herds of Cows and Sheep grazing on the Slopes.


Just before sundown we stopped at the Aberdare Lodge. We went on a tour of the rooms and facilities and then were served a drink on their large Patio.


Below us were the Valleys and we could see the Ranches. Above us was a ridge of Mountains. We sat and watched the Sun drop quickly behind the Mountains.


Then we were off to go to a very special place.


THE TREETOPS INN:


The Treetops Inn is a wooden Lodge that has long wooden stakes. There is a feeding ground and pond below it.


This is where Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip learned that her Father had died and she had to return to England to become Queen.


Our Bedrooms were tiny because we wouldn't be sleeping much this night. The point of stopping here was to be able to take pictures of the Animals at night.


We were served a five course banquet Dinner and then were allowed to go down to the ''viewing room'' to take our pictures. It is rate to take picture of Animals during the night.


SAFARIS:


You go on two Safari Tours a day. The first is before the Sun rises and the second is a half hour before it goes down. These are the best times to see the Animals who come down to have a drink of water.


In the morning you will have juice, tea or coffee before you go and breakfast when you return. Before the evening Safari you will be asked what beverage you would like to drink while you are Touring. When you get back you have Dinner. In between the Safari's you can do what you want. That's why most places you stay will have swimming pools or offer side trips,(for an extra charge).


THE SAMBURU AREA:


We arrived here the next day and stayed at the Samburu Serena Lodge. We would spend two nights and one day here. This is where the Masai Tribes live.


The Dinning Room and Bar are above a Crocodile Pond. Each of us had our own Rooms. The Bed had a net covering it. Before we went to dinner I went into the Bathroom to put on my make-up. I turned on the light and suddenly the room was filled with Butterflies. They covered me and the mirror. I had to turn off the light and use a small flash light to put on my make up.


When I went back into the Bedroom I saw that there was an opening between the walls and the ceiling. That's how the butterflies had gotten in to my room!


After Dinner we went to bed early because we were told that we would be woken up at 6 a.m. to go on our first Safari. I snuggled into bed and pulled down the netting. As soon as my body warmed up my feet began to itch. It was so bad I went into the bathroom and sat on the top of the toilet and put my feet into the sink and ran cold water over them for a few hours, (I know now that gnats had bitten me). I suddenly remembered I had some Deet Insect Repellent and after I put it on the itch went away. I managed to sleep for a few hours.


Samuru National Park connects onto Buffalo Springs Park. We only saw the Sambur Park and it is like you are in a Desert.


Some of the things we saw were huge Termite hills, Ostriches have pink or light grey feathers and blue legs, the Elephants are a reddish brown, the Zebras have thinner stripes, (they are Grevy's Zebras), the Gerenuk, (a long necked Gazelle), the Reticulated Giraffe, (have long curly eye lashes), Monkeys and a lot of bright Birds that I had never seen before.


During our free time we went to visit a Tribal Village. The homes were covered were clay. We had to pay the Head Man some money to be allowed to take pictures. The Men and Women in this Tribe are very tall and are beautiful looking People. They have long necks and wear a lot of beaded necklaces.


After our morning Safari and Breakfast we where we were taken to the side of a road to wait for some small Planes to come and pick us up to take us to the Masai Mara.


MASAI MARA:


We landed at the small Wildson Airport in the Seregeti Wilderness. From there we were taken to the Abercrombie and Finch Tour Company Tent Camp in Masai Mara.


This Park is the largest in Kenya. The Masai Tribe owns the land. The Camp is near the Talek River, close to Lake Victoria and in a Forest.


We were here during the ''small migration'' and we got to see a lot of Animals that don't make their home in Kenya.


The most exciting things we saw were:


1) A Lioness trying to teach her Cubs to sneak up on an Eland, (small Deer). They were so clumsy they kept tripping over their paws and the Eland was long gone before they reached it.


2) Lions mating. They do a dance before they mate.


3) The Cheetah is the fastest Cat on Earth and we saw one rush up and kill a Wildebeests.


4) We saw two Rhino's eyes peek up from a pool.


The other Animals we saw were Elephants, Giraffes, Hyaenas, Leopards, Monkeys and Zebras.


The birds we saw were Ostriches,(with brown legs), Peacocks and Storks.


There were a variety of Snakes and other ''creepy crawly things.''


FLYING BACK TO NAIROBI:


We flew over the Great Rift Valley. This is where the Steppe that begin in Russia.


THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW BEFORE YOU GO:


The water is not safe. I even mean the water in the Rivers and the Lakes. If you are caught in a rain storm put on a slicker and high rubber boots. Don't drink any water, have a beverage with ice, eat raw or partly cooked food, eat dairy products, (unless they are imported) or eat fresh fruit and vegetables.


You will need both a valid Passport, (if it will expire within 6 Months it's not valid any more) and a Visa.


You will have to take Malaria Pills, (there are many types now so follow your Doctors Orders).


I had five immunizations shots and I suggest you visit your Health Clinic before you go.


Bring a lot of Bug repellent.


A light Camera will make it easier for you to take the pictures you want and lots of film.


MY FINAL THOUGHTS:


Safari's can be found to fit your budget. The cheaper ones are Walking or Bike Tours. There are Coach Tours that let you stay in 3, 4 or 5 Star Accommodations.


I loved Kenya and if you can afford it I highly recommend this wonderful Country to you.


Comments are always welcome.


©LL2003


YOUR RATING ON

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A Visit to Kenya's Tree Tops
Jul 11, 2002 10:45 PM5012 Views

The modern Tree Tops, now built on stilts can accommodate 100 people and an armed hunter. It has a spacious lounge and a large balcony from where you can watch various animals coming to drink at the pool in front.


During one of my three visits here, I saw a herd of over a hundred buffaloes arrived here to drink. Elephants, waterbuck and bushbuck are also regular visitors here. If you are lucky, you can catch a glimpse of the rare Bongo some evenings. While in the balcony, watch out for the baboons, they are quick and swift to swipe off anything from your hands weather it be an apple or your purse/ wallet.


When the original Tree Tops was built in the 1930s by Eric Sherbrooke Walker in the heart of the Aberdare forests, approximately 190 kilometers north of Nairobi, on the branches of a giant ficus tree, it was just a small hut with 2 rooms. It was later expanded in 1952 for the visit of princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh. Here Corbett was invited to join the royal party. This was a historical visit, as they watched herds of elephants and other game that came to drink, the princess' father King George VI died in his sleep in Sandringham, thus making her


the next heir to the throne. In a journal kept at the Tree Tops, Corbett wrote ''For the first time in the history of the world, a young girl climbed into a tree one day a Princess...she climbed down from the tree the next day a Queen''


The original Tree Tops was burned down by the mau mau (the peasant revolution to end the British rule in Kenya) in 1954, and in a few years, Eric Walker built another one across from the original site, this time on stilts. It was again expanded several times to accommodate more people.


A trip to Tree Tops is expensive and exclusively controlled by Block Hotels, as it is a private viewing area. It starts after a lunch at the Outspan Hotel in Nyeri (where Corbett and sister Maggie spent their last years). The private coach will take you to the site where you spend the night. The floodlights will enable you to see all animals that come to drink at night. Carry a pair of good folding binoculars in addition to plenty of films for your camera. Also take some warm clothes with you, as, it could get chilly in the evenings. Next morning, the coach will pick you up and drive you back to the Outspan for breakfast. Both Outspan and the Tree Tops and several other resort hotels in Kenya are managed by the Block Hotels. After a shower and change, you will be driven back to your hotel in Nairobi.


To spend a night at the Tree Tops, it is necessary to book well in advance through your travel agent or contacting the Block hotel direct via phone or email. At the time of my visits, the cost was about $200.00 US.


Kenya - The Good - The Bad & The Ugly
Jan 09, 2002 09:21 AM3917 Views

A number of my family comes from and still live in Kenya. So I've been there a few times most recently spending 6 weeks there. If you've never been to Kenya or any other African country then I'd recommend the usual thing of doing a safari, but be warned, what people NEVER tell you is that doing a safari is one of the most draining and tiring things that you can do on a holiday.


You have a timetable that suits the habits of the animals, thus you wake up before sunrise to have some tea and coffee before setting out just as the sun rises to see the animals during the day. At this time of day it's usually freezing cold so dress warmly. Then back after 1 to 2 hours for breakfast and then after a while the same thing again coming back for lunch.


As you might have gathered I've done more then one safari and have to say the punishing schedule most touring comanies put on it guerlling. You litterally need a holiday to rcover from a safari, if you are going please do not make your entire stay in kenya one long Safari, I'd recommend no more then 5 days at the very maximum on a safari and best place is the Masai Mara. On thie last trip we went to the larger reserves and only saw 2 cats for the whole trip. Plenty of Monkeys, Elephants, etc but I guess most people want to see the big cats most of all.


The Ark is a nice place to go for a single night to see Animals at night but when I went it was also totally unheated and thus so cold we couldn't even sleep and even my camera battery went flat because of the cold. Always buy extra film, it costs a fortune if you need to buy it atthe lodge and for night time photography you'll need something like 800 ISO film.


Mombasa is a nice place but the worst aspects are the continual pestering you get on the beach from sellers. I high season it's better as there are more western tourists, so the seller target them much more then the Indian ones. However prices of good also goes up in high season, what you pay 100 Shillings for in high season such as a key chain with you name on it could be gotten for as little as 40 shillings in low season.


I have to say the pestering to buy things from sellers ruins your stay on the beach. Hotels don't allow such sellers to come into their complex and often have huge walls to help keep them (and the tide) out.


The city centre of Mombasa is a real mess with broken streets and so many matatus (privately owned minibuses that ferry people from one destination to another along set routes). Lots of places to eat street food, bt I often was put off eating in places that serve chicken for example and have the live chickens in full view awaiting their fate!!


Nairobi is tidier then Mombassa but not perfect by a long way. There are so many nice places to eat here in the big hotels. Most local places will serve soggy chips and sauages (I'd only recommend Farmer's Choice sauages).


There are lots of cinemas for western and Indian movies.


The best places for dance and music have to be Carnivore and a place called Pavement. The best bar in the capital has to be Hooters - it has TV screen everywhere and huge food portions and yummy deserts.


A lot has been said about crime in Kenya - I didn't witness any whilst I was there, and have to say a lot of crime seems to be agaist people living there by gangs that gather information from servants working in the homes of other people. Thus knowing when the house is empty or only the owner's wife will be there.


Also if you planto drive in Nairobi - I'd recommend you don't!! Out of 4 lanes they'll drive in 6 lanes.


Nairobi in some ways reminds me of central London but is much more accessable a capital - Almost Everyone speaks english.


kenya is certainly worth a visit, however check on any power problems before you go, 2 years ago we went during a period of drought which meant no water to create electricity with so many nights there was no electricity to power appliances and also no water pumping through the pipes. Although large hotels usually have big power generators, but some of these are the size of several houses put together and can create a lot of noise.


The Masai Folk Of Kenya
Dec 24, 2001 01:44 PM3201 Views

Introduction


If I were to describe Kenya in one word....it would be ''Fantastic''! Not that I am an authority on giving comments on Kenya as a whole, but whatever little I did see in Kenya was something that I have treasured. I have been two times to Kenya.


The First Trip


The first trip was a bit of a rush, as I was mostly busy in arranging things for my brother's marriage(He married a Kenyan citizen). I however managed to have a quick trip to The Ark. But everytime I talked about it, people looked at me with a queer look, saying that I was a fool not to have visited Masai Mara. So the next trip I took to Kenya, I made up my mind that I did see Masai Mara, even if I had to forego my flight for it!


The Second Trip


Hehe....I did not have to sacrifice the flight, as I only have one brother! So it was with high expectations that I went to see Masai Mara! They say that if you go to see a place with undue high expectations, u are bound to be disappointed. Well, friends, Masai Mara beats all such sayings hands down! It was too lovely a place. But let me start from the beginning.


Masai Mara is a wild life sanctuary famous mainly for its lions. I was with my wife, and hence used to dangerous creatures<wink>! (Just joking!)


The first thing that occurred to me as soon as I left Nairobi was the wild, free nature that can only be felt in the dark continent. Africa is the way God intended the earth to be! Wild, free, breath taking!


It was not long before our animal kingdom friends started making their presence felt. We could see elephants, deers and giraffes even as we were just on the way to the Mara! We also saw some people draped in hurting red coloured clothes. Our driver Julius told us that they were the Masai people, the original natives of Kenya. The Mara(means sanctuary) was named after them, and hence was Masai Mara. As we talked about the Masai folk, I could not help being impressed by such a cult.


The Masai People


Firstly, they have their own social system, which consists of many Masai villages. A Masai village is a collection of one big family living together, and is made up of around 70 to 90 people, all related to each other. Marriages between the Masai folks are never carried out in the same village, as they are all related. Hence a boy of one Masai village has to marry a girl of another Masai village. He cannot marry a girl from the same village. A Masai home is made up of mud and grass. Its a very small shackle. The work is divided among them. The men go for cattle feeding and look after the defense, whereas the women look after the house. Making a Masai house is also the duty of the women folk. What impressed me further was that till some decades ago, a Masai man desiring marriage had to PROVE his manhood by killing a lion with his bare hands. The government put a stop to this practice, but locals believe that the Masai still observe that tradition once in a while. With all this information, it became an absolute must for me to see the Masai village.


The Masai Village


Luckily for us, there was one on the way. The Masai folks showed us the village. The first thing that caught my eye was the way that small settlement was protected on all sides with a boundary made up of thorny wooden branches - to keep out the wild animals. The ladies there sung a traditional folk song to welcome us. I observed that the married ladies had some kind of metal rings on there ankles, while the unmarried ladies did not wear them.(Another Masai Tradition)


Then we were shown around the Masai home. It was pitch dark in there. A Masai lady was preparing food. I asked a Masai what was their staple diet. He said that they had Milk with cow's blood, and some liquor made out of a fruit, the tree of which he showed me. Seemed horrible to me, but then its God's own way of showing u the diversity he has installed in people of different races. My driver Julius told me that lions never dared to come near a Masai, and that the beast could smell a Masai without any error. I picked up a Masai kid, and couldn't help a strong smell that entered my nostrils. It was a sweet kind of smell. Then the Masais showed me their weapons. One particular weapon was an arrow with a reverse spikes on it. They said that the tip of the arrow is dipped in poison, and once the arrow pierced their prey, the reverse spikes made it impossible for the victim to pull out the arrow. I could not bring myself to touch the arrow. After that some Masai men danced for us, a typical dance where they leap high in the air. This was the time I saw that their ears looked funny. The lower part of the ear was dangling. On closer observation, I found that the earhole that they had pierced was so big that a rod of 2 to 3 cms in diameter could have easily passed from it. On enquiry, they told me that it was an old Masai custom to have the ears like that, and that they decorated the ears with beaded ornaments.


With this new experience, we took their loving goodbye and made our way to our final destination - Masai Mara! About which I will write in my next review : The Masai Mara! (On Nairobi Section)


Lovely place
Dec 22, 2001 07:05 PM2398 Views

Kenya is everything a tourist would look for... brilliant location, nature's bounty, wildlife and so on. I recently visited Kenya and its way better than what I imangined. The best part about it that there are no visa problems. I visited Nakuru santuary in Kenya which has beautiful wildlife. Lovely flamingos and baboons and leapords. Mombasa was pretty good. The white sands beach was just superb where we tried snore killing and took a breath taking view of the coral reef. It was once in a lifetime experience. We also went to a place over there called crocodile park which was just full of crocodiles. The best bargains were Masai Mara and a tree tops hotel. In masai mara we were living in a hotel whose theme was nature and we had to live in tents. The game was just superb. I saw 26 lions at a strech. The tree tops hotel was also a great experience. We could take a view of the wildlife at night. It was very beautiful. Apart from this we also saw official cosinos and meuseums and many other things


Remote centre in Kenya
Apr 07, 2001 08:55 PM2685 Views

This remote field centre is not only excellent for academic groups wishing to study both social and environmental/ ecological aspects of northern Kenya, it is also available to independent travellers. I visited it in 1997 with my university, and UEA and many other institutions continue to run field trips there.


Situated in virgin forest on the banks of the Morun River, at the edge of the Rift Valley, the Marich Pass Field Centre has a spectacular location. From the small hill behind it you can see along the vast, flat expanse of the valley, or turn around to see the mountains towering above you, their tops wreathed in cloud. From the breakfast tables on the patio, you can see across to Mount Koh, which can be climbed with a guide from the centre if available.


A responsible ethos is followed in that the centre uses local material, labour, and food wherever possible. The cook, guides and other staff are all from the neighbouring Pokot village, and the buildings are in traditional styles and made by local people. The centre is run with the co-operation of the local elders, and donations are made to the local community for each visitor. The well water is available to all who wish to use it, an important and potentially life-saving piece of generosity.


English-speaking Pokot guides can take you out and explain local traditions and agricultural methods, and identify wildlife (especially the hazardous kind!). They can also interpret if you wish to talk to villagers, but there's sometimes of a sense of expectation, that the villagers are willing to tell you anything in return for the usual small gift of soap, sugar or cooking oil. Still, why shouldn't they exploit us for a change?


Concessions are made to western tastes with the food, and also with the drinks sold in the small shop - yes, you guessed it, the ubiquitous Coca-Cola :( Happily, Kenyan Tusker beer is also available. Local Pokot are provided with an outlet for traditional crafts, and will demonstrate dancing to larger groups (even if they are wearing t-shirts mixed in with the bead collars and skirts).


The food is excellent, a mix of traditional African food and European-style, with much use made of the carbohydrate-heavy maize-based ugali, which can perhaps best be described as very thick, sticky, whitish couscous. Smothered in spicy sauce or gravy, it's fantastic, and just what you need after a hard day's work. There are plenty of vegetables (vegetarians catered for and served first :), local goat and chicken, and breakfasts often consist of heavenly deep-fried yellow dumplings with golden syrup.


The centre consists of numerous traditional huts, or bandas, each equipped very simply with beds (including linen), chairs and of course mosquito nets. A larger building houses kitchens and a small classroom and library, while a separate, larger room serves as dining room and classroom. There is a fair-sized campsite available. All the buildings are on various levels, according to the terrain, and are surrounded by trees, rather than being placed awkwardly on a razed, clear-felled piece of ground.


Toilet facilities are provided in both ''western'' and ''traditional'' styles. Western loos are raised, with a seat, but everything is contained in a pit below, attracting huge cockroaches and other fauna. Traditional facilities comprise a concrete slab, appropriately shaped, and a hose. Everything is washed away to a pit some metres away, and our group quickly got used to using these, especially at night when they are much more pleasant and bug-free.


Cold showers are available, either under cover (in with the traditional toilets), which can be a bit dark, or open-air, with bougainvillea growing around you and sometimes monkeys watching you from the trees! Although they're a bit strange at first, taking a shower here soon becomes a lovely way to wake up! All the water is pumped from the centre's own well, and is perfectly safe to drink, let alone wash in.


Everything is swept clean daily - it's not sterile and spotless, and there are certainly plenty of large insects running around, but anything else would feel wrong in this setting. The women who clean (and I only saw women) take as much pride in the site as they do their own houses. There is thus a real sense that the site tries to work with both nature and tradition, in all its forms, bending to work with and accommodate it rather than dominating and subduing it.


The lasting impression I gained is that the way in which this centre is integrated into the local community, environment and culture makes it a refreshing, interesting and above all rewarding stop.




















Marich Pass Field Centre lies at the foot of the Marich Pass, and can be reached from Nairobi (~500km away) via Nakuru, Eldoret, Kitale and Kapenguria. Locally, matatus (worryingly small and overcrowded buses) are fairly common and should be able to get you there if you are travelling independently.


Full factual information, including details of how to get there, an equipment list and suggested excursions from the centre, is available at:


https://keele.ac.uk/depts/ge/teaching/robson2/MPFSC.html


Karibu Kenya... Updated 11/12/00
Nov 11, 2000 04:12 PM2527 Views

Jambo all....


Yes, the land that promises you all those lovely golden sandy beaches, loadsa sunshine and plenty of fun at the seaside…. everything they say about the place in the brochures is true OR so we thought!


We had a great flight there and arrived early morning, after having a shower and a change (you need one after an 8 hour flight!) we ventured out and thought this was going to be one hell of a honeymoon. We had a swim in the hotel pool – by the way we stayed at the Travellers Beach Hotel on the north side of Mombasa, had an afternoon tea and after a couple of hours kip decided to go for a walk on the beach before dinner. As we tried to leave the hotel we were stopped by the hotel security guard and were told not to go out as the chances of us getting mugged were pretty high. We didn't really take much notice and thought we'll go after dinner but the stories we heard at dinner from other tourists staying there were even more horrific. We heard how a couple had been stripped of all the jewelry, another guy had all his money stolen and his face slashed'. I won't tell you about the others otherwise you might decide not to go to Kenya!


During the day, though, you are quite safe to wonder around and walk on the beach. Be prepared when on the beach as the locals do try and get extra friendly with you just to sting you when the time is right, by that I mean they do try and get you to part with your money and at exorbitant rates for things that would probably only cost you about a tenth of the price at any stores.


Try visiting the market in Mombasa for a real African experience and don't forget to take a trip around the 'Old' Mombasa probably better to take one of those tourist guided trip not too expensive and they do try and cram in a lot of places in half a day. Also if you can make it to Malindi, try their fresh 'Halwa' you'll probably end up bringing a couple of kilos back for your friends and family.


Enjoy Kenya! don't be put off by the stories.


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Updated 11th December 2000 on Hitenrmehtas' request...


We didn't visit Masai Mara but did visit the Voi National Park for a two day one night safari. The jeep picks you up from the hotel early morning (around 5.30-6.00 am) and the drive to the park takes around 4 hours. They drive you around the park for a couple of hours on each of the drives (five trips in all over two days).. and the drivers are very good they can spot animals in the thickest of bushes... We saw plenty of animals during the drives except for the Lion (although we saw a lioness with cubs... ain't the same though!).


Our highlight was seeing a cheetah (cos we were the first to spot it!) and then calling on all the other vehicles telling them where we were and seeing everyone rush to the spot... great fun!


I won't give you the full itenary of the two days, else I'll keep on going forever... if you need more send me a mail and I'll reply..


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Kwaheri rafiki...


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