Monday, November 30, 2009

Other Activities

5.More Participatory Activities

a.Baboon walk:

the baboon ecotourism project gives a chance to walk with an habituated baboon troop in their natural habitat while learning the troop family structure, their social structure, dietary habits, ranging pattern, as well as learning each individual by its name, relatives and others social aspects.

b.Bird watching:

Nguruman and its environs are known for its diverse bird’s species. Meet bird local watchers who will lead you to where you see different bird species of your interest while they explain the cultural theories behind a number of bird species in the area…learn why Maasai do not kill some bird species, which one are worn by the heroic and cowardly lads during their initiation period e.t.c


Other important bird areas:

i.Ol Doinyo Orok in Namanga is another spectacular bird watching region. The area is well vegetated and have a wide variety of bird species.
ii.Lake Natron is the breeding site for flamingoes in East Africa. Both young and adult flamingoes as well as other saline water bird species are seen in large numbers. Some of these species can also be seen in Lake Magadi.


c.Culture talks/Exchange:

Learn different culture through discussion and culture talks. Herbs (medicinal plants) exhibition, talks, explanation on their usage by distinguished local experts is also not to be missed.

d.The research center:

Visit the local research center to meet and chat with the researchers contacting different research; Carnivore research and Ecology. Have an opportunity to accompany them to the field tracking collared lions and hyenas, learn from their research activities; vegetation plots and transects.

Trekking and Hikking Itinerary

Hiking and walking safaris itinerary

The journey will take you across the world’s most famous solid-salt lake; Lake Magadi, giving you a memorable chance to view flamingoes and other saline water bird species. Driving through a vast semi-arid savanna region inhibited by Maasai, to a cosmopolitan agricultural area at the foot of the Nguruman escarpment where the Nguruman bush camps are sited. The natural hiking terrain will help relax your mind, exercise the body and heal the spirit. Come and experience what nature has in store for you.

1. Nguruman to Maasai Mara

Day 1
1400hrs: Leave Nairobi for Nguruman
1630hrs: Visit the Oloogesalie prehistoric site
1800hrs: Arrive at Nguruman Bush Camps
1900hrs: Dinner at Bush Camps and spent overnight in comfortable mobile tents.

Day 2
0600hrs: Break fast at Nguruman Bush Camp
0630hrs: Depart from Nguruman Bush Camps-Hike Nguruman Escarpments
0900hrs: Stop at the edge of the escarpment to view the panorama; view Lake Magadi, Oloorgesaille hills, Shompole hills, and Olkiramatian plains, all this magnificently seen at the chasm of the Great Rift Valley.
1030hrs: Arrive at Entasopia Water Falls, rest and enjoy the cool breeze under the natural unscathed riverside forest.
1145hrs: Picnic lunch served at the foot of the falls
1430hrs: Get ready for a two and half trekking safari to Yianta.
1700hrs: Arrive at Yianta Camp
1900hrs: Dinner is served and spent- ample resting time in preparation of the next day walk.


Day 3
0600hrs: Early breakfast at camp
0630hrs: Break the camp and get ready for a walk.
0730hrs: Depart from Yianta Camp for Oltulelei Camp.
1200hrs: Arrive at Enkutoto, Picnic Lunch is served and rest for a while before start trekking to Oltulelei camp.
1400hrs: Start trekking to Oltulelei Bush Camp.
1630hrs: Arrive at Oltulelei Bush Camp and spent overnight.

Day 4
0630hrs: Breakfast at the mobile bush camp.
0730hrs: Depart for majimoto.
1030hrs: Stopover at Oloirowua, rest for awhile.
1100hrs: start trekking to Narosura.
1230hrs: Arrive at Narosura, have lunch and rest for a while.
1400hrs: Start trekking to Majimoto.
1630hrs: Arrive at majimoto.
1700hrs: Stay overnight at the nearest mobile camp.

Day 5
0730hrs: Breakfast at camp, prepare for a whole day of driving through different locations of the Mara and watching animals n their habitats, feeding resting e.t.c.
1130hrs: Picnic lunch at a strategic point either at the Hippo Pool where you watch hippos swimming in pools or by the river depending on the game drive direction.
1400hrs: Another short game drive for wildlife viewing. Mara being one of the spectacular game viewing places, one will be able to see a number of animals; elephant, rhino, giraffe, hippo, antelopes, lion, buffalo, zebra, kongoni, leopard.
1530hrs: Choose between staying overnight in the Mara and, or travelling to Nairobi.


2. Ngurumanbushcamp to Entasopia water falls

0600hrs: Early breakfast is served at the Ngurumanbushcamp.
0645hrs: Drive to the foot of the escarpment to hike up.
0745hrs: Arrive at the foot of the escarpment, start hiking up.
1030hrs: Arrive at the water fall; enjoy what nature offers; gorgeous ravines, evergreen forest and certainly the nippy water that recompense the heat after the hike.
1200hrs: Picnic lunch served at the foot of the falls.
1330hrs: Take a short nature walk (plant walk) with experienced guides who will show different medicinal plants and how they are used.
1500hrs: Start trekking back to Ngurumanbushcamp.

4. Client tailored short safaris

a.Half day trip to Lake Natron to see flamingoes.
b.Half day bird watching activity and or short walk to see Columbus monkeys.
c.Visit to community projects, social amenities (schools)

Destinations.

1.The Nguruman Escarpments
Nguruman Escarpment is located approximately 150 kilometers southwest of Nairobi city. It is in the southern most part of Kenya, bordering Tanzania.
Nguruman Escarpment is an escarpment in southern Kenya. The escarpment is around 50 kilometers long and elongated in N-W direction. Its northern edge is approximately 120 km southwest of Nairobi, while the southern edge is near the Tanzanian border, at the northwestern corner of Lake Natron. The southern Ewaso ngiro river flows along the foot of the escarpment, while Loita Hills are located west of the Escarpment. The escarpment forms the western wall of the Great Rift Valley. Below it are the vast plains and the volcanic hills of the Great Rift Valley and in the distance are Lake Magadi and Lake Natron. The valley floor is about 750m above sea level, while the Elevation of the crest of the escarpment is about 2300m
The Nguruman escarpment marks the western wall of the Great Rift Valley. The escarpment is approximately 50 kilometers long stretching north-west from the Kenyan-Tanzanian border. Its environs are true land of contrast; ranging from open woodland, vast plains with patches of bushes and open woodland on the eastern part of the escarpment to the dense thicket on the slopes of the escarpment. The escarpment is a source of numerous streams which make up the four main rivers in the area namely; Entasopia, Oloibortoto, Sampu and Pakase. The escarpment serves as a home (habitat) to numerous wildlife species; animals, birds and plants. Along the base of the escarpment flows a permanent relatively bigger river known as Ewaso-Ngiro which is christen so due its brown color of its water. This is the longest rivers in the area originating from the Mau Escarpments and drains to Lake Natron.


2.Maasai Mara
-The most spectacular wildlife destination (Game Reserves) in East Africa.
-Famous for its annual Wildebeest migration from Tanzania to the vast Savannah grasslands and crossing the Mara River.
-A spectacular Wildlife area that leaves everyone to cherish nature and its diversities.
-Wide variety of game can be viewed at a close but save distant; these include the following: The big five (Lion, Elephant, Leopard, Buffalo and Rhino), Giraffes, Warthogs, Hippos, Crocodiles, Cheetah, Hyena, Jackals, Impalas, and numerous species of birds.

3.Amboseli

•Elephants seem to out number the rest of the wild animals species in the area.
•The flatness of the area and its terrain gives a spectacular view of the snow caped mountain-Kilimanjaro.
•A land of with diverse contrasts between arid dry plains to swamps (oasis), with plenty of game everywhere.
•Habitat to large varieties of game (wildlife) species.

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Lake Natrons

 
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Lake Magadi and The Natrons

•Magadi is a Maasai word which means ‘Soda’, while the word Natron is a chemical word for natural sodium carbonate. The lakes are gigantic bath, partly liquid and partly solid (soda). . Covering the lake is a corrosive sump of water and soda.
•Magadi and Natron are the Rift valley great tracks of soda.
•The Natron is the breeding ground of millions of flamingoes in the East African region. Both flamingo species i.e. lesser flamingoes and the greater flamingoes are the majority in these salty lakes.
•The lesser flamingoes feed on the green algae growing near the water surface while the greater flamingoes feed on tiny mollusks and crustaceans.
•Food supplies in the soda lakes contain canthaxanthin, a substance similar to Vitamin A which turns the flamingoes pink in color.
•Marabou stork is among the few flamingo predators.
•The lakes are quite shallow, less than three meters (10 feet) deep, and vary in width depending on its water level.

The Nguruman Escarpment

Nguruman Escarpment is located approximately 150 kilometers southwest of Nairobi city. It is in the southern most part of Kenya, bordering Tanzania. The Nguruman escarpment marks the western wall of the Great Rift Valley. The escarpment is approximately 50 kilometers long stretching north-west from the Kenyan-Tanzanian border. Its environs are true land of contrast; ranging from open woodland, vast plains with patches of bushes and open woodland on the eastern part of the escarpment to the dense thicket on the slopes of the escarpment. The escarpment is a source of numerous streams which make up the four main rivers in the area namely; Entasopia, Oloibortoto, Sampu and Pakase. The escarpment serves as a home (habitat) to numerous wildlife species; animals, birds and plants. Along the base of the escarpment flows a permanent relatively bigger river known as Ewaso-Ngiro which is christen so due its brown color of its water. This is the longest rivers in the area originating from the Mau Escarpments and drains to Lake Natron.