SARUNI SAMBURU – TOP KENYAN DESTINATION

Posted on June 4, 2015 by traveldiarieskenya

Samburu land stretches from the foothills of Mt Kenya into the North, which makes up the wild beauty of Kenya’s outback. Here you will find open spaces, serenity and some of the best opportunities for game safaris as well as other outdoor activities.

Apart from the new tarmac road leading from Isiolo towards Marsabit, there is no other stretch of Kenya’s wild North so easily accessible.

Encounter the fascinating pastoralist culture of the Samburu people who lent the land their name and are also cousins of the famous Masai.

24 Jun 2012, Samburu National Reserve, Kenya — Samburu warrior on top of Ololokwe mountain, Kenya — Image by © Frederic Courbet/Corbis

The Ololokwe mountain, the scared mountain where prayers are said and blessings are given, signifies you’re in Samburu land.

Saruni Samburu is surrounded by a private wildlife conservancy, and perched on a spectacular view point on top of the Kalama mountains, with an unbelievable view of Kenya’s wild north, right from your room.

The vastness and purity of the Samburu landscape will make every visit a unique experience. So quiet, so serene, its beauty is jaw dropping!

The Ewaso Nyiro River which means ‘brown water’ in Maa, the joint language of Masai and Samburu, flows from the misty Aberdare Range and Mt. Kenya through Samburu land before merging with the huge Lorian Swamp further to the East. This river’s water is the ultimate lifeline for man and his cattle as well as for the huge herds of game.

Surrounded by doum palms and the sound of nature, once again, your body just relaxes. The scenery is picture perfect, you can truly feel the spirit of Samburu.

Back at Saruni, a massage session like no other was waiting for me. It’d bet a good amount of money there isn’t one in the world that could compare! I think the picture says it all #MassageWithaView

Perfect sundowners, remarkable vantage points, an extraordinary way to deepen your connection with Kenya’s northern frontier – Samburu.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

http://www.sarunisamburu.com

Saruni Reservations Office Contacts 

Office mobile: +254 (0) 735 950 903 Office landline: +254 (0) 202 180 497

Reservations – reservations@saruni.com

SAGANA WHITE WHITE RAFTING & BUNGEE JUMPING

Posted on June 4, 2015 by traveldiarieskenya

*Thumps chest Tarzan style* “Bring on the adventure!!!!!” ….but wait, what are the chances of me dying here? Adventure sports is not for the faint hearted, which makes me probably the least suitable candidate for it! But hey, we had a Travel show to film, so i figured why not step out of my comfort zone?!

Luckily we live in a country that provides both unique and thrilling experiences when it comes to adventure sports. And we found a few great options that exist within the most beautiful natural settings, at the Savage Wilderness Camp.

Sagana is a small town 100 kilometres north of Nairobi, the capital city of Kenya. It’s name comes from Kenya’s longest river, Tana River. Pass the Embu/Nyeri junction towards Nyeri, and then branch off onto a dirt road to the camp

Now imagine how pleased i was (NOT!!!) when i found out i had to tackle 2 activities in one day! Besides white water rafting, i was also going to experience my first ever bungee jump! (I threw up a little in my mouth) Sagana also offers outdoor activities, team building and zip lining across the river all under the close supervision of very professional staff.

White water rafting is a challenging activity using an inflatable raft to navigate a river. This is usually done in white water and different degrees of rough water, in order to thrill and excite (though that’s debatable) the raft passengers. Rafting in Kenya has been popular for over 20 years and has some of the best rafting on the continent.

You don’t have to be in perfect shape nor do you need swimming skills for this. Just be mentally prepared for the various rapids and differing strengths and please pay attention when the instructor gives you tips on how to handle them.

I have to admit, i ABSOLUTELY LOVED white water rafting! It was such a rush!

We fell out a few times, were bounced around a lot and i must have swallowed 2 gallons of water when i took on the ‘Devils Toilet’. I think i must have i banged my head against a rock, as i was the first to volunteer to hurtle down into the dreaded Devils toilet bowl. You get swallowed and swished around in the water…kinda like being flushed around in a toilet bowl “Gulp gulp gulp”

If you want to go totally nuts, (and i seemed to be surrounded by a lot of that) how about jumping off the waterfall along the route into the cool waters of the Tana River below

Available too is Kayaking a challenging recreational activity using a plastic boat to navigate a river or other bodies of water. A physically challenging but thrilling experience!!!

Bungee jumping is for the daring and has become more popular in Kenya too. The weight limit is between 40kg to 110 kgs, and you will be jumping off a custom built steel tower 200 meters above. With the view of the Tana river below.

Feeling a sense of euphoria and confidence after surviving the rafting, i exclaimed in glee “Next we bungee jump!!!” And then i looked around and everyone else had taken off! Buggers!!!!

At the same venue, Bungeewalla Limited run a great bungee jump experience, off the tower right above the Tana River. First of all you’ll be weighed in to make sure you’re within the approved weight limit. And if you think a couple of tequilas will help take the edge off, forget it! You’re not allowed to attempt this whilst tipsy or otherwise (DARN IT)

To be quite honest, the hardest part of the bungee jump for me was climbing up the 178 steps to the top of the tower. By the time i huffed and puffed my way up, i probably fell out the steel cage due to exhaustion more than anything 🙂

I can’t really put into words what that fall felt like. There’s just nothing to quite describe it! Though if you were there to witness it, the words that I used the most were “Holy sh*t! aaarghhh!! Bleep Bleep AAAAAAArghhhhhhh BLEEPING BLEEP”

All in all, a once in a lifetime experience and i would highly recommend both activities to anyway thrill-seeking, fun-loving or mad as a hatter human being!

FOR MORE INFORMATION

WHITE WATER RAFTING http://www.savagewilderness.org

BUNGEE JUMPING Email : reblin@mitsuminet.com
Telephone : +254 712 3094 / +254 733 613 132 / +254 734 819 361

BORANA CONSERVANCY

Posted on June 4, 2015 by traveldiarieskenya

With beautiful landscape and incredible views, the Borana conservancy is a shining example of how important conservation is for the Kenyan economy and community at large

Overlooking the Samangua valley, the Lewa plains, including the Ngare Ndare Forest and Mount Kenya, this location provides the ultimate off road adventure.

Attractions are in plenty with amazing sights on your game drive.

Nature and sports lovers will enjoy a ride on mountain bikes through the conservancy with frequent sightings of Giraffe, Gazelles and Zebra. However my camera man was laughing hysterically at how bad i am at riding a bicycle and I’m pretty sure i heard a Zebra ‘hee haw’ at me as I wobbled past! Hmph…i still had to worry about being cool despite being in the bush 😦

Or experience the ultimate safari on horse back ,where you can get pretty close to the wildlife around. I never got to ask if it’d work with a Pride of Lions though! Erm…probably NOT!

From fly fishing, to buggies and quad bike safaris as well as paragliding for the more daring, a stay at Borana Lodge is never dull!

A visit to the Ngare Ndare forest will be memorable though i admit i was grumbling and sweating all the way up and down the trek. But I quickly changed my tune once i got to the main attractions *insert gasp here* It started off with a trek to the natural rock pool, a serene safe haven, where you can actually jump off the rock into the deep waters below very safely and enjoy a forest pool swim. Another steep trek down will get you to the stunning waterfall, which the British army use as part of their training .

Ngare ndare forest promises a very unique forest canopy walk, unlike most bush or forest walks, this takes place on a 400 meter long stretch whilst your route is suspended above the ground. There have been many times nature enthusiasts have been walking above with elephants roaming around below. Erm…just hope the Elephant don’t stay put for hours below you, otherwise that would be awkward!