Above: Tree Fern Forest in Vuria. Copyright Rupi Mangat
Published: 29 December 2018
It’s a hide-and-seek game with the mist and the mountains. Standing at the base of Vuria, the rock peaks vanish in the white mist only to reappear and vanish time and again. Vuria is the highest hill of the Taita Hills. The hill tops are draped in ancient forest surrounded by local homesteads and farms of the Taita people.
Continue reading “Wandering in Vuria and Iyale on the Mist Mountains of the Taita Hills”
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”
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.
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”
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.
Moonlion Safaris 