Ever thought of a holiday package that is tailor made to suit your passion for active vacation? If your answer is yes, then African adventure holidays would be an ideal solution to your vacation puzzle. While many traditional holiday vacations were associated with rest-lazy concept with minimal activities apart from sunbathing on the white sand sun-baked beaches of tropical coasts, the modern holiday makers have discovered that, innovative tailor-made active vacations feel more relaxing and fruitful as compared to the traditional holidays.
The choices of holiday destinations have also become more profound and informed thanks to the internet inventions that have made communication and sharing of information easy, fast and reliable. As a result of modern technology, the revelation of new destinations that would otherwise stay un-discovered has been made known to the rest of the world. Africa, which for a long time has been considered a black continent with no much to offer, has in the recent past evolved to be one of the world's most adventurous destination. This is with no doubt that most of Africa's holiday destination are less or yet to be discovered and exploited.
The magical uniqueness of Africa and its scenic countryside, its wildlife thrilled savannahs, snow-capped tropical mountains, natural rain forests, the Great Rift Valley features and the unsurpassed beauty of the tropical coast are no doubt the perfect quencher of a hungry adventurer spirit. With a wide range of destinations to choose from coupled with diverse activities, you will be spoilt by choices of what to entail in your adventure Holiday. This diversity ensures that your active vacation in African safari will not just be characterized by long hour game drives confined in safari minibuses. Whether you choose to stay along the coast or do a wildlife tour in various parks and conservatives, or even rough the stunning scenic mountains of East Africa, the sure thing is that you will always find a rewarding active natural activity that will turn your holiday into a life time experience.
You will also have an opportunity to connect with other like-minded travelers in your great African adventure vacation. This is done while ensuring the dignity of your private holiday is maintained and upheld. It also guarantees you are offered your most requested activities, destinations and interests. From active adventures to culture-rich trips, there's a little bit of something for everyone. Activities will include; Trekking and Hiking, Cycling, Walking, or a combination of Multiple activities as per your desired preference, capability and interest. If you are along the coast, you will have a chance to float on the crystalline-blue waters of the Indian Ocean. You can take a boat trip to the magical Islands of Malindi for fish barbeque or enjoy gigantic drama of marine life as you sit on glass bottom boat. If you are fit enough or you are young at heart you can try scuba diving on the warm ocean waters and if it's on a lucky day, enjoy a fantastic snorkel with lovely dolphins in Watamu.
The inland attractions offer what I refer to as the great tropical outdoors. The vast savannahs have incomparable display of wildlife with some such as; the Hells gate, Crescent Island and the Maasai Mara giving you an opportunity to enjoy guided walks amidst wildlife. The scenic beauty and awe-inspiring experience of climbing east African mountains is not only rewarding but also gives the most ideal natural therapy of shrugging-off that excess fat. With time and also depending with your interest and ability, you can hike to the roof top or Africa – The Kilimanjaro or scale through the African most scenic mountain whose rugged peaks gives one of the most picturesque sunrise moments in East Africa. This is Mount Kenya – The name sake of a nation.
Finally, if you enjoy city life, then Nairobi city will be the place for you. With one of the greatest diversity of natural attractions in the region, you will need to alter your perception of modern urbanization as Nairobi is one unique case study of a natural-modern city hosting besides the only wildlife capital, a variety of natural attraction including dense tropical rainforests, rivers and falls within a short driving distance from the city centre.
Showing posts with label masai mara vacations. Show all posts
Showing posts with label masai mara vacations. Show all posts
Friday, July 15, 2011
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Ngerende Island Lodge
Ngerende island Lodge is a must place to visit for everybody. The rooms are exceptionally clean and the decor is out of this world. The service is excellent and the staff are very polite, concerned with their guests and giving guests a very personalized service. The poo overlooks the river full of hippos and one feels like they are swimming with the hippos. The different dinning places are well thought and very well set up.Ngerende Island Lodge is located in the Ol Choro-Oirogua Conservancy, which borders the Maasai Mara National Reserve. The lodge is situated in a bend of the Mara river, the lodge on almost all sides. The Conservancy Olchoro includes more than 5,000 acres and consists mainly of open savanna, except along the banks of the Mara River, which are forested and an ideal habitat for wildlife. There are over 140 species of birds spotted at the lodge. To lodge are three pools, where every day crocodiles,hippos and elephants show.
Being in the Masai Mara, game driving is at the core of the offer. Ngerenede offers morning, afternoon and night drives; guided bush walks; sundowners and bush breakfasts; as well as relaxation from massages and aromatherapy; There's also a gymnasium and swimming pool. The resort is ideally suited for the hosting of weddings. The honeymoon suite makes a perfect getaway retreat.
A feature of the Conservation Ranch is an exclusive project to rear the White Rhino so that they can take their place back in the Mara society to which they belong in greater numbers. Over 180 varieties of birds have been spotted within the lodge itself and there are 3 Hippo Pools strategically located around the lodge.
The lodge boasts of seven luxury en-suite tents complete with traditional fire place, lounge area, bedroom and bathroom with a bath tub with stunning views of the surroundings. Each suite has an individual character with a wide canvas openings onto a large verandah, overlooking the Mara River. All suites have a personal room attendant.
Other facilities include:
Swimming pool
Restaurant
Lounge
Bar
Reception
Craft shop
Spa
Activities:
Game drives using specially designed 4×4 vehicles.
Visit the Rhino Sanctuary
Full day game drives to the park or Trans Mara (on request and additional park fee)
Night Game Drive (optional extra)
Guided bush walks
Bird watching
Planting trees in the conservatory
Visit the local school / pharmacy
Bush Breakfast / lunch / dinner, weather permitting
Sundowners
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Interesting Myths and ways of the Maasai People in Kenya
The Maasai tribe is the most authentic ethnic tribe of Kenya. The Maasai tribe is a unique and popular tribe due to their long preserved culture. The Maasai's distinctive culture, dress and strategic territory along the game parks of Kenya and Tanzania have made them one of East Africa's most internationally famous tourist attractions.
The Amboseli National Park, Nairobi National Park, Masai Mara Game Reserve, Samburu, Lake Nakuru, and Tsavo National Parks in Kenya are some of the major tourist sites where you can see the Maasai people and their culture.
Some of their distinct practices is their way of dressing. Today, typical Maasai dress consists of red sheets, (shuka), wrapped around the body and loads of beaded jewelry placed around the neck and arms. These are worn by both men and women and may vary in color depending on the occasion.
The Maasai believe that if you were travelling in distant lands and you were caught up by nightfall you could sleep at your agemate’s house whether he was there or not, after planting a spear outside to announce your presence.
Another myth is that young Maasai children play a game of placing rocks on a sleeping rhinoceros; the last one to put a rock on it before it wakes up being the winner.
There is a forest near Mau known as Medung’i, which means in Maa ‘Never cut.’ It was believed that if you cut a tree in the area, blood, and not sap, would ooze from it.You would also hear wails of mourning as if in real death. It is this cultural belief which has kept the natural environment largely intact in Maasailand.
There are also practices that are unique to the Maasai. Take house building, for example. Whereas in many other parts of Kenya, it is the man who builds the house for his family, among the Maasai, this is the woman’s responsibility.
Kenya's safari tours enable both visiting tourists and native Kenyans to enjoy the country's wildlife, while also exploring the Maasai's rich cultural heritage by visiting their homes and attending Maasai cultural shows. These tours are held in Kenya's various game reserves, in particular, the Masai Mara National reserve.
Tours also provide an ideal opportunity for participants to take part in the Maasai dance and buy traditional Maasai jewelry, art and crafts to take home as souvenirs.
The Amboseli National Park, Nairobi National Park, Masai Mara Game Reserve, Samburu, Lake Nakuru, and Tsavo National Parks in Kenya are some of the major tourist sites where you can see the Maasai people and their culture.
Some of their distinct practices is their way of dressing. Today, typical Maasai dress consists of red sheets, (shuka), wrapped around the body and loads of beaded jewelry placed around the neck and arms. These are worn by both men and women and may vary in color depending on the occasion.
Ear piercing and the stretching of earlobes are also part of Maasai beauty, and both men and women wear metal hoops on their stretched earlobes.
They eat meat, drink milk and, on occasion, drink blood from their most treasured possession-their cattle. Bulls, oxen and lambs are slaughtered for meat on special occasions and for ceremonies. The by-products of the animals - skin and hides - are used as bedding while cow dung is used for building (it is smeared on the walls). The Maasai's entire way of life truly revolves around their cattle.The Maasai believe that if you were travelling in distant lands and you were caught up by nightfall you could sleep at your agemate’s house whether he was there or not, after planting a spear outside to announce your presence.
Another myth is that young Maasai children play a game of placing rocks on a sleeping rhinoceros; the last one to put a rock on it before it wakes up being the winner.
There is a forest near Mau known as Medung’i, which means in Maa ‘Never cut.’ It was believed that if you cut a tree in the area, blood, and not sap, would ooze from it.You would also hear wails of mourning as if in real death. It is this cultural belief which has kept the natural environment largely intact in Maasailand.
There are also practices that are unique to the Maasai. Take house building, for example. Whereas in many other parts of Kenya, it is the man who builds the house for his family, among the Maasai, this is the woman’s responsibility.
Kenya's safari tours enable both visiting tourists and native Kenyans to enjoy the country's wildlife, while also exploring the Maasai's rich cultural heritage by visiting their homes and attending Maasai cultural shows. These tours are held in Kenya's various game reserves, in particular, the Masai Mara National reserve.
Tours also provide an ideal opportunity for participants to take part in the Maasai dance and buy traditional Maasai jewelry, art and crafts to take home as souvenirs.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Leave your Work in The Office- Enjoy a Holiday
By TANIA NGIMA
Research shows that if you give in to the temptation to work from home, even if it is to check an email, you end up burning out and losing everything.
Imagine a scenario where the minute you get home your boss and co-workers call you incessantly with queries, requests and work. While this may seem like your work-life boundaries are being thwarted, it is exactly the same thing when you decide to do ‘just a bit of work’ from home.
We live in an era where the Blackberry and email-enabled phones and laptops create mobile offices for us while we’re on the go. Unfortunately, research shows that if you give in to the temptation to work from home, even if it is to check email, you end up working longer hours. This leads to lower long-term productivity.
Experiments by Henry Ford, an automobile manufacturer showed that working shorter hours increases the total work output and he popularised the 40-hour work week.
Proper relaxation leads to peak productivity when you get back to work; the hard part is how to ensure that you effectively relax and ‘leave work at work’.
Manage expectations
Avoid the impulse to quickly check your email or respond to a query if it is not urgent. For people who
Use the ‘out of office’ auto reply. There is a reason it was created. Unless yours is a one-man office and you’re the one man, leave instructions for who can be consulted in your absence and give a number to be reached on only in case of emergencies. Or don’t leave a number at all; office emergencies tend to be created, not real.
If you’re away on a holiday in Mombasa, leave as many gadgets as you can back home; the laptops, Blackberry and email devices. The
Create boundaries
Being able to effectively create boundaries means you have capable colleagues who can handle matters arising in your absence or make judgment calls. If you don’t have this support framework then you will need to work hard to create it to prevent every query being something only you can handle.
If you work from home, set aside a defined room or a space to make boundary setting easier. Once you are through working for the day or the morning, physically stepping out of the space or room will help you switch off from work mode. And even though you may feel the need to put in 14-hour days into a business or venture that relies only on you to succeed, the danger is that you may end up burning out and losing everything altogether.
Plan ahead
To prevent the feeling that you have so much that has not been done from following you around, learn to keep a to-do-list.
Spend a few minutes at the beginning of each day looking at it and adding any new items on and a few minutes at the end of each day reviewing your progress and creating one for the next day.
Usually, the constant thoughts running through our heads about one thousand things to be done is just noise, the physical act of putting these tasks down on paper acts as a mental shift and relaxes your subconscious.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Planning a Safari
Millions of people would want to visit Africa at least once in their lifetime but due to the high costs involved majority end up not doing so. But what many of us are not aware of is that with the proper planning, a safari to our dream destination does not need to be expensive and unaffordable. There are several ways one can arrange a safari. One can buy a package available from tour and travel companies or you can have them customize a safari for you. Alternatively you can arrange everything for yourself. Many people prefer the former two alternatives as they are less time consuming and all you have to do is choose a destination and a company to arrange the safari for you.
Those who choose to plan everything for themselves mostly do it as they believe that it is a much cheaper alternative, however this is not necessarily the case as a lot of research is required and can be costly. An idea would be to travel as a group and share out the cost of vehicle rental, and some tourist establishments do offer discounts for group travel.
Whichever method one chooses to plan their Safari there are several things that one needs to consider before embarking on the trip.
Destination
The first thing is to choose where you want to go for your Safari. You may consider factors such as your hobbies, likes and preferences to help you decide where you want to go. Do you want to go on an adventure tour, sightseeing, wildlife safari, mountain climbing or visit the beach? Once you have decided on what you are interested in then search different destinations that offer your type of tour and pick one. Consult with reputable organizations in your chosen destination
Gather information from companies in the tours and travel industry in the destination you have settled on to enable you know more on what to expect. This will make you familiar with where you are going even if it will be your first time. You will also learn more on the activities available at the destination.
Peak and Off Peak Seasons
In some areas especially in Africa there are certain months that the tourist destinations experience high season meaning that tour services will be more expensive as more people will be visiting. It is good to consider whether you want to travel during the high or low seasons.
Transportation
Research on the available modes of transport to and from your chosen destination. Inquire on the legal issues involved while traveling to that destination such as the travel documents that will be required. Compare the cost of the available modes of transportation and pick one that suites you. If you need to book vehicles, do so in good time.
Accommodation
Just like transport, consider what kind of accommodation you want. Will you be staying in a hotel, will you go camping or will you rent a cottage? Again make your bookings early. Online hotel booking save you a lot of inconveniences.
Apart from accommodation and transport you will have to budget for food, buy or rent camping equipment and maybe even have to hire a local guide to show you around.
What to Pack
The following will give you an idea of some of the things you will need to bring. But remember not to carry a lot, consider buying some things at your destination.
1. Essentials
Passport, Air tickets, Vaccination cards, money, credit cards (mastercard/visa) and traveler’s cheques.
2. Clothing
Light clothing (long pants for walking in bush), walking or hiking shoes, hats and sunglasses. Remember you pack a sweater for the nights or for those going to cold areas. You may also need a swim suit.
3. Equipment
Camera, film (if you use it), binoculars, battery chargers and a flashlight.
4. Sundries
Sun block, sunglasses, sun hat, insect repellent, anti-malaria tablets and a day pack (small backpack).
General security issues
Make sure you are aware of any security issues concerning your preferred destination and remember to exercise caution when traveling around.
Languages
Know the native language used by the natives in your preferred destination, if it is different from yours you can possibly learn a few of the common terms that will help you find your way during the Safari. You can also pack a language dictionary for easy translation.
Discount hotels
Sunday, November 7, 2010
The Elephant
It is part of the big five animals in the Kenyan wildlife scene with quite a number of interesting facts to its name.
Elephants are large land mammals the largest living land animals currently. Recent DNA testing has split the African elephant species in two - African Bush (who is much smaller in size after attaining adult age) and the African Forest. African elephant species are generally larger than the Asian elephants, with scientists lacking a good explanation for it. Their gestation period is twenty two months or roughly 670 days (wow!), with new born calves weighing about 120 kilograms. Their society is matriarchal in nature with matriarchs being the bigger of the females in the pack.
Tusks grow for most of an elephant's lifetime and are an indicator of age, with the Asian female elephant lacking tusks. Because they tend to live in hot savanna climate, their bodies have adapted to this environment. One cooling mechanism of their bodies is to the ears on hot days, and in return, the blood circulates in the ear's numerous veins. The blood then returns to the head and body about 9 F cooler.
About 16 hours of an elephant's day is spent eating, drinking, bathing, dusting, wallowing, playing and resting. As an elephant only digests some 40 percent of what it eats, but this does not necessarily mean that its intake of food is little, actually, it needs tremendous amounts of vegetation; approximately 5 percent of its body weight per day and about 30 to 50 gallons of water to survive properly.
They are very alike to man in behavior. For example they recognize death and when one of their own dies the lie silently by the carcass as if giving their last respect to a fallen hero. Also In the same way that humans are left or right-handed, elephants are left or right-tusked. The dominant tusk is known as the major tusk, and is usually shorter than the other tusk due to wear and tear. Interestingly, they begin mating around the age of 20 living to a life expectancy of around 70 years. Comparable to man, the elephant is distinguished by its high level of intelligence, interesting behavior, methods of communication and complex social structure. In the social arena, Elephants are very social, frequently touching and caressing one another and entwining their trunks. Elephants also demonstrate concern for members of their families they take care of weak or injured members by protesting them from predators who may want to attack them. The Young calves are put in the middle of the herd with each member responsible for its general well being.
The sad part is that elephant numbers significantly dwindle each year despite the fact that their only living predator is man. Maybe we should try to protect this amazing creature whom we could be free to call “distant cousin”, “brother” or even “comrade”. Maybe we could take drastic measures by ensuring we are not part of the problem and refuse to buy anything made form ivory.
Visit: Masai Mara Lodges
Elephants are large land mammals the largest living land animals currently. Recent DNA testing has split the African elephant species in two - African Bush (who is much smaller in size after attaining adult age) and the African Forest. African elephant species are generally larger than the Asian elephants, with scientists lacking a good explanation for it. Their gestation period is twenty two months or roughly 670 days (wow!), with new born calves weighing about 120 kilograms. Their society is matriarchal in nature with matriarchs being the bigger of the females in the pack.
Tusks grow for most of an elephant's lifetime and are an indicator of age, with the Asian female elephant lacking tusks. Because they tend to live in hot savanna climate, their bodies have adapted to this environment. One cooling mechanism of their bodies is to the ears on hot days, and in return, the blood circulates in the ear's numerous veins. The blood then returns to the head and body about 9 F cooler.
About 16 hours of an elephant's day is spent eating, drinking, bathing, dusting, wallowing, playing and resting. As an elephant only digests some 40 percent of what it eats, but this does not necessarily mean that its intake of food is little, actually, it needs tremendous amounts of vegetation; approximately 5 percent of its body weight per day and about 30 to 50 gallons of water to survive properly.
They are very alike to man in behavior. For example they recognize death and when one of their own dies the lie silently by the carcass as if giving their last respect to a fallen hero. Also In the same way that humans are left or right-handed, elephants are left or right-tusked. The dominant tusk is known as the major tusk, and is usually shorter than the other tusk due to wear and tear. Interestingly, they begin mating around the age of 20 living to a life expectancy of around 70 years. Comparable to man, the elephant is distinguished by its high level of intelligence, interesting behavior, methods of communication and complex social structure. In the social arena, Elephants are very social, frequently touching and caressing one another and entwining their trunks. Elephants also demonstrate concern for members of their families they take care of weak or injured members by protesting them from predators who may want to attack them. The Young calves are put in the middle of the herd with each member responsible for its general well being.
The sad part is that elephant numbers significantly dwindle each year despite the fact that their only living predator is man. Maybe we should try to protect this amazing creature whom we could be free to call “distant cousin”, “brother” or even “comrade”. Maybe we could take drastic measures by ensuring we are not part of the problem and refuse to buy anything made form ivory.
Visit: Masai Mara Lodges
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