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Kenya's Maasailand: Walking & Wildlife & "Star Beds" in Laikipia Facts:
This tour is customizable. On the northern fringes of Greater Laikipia is Samburu and Buffalo Springs National Parks, and land that is the traditional homelands of the Samburu, pastoralists like the Maasai. An extension can include these northern Kenyan parks and the Samburu people. Summary: Kenya's Laikipia Plateau is now recognized as a wildlife destination second to the Maasai Mara National Reserve. The land here is divided between private owners, typically raising cattle, and community group "ranches" of the Laikipia Maasai. More and more of these Central Kenyan cattle ranches have found that tourism and wildlife conservation are more profitable. The Lewa Wildlife Conservancy within Greater Laikipia is one such example of a former cattle ranch now successfully farming tourists. Laikipia has more endangered animals that anywhere else in East Africa. Several private ranches are now black rhino sanctuaries. Laikipia also has large herds of elephants, wild dogs and is home to big cats too. Unlike the Maasai Mara National Reserve, you can get out of a vehicle and walk, or run a marathon as the case may be in June of every year in the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy. Your hosts on this tour are the Laikipia Maasai and your focus is their culture as well as on walking and the prolific Laikipia wildlife. Other highlights are visits to the few remaining members of a hunter and gatherer people called the Yaaku who, although assimilated into the Maasai culture, have a few elderly members remaining with knowledge of Yaaku history and language; as well as an opportunity to follow on foot a habituated baboon troop that has been part of a long term scientific study. (For more information on this baboon study and its founder, Dr Shirley Strum, please see www.baboonsrus.com.) Please also note that two armed Maasai warriors provide security during the portions of the safari when you are on foot and at night at the campsites. Laikipia Maasai: Your host, Mali Ntanare Ole Kaunga: Mali is a Maasai activist who champions the Maasai and other indigenous peoples' rights. He has over 15 years experience working with indigenous peoples through different community-based voluntary organizations, some of which he helped establish, among them "OSILIGI" (Hope), "IMPACT" and "Maasai Cultural Heritage". He has written and published articles on indigenous peoples in Kenya and elsewhere in Africa. He become the youngest Maasai to work as an indigenous peoples expert in the U.N. specialized agency, ILO(International Labour Organization), as the African region coordinator. He has delivered lectures in U.N. forums, such as its permanent forum on indigenous peoples, as well as at a number of European universities, Sweden's Lund and Malmo and Italy's Uniroma3, among others. A considerable amount of what are today Kenya's wildlife parks and reserves was once Maasai ancestral lands. This motivated Mali to start a company called Nature and Inter-Cultural Expeditions (NICE), which promotes responsible tourism and the alleviation of poverty among the Samburu and Maasai communities by working directly with them on the design, development and marketing of unique tourism experiences that combine nature and culture. When he is not working for community organizations, Mali retreats to Laikipia where he maintains a pastoral livelihood. Program: Day One: Arrive Nairobi. You are met and transferred to a hotel or guesthouse of your choice for overnight. Day Two: You are picked up at your accommodation by your Maasai hosts and taken to Wilson airport to catch the 08:30 flight to Nanyuki. In Nanyuki, you are met by another of your Maasai hosts and you drive one hour through Laikipia Maasai communal lands to your lunchtime destination of Il Polei Twala Camp. Twala consists of four simple cottages built in the style of Maasai homes. There are separate shower and toilet blocks. This area has beautiful views of Mount Kenya and the Laikipia Plains. The neighboring Maasai-owned conservancy is home to a variety of wildlife, including elephant, lion, leopard, kudu and zebra. Twala Camp itself is owned and operated by Maasai women, who were given their start in business by the nearby baboon project and African Conservation Center, the focus of which is to show its visitors how to look more closely at the environmental processes that determine the future of the wildlife and people in Laikipia. Included in this education is your afternoon baboon follow. A researcher from the baboon project will explain these animals to you, their customs and their family relations. As darkness falls, and the baboons settle for the night, you are picked up by vehicle and returned to Twala camp for dinner. If there are any special events taking place in the nearby Maasai settlements this evening, you will be invited to attend. Otherwise, you will enjoy the campfire and company of your Maasai hosts. Day Three: After breakfast, you join the Maasai warriors as they leave their kraals for the day with their cattle. You accompany them on foot while they introduce you to the Maasai warrior's life. Travel light as the vehicle will carry luggage and camping supplies. Wear light clothing as well; this part of Laikipia is hot. The walking terrain this day is rugged, with elevation loss and gain as you walk down into dry river beds and then up onto rocky outcrops for the views. The chances are good that you will encounter wildlife – gazelles, baboons, and birds. Estimated distance covered today is between 10 and 15 kilometers. Your destination by the end of the day is Sarampa Camp, situated by Maasai villages and managed by those Maasai. From the camp you are able to see the Mathews Mountains, the eastern wall of the Great Rift Valley, and even Mount Kenya. If there are any special events taking place in the nearby Maasai settlements this evening, you will be invited to attend. Day Four: This morning you walk to Dol Dol town, trading center of Laikipia District. The terrain is hilly. Along the way there are fantastic views of the Great Rift Valley. In the afternoon your destination is Kuri Kuri village on the edge of the Mukogodo Forest. You will feel the cooling effects of the forest as you near it on foot. Estimated distance covered today is 10 kilometers. You camp by Kuri Kuri, near the forest and seasonal spring that attracts thirsty wildlife at night. It is also close to Yaaku villages, Mukogodo Forest being their ancestral homeland. You make your first visits with the Yaaku this afternoon. If there are any special events taking place in the Yaaku villages, you will be invited to attend. Day Five: Today you walk through Mukugodo Forest on your way to your campsite on a hill considered to have the best view of Laikipia North – that of Samburu-land and the Mathews Mountains. In the forest you stop to visit caves which contain ancient Yaaku cave paintings. The Yaaku explain how they gather honey and wildfruits in the forest. This walk to the campsite takes three to four hours. You ascend to a final elevation of around 2100 meters. This camp can get windy and chill down at night so it is important to bring along some warmer layers. Buffaloes and elephants are found in Mukugodo Forest so you must follow the instructions of our armed guards. Day Six: You descend from our campsite by a different route to your waiting vehicle, a walk of four to five hours duration. You then drive to Il N'gwesi Lodge, an award winning eco-tourism project fully managed and operated by the Laikipia Maasai within the Il N'gwesi Maasai group ranch. The Maasai community of Laikipia uses the proceeds from eco-tourism at Il N'gwesi to address their education, health and water problems. You arrive at Il N'gwesi in time for a late lunch. Activities in the afternoon are based at the lodge: guided bush walks along the sand rivers, or game drives, or visiting the black and white rhinos which have been reintroduced to the ranch. Il N'gwesi Lodge: is situated on a rocky outcrop with superb views. Only local materials have been used in its construction, which is an open plan and "organic" in character. The timber floors flow around tree trunks which support thatched roofs. Below the lodge is a waterhole and "hide" for observing game. Large mammals are regularly seen. There are six spacious sleeping bandas. Furniture is rustic, made by the Maasai. Two bandas have "star beds" which are rolled out on wheels onto the open veranda allowing you to sleep under the stars. Day Seven: Today is a long day spent in the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy with a picnic lunch. Lewa is perhaps the best known private ranch turned wildlife trust in Greater Laikipia. Part of it is dedicated as a rhino sanctuary. Day visitors are taken in game drives in Lewa's open vehicles. Possible wildlife sightings are white rhino, elephant, lion, leopard, zebra, giraffe, ostrich, gazelle and sitatunga antelope. You return to Il Ngwesi for overnight. Day Eight: This morning the Il N'gwesi Maasai will take you on camels along the Ngare Ngare River. After lunch, you depart for Oreteti Ranch where you spend your last night at a simple camp operated by the Oreteti Maasai. Day Nine: After breakfast you depart for Lewa airstrip, a three hour drive, for your 12:00 flight to Nairobi. You are met at Wilson Airport and transferred to the accommodation of your choice, or you may leave for home today. Price: 3600 USD, based on two people sharing. Includes: Excludes: |
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