Holiday | Safari Sense

30Jan 2023 by safarisense

Why Voluntary Waterfowl Bird Counts Play a Key Role in Climate Change Mitigation and Eco-tourism Promotion

Bird_watching, Conservation, Excursion, Game drive, Holiday, Naivasha, Wildlife Safari

The morning air was crisp and chilly as we looked across Lake Naivasha, ready to board the single engine boat. We were here for the annual waterfowl counts, and I was not disappointed. As soon as we set off around the edge of lake, a flurry of activity caught my eye. A pair of fish eagles was perched on a dead tree; their piercing calls filling the air. I quickly set up my DSLR, and watched in awe as they gracefully swooped down to catch fish from the lake. As we continued, we were surrounded by a symphony of bird songs. The lake was alive with hundreds of different species, from the colorful pink-backed pelicans to the elusive little grebe. Kenya is home to a diverse array of waterfowl birds,…

04Jan 2023 by safarisense

Experience: Mara North Conservancy

Conservation, Excursion, Game drive, History, Holiday, Nairobi Area, Wildlife Safari

A rolling savanna of more than 28.000 hectares, the Mara North Conservancy is home to a spectacular array of plants, reptiles, birds and mammals, including elephant, rhino, buffalo, lion, leopard and massed concentrations of wildebeest, zebra, gazelle and other migratory wildlife. Leopard Gorge in the heart of the conservancy is famous as the setting of countless BBC Big Cat Diaries and National Geographic documentaries. Bordering the Maasai Mara National Reserve, Mara North Conservancy is vital for sustaining the famous Serengeti wildebeest migrations and the highly threatened African wild dog and black rhino. Mara North Conservancy has struck a novel and innovative partnership between the Maasai landowners and a consortium of tour companies to sustain wildlife, improve livelihoods and develop a high quality tourism destination. The partnership has the support of…

11Dec 2022 by safarisense

Great Game At Samburu National Reserve

Conservation, Excursion, Game drive, History, Holiday, Nairobi Area, Wildlife Safari

Samburu National Reserve is a wildlife reserve in northern Kenya that is known for its diverse array of wildlife. The reserve is home to a wide variety of animals, including: • Elephants: The reserve is home to a large population of elephants, which can be seen grazing on the grasslands or wading in the rivers. • Giraffes: The reserve is home to several species of giraffe, including the reticulated giraffe, which is found only in northern Kenya. • Lions: The reserve is home to a healthy population of lions, which can often be seen lounging in the shade or hunting on the grasslands. • Leopards: The reserve is also home to a small population of leopards, which are elusive and difficult to spot. • Buffalo: The reserve is home to…

05Nov 2022 by safarisense

Experience: Lumo Wildlife Conservancy

Conservation, Excursion, Game drive, History, Holiday, Nairobi Area, Wildlife Safari

As we approached Nairobi National Park, the sun began to cast a golden glow across the sky. We were entering through the Main Gate, located just off the Lang'ata Road. With our backs to the city, it was easy to forget we were only a few kilometers from an international airport. The bush land in front of us stretched almost as far as the eye could see; dusty, flat, and rich in flora and fauna. With our backs to the city, it was easy to forget we were only a few kilometers from an international airport It was surreal and quite beautiful to witness the harmony of man and nature in a way that few people get to see. Zebras stood shoulder to shoulder with their backs to us, watching…

08Jul 2022 by safarisense

3 Benefits Online Safari Booking

Conservation, Excursion, Game drive, History, Holiday, Nairobi Area, Wildlife Safari

I must confess that I was once a skeptic of online booking platforms. Living in an age of cyber crime had put me off the idea until I was forced to do so on a recent trip. When I booked online, I realized how simple the entire process is, as well as the perks one gets from the experience. Here are some advantages: It is practical No more standing in long lines or filling out forms. Online bookings, whether for a holiday or an excursion, are quick and easy. From the palm of your hand, you can book your dream safari to the ideal destination. It is less expensive Did you know you get discounts when you book online? Online bookings allow travelers to compare prices for various safari packages…

27Jun 2022 by safarisense

Fascinating Game Drive at Nairobi National Park

Conservation, Excursion, Game drive, History, Holiday, Nairobi Area, Wildlife Safari

As we approached Nairobi National Park, the sun began to cast a golden glow across the sky. We were entering through the Main Gate, located just off the Lang'ata Road. With our backs to the city, it was easy to forget we were only a few kilometers from an international airport. The bush land in front of us stretched almost as far as the eye could see; dusty, flat, and rich in flora and fauna. With our backs to the city, it was easy to forget we were only a few kilometers from an international airport It was surreal and quite beautiful to witness the harmony of man and nature in a way that few people get to see. Zebras stood shoulder to shoulder with their backs to us, watching…

03Dec 2021 by safarisense

The Divination of the Turkana

Excursion, Game drive, Holiday, Samburu

The resonant thumping song of the Long-tailed Nightjar (Caprimulgus climacurus) through the dry air is a sound of blessing. The hot undulating desert landscape of sand-coloured sedimentary rocks are bare of greenery, except a few dead-looking bush punctuating the morning sunrays. The rufous-brown coloured bird, with an exceptionally long tail, makes its distinct call, a fast, mechanical trill; higher-pitched than similar calls of other nightjars. People are listening, watching. Should the bird land at the door of any of the doum-palm thatched homesteads that pop up every few kilometers in the vast horizon of sand, thorn trees, plains and hills; interspersed with scorched river-beds, sand pans, and volcanic hills, its a sign that rain is near. Animals will be quenched, satisfied. And for the Turkana people living in the deserts…

04Nov 2021 by safarisense

Beads of Tradition

Excursion, Game drive, Holiday, Samburu

Northern Kenya is a wild frontier country inhabited by some of the toughest and most interesting people in Africa. Spartanish, tall and regal, these nomads belong to a mythical race of African ancient warriors who migrated south in the late 10th century, or from the lower Nile valley in about the 15th century. The Samburu are part of a migration of four language groups that included the Maa peoples (Nilo-Saharan language family), who first settled in the Laikipia and Loita highlands north of Mount Kenya. The Samburu people have over the years stuck tenaciously to their culture and are among the most culturally rich of Kenyan communities today. Their daily life activities are as fascinating as their elaborate traditions. As semi-nomadic pastoralists, the Samburu are closely related to the Maasai,…

03Oct 2021 by safarisense

About Samburu

Excursion, Game drive, Holiday, Samburu

Driving up north from Nairobi, that familiar feeling of excitement slowly grows and as the roads wind down towards the dusty, desert heat of Samburu, city life is now a distant memory. Samburu County is predominantly semi-arid with scarce erratic rainfall. Breezing past reticulated giraffes, pretty-eyed dik-diks and comical flocks of vulturine guineafowl, I’m headed for Maralal Town. Clearly, increased human dependence on forest resources along with variability in intensity and seasonality of rainfall, have resulted in prolonged drought and severe weather events in recent years as evidenced by the bare land sparsely covered in bush and scrub. In the Samburu ecosystem humans, domestic animals and wildlife co-exist sharing the same environmental resources, are exposed to common risks and in some cases antagonize the lives and existence of one another.…

19Aug 2021 by safarisense

Misadventure at Lake Naivasha

Bird_watching, Conservation, Holiday, Naivasha

There’re some experiences we try to gloss over when reviewing our travels. Not that they’re embarrassing, but probably coz of the mental stress they induce once recalled. Just the other year, at a time like now, I found myself on a motorboat, looking out for cormorants, pink backed pelicans, jacanas, and fish eagles, the air punctuated by different bird songs of Lake Naivasha’s approximately 400 recorded species. The lake extends like a vast sunlit sea, with dozens of water bird above and around the sparkling sheet of water surrounded by scenic hills and mountains. Amidst the sun’s reflections bouncing off the water droplets at the wake of the boat’s motor, colourful shiny-eyed superb starlings flit between the acacia trees on the shore, the backdrop made up of translucent tents of…

Category: Holiday