Monday, August 31, 2009

Kakamega Forest


I have been to Kakamega Forest. Probably one of the most unique places I have visited in recent years. No kidding. You might be wondering,"um forest,trees?". Well Kakamega Forest has more to offer than just "um trees". It is under strict management and conservation by the Kenya National Forest Reserve as the only mid altitude tropical rainforest in Kenya. Being a walk through park,we went on self guided nature trail with my father who raked his brain as hard as possible to wow us with made up names for each and every single tree and beautiful vegetation that surrounded us. I have to hand to him,he did a pretty good job. The names were too hard to commit to memory though. At least I remember river Isiukhu,one of the two rivers that flows through the forest.
Did I mention there is a campsite and cottages just in case you decide to spend sometime in a forest.:) If you ever get the urge to get in touch with nature, well, Kakamega Forest is your ideal place to visit.

Friday, August 28, 2009

Famous tree house


Treetops is tree house lodge in Aberdare National Park in Kenya where you can watch wild animals in their natural surroundings without going for a game drive. The lodge overlooks two waterholes which attract a great variety of animals. There are viewing decks on ground level and on the rooftop where one can observe animals in safety and take close up pictures of the animals as they come to the watering hole. This tree house is best known for its connection to Queen Elizabeth II who ascended to the crown after her father died while she was on vacation at the lodge.
I remember my visit to the lodge a few years back. The rooms were nice and cozy, the food great and the animals so close I felt I could reach out and touch them. They do not allow loud noises as this can frighten the animals and this paused a challenge to my friends and I as we were having so much fun watching the animals and would scream every time we heard a lion growl in the distance. The lodge has 50 rooms designed like cabins in a ship and at the lounge there are trees growing through the building.
One can only stay at the lodge a night so only overnight baggage is allowed. The lodge is part of the outspan hotel in Nyeri where you have to book before gaining admittance into the treetop lodge. I loved my stay at treetops, the view is amazing and on clear days you can even see the snowy peaks of Mount Kenya.

Sunday, August 16, 2009

Adventure safaris


Our friend has a visitor who’s on some exchange program from China staying at her house and she asked me for fun activities to do before she goes back. She’s done the usual wildlife safari, weekend at the beach and now she’s looking for some adventure. I had the perfect place in mind. Bungewalla.
Bungewalla is a site on the banks of Tana River which is near Nyeri town about 95kms from Nairobi that offers camping, white water rafting and last but definitely not least bungee jumping. Now what can be more adventurous than jumping off a tall structure while connected to an elastic cord? It is the only bungee jumping site in Kenya and I recommend it every time to all adventure seekers. Adrenaline enthusiasts can get a fix jumping off the 60 meter high steel tower into the river below. As if that’s not quite enough you can go white water rafting afterwards.
I don’t just recommend places I know nothing about. I’ve actually bungee jumped and all I can say is it was an experience to remember. It is totally safe and the guy who runs it is really friendly and helpful – he’ll push you off if you chicken out :) no really he is nice. Bungewalla rigorously conforms to standards and guidelines governing jumps therefore it is totally safe. There are ankle attachments and body harnesses as backup so there’s nothing to worry about.
I hope she does take my advice and go bungee jumping. There is something for everyone in Kenya from relaxing seaside holidays to adrenaline pumping safaris.

Saturday, August 8, 2009

Kenya's wildlife in steep decline

A recent study has shown a decline in the wildlife population in Kenya due to the issues of co-existence with humans and climate change. I'm sure this problem is not unique to Kenya especially with the growing population sizes as a result of an increase in life expectancy, whereas the land mass remains static with some uninhabitable areas due to the effects of global warming. This is a serious matter that needs to be looked into, as the Maasai mara is central to the tourism industry. What is the Kenyan government and the Kenyans doing to protect their wildlife? For one, I don't understand the statement ""One of the problems is that the pastoralists own the land but the government owns the wildlife," - I thought the land is protected and so where does ownership come in?

You can read the whole article at: http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2009/04/22/kenya-wildlife.html