Kenya walking safaris
Nov 24th, 2009 Posted in Articles | No Comments »
Are you searching for a safari away from vehicles and their window views? Experience the subtle sounds of the African bush on foot where you smell the fresh aroma of the morning grass on the plains or wander through a mountain valley and beautiful sceneries. Our local tribal guides with intimate knowledge of their surrounding accompany us to ensure we miss nothing. We visit colourful areas of the Maasai villages and get a chance to observe their traditional ways of life. Walking is in a comfortable pace with binoculars and camera close to hand. Our vehicle or pack animals (Donkeys) forge ahead to set up camp and arrange meal stops. Here we pitch tents or fly camp! After a few days walking we proceed for game drives at Maasai Mara national park for gamedrives since walking is not allowed here. Your comfort and security are basic concerns that are primary to the itinerary. Walking safaris directly benefit local people who provide guides and pack animals as well as having a minimal impact on the natural environment. Please find some of our walking safari itineraries that include walk and drive sectors. We would be happy to tailor make /design your safari to meet your budget /requirements.
6 DAYS KENYA WILD PLAINS WALKING SAFARI Drive westward, crossing the expanses of the Great Rift Valley, heading up into the 8,000-foot-high Loita Hills. Hiking and exploring in the Loita Hills notable for the variety of its sceneries, which ranges from rolling hills and dramatic escarpments to expansive plains of open savanna country.
DAY 1: Nairobi – NdararaDepart Nairobi passing through the Great Rift Valley, After descending 2,000 ft. to the valley floor which is studded with volcanic mountains, you begin to see an animal kingdom unrivalled anywhere else in Africa. Masailand is the home of huge herds of plains game. Our route then takes us up onto the Mau Escarpment and through the small trading town of Narok where you stopover for 30 minutes before heading South and winding up into the forested Loita Hills close to the Tanzanian border. You will be dropped at Maji Moto (Kiswahili means hot waters) where a hot spring bubbles out of the earth at the foot of the hills. A relaxing bath is a must as you visit Ndarara Mayatta for lunch. Late in the evening reach Ndarara Camp for Dinner and overnight.
DAY 2: Ndarara – Letukuyi After breakfast leave Ndarara for Letukunyi, taking you about 5-6 hours walk through the scattered bushes and exploring the beautiful Loita Hills in the Nguruman Escarpment through the forests where you see striking black and white colombus Monkeys. Occasionally we may see leopard or bushbuck as you visit various secret waterholes. There are also a variety of highland birds to view, such as the turaco, parrot, hornbill, starling, sunbird and the birds of prey. Dinner and overnight at Letukunyi Camp.
ay 3: Letukunyi – Morinjo Leave Letukunyi Camp early in the morning for an enjoyable walk before the sun is too hot . Pass through Narosura for lunch or to buy what might be out of stock. After an hour or two in this remote town in Maasai land, proceed to Morijo for dinner and overnight at Morijo Campsite.
DAY 4: Morinjo – Enkutoto After breakfast, leave Morijo and walk through the forest, few of the remaining true-forested wilderness area in East Africa. The walk will take 5-6 hours across the rolling highlands up to OSupuko, the summit of the Loita Hills (8,660 ft.), with incredible views, before descending to the Camp. This is a favourite roost for velvet monkeys. Walk through the forests and glades in search of bohor reedbuck, East African Eland, Warthog, and the striking black and white Colombus Monkeys. Occasionally we may see Bushbuck as we walk to Enkutoto Campsite.
DAY 5: Enkutoto – Njoroi After breakfast, leave Enkutoto, walking leisurely for 4-5 hours to Njoroi Campsite for dinner and overnight. In the camp enjoy an excellent view of the surrounding area such as lake Magadi, Ngong hills, Lake Natron and all the way to Tanzania border on a clear day. Dinner and overnight at the Njoroi Campsite.
DAY 6: Njoroi – Nguruman – NAIROBI
After breakfast, descend the Escarpment through small farms to Nguruman town for transfer back to Nairobi via Lake Magadi. Ololgesalie prehistoric site which is 40 Km from Nairobi where the Leakey Family discovered axes and tools thought to have been
4 DAYS ABERDARE FOOT WALKThis trek through the Aberdare Mountains is a fascinating walk amongst the exotic flora and fauna found above 2500metres.Views of the Rift Valley are breath taking and the experience is made more memorable by camping above the surrounding forests, occasional encounters with big game such as elephant and buffalo, great bush buck and other antelopes.
The Aberdares (Nyandarua) overlooks the Great Rift Valley and lies on its eastern edge. There are two main peaks, Lesatima to the north and Kinangop to the south. Various species of wildlife inhabit these mountain ranges, hiding in the heavily forested slopes and in the upper moorlands. Walking is always cool with plenty of clear mountain streams. Our walk starts below the bamboo forest, climbing up onto the moorlands. There is always danger walking through the African bush but we do not expect many close encounters with large game. However, our trained and armed gameranger knows the area and the habits of the game. Day 1 – Mweiga Departing our office in the morning., we go north to Mweiga to meet our guide and then up into the forested eastern slopes of the Aberdares ranges where we make camp. Day 2 & 3 – Walking We start our walk. Carry only what you need for the day’s walk, the vehicle will meet us in the moorlands where camp will be made. A short gamedrive if weather permits. Day 4 – Nairobi We depart the moorland camp (10,000ft) and descend by vehicle looking for game on the way. We drop off the guide and head back to Nairobi arriving before late afternoon. Note: Clients should arrange to have good weatherproof clothing and a warm sleeping bag, a water bottle and good walking shoes plus a pair of shoes to wear in camp.