Rupi Mangat

Magic in the Mara

Published on December 14, 2018December 13, 2018 by Rupi MangatLeave a comment

Above: Female elephant in Talek River, Maasai Mara – Copyright Rupi Mangat

Published: 15 December 2018

It’s sunrise but there’s still a full moon in the sky. The dawn light is magical while the sprawl of the Mara is enchanting. In the soft light, the gazelles gambol and the warthogs graze on knees bent, their necks too short to reach the ground.

Dawn in Maasai Mara - Copyright Rupi Mangat — Dawn in Maasai Mara – Copyright Rupi Mangat

New-born foals suckle at their mothers’ breast while the tiny warthog babies vanish into the grass nervous of people. It’s the season of plenty for the herbivores with so much grass around. Well-fed and healthy, they give birth soon after the rains turning the vast grasslands into a nursery. Continue reading “Magic in the Mara” →

Cave into Camping Culture for Christmas

Published on December 8, 2018December 6, 2018 by Rupi MangatLeave a comment

Above: Elephants in Amboseli with Mount Kilimanjaro – Copyright Maya Mangat

Published: 8 December 2018

Kenya is the greatest safari destination on the planet and if you’re wondering what to do for Christmas and New Year’s on a budget, camping’s a superb way to venture into stunning destinations around the country. For starters, invest in some good camping gear which nowadays is available from most mega-markets and online. A tent, sleeping bag and a few other camping luxuries go a long way. As a matter of fact, you can set up your own ‘glamping’ with the array of camping accessories available now.

Continue reading “Cave into Camping Culture for Christmas” →

Living it up on Lukenya Hill

Published on November 30, 2018November 29, 2018 by Rupi MangatLeave a comment

Above: Giraffes on top of Lukenya Hill. Copyright Rupi Mangat

Published: 1 December 2018

We’re on the hill lurking in Nairobi’s south-eastern skyline where ancient humans lived. I’ve always been intrigued by Lukenya Hill, the flat-topped rocky outcrop emerging from the Athi-Kapiti plains. In my mind’s eye, l see our ancestor, the Homo erectus scanning the volcanic plains below to make a hunt. It’s simply surreal.

The Era of Stone Age Continue reading “Living it up on Lukenya Hill” →

Mara Fast Five and the Talek Hyena Clan

Published on November 23, 2018November 23, 2018 by Rupi MangatLeave a comment

Above: One of the Fast Five in Maasai Mara. Copyright Rupi Mangat

Published: 24 November 2018

Within minutes of driving past the fenced lands of the Maasai and Sekanani gate, we’re in the great Mara. It’s phenomenal that the difference can be so stark. One side is people, cattle and fences where until a decade ago there were few.

IYoung giraffe in Maasai Mara. Copyright Rupi Mangat — Young giraffe with ox-peckers feeding on the ticks in Maasai Mara. Copyright Rupi Mangat

Continue reading “Mara Fast Five and the Talek Hyena Clan” →

Watamu After the Whales

Published on November 23, 2018 by Rupi MangatLeave a comment

Published: The East African Nation 17 November 2018

With the Humpback whales now on their way back to the Antarctica with their babies in tow, my bucket list still has room for the gentle giants of the ocean because l missed seeing them. For decades nobody saw the whales on our side of the Kenyan coast since they had been hunted close to extinction.

Then one fine day in 2011 people out sailing beyond the reef in Watamu thought they were seeing things when they saw gigantic whales leaping out of the water and reported the sightings to Watamu Marine Association. It was the start of whale-watching safaris organized by the Hemingways Hotel, a staunch supporter of the whale conservation. The whales only began to recover after the international ban on whaling in 1979.

hw3 (1280x928) — Humpback whale in Watamu, Kenya coast, Indian Ocean, doing its back flip Copyright Jane Spilsbury/Watamu Marine Association

Continue reading “Watamu After the Whales” →