Safari Trails Newsletter – April 2015

In the northern frontier of Kenya lies the Namunyak Wildlife Conservancy, an area of 850,000 acres of pristine wilderness in the Mathews Range. The Savannah plains and lush mountain slopes are home to elephant, leopard, reticulated giraffe, wild dog and kudu in ever increasing numbers.
On the edge of an escarpment in the heart of the conservancy sits the beautiful Sarara Camp. Sarara has six luxury tents, each positioned to maximize the stunning views of the Mathews Range of mountains and the animal watering hole.

Preserving the romance of the tented camp, these tents are spacious with high ceilings, plenty of cupboard space, electric lighting and 24 hour hot and cold running water. There is an outdoor bathroom offering a superb view of the hills from the shower in addition to an indoor toilet and sink at the back of the tent for midnight visits. Each tent has its own private terrace with table and chairs and morning coffee and tea are brought to you so that you can wake up gazing out over the mountains.

The newest addition to Sarara is the Star Camp, which is only accessible by foot and is a two and a half hour journey through the forest from camp. The Star Camp is accessible by foot and by bush pony. Camels carry all the equipment, led by their Samburu keepers so guests can enjoy the unique flora and fauna, including the rare Colobus and De Brazza monkeys, wild dogs and prehistoric Cycad palms. On arrival at the Star Camp guests are greeted by stunning views over North Kenya which can be enjoyed from a natural rock pool, fed by a clear mountain spring. After dinner around the camp fire, guests spend the night under the stars from the comfort of their own mosquito net tents. Amenities include hot bucket showers and long drop loos.The complete exclusivity of the Star Camp means that guests can fully immerse themselves in the absolute peace and serenity of this remarkable wilderness.

Sarara has established itself as one of the ‘hot spots’ for quality leopard viewing in Africa and equally, for close-up sightings of the normally extremely shy lesser kudu antelope. Elephant, buffalo, giraffe, gerenuk, impala, African wild dogs and warthogs are now regularly seen on our game drives and bush walks and are very much on the increase in numbers. Unusual sightings include caracal, aardvark, honey badger, striped hyena, aardwolf, civet cat, African wild cat, greater kudu, grevy zebra and cheetah.

Days at Sarara can be as busy or as relaxing as you wish and there are numerous ways to enjoy this vast wilderness and the wildlife and people who inhabit it. Day and night game drives, mountain walks, fly camping, camel rides and exhilarating slides into natural rock pools are all done in the company of expert guides who each bring their own individual character to enrich your experience. The community is also a vibrant part of Sarara and visits to villages, schools and markets allow an insight into local life. Guests can also be invited to see the very private and unique ‘singing wells’, an ancient Samburu tradition. Further afield helicopter rides into the Mathews and beyond to Lake Turkana can be arranged, and closer to home there is the option of a massage in the privacy of your own tent.

The boutique hotel offers 25 exquisite deluxe rooms and suites divided into 3 beachfront villas. The rooms, all presented in timelessly elegant Lamu style, are very spacious and offer spectacular views of the beach, garden, swimming pools and the endless Indian Ocean. Air conditioning, highest-quality linen bedding, a roll-down netting, a generous en-suite bathroom, a private veranda, electric fans and a safe complete the luxurious accommodation.

The Majlis restaurant will not fail to impress. Set on an open plan veranda with a panoramic view of the bay, it offers the finest cuisine. Additional state-of-the-art facilities include two bars, two swimming pools and an activity centre, which co-ordinates a wide variety of activities.

The Majlis is a child-friendly hotel with children’s areas supervised by dedicated nannies, family-friendly room layouts and delicious kid-friendly meals. Children can also safely swim in the sea or in the pools with pool attendants on duty all day long.

The Oscar winning star of ’12 Years a Slave’, Lupita Nyong’o, is presently in Uganda for the shoot of the Mira Nair directed film ‘Queen of Katwe’.

She is set to play the lead role in the movie as African chess prodigee Phiona Mutesi’s mother. The film portrays the career of Phiona Mutesi, who grew up in the sprawling Katwe slums.

Phiona’s story also inspired a book, also titled Queen of Katwe, which chronicles Mutesi’s rise from dire poverty to the World Chess Olympiad.