Kilima Camp - Kenya - Maasai Mara

Latest News about Wildebeests in Maasai Mara and Serengeti National Parks

The herds of wildebeests and zebras have been spotted on the southern part of Maasai Mara National Park and they were still crossing the river. These herds were very courageous as they were moving fast and escaping the jaws of the crocodiles.

The Great Migration has also reached the Northern part of Serengeti near Kleins camp and on the way to the Lobo airstrip guests have witnessed a lot of game like lions, elephants, giraffes, buffalos, impalas, elands, warthogs, zebras. Serengeti under canvas is the place to be at this moment to see those wildebeests migrating.

Tawi Lodge | Amboseli National Park | Kenya - Leading Lodges of Africa

Bush Report

Here are some of the photos that were captured while on safari in Tanzania visiting the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater. The weather in these regions has been good and the animals seem to enjoy themselves and have plenty of food. The temperatures are not so hot unlike last month.

There is plenty of wildlife to see and areas such as the Mara triangle where animals like lions, wildebeests, zebras, giraffes, cheetah, warthog, jackal, hippos, elephants, rhino, vultures, buffalos, gazelle have been spotted. The migration of the wildebeest is still on the Kenya side at the Masai Mara.

Serengeti National Park is the destination for all safari lovers and most of the animal activity takes place when the sun its not at its peak, hence the beauty of doing the night game drive assures you to see the predators hunting. The nocturnal animals are very active during the night and we spotted a bush baby jumping from tree to tree, hedgehog, honey badger, bat eared fox, owl, white tail mongoose and a lion kill. There was a pride of lions that attacked a buffalo in the Northern part of Serengeti near Kleins camp.

At the Ngorongoro Crater there were great sightings and all the big 5 animals ( lion, leopard, rhino, elephant, buffalo ) were spotted. This year the sightings have been great and we will continue to see alot of animal activity in both Kenya and Tanzania.

Tracking the Nkoringo Gorillas

Wild dogs rare appearance in Lake Nakuru National Park

The wild dogs are very rare animals to spot and recently guests were able to spot the wild dogs in Lake Nakuru National Park in Kenya. This park which is famously known for its flamingos, was invaded by the wild dogs and guests were surprised to see them. Lake Nakuru National park is a place were by its very rare to see Wild dogs.

These wild dogs yellow, black and white in colour have reduced in numbers in recent years and their population is believed to be around 5000. Most of the wild dogs are found in the eastern and southern part of Africa. The African wild dogs are very good hunters and they normally work in groups whereby they hunt together. They normally attack animals which are not so big, like gazelles and impalas. Surely many guests should consider to visit lake Nakuru National Park, not only for its flamingos but for the rare Wild dogs.

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is located in southwestern Uganda in East Africa. The park is part of the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, it comprises 331 square kilometers of jungle forests and contains both montane and lowland forest and is accessible only on foot. The Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is a UNESCO – designated world heritage site.

The forest is one of the richest ecosystems in Africa and the diversity of species is a feature of the park. The park provides habitat for some 120 species of mammals, 348 species of birds, 220 species of butterflies, 27 species of frogs, chameleons, geckos and many endangered species. Floristically Bwindi is amongst the most diverse forests in East Africa, with more than 1000 flowering plant species including 163 species of trees and 104 species of ferns.

The park is a sanctuary for colobus monkeys, chimpanzees and many birds such as hornbills and turacos. It is perhaps most notable for the Bwindi gorillas, half the world’s population of the critically endangered Mountain Gorillas. There are four habituated Mountain Gorilla groups open to tourism: Mubane, Habinyanja, Rushegura near Buhoma and Nkuringo group at Nkuringo.

The park is inhabited by a population of about 340 individual mountain gorillas, known as the Bwindi population, which makes up almost half of all the mountain gorillas in the world. The rest of the worldwide mountain gorilla population is in the nearby Virunga National Park.

Tourists can visit the park any time throughout the year, Gorilla tracking is the park’s main tourist attraction.

Accommodation

Buhoma Lodge, Bwindi Lodge, Gorilla Safari Lodge, Gorilla Forest Camp

Activities

Gorilla Tracking,Walking Safari, Birding Safari

Wildebeest in Masai Mara, Kenya

The herds in thousands continue to pour into Masai Mara Game Reserve and there is plenty of game and spectacular sightings. Guests who were at Kichwa Tembo Camp were able to witness some of the amazing river crossing at the rocky crossing point. Wildebeests, zebras and thomson gazelles have moved from the Greater Mara into the Mara Triangle. Other herds can easily be seen at the base of the Oloololo Escarpment.

Even though the migration is on the Kenya side, the Great Serengeti received some rain last week, which has enticed some of the smaller herds back into Tanzania. The rain has removed some of the dust and new grass has started growing. These herds normally like the new grass and if these showers continue then a large number of Wildebeest will move back into the Serengeti before their normal time.

The Big 5 Animals

Mombasa City

Mombasa is a place where many tourists visit and its because of the warm climate, warm beaches, food and nice people. It is the second-largest city in Kenya and an important regional tourism center. Mombasa borders the Indian ocean, many people from different countries come to Mombasa on a holiday and when they get here they don’t want to leave because of the beauty of this place. A safari to Kenya is not complete without visiting Mombasa and doing a city tour. The famous places that one can visit are namely: Fort Jesus, Haller Park ( Nature Trail ), Mapembeni  ( Tusk monument ), Mwembe tayari open market, Akamba Handicraft, Mamba Village ( Crocodile farm ).

There are a lot of nice and beautiful hotels situated along the beach front and one can relax after coming from a Safari from Tsavo, Masai Mara, Amboseli. There are a number of activities that one can do when in Mombasa like scuba diving, snorkeling, deep sea fishing, cultural village tour, playing golf. In the city centre there are a number of restaurant that serve delicious Swahili and Arabic food. Guests normally relax at the beach and enjoy spice iced tea.

Maasai People

The Maasai are a Nilotic ethnic group of semi-nomadic people located in Kenya and Tanzania. They are among the best known of African ethnic groups, due to their distinctive customs and dress. They reside near the game parks of East Africa. They speak Maa which is a member of the Nilo-Saharan language family. Some of the Maasai are also able to speak Swahili and English which are the official languages of Kenya and Tanzania. Many Maasai tribes throughout Tanzania and Kenya welcome visits to their village to experience their culture, traditions and lifestyle.

Culture

Maasai society is strongly patriarchal in nature, with elder men, sometimes joined by retired elders, deciding most major matters for each Maasai group, and normally payment in cattle will settle matters. Traditional Maasai lifestyle centres around their cattle which constitute their primary source of food. The measure of a man’s wealth is in terms of cattle and children. A herd of 50 cattle is respectable, and the more children the better. A man who has plenty of one but not the other is considered to be poor.

Shelter

As a historically nomadic and then semi-nomadic people, the Maasai have traditionally relied on local, readily available materials and indigenous technology to construct their housing. The traditional Maasai house was in the first instance designed for people on the move and was thus very impermanent in nature. The enkaj ( houses ) are either star-shaped or circular, and are constructed by able-bodied women. The structural framework is formed of timber poles fixed directly into the ground and interwoven with a lattice of smaller branches, which is then plastered with a mix of mud, sticks, grass, cow dung, human urine and ash. The cow dung ensures that the roof is water-proof. The enkaj is small, measuring about 3x5m and standing only 1.5m high. Within this space, the family cooks, eats, sleeps, socializes and store food, fuel and other household possessions. Small livestock are also often accommodated within the enkaj. Villages are enclosed in a circular fence( an enkang ) built by the men, usually of thorned acacia, a native tree. At night all cows, goats and sheep are placed in an enclosure in the centre, safe from wild animals.

Body Modification

The removal of tooth, piercing and stretching of earlobes is common among the Maasai. Various materials have been used to both pierce and stretch the lobes, including thorns for piercing, twigs, bundles of twigs, stones, the cross section of elephant tusks and empty film canisters. Fewer and fewer Maasai, particularly boys follow this custom. Women wear various forms of beaded ornaments in both the ear lobe, and smaller piercings at the top of the ear.

Music and Dance

Maasai music traditionally consists of rhythms provided by a chorus of vocalists singing harmonies while a song leader, or olaranyani, sings the melody. The olaranyani is usually the singer who can best sing that song, although several individuals may lead a song. The olaranyani begins by singing a line or title ( namba ) of a song. The group will respond with one unanimous call in acknowledgement, and the olaranyani will sing a verse over the group’s rhythmic throat singing. Each song has its specific namba structure based on call-and-response. Neck movements accompany singing. When breathing out the head is leaned forward. The head is tilted back for an inward breath. One exception to the vocal nature of Maasai music is the use of the horn of the Greater Kudu to summon morans for the Eunoto ceremony.

Trekking Mount Kilimanjaro

Kilimanjaro. The name itself is a mystery wreathed in clouds. It might mean Mountain of Light, Mountain of Greatness or Mountain of Caravans. Or it might not. The local people, the Wachagga, don’t even have a name for the whole massif, only Kipoo ( now known as Kibo ) for the familiar snowy peak that stands imperious, overseer of the continent, the Summit of Africa.

Kilimanjaro, by any name, is a metaphor for the compelling beauty of East Africa. When you see it, you understand why. Not only is this the highest peak on the African continent; it is also the tallest free-standing mountain in the world, rising in breathtaking isolation from the surrounding coastal scrubland-elevation around 900 metres – to an imperious 5,895 metres ( 19,336 feet ).

The are six official trekking routes by which to climb Mt Kilimanjaro, namely: Marangu, Rongai, Lemosho, Shira, Umbwe and Machame. Of all the routes, Machame is by far the most scenic albeit steeper route up the mountain, which can be done in six or seven days. The Rongai is the easiest and least scenic of all camping routes with the most difficult summit night and the Marangu is also relatively easy, but accommodation is in shared huts with all other climbers. As a result, this route tends to be very busy, and ascent and descent routes are the same.

People who wish to trek to the summit of Kilimanjaro are advised to undertake appropriate research and ensure that they are both properly equipped and physically capable. Though the climb is technically not as challenging as when climbing the high peaks of the Himalayas or Andes, the high elevation, low temperature, and occasional high winds make this a difficult and dangerous trek. Acclimatisation is essential, and even most experienced trekkers suffer some degree of altitude sickness. Kilimanjaro summit is well above the altitude at which high altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE ), or high altitude cerebral edema ( HACE ) can occur. All trekkers will suffer considerable discomfort, typically shortage of breath, hypothermia and headaches.

The Uhuru peak point is the famous point on top of Mt. Kilimanjaro.