Category: Safari Stories

Underground River, Coffee and Birding in Juja

Published on by Rupi MangatLeave a comment

Above: Osprey in Juja. Copyright James Kashangaki 

Published: 5 January2019

When Elspeth Huxley penned the Flame Trees of Thika, the road out of Nairobi in 1913 was very different from the Thika super-highway we are driving on to reach Juja, 40 kilometres away. Her description from the novel is of her as a six-year old with her mother on an ox wagon travelling out of Nairobi to meet her father who has just acquired virgin land that’s deemed to be great for coffee farming.

Pygmy Kingfisher. Copyright James Kashangaki (800x601)
Pygmy Kingfisher. Copyright James Kashangaki

Continue reading “Underground River, Coffee and Birding in Juja” →

Terrific Time in the Mist-Clad Taita Hills

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Part 1 of 2

Above: Ngangao Cliff face that is part of the Taita Hills. Copyright Rupi Mangat

Published: 22 December 2018

Nestled in Ngangao on the ancient hills of the Easter Arc Mountains

I love the forests of the Taita Hills because they are one of the most amazing places on earth. Rising from the plains, the massifs of the magical mist mountains straddle the skyline near Voi and are the northern extreme of the Eastern Arc Mountains. Like beads on a string the first to show by the side of the road is the single massif of Mbololo, followed by the Dabida cache of hills and then the Sagalla Hill that frames the town of Voi surrounded by sisal plantations on red soils.

Continue reading “Terrific Time in the Mist-Clad Taita Hills” →

Female elephant in Talek River, Maasai Mara - Copyright Rupi Mangat

Magic in the Mara

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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

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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

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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.

Lukenya Hill. Copyright Rupi Mangat
Lukenya Hill. Copyright Rupi Mangat

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