The magic of water and wood: Selous and Ruaha in Southern Tanzania

In the Selous Game Reserve, it's all about the water and the life in and around it. If crocodiles give you the heebie geebies, maaaaybe, you'd better not… but if you think looking at wall-to-wall crocs on the sandy banks of lake after lake of fresh water is quite a sight, then by all means, visit Selous! If you like the idea of stepping into a boat for an afternoon on the lake looking at these crocs, endless hippos, elephant coming to drink and an absolute birding paradise, then by all means, visit Selous. And if a chilled bottle of wine on a deserted beach at sunset sounds like bliss and harmony, then by all means, visit Selous.

In Ruaha National Park, it's all about the rough, dry landscape teeming with animals resting in the shade of giant Baobab trees. Oh, the Baobab - Adansonia digitata: the upside-down tree that looks like its roots are reaching to the sky to drink in the heavens! If you have read Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's The Little Prince and felt inspired by the magical baobab tree, then by all means, visit Ruaha. If you like watching herd after herd of elephant gathering to drink in the riverbed, then by all means, visit Ruaha. If you don't mind taking a walk along the Ruaha river and coming across a pride of lion in the distance, eating a recent kill, then by all means visit Ruaha. If you are at all keen to see the elusive and rare Sable antelope or to sit with the most unafraid Kudu on the planet, then by all means, visit Ruaha. You will feel like you've entered Saint- Exupéry's magical kingdom.

Now, mind you, this was a BUSINESS trip. I was on a serious trek through these two remarkable lands to find the best way to experience them for Africa with Nella guests! (Aren't I self-less?).  I saw 9 camps in 10 days and have come away feeling very good about bringing guests to some of them. Criteria, such as the position of the camp, the aesthetics of it, the comfort and safety of it, the efficiency and hospitality of the management, the quality of the guides, the surrounding areas, the activities offered were all scrutinized in a friendly and easy way. But mostly, I come away from a place with a feel. Is there a philosophy in this camp that goes beyond a money-making enterprise in the tourist industry? Is there a passion for the surroundings? Are the guides extremely knowledgeable and enthusiastic? Is the management giving off the right "vibe"? Is the room or tent nice? Is the food very good? In order to come away with a feeling for all of this, I always spend at least one night in camp so that I can pick up on the "energy" of the place.

Selous is to Ruaha as water is to wood; they both have fantastic energy.

Evening boat rides in the Selous, with skilled boatmen seamlessly navigating us past crocodiles and hippo pods to gorgeous and secluded spots to watch the sun set were surely a highlight. A journey down the Rufigi river with a picnic breakfast in the early light, watching animals come to drink along the sandy banks was another.

 Walking to a hot springs where you can soak in extremely hot, very hot or just plain hot pools flowing downstream and a game drive to see a pack of wild dogs with adolescent pups wasn't too bad either!

The light and landscape in East Africa is as much a protagonist for me as the animals. I thought I had seen some of my best sunsets ever in Selous and then I got to Ruaha. Upon arrival, we made our way over the dry landscape, seeing lion, elephant everywhere, and even a leopard crossing the road - all under the shadows of the most amazing African twilight. We saw prides of 20 lion; buffalo herds of 1000; antelope everywhere; herd after herd of elephant. With luck you can time a visit to the river when some elusive Sable antelope come to drink. 

And, wow, the kudu! The male has the most beautiful horns of any antelope in my opinion and in Ruaha, he wants to show them off. The typically skittish and shy kudu are here as relaxed as can be. Three male kudu walking by in a line, each with horns more impressive than the other. No wonder great artists like Mike Ghaui and Rob Glen base themselves here.

Here is a list of some of my more exciting sightings:

Wild Dog! (First time for me and the end of a very unlucky streak of being oh so near but oh so far!)

Kudu (as above, absolutely unafraid)

Eland (big herds with babies)

Impala (October is foaling season and we saw hundreds and hundreds of baby impala. Some born within the hour!)

Lion (whiter colour and not the big black manes of the Serengeti and Mara lions.)

Zebra (a sub-species of the Burchell's or Common that actually looks like a combination of a Common and a Grevy's).

Elephant (digging holes in riverbeds to find water in Ruaha. Thus providing water for everyone else too.)

Bushbuck (usually very shy and in Ruaha not so shy)

Crocodiles (those of the Selous make up for quantity what they lack in size!)

Hippos (much more relaxed than those here at home in Naivasha…thankfully!)

Waterbuck (not the Defassa as we have here mostly but the Common. Very beautiful ones down there)

Giraffe (an AMAZING amount of Maasai giraffe that I think has something to do with it being the national animal of Tanzania and therefore not hunted at all.)

Wildebeest (lots and lots although much lighter and prettier than our Blu Gnus up here. Another sub-species.)

Oh, yes, and the birds…

Loads of:

            Eagles, hawks, falcons, guineafowl, pelicans, storks, herons, egrets, kingfishers, bee-eaters, hornbills, turacos, parrots, rollers, shrikes, weavers, sunbirds, and waxbills.

And some firsts for me:

            African Open-Billed Stork; Yellow-Billed Egret; Black Egret; Three-Banded Plover; Crested Guineafowl; Immature Palm-Nut Vulture; Dickinson's Kestrel; Yellow-Collared Lovebird; Grey Go-Away Bird; Purple Crested Turaco; Bohm's Bee-Eater; Spot-Flanked Barbet; Ashey Starling; Retz's Helmet Shrike; Arrow-Marked Babbler; Crested Barbet…

Not a birder? Come to East Africa and you will be!

All the best,

Nella

 

 

Internal Transformation through Oustanding Travel: Africa with Nella Ltd.

 

Yoga Safari May 2010

The next exciting yoga safari is scheduled for May 22 - 27. A week in the wild bush of Laikipia in Kenya's northern wilderness. The camp has the perfect feel. Simple but safe. Understated but detailed. And when we talk of eco-lodges in Kenya the term, alas, is very loose indeed. This IS the business: only materials from the land, community involvement over three generations, absolutely minimal impact on the environment. There aren't even any non-indigenous plants around here! Shower under the stars, sleep in luxurious beds in your own thatch-roofed hut, learn the medicinal uses of local plants and herbs. Interact with Kenya's foremost botanist, meet members of the Samburu tribe and practice yoga daily in the most inspiring settings you can imagine. A week that will feel like a month. Cost: $5,850 per person. All inclusive of accommodation, food, all drinks (including alcohol), transportation within Kenya, all guiding, bush walks, game drives, all yoga, all gratuity. Please confirm by December 15th, 2009. www.yogaonsafari.com. nella@yogaonsafari.com

Cuddly Toys for our local school children

  

I had the pleasure of helping a friend distribute toys to the smallest children at the Greenpark community school recently. Every child in the school was given a stuffed animal. It was a beautiful and joyous moment shared between us all and it reminded me that sometimes, a gift from the heart, for the heart, with no practical purpose whatsoever is the most valuable kind.

The children were shy at first but as you can see, they quickly got excited about their new toys. Each was called individually by the teacher and handed a toy by Lel Cartwright, who organised this donation. They shook her hand with wide-eyes and looked SOOO serious - until they turned back to the other students in the classroom, toy in hand, and absolutely BEAMED. 

These children live in the Greenpark community. Their parents work for the Great Rift Valley Lodge just down the road from me.  These children have their needs met. They have food, clothing, schooling, parents, family and community nearby. When they are older, they will begin walking many miles to go to school and after they turn 14 they may stop going to school altogether as that is when school is no longer free. 

We cannot secure the future for these children. We can only do our best to give them a reason to smile in the present. And what smiles we got that day!

Yoga on Safari Gets Press! Tatler & Drum...

The June issue of East Africa's DRUM magazine has a profile feature about me and my yoga safaris. So tell anyone you think might be interested in trying a yoga retreat to check it out.

Also, the June issue of TATLER Magazine is advertising my Bush and Beach Yoga Safari this September in collaboration with Borana Lodge and Manda Bay. This is an ideal way to experience an African safari with a bit of yoga everyday.  

Namaste!

Nella

Upcoming Yoga Retreats!

June 23-26 Yoga Retreat at Samatian, Lake Baringo. Samatian is a beautiful setting for yoga amidst lapping waves and singing birds. This retreat focuses on yoga and meditation as well as doing bird watching and boat rides and lots of chilling by the pool.

Please contact nella@yogaonsafari.com for more information on these soulful events. 

Internal Transformation through Outstanding Travel!! 

Holidays that Make a Difference

A private sailing dhow cruise, 
A swim with dolphins...

A safari for couples...

a difference... to your life and the lives of others. Your life because if you go to a secluded beach in Lamu and swim with dolphins, you will never be the same. I know. I went to review some private beach houses (7 stunning private homes on a long stretch of beach, all with gorgeous views, pools and roof-top terraces that literally leave the jaw agape). The owner whisked me onto her traditional dhow for a sundowner sail and booked me in to swim with dolphins the next day. We came across about 30 dolphins in several schools. We jumped into the warm water and snorkelled with them for over two hours. I had NO IDEA that swimming with dolphins was this amazing. It is one of my life's highlights for sure. There is something about listening to the dolphins sonar and chatting underwater and then seeing them come to the surface to investigate you that makes you feel that all is right with yourself and with the world. The only problem is that I can't hold my breath as long as a dolphin. Otherwise it was perfect. At one point I was swimming sideways, about a foot away from a dolphin who was also swimming sideways looking at me. We went to the surface together, took a breath and went back down to swim along together. Bliss.  If you want to participate in an upcoming yoga retreat, 

In May, Loisaba Lodge in Laikipia is offering a very good special yoga package. The idea is to convince couples to come and enjoy all the fun of the bush (riding, walking, massage, swimming, watching elephant, zebra, giraffe, lion and leopard) while having the opportunity to do a bit of meditation and yoga to deepen the experience even more. 

The monthly weekends at the foot of Mt. Kenya continue and offer the perfect respite and restoration to the body and mind. Mukima House is gorgeous and so comfy and cozy for these weekends that no one ever wants to leave. 

So whether you are living in Nairobi or in California,  this is the opportunity to have a quality holiday that enriches your life and helps to keep so, so many people here in Kenya going. It's a beautiful holiday choice to make for yourself and for many others indeed.

A Flying Safari to Kalacha

Think the border of Kenya and Ethiopia....

Think English Patient.....Think Doctor Zhivago....
Think vast expanses of sand running from the North of Kenya into Ethiopia. Think an invisible sand airstrip that takes five passes to find. Think hot wind, camels, herders, goats, palms and thousands upon thousands of sand grouse flying in at dawn and dusk to drink. The male birds soak their breast feathers in water and fly back to the nest to give their young a drink of water.  
This is Kalacha, an oasis on the Chalbi Desert. After flying over nothing for an hour, a green island appears. As I buzz the camp and the nearby mission town, the camels and goats scatter. Finally I land and taxi through the trees (literally!) to the camp. An old man from the Gabra tribe, known as the "camel nomads" of Northern Kenya politely tells me that there is a big wide (OBVIOUS!) mission strip just over there.  I smile and thank him, feeling absolutely ELATED that 1. we found the strip finally and 2. I did quite a nice landing if I say so myself. 

The instructions had been to look for "a biggish tree on the left and a pretty normal tree on the right and land between them. But don't land at the beginning because there is a hump that will get you airborne again. If you get it wrong and DO land on the threshold and get airborne on the hump, add power and settle down again and DON'T worry that the strip starts to go downhill and you feel like the palm trees are racing towards you, you'll be fine." Hmmm. Quite a lot to think about for someone with only a 120 hours in a plane. And that didn't include thinking about the HEAT and the WIND. 

This was my biggest flying safari so far and it was one of the "must do" trips in Kenya. We departed Greenpark on Lake Naivasha, walking down to the strip and loading the plane with all the gourmet food, wine and beer we would need for our "self-catering" trip. We flew to Nanyuki at the foot of Mt. Kenya and loaded the plane TO THE GILLS with fuel. We took off and set course for 003 degrees - pretty much straight North. We passed the beautiful Matthews Range and then the Ndoto Mountains, looking for strips marked on the map, timing progress and flying first by dead reckoning with a gps for backup. After the Ndoto's we came across a sand storm as the wide desert opened up before us. I tried to go around it but saw that it was never ending in width but not too high. I climbed up well-above it for fear of dust clogging up my beloved single engine. That worked fine and soon we could see the end of the storm and a clear path ahead. 

Once the landing at Kalacha was done, and the taxi through the trees, a cold beer in the swimming pool that lies half in and half out of the little lodge was in order. We had friends joining in their plane and soon we heard the hum of their engine and breathed another sigh of relief now that the rest of the food and the Champagne had arrived. 

Two days at Kalacha camp were spent watching the herdsmen bring their goats and camels to drink (and watch us). We also took walks around on the desert and went to visit a beautiful little church at the mission town with frescoes by an Ethiopian in the traditional Christian style of that country. 

We left Kalacha in floods of laughter when I told quite an ancient Gabra man passing by who wanted to look into the cockpit that I was the pilot: "No, Bwana is!" he insisted (Bwana meaning the MAN of course!) "No, it's me, really, me, not Bwana" I told him in Swahili. He seemed convinced and began laughing with his whole body, waving to me as we taxied back through the trees to the strip and took off for Lake Turkana. Known as Lake Rudolph in Colonial times and called the "Jade Sea", Turkana is home to lots of Leakey family research as well as lots of famous photo shoots by Peter Beard. The winds are legendary and the landing at Loiyangalani strip was into a 30 kt headwind that caused me to fly again just before touch down. Happily the strip is LOOONG. Word is this strip has been used for access to everything north of Kenya and there are supposedly plenty of spies here! From Turkana we flew down the Seguta Valley, considered one of Kenya's most stunning flights. The landscape varies from gorgeous lakes teeming with flamingo to lush rivers to four story high sand dunes to canyons and flows and everything else related to relatively recent volcanic activity. We flew all the way down the valley taking photos and changing our minds about driving the Seguta with the 100 degree temperatures up high in the ventilated cabin. 

We landed at Lake Baringo, home of hippos and crocs and the most peaceful still water in Kenya. Our friends collected us at the strip, drove us to their home on the shores where we had a swim ("We've got a quick meeting, go for a swim to refresh, just have a good look first to be sure there aren't any crocs.") We had two swims and LOTS of good looks around. After a relaxing lunch and snooze on the lawn to let the heat of the day pass, we climbed back into our faithful Bravo Papa Kilo and sailed home just before dusk. 

It was 6 hours of flying time. 594 nautical miles. Three new airstrips. I landed back at Greenpark with that rare feeling of having got the landing oh so right. After a big hug to BPK, we went home, toasted ourselves for a great flying safari and fell into bed.