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A SAFARI WITH DIFFERENCE

With our Safaris you can follow in the footsteps of the early explorers. and rediscover the source of the Nile, track gorillas in the tropical forests that cover the slopes of extinct volcanoes. These safaris are designed for those in search of a real adventure who enjoy the unpredictable and who want to get away from the well beaten tourist track. We do a lot of camping by streams or riverbeds, in forest, on mountain slopes or on the edge of national parks. The crisp, clear, star filled African night can only be fully appreciated from a campsite deep in the bush, not a modern sound or artificial glow of a nearby town interfering with the feel of nature. Because of the nature of these tours, you are expected to help with the camp chores and the setting up of tents. The camp sites lack the sophistication of those in Western countries and we can’t guarantee a shower every day, or that you won’t get dusty. But your meals will be prepared by our expert safari cooks over wood fires, and you will share the freedom of the open skies each night. Those who join us come from all walks of life and from all nationalities. Age is not important - but we need your sense of humour, your willingness to participate and a spirit of adventure. These will transform the rough journeys into memories of a lifetime. All vehicles are now fitted with powerful HF radio communication equipment, allowing us to stay in touch no matter how remote you are.

With its long, tropical beaches and dramatic wildlife parks, Kenya has an exotic tourist image. Justifiably, for this is one of the most beautiful lands in Africa and a satisfyingly exciting and relatively easy place to travel, whether on a short holiday or an extended stay. You'll find a rewarding degree of warmth, openness and curiosity in towns and villages, especially off the more heavily trodden tourist routes. Out in the wilds, there is an abundance of authentic scenic glamour - vistas of rolling savannah dotted by Maasai and their herds, high Kikuyu moorlands, dense forests bursting with bird song and insect noise, and stony, shimmering desert. On the Indian Ocean coast, the palm-shaded strands of beach and an almost continuous, reef-protected lagoon are even better than the holiday brochures would have you imagine - no photo can really do justice. And, of course, everywhere you go Kenya's wildlife adds a startling and rapidly addictive dimension.

Physically, Kenya consists mostly of broad plateaux. The majority of the population live in the rugged highland areas in the southwest quarter of the country, where the ridges are a sea of shamba smallholdings and plantations. Ripping through the heart of these highlands sprawls the Great Rift Valley, an archetypal East African scene of dry, thorntree savannah, splashed with lakes and hot springs and studded by volcanoes. The walls of the Rift, and Mount Kenya itself, dominate the horizon for much of the time. Nairobi, the capital, feels like the centre of Kenya, but it lies at the highlands' south-eastern edge, only a three-hour drive from the Tanzanian border. The famous game parks, watered by seasonal streams, are mostly located in savannah country on the highland fringes.

Further west, towards Lake Victoria, lies a gentler rural countryside, less often visited. And in the north the land is desert or semi-desert - a surprise for many visitors - broken only by the natural highlight of Lake Turkana, almost unnaturally blue and gigantic in the wilderness. Southeast of the highlands, separating the interior from the Indian Ocean, there are further arid lands. There, the barrier of the Taru Desert accounts in large part for the very different history and culture of the coast and the interior. The coast shelters a surprising and quite distinct Islamic Swahili civilisation and carries a long historical record in its mosques and tombs and the ruins of ancient towns cut from the jungle.

As far as climate is concerned, Kenya has complicated and unpredictable shifts. Broadly, the pattern is that January and February are hot and dry, while from March to May it is hot and wet - this period is known as the "long rains". From June until October the weather is warm and dry, and then come the "short rains", making November and December warm and wet. Temperatures, though, are determined largely by altitude. You can reckon on a drop of 6deg.C (or 11deg.F) in temperature for every 1000m you climb from sea level. The low-lying coast and the north remain hot all year round, while the highlands (which range to over 4000m and peak above 5000m) are generally warm or mild during the day but much cooler at night. Nairobi, higher than the Cairngorms or the Appalachians, can drop to 5deg.C (41deg.F). At the highest altitudes, it may rain at almost any time. Western Kenya, too, has a more scattered rainfall pattern influenced by Lake Victoria. Temperatures tend to climb towards the end of the dry seasons, particularly in late February and early March, when it can become very humid before the rains break. It's worth noting that Kenya's climate has been drying out in recent years.

The main tourist seasons tie in with the rainfall patterns. The biggest influxes are in December and January and, to a lesser extent, July and August. Dry season travel does have a number of advantages, not least a greater visibility of wildlife as animals are concentrated along the diminishing watercourses. July and August are probably the best months, overall, for game-viewing. October to January are the months with the clearest seas - especially November. In the "long rains", the mountain parks are sometimes closed, as tracks are no longer drivable. But the rainy seasons shouldn't deter travel unduly. The rains usually come only in short afternoon or evening cloudbursts, and the landscape is strikingly green and fresh even if the skies may be cloudy. If you're concerned about being part of a horde of tourist arrivals, don't let it bother you too much. Kenya's million-odd annual visitors seem few compared with the tens of millions that descend on many Mediterranean countries.

NATURAL HISTORY

For 40 million years Africa has been torn apart by forces deep below the earth’s crust, they have formed The Great Rift Valley, the largest visible scar on the earth’s surface. Along this great fissure, is an incredible and unparalleled diversity of ecosystems. Nowhere is The Rift Valley more prevalent than in Kenya, where the high escarpment walls, and associated volcanoes, support a unique Afro-alpine environment. Winter and summertime temperatures are experienced in a single twenty four hour period. Along the valley floor, lakes - both fresh water and alkaline - support huge concentrations of wildlife. The millions of Lesser Flamingos on Lake Nakuru have a well deserved reputation as being one of the world’s greatest bird spectacles. The grassland savannahs, formed by the volcanic ash are home to the last great concentrations of large mammals still to be seen on our planet. The great Wildebeest migration of the Serengeti/Mara ecosystem is truly an unforgettable experience.

ABERDARE NATIONAL PARKS

The frequent heavy rain makes the mountains difficult to cross, but the road which skirts them can be navigated by saloon car when the weather is good. Within this unique eco-system, not only will one find an abundance of wildlife, but will also find many mutant alpine plants which can grow up to a height of 6 metres.

AMBOSELI NATIONAL PARKS

The presence of Africa's highest mountain - Mt. Kilimanjaro - can be felt throughout Amboseli. The delicate environment is being disrupted only by the heavy tourist traffic. Even then, there are still large herds of animals. Lions, elephants, leopards, rhinos, cheetahs etc especially around the Enkongo Narok and the Olkenya lake swamp.From the observation hills, it is possible to view the whole park.

LAKE BARINGO AND LAKE BOGORIA NATIONAL PARKS

Although both Lakes have long been known they have not seen much traffic since JW Gregory first set eyes on them in 1882. At that time, he said that Bogoria was 'the most beautiful view in Africa', and that beauty, now enhanced by thousands of migrating flamingos, remains pristine. Now accessible, both lakes have become famous for their wealth of bird life.

LAKE NAKURU NATIONAL PARK

Few sights are as enchanting as the vista of a muted pink lake, so when millions of flamingos turn Lake Nakuru into a sea of pastel plumage, you mustn't miss it. Also attracted by the abundance of algae to be found in the lake's shallow, alkaline waters are black-winged stilts, avocets and ruffs which migrate from Europe to winter here.

MAASAI MARA NATURE RESERVE

It is simply impossible to conjure up in your mind the spectacle of thousands of wildebeest, with their large bison-like heads, thundering in single file across the tree studded grasslands of the Mara. The migration which takes the wildebeest from the Serengeti in Tanzania to the Mara is a yearly occurrence which lasts for only a few weeks. During the rest of the year however, the park still boasts an abundance of wildlife. You won't have to look too hard to spy roan antelope, a bat-eared fox, or one of the thousands of topi which are found nowhere else, save Tsavo.

MOUNT KENYA NATIONAL PARK

The two snow peaks of Mt. Kenya which reach 5199m have long been regarded by the traditional Kikuyu, as the home of their god Ngai. The park's boundary which corresponds with the mountain's 3200m contour line circumscribes a vast array of flora and fauna, including the rare bongo, leopard and several cats. The park affords the opportunity for everything from brisk hiking to serious mountaineering.

SAMBURU AND BUFFALO SPRINGS RESERVES

These two reserves, which sit adjacent to each other on the fringe of Kenya's vast, northern desert region are home to a comparatively large number of rare Grevy's zebra and long-necked gerenuk. The banks of the meandering Ewaso Nyiro River which winds through the park provides a striking contrast to the rest of this arid land. Here, animals such as the elephant and oryx come to drink in the shade of the doum palms and ravine forest, while the hippo and crocodile on the other hand make the river their permanent home

TANA RIVER PRIMATE NATURE RESERVE

Established to protect the habitat of the Red Colobus and Crested Mangebey monkeys, the forests and savannah of this reserve are also home to oryx, buffalo, lesser kudu and both species of giraffes and zebras.

TSAVO NATIONAL PARK

The combined area of Tsavo East and West National Parks form one of the world's largest game reserves. Gushing from underground streams, the cool pure waters of Mzima Springs are a source of food and fun for many of Tsavo's animals. Elephant, zebra and gazelle wind their way through acacia trees found along the banks, anticipating the refreshing spring water after a long day of grazing under the hot Tsavo sun. For the ornithologist, Ngulia Lodge is the place to be from September to November as thousands of migratory birds touch down here.