UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE LAKE ELEMENTAITA AND THE SOYSAMBU CONSERVANCY – HIDDEN GEMS IN KENYA’S TOURISM ARSENAL
(Posted 22nd November 2015)
(Impressions at dawn at UNESCO World Heritage Site Lake Elementaita)
There is no sign of breaking dawn as I stand on the porch of the Flamingo Suite of the Elementaita Serena Luxury Camp and yet was I drawn out into the cool morning by the bird song, first by just one, then joined by a few more. Minutes later did the light on the horizon begin to change, a pale morning light creeping across the hills on the other side of the lake and the orchestra of nature is now in full swing. Flocks of Ibis storks, taking off from their night stops, are vocal above, the calls of several fish eagle pairs echo across the secluded bay of the lake where the camp is nestled under trees and the chatter of the flamingos is getting louder too.
Eventually does the darkness of the night give way to the light spiel of dawn and the sunrise spot is brightening up fast before the first rays paint the hill tops golden. Then, the sun makes an appearance, first just peeping and then rising fast, as is the case in equatorial regions, like drawn up on a string.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XtlxEV_PhWU
It was only my second visit to what used to be called the Delamare Estates in Kenya’s Great Rift Valley. The first one was decades ago, by accident sort of as I got lost driving out of the back roads of Lake Nakuru National Park and following a dirt track in my Landrover, which found me at the main estate buildings, asking for directions. That of course was long before the Soysambu Conservancy was established and before UNESCO granted World Heritage Status to Kenya’s Rift Valley lakes.
Located between lakes Naivasha and Nakuru is Elementaita, one of the smaller soda lakes in the Rift Valley and as such home to often tens of thousands of flamingos, which make the shores from the distant highway seem lined with pink.
In my early days in Kenya was the escape into the Rift Valley during the cold winter months in Nairobi often the only option to see the sun when for weeks at end the capital was under a grey cloud cover, while a hundred kilometres away the weather was friendlier and certainly much warmer. In those days I would venture on weekends to the Lake Hotel or to the Lake Nakuru Lodge but today have a range of additional lodges and resorts sprung up along the route from Naivasha to Nakuru, offering plenty of choices where to stay, catering for all budgets. Most visitors to the Rift Valley lakes miss out when they are passing Elementaita lake for its better known neighbours, Naivasha and Nakuru, or even venture on to the more distant Bogoria and Baringo, but little do they know what they miss, in particular when it comes to staying in what must be one of Serena’s least known gems.
While on a private fact finding mission ahead of the recently concluded Africa Travel Association Congress in Nairobi did the opportunity arise to visit this hidden gem, known as the Lake Elementaita Serena Safari Camp. I had read up on my destination and yet was surprised by what I found. Set at the wooded end of a secluded bay of the lake is the Lake Elementaita Serena Camp nestled under the thorn trees which line the shores.
Not seen until literally driving into the camp and shielded from the rest of the lake by the surrounding hills is it a true hideaway for anyone who wants to get out of the city for a long weekend or taking some off days midweek when occupancies are lighter, anyone looking for class and style that is and not minding an extra bob or two for the hospitality excellence they are assured of getting here.
Guests on check in are treated to a glass of bubbly, or two though tea addicts like myself – coffee addicts too I was told – only have to ask and a cup of steaming freshly brewed Kenya tea – of course of the Kericho Gold brand, Kenya’s finest – appears while the camp reception staff provides a comprehensive briefing for new arrivals.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCyemFs7dyo
The narrative I heard, captured on video and uploaded to my YouTube account, gives readers a full overview of what this luxurious camp has on offer. While not featuring a fully fledged Maisha Spa as yet – Maisha is the Serena Spa brand found in the city hotels, beach resorts and some select lodges – is a massage tent ready to receive guests after a guided bird walk along the shores or in fact any time of the day. Those who seek peace of mind can partake in Yoga Classes while others, more inclined to culinary arts, have the option of cooking classes taught by the chefs in the kitchen. Jogging along well prepared paths takes guests around the property which is secured against animal intrusions by an electric fence.
Horse riding anyone? Archery perhaps or for those inclined towards arts maybe an introduction to water colour paintings? Trained guides are available to take riders on the trails while shooting arrows tends to grow on those who have completed their first lesson. There seems no shortage of things to do, while there is always the option of just lazing around the pool, sitting on the tent’s porch to watch the birds or else go on game drives with the camp’s own 4×4’s, driven by guides who know the conservancy like the back of their hand. Plenty of game can be seen including predators like lions, leopard – if lucky – and of course hyenas, jackals and foxes.
24 uniquely shaped tents and one suite await visitors and both the already spacious ordinary rooms and the supersized suite leave nothing for wanting. Popular with very different niche markets, bird watchers, seekers of health and mind retreats, city life escapees, corporate meetings but also honeymooners is the camp small and intimate. The tents are set well apart but in particular the Flamingo Suite is perfectly well suited for guests seeking privacy in very stylish surroundings with an own deck allowing views across the lake and the distant hills which line the Soysambu Conservancy.
(The clock in the main lounge, never changing from two minutes to one, is an indicator that time does stand still for guests of the Lake Elementaita Serena Luxury Camp)
The main building, which includes the reception, a small boutique, a large lounge with a bar and the dining room is all under canvas too, making the camp feeling quite authentic while inside but equally when seeing the structures from the outside. They are blending perfectly with the surrounding bush. There is nothing left of the kind of childhood camping in small tents one had to crawl into and could hardly sit up inside, but these modern type tailor made safari tents are indeed fully fledged hotel rooms or suites with every creature comfort one can hope for, the only difference to conventional builds being the canvas which forms the ‘walls’. Bespoke comes to mind and stayed there throughout my visit, as this word is the only one I could find to fit what I experienced and saw.
It has always intrigued me that the bathrooms in such safari properties are often larger than bathrooms found in city hotels, speaking for the attention to detail when designing such camps or lodges. It attests to the comfort levels guests can expect when on safari in Kenya, at least when they book with East Africa’s market leaders Serena Hotels.
(Periodic showers kept the air fresh, the view crystal clear and the reed grass sporting rain drops)
Another hallmark which simply must be mentioned was the quality of the food, and the service by the dining room staff when explaining the menus and then serving one’s choices. Even breakfast is ordered from a menu, not collected from a buffet, as is lunch and dinner, bringing the word classy to mind. The camp may be small but then, small can be beautiful and in this case it was. Petit but o la la – ever heard that expression – was entirely befitting for the Elementaita Serena Camp.
Presentation of the food, as of course the quality, was outstanding and the lamb chops I had one evening, were the arguably most tender I had in ages. The mint sauce which accompanied that dish was freshly prepared and as tasty as is comes. Full compliments to the chefs were in order and duly delivered in person to them at the end of every meal.
The camp’s Assistant Manager Elizabeth ‘Liz’ Njeri also showed me their special wedding ground, not far from tent 25 where several couples have since tied the knot, either by bringing in a Registrar or a Priest or Reverend permitted by law to administer weddings. Elementaita Serena is also increasingly popular as a honeymoon venue and of course, from own experience, I can only recommend the Flamingo Suite, which I enjoyed as usual on my own but which is a paradise for newlyweds no doubt, given the Jacuzzi bath, the extra-large four poster bed, the private terrace overlooking the lake and the option for in room dining, made available by the camp management for honeymooners preferring not to leave their own four canvas walls.
But there was another dimension to my visit worth highlighting, Serena’s Corporate Social Responsibility Programme.
I was able to join the Serena team on a Saturday morning to deliver the fourth ‘Library Box’ to the nearby Nderit Primary School. Three other schools had already gotten their books on previous weekends and over a hundred parents were present when the handover took place.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvIM7fotEww
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXA2b7gWG30
This education related project, financed by the Aga Khan Development Network and implemented by the Lake Elementaita Serena Camp is but one example how Serena properties across Eastern Africa look after their neighbouring communities and provide them with social amenities. I was surprised that the camp health unit was open to treat not just staff and their families but also available to treat emergencies from the people living on the Soysambu Conservancy and nearby villages. It is part of what made Serena what it is today, the undisputed market leader, setting benchmarks in everything they do and, wherever they operate, staying close up and personal with their neighbours.
Serena Hotels, with 24 city hotels, resorts and safari lodges in 5 countries across Eastern Africa, including Mozambique’s grand ol’ dame of hospitality, the Polana Serena in Maputo, has become an example of corporate excellence and how a home grown brand, which started off in Kenya some 40 odd years ago, can not just excel but outrank and outperform many of the fancied global brands in the hospitality business. Worth bearing in mind when visiting East Africa, especially for those travelers who seek the best there is, be it Kampala, Kigali, Dar es Salaam, Mombasa, Zanzibar or any of the top ranked national parks where Serena operates lodges and tented camps.
For more information click on www.serenahotels.com
