Read all about Eve D’Souza’s visit to Joy’s Camp as well as details at the end on how you can win a brand new Galaxy Trend plus every week!
Who didn’t love watching “Born Free”?! No seriously…who? Stand up so I can pinch your nose! I vividly remember the first time I watched it as a young girl, sitting on the cool sitting room floor in our family home in Mombasa. Wide eyed in wonder. I was convinced that the actors Virginia McKenna and Bill Travers were actually Joy and George Adamson, I mean no one else in the world was crazy enough to play with lions right?
In case you’ve been asleep for over 30 years and have never heard of ‘Born Free” it was Joy Adamson’s sentimental and moving account of how she raised to maturity a wild club, Elsa and returned it to live freely in the wild. Since moving to Nairobi, I’ve watched “Born Free” six times over and each time, I’m still enthralled and caught up in the Adamsons’ story that casts an irresistible enchantment. This film makes you fall in love over and over again with not only Lions but the vast wilderness of Kenya.
Born free land – Shaba pic via acebourke.wordpress.com
Virginia McKenna and Bill Travers who played Joy and George Adamson in the movie Born Free
Joy Adamson
Joy Adamson and Elsa
So you can only imagine my excitement when ‘Travel diaries’ set off to film in Shaba and more specifically, Joy’s Camp, built on the site of Joy Adamson’s tented home in Shaba National Reserve.
Joys camp, built where Joy Admson lived in Shaba. via chelipeacock.com
The spirit of Joy Adamson still lives strong in the area, rich with her history, a favourite with film crews and provides for a very special holiday in the wild. The camp overlooks a large natural spring where wildlife frequent as a source of water in this otherwise dry and hot area.
via chelipeacock.com
There are pictures of Joy’s old camp at the lodge, and a small gallery of Joy Adamson memorabilia, which includes her original driving license amongst other very interesting personal possessions
I was eager to explore and immediately set out on a drive to learn more about the area she had called home. A few minutes from the camp we stopped at the spot where Joy Adamson had been stabbed and murdered by one of her workers who confessed he killed her because she refused to pay him for two weeks of work. She died on the 3rd of January 1980
Joy and Elsa via classicsafaricamps.com
Bird watchers will also love this spot as its the only place you can find the Williams lark bird, very rare to see and difficult to film. This park was made famous by the “Born Free” film but Karen Blixen based movie “Out of Africa” was also partly shot in the Shaba reserve.
Meryl Streep in Out of Africa
Robert Redford and Meryl Streep in a scene from Out of Africa
Joy Adamson with Penny the leopard
We also visited Penny’s rock, where a female leopard named Penny whom Joy raised at her home at Lake Naivasha, was eventually released to the wild. Further up was an abandoned film base where we were told the 1999 movie based on George Adamson, ‘To walk with lions’ was filmed and you can still see the high directors tower from which scenes with the lions were filmed as well as abandoned cages where the lions for the movie were kept
Abandoned Directors tower – To Walk with Lions
Cages the Lions for the movie were kept in
Father of Lions – George Adamson
A lion rests after taking his fill of Zebra, whilst George Adamson keeps him company
The Shaba gorge was the stunning backdrop for the popular TV series survivor Africa and I huffed and puffed my way through the stunning and impressive trek for two hours and was treated to a champagne breakfast for my efforts!
Shaba gorge via davidandersonsafaris.com
Shaba gorge via furstenberg-safaris.com
Champagne breakfast via cheliandpeacock.com
Shaba is a picturesque and secluded location; rocky hills and landscape, with lush springs and river gorges… and Joy’s Camp is the perfect choice for discerning guests interested in a glimpse of Kenya’s history, as well as those looking for an authentic wildlife experience
Elsa relaxed on camp bed via geocaching.com
George and Joy Adamson
George Adamson via oldlinesafari.com
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To watch our Travel Diaries video segment on Joys camp, download the Safaricom ‘MY TUNES’ app for android off Play Store today and visit the Travel section. You will find the link to download ‘Joys Camp’ via Android only bit.ly/1BYgNEK
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On what date did Joy Adamson die? (Full date)
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