lodge-to-lodge riding safari 2016

Report 5 Downloads 54 Views
MILD TO WILD HOLIDAYS

LODGE-TO-LODGE RIDING SAFARI

2016

KENYA | 9 nights/ 10 days

This is a new top of the range Lodge to Lodge riding safari for those who want both excitement and comfort. This eight night fully inclusive itinerary incorporates staying in four very unique lodges, all located in special areas with atmospheric views of wild open spaces. You will be riding through ever-changing, beautiful, “best of Kenya” country, riding fit, well-schooled horses well used to the terrain. You will barely see another tourist. Two of the lodges where you are staying are community owned and their profits go towards the maintenance of this beautiful area, employment of the villagers, promoting local businesses and supporting education.

From £5,815 per person sharing (valid June 2016, not including international flights, subject to availability) Price from £6,135 per person sharing for travel between July – September 2016. Not available April, May & November.

Full Itinerary DAY 1

ARRIVE NAIROBI

On arrival at Nairobi International Airport (JKIA), you will be met and transferred to the suburb of Karen in Nairobi for your overnight stay at Karen Blixen Coffee Garden. 1 NIGHT KAREN BLIXEN COFFEE GARDEN The cottages are located in Karen, a beautiful, peaceful suburb approximately 20 miles from downtown Nairobi. The cottages are located in the midst of one of the oldest formal gardens in Kenya which have huge jacaranda, candelabra, cactus, bottlebrush, and other trees. Over 200 types of flowers bloom through the year and numerous bird feeders attract hundreds of varieties of birds. Cottage facilities house as many as 30 guests. Eight of the cottages have individual suites and three have two bedroom suites with a common large sitting room. The honeymoon cottage has a large bedroom and sitting room each with a fireplace. The cottages have been designed after the historic Swedo House to give a sense of reliving history in elegant style. All well-appointed cottages have hi-beam ceilings with fireplaces, wood and mazeras stone floors. Mini bars, satellite TVs and internet connections have also been installed.

travelafrica.outposts.co.uk | [email protected] | +44 (0)1823 451959

Each bedroom has a large bathroom with its own shower and bath. Internet connections and phones are available in all rooms. Three cottages have two private suites with a separate dressing room. All cottages have a veranda for relaxing while enjoying the birds, butterflies and flowers of the garden. We provide feeders to attract a wide variety of birds. You can also enjoy twenty-four-hour room service. A private swimming pool and private garden bar are available for a relaxing afternoon or for small group get together. DAY 2-3

NAIROBI TO LEWA WILDERNESS

You will be transferred to Wilson airport for your flight to Lewa Downs. You will be collected by Lewa Wilderness and spend two nights on Lewa enjoying everything that the Conservancy has to offer. 2 NIGHTS LEWA WILDERNESS LODGE Lewa Wilderness Lodge is located in the Laikipia East area of north central Kenya. The Lewa Downs Conservancy is a private fenced reserve which pioneered the conversion of cattle ranches back into wildlife areas and now serves as part of a critical wildlife buffer zone. It contains a full range of wildlife. This particular property is centred on the Craig family house which has been extended over the years to accommodate more and more guests. The main house contains communal dining and lounge areas, with separate buildings containing further lounge, dining and pool areas. Guest accommodation is in nine detached cottages one of which is a family unit. Activities include vehicle safari, walking safari, horse-back safari, camel safari, scenic flights and cultural interaction.

DAY 4-5

LEWA WILDERNESS TO IL NGWESI

After an early breakfast, you will set out across the northern valleys of Lewa and onto Il Ngwesi, a community owned conservation area. This is a very dramatic ride offering plenty of wildlife, massive views riding on some more rocky roads, but fast in places. You will enjoy a picnic en-route and arrive at Il Ngwesi in the early evening. Spend two nights at Il Ngwesi Lodge, visiting the Cultural Boma and walking with trained guides through their rhino sanctuary. Wild dog are often sighted. 2 NIGHTS IL NGWESI Il Ngwesi Lodge is set in the Il Ngwesi Valley, a large community-owned conservation area of unfenced rangeland with very low visitor density. It is a pioneering project, initially conceived and constructed by outsiders, but now owned and operated by local Samburu tribespeople. Situated on a low hill to the west of the main valley, the lodge is approached up a flight of stone steps from the vehicle turnaround. Public areas are contained within a single open-sided structure under thatch, with comfortable lounge and dining areas providing broad views across the valley. A lovely pool area is tucked away some distance up the slope and also provides an additional outside dining area. Guest accommodation is in several organically designed structures, some of which have great views down to a productive waterhole. I love the fact that it is locally owned and hosted and whenever I have visited, the staff have always been very welcoming and helpful. The design and build of the lodge itself is reasonably stylish, especially the quirky rooms. Activities are centred on gentle vehicle safari, walking safari, longer hikes and cultural interaction. The camp is renowned as an absolute favourite of British royalty, with William and Harry being regular visitors during their younger years. I understand that Will and Kate actually spent part of their honeymoon here.

DAY 6-7

IL NGWESI TO TASSIA

Enjoy a short ride to Tassia across the elephant filled plains. This is an opportunity to see large numbers of giraffe and grevy zebra as well as lesser kudu and gerenuk, finally skirting around the elephant in the dry river beds before lunching at Tassia. The two days at Tassia can be filled with cultural activities such as visiting the blacksmiths making spears for the local tribesmen, the beading ladies making fashionable items for the overseas market and an opportunity to practice spear throwing and archery with the Tassia guides. The horses are also there, making early morning canters in the river beds essential!

travelafrica.outposts.co.uk | [email protected] | +44 (0)1823 451959

2 NIGHTS TASSIA LODGE "This is not a place to come and see big game, think of it more as a destination in its own right. One to fill the soul." Tassia is the ideal escape from the world. It captures all elements of the African bush, tranquil beauty combined with excitement and adventure. The dramatic setting of the lodge, perched on the edge of the Mokogodo escarpment, gives a mesmerising view of the Northern Frontier District and the sacred Lolokwe Mountain. The Laikipiak (Mokogodo) Maasai have been guardians of the Mokogodo forest for over a hundred years and this community Lodge is owned by them but has White Kenyans as managers. The lodge's six bedrooms all with en-suite bathrooms offer comfortable and inviting accommodation to the weary adventurer at the end of a full and exciting day. Tassia guests can be as sociable or reclusive as they choose, either enjoying the excellent cuisine in the tranquillity of their bedrooms or on the pool veranda or joining others at the bar and dining room. Quote from Conde Nast Traveller Gold Standard Hotels, Best Wilderness Hotel 2013 “There are few lodges in Africa as wonderfully embedded in the community and landscape as Tassia, set as high as eagles fly on conservation land owned and managed by the Mokogodo Maasai. To stay here is to disconnect from any semblance of life as you know it; to allow yourself to be absorbed into the wilderness while being caressed by the hot thermals that rise from the plains to this isolated eyrie of extraordinary, open-sided structures built of mud and timber and thatch. Local lore and culture are at the heart of Tassia. With a maximum of 12 guests, and 60,000 acres to explore, this is a place of serenity and peace.”

Your Hosts: Martin Wheeler, Anikia and their daughter Kailini and the Mokogodo Maasai. Martin states, “Running Tassia is not a job, it’s a way of life.” Martin is fourth generation Kenyan. He was brought up in the bush. He is a renowned guide and has a great empathy and knowledge of the wildlife. He is a talented falconer and fly fisherman. His other interests include motor biking and paragliding. Activities: At Tassia the game is not habituated to vehicles and people, and can often be well dispersed, which makes tracking with your guide on foot more exciting. The amount of game is dependent on the water in the area. There are Elephant, Buffalo, Giraffe, Greater and Lesser Kudu, Gerenuk, Waterbuck, Grevy Zebra. They also have sightings of leopard, wild dog, spotted and stripped hyena. After the rains in November and April the number of game increases, particularly elephant. Walks & Game drives: The most exhilarating way to explore the wilderness around Tassia is on foot. There are a variety of exciting walks and expeditions. There are gentle botanical walks, led by one of the Maasai guides, where you'll learn about the medicinal uses of the plants in the area, such as cures for malaria and aphrodisiacs! Bush Walks: Led by Martin, involve tracking wildlife and embarking on more rigorous treks and climbs. You can also take the rare opportunity of visiting the caves and rock shelters where the Mokogodo Maasai lived for 40 000 yrs until recently changing their ethnicity. Bird of Prey Rehabilitation: After a morning walk you can visit Martin's sanctuary for injured birds. Martin is a passionate falconer, he rescues injured birds, trains them and rehabilitates them back into the wild. In the evening after your walk you can enjoy watching Martin and free fly his falcons from the rocky escarpment, whilst sipping your G&T! Game Drives: These are best undertaken early morning or evening, and can be combined with a gentle walk and/or bush breakfast, picnic lunch or sun downer drinks in the evening. Spear Throwing & Archery: This has become a very popular activity amongst guests in friendly competition with the Maasai. Village Visit: This is a working Maasai village, where members of staff and their families live a traditional lifestyle. It offers an authentic insight into their culture and way of life. Community Projects: Waste not want not - woman’s group project, School, Anti soil erosion, Tree protection, Bird of prey sanctuary, Buy a brick. DAY 8-9

TASSIA TO BORANA

The ride to Borana begins after a mini breakfast at Tassia. Travel up through the Mukogodo Forest, the largest indigenous dryland forest in Kenya, with the Hartlaub’s Turaco flying above along with many other species of bird and butterfly. Arrive at Borana Lodge after picnicking under the olive trees. Spend two nights at Borana wallowing in comfort, walking with rangers, looking for lions and galloping on the hills.

travelafrica.outposts.co.uk | [email protected] | +44 (0)1823 451959

2 NIGHTS BORANA LODGE Borana Lodge is set on the edge of the Samangua Valley with panoramic views of Mount Kenya and Kenya’s Northern Frontier. Borana is a small, luxurious family-hosted lodge with a horizon pool. It is situated on a 35,000 acre ranch 16 miles north of the equator, at an altitude 6,500 ft; a haven for a wide diversity of wildlife: lion, elephant, Jackson’s hartebeest, buffalo, reticulated giraffe, Patas monkeys and great herds of antelope roam the plains while the cool forest shelters bush buck, colobus monkeys and leopard. Borana is a working ranch, named after the doe-eyed Borana cattle which call it home.

Eco – friendly: Borana is an accredited member of the Eco Tourism Society of Kenya and plays an active role in regional conservation, eco-system maintenance, community development initiatives, health and education. Accommodation: Borana has eight private and spacious guest cottages decorated in unaffected but luxurious up-country style. All rooms have an open fireplace, veranda and en suite bathroom with bath and shower. Electricity is provided by a 240v generator which runs during the morning and evening hours. Activities • Horse riding for both experienced riders and novices. They breed their own polo ponies and children’s ponies. • Game drives and walks in the company of guides and trackers with a broad local knowledge of the area. Relax in a blind or a tree house and let the wildlife come to you. Night drives to see the nocturnal species. Picnics and bush dinners are a regular feature. • Mountain biking on large Iguana mountain bikes. Optional Extras • Fly Camps. • Heli fishing on Mount Kenya – on application. Lake Rotundu is fabulous for wild fishing. • Visits to the Kisima floriculture project. • Cultural excursions to nearby Maasai Manyattas. • Masseuse and beauty therapy using home-produced organic essential oils. Borana is wonderful, run by the Dyers as a family concern with the preservation of the Laikipia region their uppermost aim. With Mt Kenya as its backdrop you won’t find a more beautiful lodge run by genuine 3rd generation Kenyan’s. DAY 10

DEPART NAIROBI

You will depart Borana and transfer to Lewa Downs’s airstrip for your flight to Wilson Airport. Transfer to JKIA, Nairobi for your return flight home or onward travel arrangements which we can help you with.

Further Information Dates are flexible as there are no set departures. This ride requires a minimum of 4 riders. INCLUDED  Full board accommodation at Lewa Wilderness, Il Ngwesi, Tassia & Borana.  All rides including riding guides.  Normal lodge activities and house drinks.  1 night accommodation at Karen Blixen Coffee Garden, Nairobi.  Scheduled flights Wilson/Lewa return.  Return road transfer from JKIA to Wilson Airport.  Meet & assist at JKIA International on arrival.  Transfers to and from Lewa airstrip on first and last day.  Conservation fees.  AMREF Flying Doctors.  Bank transfer fees.  Agency fees and VAT. EXCLUDED

travelafrica.outposts.co.uk | [email protected] | +44 (0)1823 451959

       

International flights. Visa fees. Additional meals and activities not specified. Single supplement US$310 per person per day. Travel insurance – Cancellation, medical and repatriation. Staff gratuities. Any items of a personal nature. Any new Government Taxes, levies, fuel or industry increases which are beyond our control.

How to Book Please contact DD Kingscote [email protected] or call +44 (0)1823 451959 to find out more information or to book your place. Please remember, this is an example itinerary, one choice of many. If you are interested in this programme but want to make a few changes, Outposts Travel Africa can tailor-make any itinerary to suit you. Please contact us for our latest offers or call to discuss alternative options.

Return to Kenya Riding Safaris on our website >

travelafrica.outposts.co.uk | [email protected] | +44 (0)1823 451959