Kenya safaris – probably the finest safari for a first time traveller to Africa!

Dream of travelling to Africa and you probably think of infinite savannah plains, with cheetah and lion crossing paths, and Meryl Streep and Robert Redford in Out of Africa. And you wouldn’t be far wrong. Except of course, that this is your holiday that we are talking about! Kenya still does deliver the most awe inspiring safaris that are hard to beat. No other country in Africa can offer the diversity of wildlife, culture and general interest – from horse riding amongst the wildebeest migration, to walking with the Samburu tribe with camels, learning about their culture and reading the signs of the wild left by creatures before you, to fly fishing on a lake, to walking around Mount Kenya, with the mountain covered in heather. This country is simply staggering and still offers the very best safaris imaginable – all away from the crowds!  The beaches are heavenly too – explore them on foot, staying at beautiful boutique hotels or chic Robinson Crusoesque retreats, or even by Arab Dhow, the traditional boats which ply their trade on the Indian Ocean. And, we have not even spoken about Lake Turkana, where three day visits can be arranged by light aircraft, discovering the Turkana tribe who visit the Jade sea with their camels – one of the most amazing sights to witness! Spend time amongst the wildlife with researchers, learning all about these species in depth, how to identify them, the troubles facing them on a daily basis, and conservation as a whole. Become enriched with greater knowledge and fascination of the world we live in!

The wildlife is second to none, whether one is there at the time of the wildebeest migration in the masai mara or not. The people are wonderful and friendly, the places to stay are sublime, whether in a design inspired lodge with endless views over the plains or a tented camp erected just for you – whatever your desire, this country can certainly offer it!

The Saturday Telegraph – 17 July 2010 – Travel Section

Wildebeest migration: where to watch it

Serengeti Soroi Lodge

Tanzania

Newly opened on June 1, Serengeti Soroi Lodge sits on a remote hill overlooking the plains of Musabi and the western corridor of the famed Serengeti plains, and offers front-row seats for the migration in May and June, and again in November and December. Owned and operated by the family-run Mbali Mbali Camps and Lodges, which has an excellent reputation, the lodge has been designed to maximise the glorious ‘stretching for ever’ 360-degree views. It has 25 strategically positioned stilted thatched chalets boasting hardwood floors, Turkish baths and outdoor showers tucked away among the thorn and acacia trees and linked to each other by timber walkways to minimise impact on the landscape. There is a communal living area and dining-room with an open-plan kitchen, an infinity rock pool, Nomadic African Spa and multiple viewing decks for watching the action.

• A six-night Soroi Migration Package with five nights’ full board (excluding alcohol) at Serengeti Soroi and one night at RiverTrees Lodge in Arusha, flights, transfers and Flying Doctor’s membership, costs from £3,850 pp with African Explorations (0844-504 1907; africanexplorations.com).

Wildebeest Migration – Where to Watch it?

The wildebeest migration actually occurs right throughout the year and is all related to water – whether the rains come early or not, governs the movement of the wildebeest and zebra in their quest for water.

As a very general rule, the ungulates move south from the Masai Mara in Kenya to the Grumeti region which is the western corridor of the Serengeti in Tanzania and south to the Ndutu region in southern Serengeti and then back up to the Masai Mara in Kenya.  July is always a great month to see the migration, whether one is either in Kenya or in northern  Serengeti. August and September are fabulous months for seeing the wildebeest in the Masai Mara, right through to mid October, whilst June is an excellent month to see them in the western Serengeti and January through to the beginning of March is a wonderful time to watch them calving in the short grass plains region of the southern Serengeti.

Both Tanzania and Kenya offer equally good viewings, but they are different experiences. Is one after the much publicised crossings over the Mara River in Kenya, where the crocodiles lie in wait, or does one want to wake up and look out over the Serengeti plains and see two million wildebeest and zebra, for as far as the eye can see?

Mozambique Luxury – a very real possibility when visiting the islands!

Mozambique has some of the most beautiful islands, with amazing lodges, such as Vamizi, which is one of our first choices every time, for those wanting Robinson Crusoe chic. It also has some of the most unspoiled coral in the world. The diving and snorkelling is sensational! The villas are simply enormous and it enjoys the very best beach in the country. Londo Lodge is another of our favourites and one of the few with a swimming pool. It is known for the finest cuisine on the islands! Ibo Island and its lodge is most well known for the historical angle and the magnificent colonial architecture which is evident in abundance on this island where boats still stop on the original spice trading route.

In the south, we have the Bazaruto archipelago, with the finest accommodation being on Benguerra island, and the top lodges being Benguerra Lodge, with its large, Moroccan style open plan villas, Azura and Marlin Lodges.

The standard is high amongst all of these lodges, the question just being, does one want one’s own private island, or not?

Kenya safaris – for those seeking more than just a wildlife safari!

This country offers a wealth of experiences – from a traditional African safari, to a week’s walking around Mount Kenya when the heather is all in flower, to a walking safari with a top guide through the Kakamega forest, to a cultural safari, staying at community managed lodges where the funds go directly to the community and one learns all about the Samburu or Masai tribes.  Then you can stay at a farmhouse with a Kenyan family, stay in a tented camp with views across the savannah plains in the Masai Mara, or visit an elephant research centre in Samburu. Marvel at the snow capped peaks of Kilimanjaro from the Chuylu Hills or take a riding safari there or alongside the wildebeest migration in the Mara, which occurs from July through to October.

Have a privact camp set up for you or stay at a gorgeous, Bohemian tented camp or lodge with Aran daybeds and hammocks scattered outside. Take over a private house or villa. Fly up to Lake Turkana for a few days and see the great Jade Sea as it is also referred to. Take  a helicopter and go fishing around Mount Kenya, staying in a log cabin. Then fly to the coast and hire an Arab Dhow and sail between the islands or take a villa in Lamu or stay at a Robinson Crusoe lodge, where you never wear shoes, but just your kikoy and  a bikini and let your hair down!

Whatever is right for you, we have the knowledge and expertise to tailor your safari perfectly – expertly – by Kenyans!

Kenyan safaris are renowned throughout the world and certainly throughout Africa, to offer some of the finest safaris imaginable!

The country offers such great diversity and history. Alongside Tanzania, it offers the wildebeest migration, when  1.5 million wildebeest and 500 000 zebra all migrate in search of water and grazing. This is one of Africa’s greatest spectactles and takes place in the Masai Mara. North of the equator, we have Samburu and Meru, which are magnificent parks and offer unique species indigenous to a drier, more desert like landscape. Meru, apart from being very beautiful, was also made famous by Joy Adamson’s  film biography of her and George Adamson’s life in Born Free. Then Samburu is renowned for its elephant population and Dr Iain Douglas-Hamilton has his reasearch station, Save The Elephants where for a donation, one can visit.  Laikipia is another amazing region which used to be a number of farms before they stripped the fences, allowing the wildlife to roam freely.

Here one can track wild dog and lion, go camping (flycamping as we call it), ride horses and camels and stay in wonderful farmhouses and homesteads, spending time with Kenyans and learning about their day to day life.

Wildlife is only part of one’s experience. The culture most definitely is the other half and Kenya offers so many wonderful tribes, from the Samburu, to the Maasai, the Pokot, the Turkana amongst its most colourful. Learn about their ways, how they become warriors and live alongside wildlife. Lake Turkana is a must for those who have been on safari so many times before. Known as the Jade Sea, different tribes and their way of life can be observed in this stark and uniquely beautiful region.Then you can also climb Mount Kenya which is gorgeous and can be done slowly over a week.  The coast is fabulous too and offers so many varieties from beautiful lodges, to sumptuous villas, to cutting edge spas and Robinson Crusoe retreats.

Stay in a tented camp, a lodge, a tree house, a private villa, a mobile camp erected just for you and your party with your own private guide or just a bedroll with mosquito netting covering you.  The choices are endless and with our team of experts we can certainly guide you to making the right ones!

Sosian is one of my favourite places in Kenya!  Rarely does one come across a place which is so incredibly special, so very different – and ticks all the boxes right across the board!

It is the most perfect family place – simply because it exudes informality and relaxation, the moment one steps into the farmhouse or on the ranch. For a fun filled and adventurous family, there is more than one can possibly shake a stick at!

Firstly, it is managed by a truly charming couple, and he just happens to be one of the top guides in the country, so that’s quite a bonus!  Secondly, the house is simply lovely – large, uncluttered, informal, friendly, down to earth. Nobody would guess that in fact, that it has been designed by an Argentinian interior decorator!

What can one do on the property? See excellent wildlife, such as wild dog, leopard, lion, elephant, a multitude of antelope and excellent birdlife. One can take nature walks, there is absolutely superb horse riding, all with thoroughbreds that have been magnificently schooled!

There also happen to be camels and one can do fly camping, spending the night beneath the stars, and one can either do this by camel back, on foot, on horseback or vehicle. It is lovely sitting around a camp fire, the stars and planets twinkling brightly above you, the soporific effect induced by the embers of the fire!

Did I mention the rock pools? Fantastic rock pools to sit in and have a bloody Mary, or to jump off several feet below, then there is clay pigeon shooting and archery too.  The walking is fantastic, as one learns so much more on foot as one’s senses are heightened. There is also a swimming pool and a tennis court.

The food is delicious and this is one of those  few places that one comes to and never wants to leave! It is equally perfect for a family or an active  couple alike!

Luxury Holidays to South Africa are the easiest ones to arrange, simply because the standard of accommodation really lends itself to a certain quality which is incredibly high!

South Africa is described as a ‘world in one country’ and it truly is! It is so diverse and offers so many different experiences! From a myriad of gorgeous hotels and villas in the Cape (catering for both couples and famillies alike), to exquisite lodges situated in game reserves, with amazing quality of guiding, wildlife and scenery to country farmhouses and homesteads dotted around the Cape and Kwa Zulu Natal, where one can get closer to a family, depart as friends, and perhaps learn something about the history and wars of this extraordinary country.

South Africa caters equally for the action motivated traveller to those seeking repose! Whether its fly fishing, parasailing, flying, cooking, wine tasting, game viewing or simply wanting to take tuition in any of these disciplines, all of this can be arranged! Alternately, walking on isolated beaches, dining on lobster at gorgeous al fresco restaurants and reading a book around a swimming pool may be what you prefer!

Wonderful spring flowers, rock art, fantastic inspirational or traditional art, music, architecture, nature – this country offers it all in abundance, together coupled with a  magnificent climate! There is also a choice of exhilarating horse riding, either in the form of a safari or access to first class horses, either to ride for a few hours amongst wildlife, on a beach (my favourite!), or playing polo.

Stay in Relais et Chateaux’s   or bijoux hotels where personal service is assured,   stay in tree houses, either in a forest or on an isolated beach, where they track turtles with scientists at certain times of year,   or luxury safari lodges,  or stay at a gorgeous farmhouse  – either in the battlefields of Natal, or in the game rich region of the Kruger National Park, or in the Cape winelands such as scenically beautiful Franschhoek, where the French Huguenots first settled in South Africa in the 1600’s.  Private villas abound and we have a large selection of the very finest villas in the country.

A walking safari is the most exhilarating way of experiencing a safari in Africa as one gets so much closer to wildlife without the noise of an engine. Of course there is a degree of vulnerability which heightens the senses but this is a good thing! How often is one called upon to use those senses today? Everything is so much more immediate – from analysing the urgent bark of a baboon, to the strong scent left by a predator or an elephant or simply enjoying the early morning smells of the sage plant, fresh from the  first dew.

Walking safaris come in a variety of shapes and sizes, but broadly speaking, one country lends itself to the most amazing walking safaris, and that country is Zambia. It is an incredibly game rich country with the most amazing standard of guiding!

In the south Luangwa national park, there is only one outfit which operates a true mobile safari – that is, over a five night period, walking from to three different camps with one to two nights spent in each.  Here one walks with nothing more than a pair of binoculars and this is no route march! About 7-10 kms is covered each day at an incredibly leisurely pace whilst learning about the homeopathic properties of plants and trees.  There are also static bushcamps in both north and south luangwa. The Kafue region also offers exceptional walking safaris with fewer tourists.

The Selous in southern Tanzania offers superb walking and flycamping on an individual basis and whilst not as game rich as northern Tanzania where there are walking safaris in the Serengeti and Ngorongoro highlands, it is more beautiful and pristine. The Mana Pools region in Zimbabwe offers sensational walking and the wild dog population is excellent. As does Gonarezhou.

In Kenya, in the Kakamega Forest and the Rift valley in general, there is some of the best guiding and birding with one of Kenya’s top guides. However you decide to undergo your walking safari in Africa, if you choose one of these places, you will never be disappointed!

Lake Malawi Holidays are some of the most relaxing and fun filled holidays that one can hope to have!

Lake Malawi has  its sandy beaches, clean and clear fresh water and multitude of watersports “on tap”. Malawi is landlocked but its enormous lake runs from the north of the country to the south. Lake Malawi is often referred to as “the calendar lake” as it is approximately 365 miles long and 52 miles wide…approximately!! The lake offers fantastic opportunities for both experienced and novice sailors (one can learn whilst you are there). Kayaking is also popular as is water skiing and wake boarding. If you are
after peaceful water activities combined with tranquillity and nature then Mumbo Island is perfect. It is located on its own private island off Cape Maclear and is a sanctuary for bird and water life but, crucially, no motorised
watersports and just one motorised boat so no noisy waterskiing! The tented accommodation is rustic, simple, romantic, charming and peaceful.
Further north from Cape Maclear and situated on the island of Likoma you will find Kaya Mawa. I didn’t want to leave! It offers the perfect mix of stunning natural beauty, as little or as much water activity as you want and
a beautiful island location that can be explored by foot or bicycle. I would happily recommend Kaya Mawa to couples, friends travelling together, or families. There is a dive school (PADI and Bubble Maker courses are
available), water skis, wakeboards, knee boards and parked next to it are the two sailing boats and an assortment of kayaks.

Once I had exhausted every water activity available (well, slight exaggeration!) I took one of the bikes and rode around the island, through the villages, to Likoma Cathedral and experienced a part of the 4 hour Sunday church service. The singing and music was sublimely uplifting and there were people wandering in and out all the time so I never felt as if I was intruding. I said Malawi was varied…… For those who want to travel on the lake there is a Catamaran based at Cape Maclear  with four lovely rooms. This is a 38 foot yacht in pristine condition that is available for hire, fully crewed. She has four double berths and two single crew berths as well as a saloon, galley, cockpit under a shade bimini and a dive platform. Mufasa is the only oceangoing, live aboard, yacht on Lake Malawi and can be chartered for a minimum of three days.