The warm afternoon sun and the shrill chirps of red-chested sunbirds seemed to put a damper on her afternoon siesta…And after a quick bout of yogic stretches, she began to prowl ahead with a calculated gait, her eyes fixed on her prey about 500 metres away – a robust wildebeest – enough to provide a sumptuous lunch for her pride of thirteen lions and lionesses who waited patiently in the distance.
As batches of tourists posted themselves metres away from the pride, in safari vans, their cameras focused on the cat out on a kill, the lioness strode on, trying to keep herself concealed below the short blades of grass. Soon, four more lionesses got up and joined in the hunt, carefully positioning themselves behind her, as if setting up the crucial fielding for the last over of a world cup cricket final. And as they lay in ambush, crouching low with fixed gazes and moving stealthily ahead, one expected to see what happens here almost every day and night. But just then, sensing danger, the topi antelopes in the vicinity released a few snorts of alarm and the wildebeest scampered away leaving the cats, and the cameras, disappointed.
Those were a few anxious moments during one of the game rides around the grassy plains of Masai Mara during a trip to this internationally-popular haven of wildlife in Kenya (Africa), the number one safari destination in the world. Courtesy Kenya Airways and Moyo Luxury Tours, the familiarisation trip was intended to showcase the wonders of the wild to people in Oman who usually settle for holidays in destinations in the Far East and Europe that are laden with malls and shopping avenues, amusement parks and stunning concrete landscapes. The fact is, that just four and a half hours away from Oman and with a time lag of just one hour, Kenya exists abounding with nature’s glory, a destination that provides peace of mind as well as a unique feast for the senses.
Cradle of mankind
Known as the "crade of humankind" wherein the first humans existed as hunter-gatherers from about 50,000 BC, Kenya offers innumerable options for thrilling holidays from 2 to 10 days depending on one’s budget. And with very convenient flight timings, Kenya Airways takes one right into the heart of the action wherein different destinations are connected by road (three to five hours drive) or by air as Safarilink operates mini Cessna aircraft (30-40 minute flights) between key destinations for those who would like to avoid the drive.
Kenya, located in Africa, shares its borders with the Indian Ocean, Somalia, Tanzania, Uganda, and Sudan. It has over 400 historical sites ranging from prehistoric fossils and petrified forests to 14th century slave trading settlements, settlements, Islamic ruins and 16th century Portuguese forts. These include the Gedi ruins, Fort Jesus, Mount Kenya, Hell’s Gate National Park and the Maasai Mara National Reserve.
Heart of Africa
According to Pankaj Shah (owner of Moyo luxury holidays, one of the most popular tour operators in Nairobi), a businessman of Indian origin who was born and brought up in Kenya, “Kenya is the most peaceful, most beautiful and most prosperous country in the whole of Africa with a democratic government and a multicultural society, just like Oman, with people from all over the world residing and working in close proximity with the Kenyan nationals. Also, geographically, it is centrally located in Africa with Kenya Airways connecting Kenya to all destinations in Africa.”
About its natural beauty, he said “Kenya is a land of magnificent beauty with everything contained in one small area of Africa, making it the heart of Africa. We have beaches, we have wildlife, mountains, rivers, the great rift valley with seven rivers, each of which is a paradise for ambhibious reptiles, animals and bird life. There are 400 different species of mammals and reptiles and about 600 different species of birds, the most popular being the flamingos which are found in millions at Lake Boringo and Lake Naivasha. These lakes also have hot springs in the vicinity wherein the temperature of the water is as high as 400 degrees C.”
Tribes and tributes
Giving a historic perspective of Kenya, he disclosed that Kenya started evolving as a destination when the British took it over in the 1890s and built the Ugandian Railways and provided jobs to Indians (from Goa, Gujarat, Punjab) and the Chinese. “Kenyans, as such, belong to three races, the Nubians who come from Sudan, the Nilotics, those who lived along the river Nile and the Bantus, people from Southern Africa. There are about 28 different tribes, including eight main tribes,” he said adding “after the First World War, Kenya started becoming rich as a lot of Europeans who were asked to go to War by their governments, chose to come to Kenya with all their wealth to start their own businesses in tea, coffee, etc.”
Currently, there are about 450 hotel establishments in the wild, some big, some small, the best of which is the Governor’s Camp at Maasai Mara, which was named so since it was the favourite camp of the British governors during their rule. Stay at this camp is in the form of luxurious tents with all amenities right in the midst of the bush. The most popular destinations are, Mount Kenya, the Amboseli National Park (the greatest home of elephants in the world), Lake Naivasha (popular for bird like), Lake Nakuru (popular for bird life – flamingos – as well as wildlife), the Great Rift Valley, Maasai Mara, Tsavo National Park, Mombasa beach and Marsabit National Reserve.
The great migration
Seasonwise, in Kenya, the most expensive time to visit is from July to September when the popular wildebeest migration takes place between Maasai Mara in Kenya and Serengeti in Tanzania. This is considered the most spectacular sight as no such migration of animals in huge numbers, as huge as 6-8 million, takes place annually. The wildebeest go across the Mara river causing a great stampede, getting grabbed and eaten up by hundreds of waiting crocodiles and providing thrilling sights for tourists from all over the world who flock to Maasai Mara to behold the migration.
Opinion
Here’s what some key players in the Kenyan tourism industry say:
Philip Mclellan: Manager, The Governor’s Camp, Maasai Mara, says: “My ancestors came in from Ireland and England in the 1920s after the First World War and never went back. I was born in Nakuru and lived all my life here. This is a great country and the Kenyans are a very friendly race. It’s a society that recognises people of smaller communities and tribes and they are used to dealing with and treating people from all over the world for generations. The Governor’s Camp is the first tented camp in Mara and east Africa and it was named so since the erstwhile British governor used to reside here whenever he came to Mara. We are also the home of the BBC wildlife documentaries of which the Big Cat Diaries is very popular.”
Patrick Reynolds, Manager, Little Governor’s Camp, Maasai Mara, says: “I’d like to tell tourists from Arabia to do come to Kenya for a safari, especially to Maasai Mara which is the greatest wildlife reserve in Kenya and probably has the best wildlife available within east Africa. In Kenya, you’ll always get halal food because this country is strongly Islamic, as well. A mosque may not exist at all the reserves but we do provide prayer rooms, prayer mats and Islamic people to assist Muslim tourists with their needs. The Little Governor’s Camp is smaller than the main camp but more intimate and most tourists prefer to stay here.”
Omar Ikram, General Manager, Lake Naivasha Country Club, says: “Our hotel is know for its greenery and its natural set up. You can hear and see the birds and animals and enjoy a lot of peace here. Since we are very close to Nairobi, we have Arab tourists coming here all through the year, not just in the peak season. For Arab tourists, we offer all facilities including prayer rooms. We also have mosque close by and you can hear the Azaan clearly at our resort. The food is all halal and we have an Indian chef who takes care of the Asian and middle eastern tastes.”
Hubert Vaz - Hubert Vaz is a journalist with 22 years of varied writing expereince behind him. Hailing from Mumbai (India) where he worked for 16 years ...
