Tag: kenya

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.

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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.

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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” →

Mara Fast Five and the Talek Hyena Clan

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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

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Watamu After the Whales

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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.

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Humpback whale in Watamu, Kenya coast, Indian Ocean, doing its back flip Copyright Jane Spilsbury/Watamu Marine Association

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