PrintJuly 20, 2008 :: Karen Blixen Coffee Garden overnight
The Karen Blixen Coffee Garden is in a lovely setting just outside Nairobi in the Karen neighborhood. With a great honeymoon suite and swimming pool, it’s perfect for couples or familes. It also has a very lively bar and restaurant, where many local expats hang out at night, making for a fun atmosphere for fun families and small groups. The beds are comfortable and the rooms are nice. Having said this, it seems as if the overall quality of the property has declined since I was last here two years ago. The tablecloths were dirty and the dinner I had was pretty awful. The cheese and bacon appetizer was very nice, but the chicken dish I had was served with Ramen noodles was hardly edible.
Much has been done to the property, and it almost seems as if they are catering to a local, small conferencing market with vastly expended outdoor seating areas, etc., though the gardens are very well kept and remains a comfortable place to relax mid-safari in Nairobi.
There is a wireless connection but none of the staff knew the WPA Key so I was not able to connect.
Overall, the Karen Blixen Coffee Garden was comfortable and a much welcome shower, bed and meal after being in the Tanzanian bush for a week, but I was disappointed overall.
July 21, 2008 :: Mara Explorer
After breakfast, I hopped on a 10am scheduled flight to Mara Explorer Camp. The nice thing about staying out in Karen is you’re quite close to the domestic airport, Wilson, and don’t have to deal with “the jam” as the locals call it (morning traffic jam) which is quite bad in Nairobi. (Same goes for Friday afternoons if you’re heading to JKIA…)
The airstrips in Nairobi were busy, which is a good sign that people are traveling as always to see the migration! I noticed many American travelers as well.
After joining up with my group, we drive about 1.5 hours through the park to Mara Porini camp. This camp, one of the Porini camps, is a eco-friendly semi-permanent-style safari camp. There is no running water, showers are “bucket” showers. The lunch we were served was fantastic! Their other, more “rustic” properties combine well on safari itineraries for more adventurous travelers with Heritage Hotels’ Samburu and Mara properties.
After a few hours we found ourselves at the lovely Mara Explorer camp. Set on the Talek river, the main areas have stunning views of the river and the wildlife there. Marianna, the long-time manager of the camp, gave us a warm welcome.
The game drive that evening was wonderful, and I was reminded how spectacular the game in the Mara really is. The Maasai Mara is truly something special and one of (if not the number one) most impressive game area in all of Africa. The rolling hills were full of lion, leopard and of course wildebeest, zebra, Topi, giraffe and much more. We had a fantastic sunset en route back to camp.
Before dinner we had the pleasure of speaking at length with Paul Kiruri, the head guide for Heritage Hotels. He also writes the popular weekly “migration updates” and was an absolute wealth of knowledge about safaris in Kenya. Specific to the Maasai Mara ecosystem, he went through month-by-month what is the best about being in the Mara during that time (from Wildebeest in the summer months, to migratory birds during the rainy season, etc). He is a true asset to the company and was very interesting to speak with.
We had a lovely 4 course dinner and off to bed. Lions roared in the distance.
July 22, 2008 :: Mara Explorer and Kipungani Explorer at Lamu Island
This morning we had a wonderful game drive, full of lion and a huge Cape Buffalo herd, with the red sun rising in the background and hot air balloons floating in the distance. We searched for a Wildebeest crossing, but they were not massed in numbers as yet. Alas, it would be a few weeks before more crossings will be happening.
As with all Heritage guides, our guide Dixon was fantastic. Not only did he effectively identify and spot game, he talked about the habitat and habits of the wildlife. He was also fantastic with his birds. He’s been with Heritage Hotels for an impressive 16 years!
Back to camp we seemed to be taking the “scenic route” and instead camp upon a bush breakfast surprise! Tables, cooks and all were ready for us in the middle of the bush, next to a river full of hippos. In addition to fruit and cereal, and chef was preparing eggs, potatoes, and meat. Yummy.
We left the Mara via plane and connected at Wilson airport in Nairobi. The flight from Wilson to Lamu is about 1 hour and 45 minutes.
Arrival into Lamu via plane is on a separate island, and transfer to the hotel is by boat. The small boat is driven by Kipungani’s capable staff and the ride is about 30 minutes past Lamu town and around the island to the creek that Kipugani is on. We arrived in the afternoon so the tide was high. We took off our shoes and rolled up our pants and jumped into a few inches of water off the boat, as we made our way up to the reception area of Kipungni Explorer.
The Lamu area can be difficult for elderly people and those who are not completely steady on their feet. Immediately upon arrival you climb down stairs and into a boat that is, well, a small boat in the ocean and a bit wobbly. Then, upon arriving at camp you hop out of the boat into about 4 inches of water and walk up the beach, which is sandy. Then, there is some walking at Kipungani between the bandas (ensuring privacy, bandas close to the common area can be requested), and any excursions are by boat which may involve switching from the motor boat to the dhow, etc. It’s not at all physically difficult but could be uncomfortable for someone with bad knees or the elderly. I personally thought it added to the fun and adventure of Lamu!
Wanjiru, with Heritage Hotels, was a perfect host and spent much time explaining about the property and showing us around. While there is a lose schedule that is kept, she stressed how flexible the staff are (and because there are only 13 bandas, can be) and that things here are quite simply, laid back.
Travel agents wanting to request special activities or elements for guests should contact Wanjiru, who is in charge of Kipungani as well as Heritage’s other coastal property, Voyager. Stella is the permanent manager at Kipungani.
July 23, 2008: Kipungani Explorer at Lamu Island
Waking up at Kipungani Island has been a highlight of my trip. With the ocean literally feet away from the foot of my bed, I could feel every muscle in my body relax as I dozed on and off while the sun came up. Enjoying coffee on my front banda, I don’t feel rushed and am completely relaxed. I’m watching a traditional swahili dhow bob in the distance. I can’t think of a more prefect, classically African, way to end a safari in Kenya or Tanzania.
Today after breakfast we took the motor boat into Lamu town. This is about a 30 minute trip, mostly past mangrove forests and a few small villages here and there. Lamu town is busy, and we could see a few new structures being built as we approached town on the beach which added to the very old façade of the town. Luckily, in July it was not as hot at it can be other times during the year, and it was not humid at all. We toured the town with Kipungani’s guide based in Lamu town, including the very interesting Lamu Museum, Lamu fort, the vegetable market and a few stores within Lamu town. The Lamu Museum doesn’t take long and is certainly worth the trip, having just been renovated and it serves as a good opportunity to see the inside of a traditional Lamu home structure. The town has very narrow streets, stunning carved Arabic doors and a flavor all its own. We spent about 2 hours in the town, and I could have easily spent one or two more hours just walking around and checking things out. The town “closes” from 12 – 3 daily for “siesta”.
Lunch was again a spectacular affair including a fresh salad and fresh seafood (Kingfish today, Red Snapper for dinner last night). The late afternoon was spent at our leisure, laying on the swinging beds on our bandas, walking on the beach and having spa services (massages are very reasonably priced at about $25 for one hour).
This evening the staff set up a seafood BBQ in the courtyard next to the dining area for us, including lobster, calamari, prawns, fish and many yummy veggies. The food here has been absolutely wonderful.
July 24: Kipungani Village and Return Nairobi
Relaxation has fully set in now, with another relaxing morning spent with my coffee and biscuits on the front porch of my banda, watching the dhows silently drift by.
This morning we visited the local Kipungani Village. This is one of the things that makes Kipungani Explorer truly special. About a 30 minute slow walk from Kipungani Explorer, Kipungani Village is a small Swahili village. The village is clean and guests can go with a guide from Explorer who will take them around, show them the homes, the famed weavers (who provide all the thatch weaving for the ALL natural structures at Explorer) and some of the community projects. The school children were gathered for a special event (one of the big Canadian donors to the Kipungani charity was in town) under the massive baobab tree in the center of town. We also had a tour with “Mama Basket” of the women’s chicken project that was started this year (the women are raising chickens to produce eggs for sale, to Kipungani Explorer and others). And another great project, Nefsa, the teeny tiny nurse/midwife for the entire village and all the staff of Kipungani Explorer, showed us the small clinic that she runs. This is a traditional Swahili Muslim village, so guests must be sure to wear modest clothing when visiting. This was one of the best cultural encounters I’ve had while in Kenya. It’s authentic, the people are totally friendly and you have a chance to learn about their way of life and see how tourism can completely effectively support the local people.
After lunch it was time to pack up and head back onto the motor boat to meet our plane back to Nairobi’s Wilson airport.
