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The information in this section is reproduced from Mark W. Nolting's book, Africa's Top Wildlife Countries, Revised 6th Edition. This content cannot be reproduced without authorization of the author. To purchase Mark's book, please visit: www.africa-adventure.com/dsp_products.html. KENYA
KENYA The word “safari” is Swahili for “a journey,” and Kenya is where it all began. Hemingway immortalized the safari experience, although he was a sport and trophy hunter rather than a naturalist or photographer. Joy Adamson was among the group of expatriates, in the 1960s and 1970s, whose
endeavors to conserve African wildlife captured the world’s attention.
The writings of Karen Blixen, and the adaptation of her classic book Out of
Africa into a motion picture starring Robert Redford and Meryl Streep, helped
establish Kenya as a great safari destination in the modern era. Visitors to Kenya can enjoy game viewing, birdwatching, hot-air ballooning,
mountaineering, scuba diving, freshwater and deep-sea fishing, and numerous
other activities. Kenya is well known for the magnificent Serengeti Migration (shared with Tanzania)
of more than one million wildebeest and zebra in the Masai Mara and for the
colorful Masai, Samburu and other tribes that contribute so much to making this
a top safari destination. Kenya has one of the most diversely majestic landscapes on the continent. The
Great Rift Valley, with the steep-walled valley floor dropping as much as 2,000-3,000
feet (610–915 m) from the surrounding countryside, is more breathtakingly
dramatic here than anywhere else in Africa. The eastern and northern regions of the country are arid. Most of the population
and economic production are in the south, which is characterized by a plateau
that ranges in altitude from 3,000 to 10,000 feet (915 to 3,050 m), sloping
down to Lake Victoria in the west and to a coastal strip to the east. Over half the country is Christian, although many people still retain their
indigenous beliefs. There is a Muslim population concentrated along the coast.
The Masai are found mainly to the south of Nairobi, the Kikuyu in the highlands
around Nairobi, the Samburu in the arid north, and the Luo around Lake Victoria. Bantu and Nilotic peoples moved into the area before Arab traders, who arrived
on the Kenyan coast by the first century A.D. The Swahili language was created
out of a mixture of Bantu and Arabic and became the universal trading language. The Portuguese arrived in 1498 and took command of the coast, followed by the Omani in the 1600s and the British in the late nineteenth century. Kenya gained its independence within the British Commonwealth on December 12, 1963. Key foreign exchange-earners are tourism, coffee, tea and horticulture (flowers and vegetables exported to Europe, especially in the European winter). Kenya is one of the best countries on the continent for seeing large amounts of wildlife. In addition, lodge safaris, where guests are driven from park to park, are generally less expensive here than in Tanzania, Botswana or Zimbabwe. Prices are even more attractive in Kenya’s low season (April, May and November). Game viewing is still quite good in the low season due to the excellent visibility of the open plains of the Masai Mara and other reserves. Kenya’s well-known parks can become crowded in high season. However, it
is possible to get away from the crowds in some of the splendid private reserves
or the less popular national parks. Many private reserves cater to a maximum
of 12-24 guests in luxury accommodations and offer activities not allowed within
the parks, such as night game drives and escorted walks. Ol Donyo Waus and Campi
Ya Kanzi, for instance, each cover 250,000 acres (100,000 hectares) and cater
to no more than 16 guests. You can also visit the major reserves at times other
than during peak seasons. Booking a safari with a private vehicle and guide
is a great way to maximize the quality of your game viewing experience. The Kenya Wildlife Services, formed to monitor the national parks and reserves,
has instituted changes that have reduced poaching and limited the building of
new lodges and camps in parks and reserves. The Masai Mara is the best reserve in Kenya for wildlife viewing and should,
if at all possible, be included in your itinerary, unless you will be touring
the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania at the times of the year when the Serengeti
Migration is more concentrated there. In general, game viewing is best during the dry seasons, mid-December-March
and July-early October. Wildlife is easiest to spot in the Masai Mara, Amboseli
and Nairobi National Parks, which have vast wide-open plains. Samburu/Buffalo
Springs National Reserves and Lewa Downs are the country’s best northern
reserves and are also excellent for game viewing. The country is an ornithologist’s paradise, with over 1,000 species of
birds recorded within its borders. Greater and lesser flamingos migrate along
the Rift Valley and prefer the alkaline lakes of Magadi, Elmenteita, Nakuru,
Bogoria or Turkana. Lakes Naivasha and Baringo are freshwater lakes. Birdwatching
is good year-round, but is perhaps best between September and March when many
species of Eurasian migratory birds are present alongside the breeding residents. Flying safaris are available to many of the parks and reserves.Unique, camel-back safaris are operated in the north, where guests spend time riding these “ships of the desert” and walking down dry riverbeds. Kenya’s highest mountain and the second highest on the continent, Mount Kenya lies just below the equator, yet it has several permanent glaciers. Mt. Kenya’s two highest peaks, Batian (17,058 ft./5,199 m) and
Nelion (17,023 ft./5,188 m), are accessible by about 25 routes and should
be attempted only by experienced rock climbers. Point Lenana (16,355
ft./4,985 m) is a non-technical climb that is accessible to hikers in good condition
and is best climbed in the dry seasons. January-February is the best time to
go, when views are the clearest and temperatures are warmer on top; July-October
is also dry Rock-climbing routes on the south side of the mountain are in bestcondition from late December to mid-March, while routes on the north side are best climbed from late June to mid-October. Ice routes are best attempted during the same periods but on opposite sides of the mountain. Howell Hut (17,023 ft./5,188 m), located on the summit of Nelion, sleeps two. Although rarely seen, climbers should be on the lookout for buffalo and elephant. Other wildlife that may be encountered includes leopard, duiker, bushbuck, giant forest hog, Syke’s monkey and colobus monkey. Because climbers can ascend to high altitudes very quickly, Mt. Kenya claims more than half of the world’s deaths from pulmonary edema. My climbing partner had symptoms of pulmonary edema after reaching Austrian Hut (15,715 ft./4,790 m), and we had to abandon our attempt of Batian Peak and return to lower altitudes. Therefore, a slow, sensible approach is recommended. The world’s highest altitude scuba diving record was shattered at Two
Tarn Lake (14,720 ft./4,488 m), one of more than 30 lakes on the mountain. The
previous record of 12,500 feet (3,811 m) was set at Lake Titicaca in Bolivia.
In addition, climbers are occasionally seen ice skating on the Curling Pond
below the Lewis Glacier. The Naro Moru Route is a steep, quick route up the mountain. The climb to Point Lenana normally takes two or three days up and one or two down. The first night is often spent at Naro Moru Lodge or, better yet, at the Met — Meteorological Station — (10,000 ft./3,050 m) to assist altitude acclimatization. From Nairobi, drive 105 miles (168 km) to Naro Moru, then 10 miles (16 km) on a dirt road to the park gate (7,874 ft./2,400 m). You may be able to drive to the Met Station, unless the rains have washed out the road. From the park gate, it is a three and one-half hours (6 mi./10 km) hike through conifer, hardwood and bamboo forests to the Met Station. Beware of buffalo enroute. The Met Station has self-service bandas with mattresses, cooking facilities, long-drop toilets and water. To help you acclimatize, consider hiking for about an hour up to the tree line (10,500 ft./3,200 m) in the afternoon, returning well before dark. From the Met Station, hike through the Vertical Bog, a series of muddy hills with patches of tussock grass. To keep your boots dry, you may want to wear tennis shoes through the bog. Cross the Naro Moru River and continue to Teleki Valley, where Mt. Kenya’s peaks finally come in clear view (if it is not cloudy). After leaving the tree line, vegetation will change to tussock grass and heather moorlands with everlasting flowers, giant groundsel and giant lobelia that sometimes exceed 30 feet (9 m) in height. From the Met Station, it takes about six hours to reach Mackinder’s Camp (13,778 ft./4,200 m), which has a brick lodge and campsites. American Camp (14,173 ft./4,320 m), a camping spot one hour from Mackinder’s Camp, is used by some campers who bring their own tents. Water is available from a nearby stream. Austrian Hut (15,715 ft./4,790 m) is a three- to four-hour hike from Mackinder’s Camp. Another hour is usually required to gain the additional 640 feet (195 m) in altitude needed to reach Point Lenana, only a half-mile away. Austrian Hut is bitterly cold at night and is most often used by technical rock climbers attempting Nelion or Batian Peaks. Many climbers wishing to conquer Point Lenana begin from their camps in the Teleki Valley (Mackinder’s) long before sunrise, reaching Point Lenana shortly after sunrise and return to Teleki Valley for the night. The view from Point Lenana is the clearest and one of the most magnificent panoramas I’ve seen from any mountain — and well worth the effort! From Mackinder’s Camp, it is a two- to three-hour hike to Two Tarn Hut (14,731 ft./4,490 m). You may stop for the night or continue for another three or four hours over two passes exceeding 15,000 feet to Kami Hut (14,564 ft./4,439 m), located on the north side of the peaks. From Kami Hut, it is a five- to six-hour hike up the north ridge of Point Lenana or directly to Austrian Hut. Return via the Naro Moru Route described above. Due to the path’s continuous gain and loss of altitude, this is a very strenuous hike — the equivalent of climbing to Point Lenana two or three times! This is the most scenic route on the mountain. From the Chogoria Forest Station on the eastern side of Mt. Kenya, hike or drive 10 miles (16 km) to Bairunyi Clearing (8,858 ft./2,700 m) and camp. You may choose to continue for another 4 miles (6 km) (4wd vehicle required) to Meru Mt. Kenya Lodge (9,898 ft./3,017 m) and stay in its self-catering bandas. Hike through hagenia forest to Urumandi Hut (10,050 ft./3,063 m), owned by the Mountain Club of Kenya. Room for camping is available nearby. Minto’s Hut (14,075 ft./4,290 m) is about a six-hour hike from Meru Mt. Kenya Lodge. Space for tents is available nearby. Two Campsites, situated a mile beyond Minto’s Hut, is another good place to camp. Austrian Hut is a four-hour hike from Minto’s Hut. Some climbers descend using the Naro Moru Route. The access road to the Chogoria Forest Station is very bad, so allow plenty of time for the drive. The Sirimon Route is a long, slow route up the mountain. Ten miles (16 km) past Nanyuki on the Nanyuki-Timau Road, turn right on a dirt road and drive 6 miles (10 km) to the park gate. Sirimon is the least used and most strenuous of the three major routes on Mt. Kenya. The northern side of the mountain, much drier than the western side (Naro Moru Route), has no bamboo or hagenia zone. Acacia grasslands cover much of the northern slopes, and zebra and a variety of antelope are likely to be seen. Although the track continues up to the moorlands to about 13,000 feet (3,960
m), it is better to make your first camp around 8,000-9,000 feet (2,440-2,745
m) so you can acclimatize. There is another campsite at 10,990 feet (3,350 m),
5 miles (8 km) from the park gate. About a mile (1.5 km) farther is Judmeier
Camp (operated by the Mountain Rock Hotel). Liki North Hut (13,090 ft./3,990
m) is about a four-hour hike from Judmeier. Another four-hour hike brings you
to Shipton’s Cave Campsite (13,450 ft./4,100 m). Shipton’s Camp (operated
by Bantu Lodge) is a little farther up the mountain. Austrian Hut is a Lone climbers are not usually allowed to enter the park. Little equipment is available in Kenya, so bring whatever you need. For climbing tips and equipment checklist, see “Mt. Kilimanjaro” in the chapter on Tanzania. Accommodation Laikipia, located north of the Aberdares and northwest of Mt. Kenya, is a wild and sparsely populated region considered to be the gateway to Kenya’s Northern frontier. Much of Laikipia is covered by large, privately owned ranches that cover a wide range of landscapes from high plains to low forested valleys. On most ranches, cattle share the land with free-ranging wildlife. Some are sanctuaries were created by local communities, which have combined small farms and grazing land into large group ranches — some of which are active in significant conservation programs. These community ranches are great places to learn about traditional cultures. A visit to one of these private ranches is a highly recommended as a way to get off the beaten path. Borana Ranch, Ol Malo Ranch, Loisaba Ranch, Ol Ari Nyiro Ranch and Mugie Ranch are located in Laikipia. Although Lewa Downs, Il’Ngwesi and Tassia are technically outside Laikipia, we have included them in this section because they offer similar experiences. The Sanctuary at Ol Lentille is a breathtaking lodge situated on a 6,500-acre conservancy, part of the Kijabe Group Ranch. The lodge is co-owned by the Maasai community, so the community benefits from this unique ecotourism venture. Carpeted in grassy hills and deep valleys and shrouded by woodlands, the conservancy hosts a wide array of wildlife, including the endangered African wild dog, greater kudu, leopard, both the spotted and striped hyena, and klipspringer. The landscape is studded with acacia, African olive and fig trees. Accommodation This wilderness area, located in Northern Laikipia, has plains, valleys, acacia forest and wild olive forest. Kudu, zebra, eland, elephant, giraffe, gazelle, and, of course, the predators, leopard, lion and cheetah are found here. Accommodation Loisaba is a 65,000-acre (26,000-hectare) ranch located on the northern edge of the Laikipia Plateau. Day and night game drives, escorted walks, fly-camping, horseback riding and helicopter rides are offered. Accommodation Borana is a 35,000-acre (14,000-hectare) ranch located in the Laikipia area about 6,500 feet (2,000 m) above sea level. Elephant, lion, buffalo, greater kudu and klipspringer and a variety of antelope may be seen. The activities are day and night game drives, escorted walks, horseback riding and camel riding. Accommodation The ranch is a rhino sanctuary, and Mukutan Retreat is owned by Kuki Gallmann, author of I Dreamed of Africa (Penguin Books). The lodge is built on the edge of a gorge on the top of the Rift Valley wall, and it overlooks Lakes Baringo and Bogoria. The bush is quite thick, which makes game viewing a bit difficult. The real attraction is spending time with Kuki herself; however, she does not guarantee that she will be at the lodge. Only one group of guests is accommodated at a time. Accommodation Mugie Ranch is situated on the northern end of the Laikipia Plateau at 6,000 feet (1,830m) above sea level. Accommodation Located between Mt. Kenya and Samburu National Reserve, the privately owned, scenic 45,000-acre (18,000-hectare) Lewa Wildlife Conservancy has a variety of wildlife, adapted to the semi-arid environment, including a large black and white rhino population (Lewa is a rhino sanctuary), elephant, lion, leopard, cheetah, reticulated giraffe, Grevy’s zebra, buffalo, hartebeest, bushbuck, gerenuk, Gunther’s dikdik and Somali ostrich. Lewa is one of the few places in Kenya where the rare, semi-aquatic sitatunga antelope and African wild dog are sometimes seen, and we were fortunate to have seen sitatunga on our last visit! During a previous visit we spotted Beisa oryx, Grant’s gazelle, a large herd of elephant and a few smaller herds, Mt. Kenya hartebeest and Somali ostrich, among other species. Horseback riding, hiking, camel riding, day and night game drives in open 4wd vehicles and a cultural visit to the nearby Il N’gwesi Masai tribal community are offered. The Lewa Wildlife Conservancy is a unique experiment in wildlife conservation and community development and is a not-for-profit organization. Accommodation The Il’ngwesi Conservation Area is adjacent to Lewa Downs. Wildlife includes a variety of species that have adapted to dry conditions, including oryx, reticulated giraffe, Grevy’s zebra, gerenuk and dikdik. Accommodation Tassia is owned and managed by the Lekurruki Community Conservation Group Ranch. Walks, Masai cultural visits and game drives are the main activities. Accommodation This relatively small (64 sq. mi./165 km2) but excellent reserve of scrub desert, thornbush, riverine forest, and swamps along the Ewaso Ngiro River is situated north of Mt. Kenya and the Laikipia region. Elephant and lion are plentiful, as are Beisa oryx, reticulated giraffe, gerenuk, Grevy’s zebra and other species adapted to an arid environment. Leopard are often seen. Birdlife is strikingly colorful and abundant, with golden-breasted starling, white-headed mousebird, sulphur-breasted bushshrike and a variety of weaver birds. Larger birds include the blue-necked Somali ostrich, martial eagle, Egyptian vulture and vulturine guineafowl. Samburu, probably the best-known reserve in northern Kenya, is located about 220 miles (355 km) north of Nairobi. Under special arrangement, walking may be offered just outside the reserve. Accommodation Buffalo Springs is a 50-square-mile (131-km2) reserve located south of the Ewaso Ngiro River, which serves as its northern border with Samburu National Reserve. The unusual doum palm, the only palm tree species whose trunk divides into branches, grows to over 60 feet (19 m) in height in this arid park. Wildlife is similar to what is seen in Samburu National Reserve. On a two-hour game drive, we encountered oryx, gerenuk, Grant’s gazelle, waterbuck, Somali ostrich and two large herds of elephant. Baboon are often found drinking at the springs. Accommodation The turnoff to the entrance to Shaba National Reserve is located east of Samburu National Reserve, 2 miles (3 km) south of Archer’s Post. The Ewaso Ngiro River forms the reserve’s northwestern border and flows through the western part of the reserve. This 92-square-mile (239-km2) reserve is characterized by rocky hills and scattered thornbush. Volcanic rock is present in many areas. Mt. Shaba, a 5,320-foot- (1,622-m) high volcanic cone, which the park was named after, lies to the south of the reserve. Shaba has recently become famous for hosting the 2001 “Survivor” television series. A marsh in the center of the reserve is a good spot to look for wildlife. During a short visit to this rugged, rocky park, we spotted oryx, gerenuk, common waterbuck, Grant’s gazelle, dikdik and ostrich. Wildlife is less abundant and cannot be approached as closely as in the Samburu and Buffalo Springs National Reserves. However, there is much less traffic in this reserve. Accommodation Maralal National Sanctuary, located northwest of Samburu and 95 miles (153 km) north of Nyahururu (205 mi./330 km from Nairobi) near the town of Maralal, has zebra, buffalo, eland, impala and hyena. Leopard are baited and are seen just before sunset from a blind near the Maralal Safari Lodge. We were fortunate to see two of these fascinating creatures during our visit. Accommodation
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