Tag: travel

Uhuru in June

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Published: Saturday Nation newspaper magazine 28 June 2018

It was the coldest of days in Nairobi. A June Sunday with a sky pasted in white cloud dropping a fine drizzle on the earthlings. But being the third Sunday of the month it could not be wasted because that’s the day when we, the Nature Kenya members, set out to discover all the intrigues of nature in and around Nairobi. For me personally, it’s also a work-out in the wild, fresh air.

Uhuru Gardens monument copyright rupi mangat (800x450)
Uhuru Monument at Uhuru Gardens – Copyright Rupi Mangat

So in the drizzle we stood brainstorming where to go, donned in layers of sweaters and jackets.

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Rain in the Maasai Mara

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Above: One of the five famous cheetah band at rest in Masai Mara. Copyright Rupi Mangat

Published: Saturday, Nation newspaper – Saturday 23 June 2018

Rain clouds hurtle down the escarpment to fill the deep valley of the Great Rift. Copyright Rupi Mangat
Rain clouds hurtle down the escarpment to fill the deep valley of the Great Rift. Copyright Rupi Mangat

Rain clouds hurtle down the escarpment to fill the deep valley. Everything gets shrouded in white. We are looking over the famous Great Rift Valley that can be seen from outer space. Filled with volcanic mountains like Longonot that for now is invisible, we have to drive across it to reach our destination – the famously famous Masai Mara – the land of the Big 5, lion country, an eighth wonder of the modern world and more. Continue reading “Rain in the Maasai Mara” →

Elephant feeding in the lush swamp in Siana Springs Conservancy CopyrightRupi Mangat

Nightlife at Siana Springs, Maasai Mara

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Above: Elephant feeding in the lush swamp in Siana Springs Conservancy
Copyright Rupi Mangat

Published: Saturday Magazine 16 June 2018

 

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Spirit of the Masai Mara blending into the hills. Copyright Rupi Mangat

Nestled in the craggy hills of Ngama from where the springs that give the wildlife haven its name, Siana, the sound of water and the wind add to the drama of the day. I scan the copper-coloured bare cliffs of the hills where the leopard hides. The view of the Masai Mara from up the hills is unbelievable. Continue reading “Nightlife at Siana Springs, Maasai Mara” →

Swallowtail at rest wth wings open in Ngong Road Forest. Copyright Rupi Mangat

Forest Fragrances

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In Ngong Road Forest

Above: Swallowtail at rest wth wings open in Ngong Road Forest. Copyright Rupi MangatIt’s a drop-dead scent.

Pale lilac forest flowers, the Pentas whose roots have traditionally been boiled as a tea. Copyright Rupi Mangat
Ngong Road Forest is a dry upland forest typical of Nairobi.. Copyright Rupi Mangat

Stopping in my tracks, I sniff the air and look around, all the time inhaling the fragrance deeper. It’s from the tiny white flowers in bloom on the gorgeous tree in front of me, the Schrebera alata.

The rains have brought a burst of scents, colours and flowers in the forest that is the first time for most of us to enter, a part of the Ngong Road Forest. It’s a chilly Sunday morning. The track ahead is laden with local trees including another show stealer with lilac-pinkish flowers, the Cape chestnut. “The tree has flowered earlier than usual,” comments Fleur Ng’weno the eminent naturalist. Continue reading “Forest Fragrances” →

Camille Wekesa at her art exhibition Jade & Silver with the Jade Sea (Lake Turkana) and the shades of the petrified forest by the lake.

Jade & Silver

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A walk with Kenyan artist Camille Wekesa on her current exhibition titled Jade & Silver

Above: Camille Wekesa at her art exhibition Jade & Silver with the Jade Sea (Lake Turkana) and the shades of the petrified forest by the lake.

Published in The East African Nation media 2 June-8 June 2018

Camille is sophistication personified and a walk with her around her current exhibition which was exhibited at Muthaiga Country Club this month (May), showcases two diverse Kenyan landscapes she’s painted using different media. Having studied art in Italy, she’s held several exhibitions around the world.

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