Kenya Calls
by Jim Langford
article continued from
Landing in Nairobi, the capital and Kenya's economic and cultural center, the
first thing you notice is this is a modern city with an abundance of traffic and
high-rise buildings. But it doesn't take long to realize you are in Africa You
begin to recognize the pace and colors of the country and the different cultures
that exist in this fast-growing metropolis of more than 2 million people. Tourist
attractions abound from the Nairobi National Park on the outskirts to the municipal
market and bazaar, as well as the National Museum of Kenya, which features an
interesting collection on early humans in Africa.
But then, it is off to Amboseli National Park, where for the next two nights
you'll fall asleep with a view of Mount Kilimanjaro, more than 19,000 feet high,
as a backdrop.
By day you're treated to breathtaking views of every animal you've ever seen
in a zoo. Elephants, wildebeest, gazelles and zebras, as well as the animals that
prey on them, are everywhere.
It doesn't take long to become caught up in what can only be referred to as
the "spirit of the bush."
By day six, you're on the Northern Frontier at the Samburu National Reserve, and
home to one of Kenya's most colorful cultures, whose fabrics and jewelry are truly
a sight you'll always remember. You'll see giraffes, ostrich and oryx, an abundance
of birdlife, and if you're lucky you also catch a glimpse of a leopard in a tree.
And then you head back south, toward Mount Kenya and Sweetwaters Game Reserve.
Your tent overlooks a waterhole, which is floodlit, and makes a wonderful setting
for conversation with your fellow travelers and maybe a gin and tonic. Jane Goodall's
chimp sanctuary is part of your itinerary, as well as a visit to a rhinoceros
sanctuary and a ride on a camel if you so choose.
By now, after 10 days, you're completely Africanized and you're wondering "How
soon can I come back."
Your next flight takes you over the Great Rift Valley to the Masai Mara, the northern
edge of the massive Serengeti Plain, This is a tremendous climax to one of the
most exciting and rewarding vacations you could ever take. For the next three
days you're treated to morning and afternoon game-drives that provide you with
opportunities to see huge lion prides and the most abundant collection of plains
animals you will ever see. Plus, you can choose to fish on Lake Victoria, take
a hot-air balloon ride or do nothing. But the latter is hard to do. Except in
the evening.
That's when you retire to a wonderful dinner, listen to the sounds of the wilderness
that surrounds you and exclaim with your fellow travelers over everything you
have seen and experienced. Your last day is a trip back to the Norfolk Hotel in
Nairobi where you prepare to go home. Somewhat wistfully I might add.
OSSN Members visit the www.bigfive.com
website for great Africa packages.
Jim Langford is the head of Pharmer Group, a communications consulting firm.
He has been involved in the communications, sport business and travel industries
for some 25 years.
|
