Showing posts with label african safari fun day. Show all posts
Showing posts with label african safari fun day. Show all posts

Thursday, November 22, 2007

Kongoni Game valley Ranch & Lakeside House

Kongoni Game valley Ranch
You become one of the privileged few when you stay at the kongoni Game valley ranch. The elegance of the Brithgttti ranch house and its dramatic setting make this a very special place. The Kongoni Game Valley Ranch house is on a hilltop overlooking Lake Naivasha and the surrounding volcano peaks. The romance of the place begins in 1901 with a French marquis who built this home in Africa for his new American bride. They lived there happily until the early 1940's.they are both buried in a secluded part of the garden where the view they loved is absolutely breathtaking. The long low stone house with its ochre-tiled roof stands in a wide expanse of mowed lawns and tended gardens. It all feels very established and well-cared for there is an aura if quality. The house is built around a central country yard the communal living and dining rooms overlook the lake and open out to a wide veranda furnished with commodious wicker furniture and cushions. Guests are encouraged to relax in this restful spot and enjoy the magnificent view
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Below, shinning beyond its fringe of acacia trees is the lake framed by extinct volcanoes and the soaring sides of the rift valley. A forest of primeval euphorbia contrast with the clipped lawns and English style flower beds of the garden. Meals at Kongoni are memorable; intimate tables, garden flowers, and views from the sunroom at breakfast, cozy candlelight inside at night. The food is wonderfully can smell the bread baklkig; pizza arrives fresh from oven. The emphasis is on gourmets Italian cooking and the pasta and ice cream are homemade. Gianna jokes that the big five at Kingoni valley ranch are parmesan cheese, olive oil, capers risotto and pasta-mouth watering. Guests can take a walk at the shore or go boating. you are likely to see a wide variety of birds and perhaps a wide-open toothy yawn from a hippo. You may decide. you may decide simply to sit on the veranda in cushioned comfort and absorb the beauty and peace

Accommodation
Kongoni can accommodate up to 26 guests. Every guest room has been furnished by Gianna. The many personal touches remind you that you are in a private home. Each room has a rather charming and old fashioned bathroom. Many with turn of- the century European fixtures, including bidet. Most rooms open onto the central courtyard but some are in separate cottages or have private outside entrances. Some have fireplaces, and one even has an en suite sauna. Kingoni Valley ranch has recently opened another house very near to the lake with beautiful water views. Though separate this house is still on ranch property and can accommodate a private party of uo to seven guests in one single and tree double bedrooms. it is fully catered and can enjoy all the activities and facilities of the ranch

Lakeside House
Lake side house is a small home near the turnoff onto Moi south lake road the grounds and gardens are not very grand, but you can look toward the papyrus at the edge of the lake from the veranda. Guest sleep in one double room in the main farmhouse and in a nearby cottage .The cottage rooms have en suite shower bathrooms. The rooms are very small and rather crowded with furnishing. There are homey touches such as books magazines and instant coffee/tea trays





Wednesday, November 21, 2007

African Kenya safari

For the visitor nurtured on the writings of Rider Haggard, Ernest Hemingway, Karen Blixen, Elspeth Huxley, Robert Ruark, Jim Corbett, Baden-Powell, Joy Adamson And the celluloid epics of the golden years of Hollywood, Kenya has always exerted a magic spell.
This nation at the heart of a great continent has remained a more powerful magnet for safari tourist from the western world than any other country in Black Africa. And its easy to se why. Kenya is scenically magnificent; 583,644 square kilometers (224,335 square miles) much of it dramatic wilderness unsurpassed anywhere in the world.

Straddling the equator and riven down its middle by the great Rift valley, Kenya’s landscapes are varied and beautiful opposites-from snow-capped mountain peak to blazing desert from rain-soaked timber forest to glistening white beaches. And studded throughout the land are more than 40 wildlife national parks and game reserves which contain some of the world’s most interesting wildlife species. Kenya is also exceptional in other ways than the ageless wonder of scenery and wildlife .The country history since 1963, when independence was won from the British, under the leadership of freedom fighter “Mzee” Jomo Kenyatta, is one of remarkable social and economic advances. Symbolic of Kenya’s success in merging traditional Africa tribal society with modern technological society is the imposing Kenyatta international conference centre in the heart of Nairobi. The Center’s 30story tower is one of Kenya’s most imposing buildings; the cone-shaped roof of its amphitheatre inspired by traditional African round hut.A statue of Kenya’s founding father, Jomo Kenyatta who died in 1978, stands in the center’s foremost court.

KENYA IN BRIEF
Kenya: Attained independence as a member of the commonwealth on 12 December 1963 after six months of self-government and declared itself a republic on12 December 1964.

Nairobi: the capital was incorporated as a city on 30th March 1950 by royal Letters of patent presented by Duke of Gloucester the population is about 3 million

People of Kenya: The 2002 census recorded a national population of 30.3 million mainly African. Half of the population is under the age of 30.

Cities and Towns: Mombasa is the oldest town dating to a 2nd-century settlement, is the second largest town in Kenya with a population approaching 1.5 million. Kisumu on the shore of Lake Victoria is the third with a population of about 800,000.

Faith in Kenya: The Major religions are Christianity, Islam and Hindu

Main Kenya Rivers: Tana; Athi-Galana-Sabaki; Ewaso Ngiro; Kerio; Mara; Nzoia; Turkwel; and voi-Goshi-Rare.

Language: Swahili is the lingua franca and the national language although English is widely used in business, teaching and government. About 75 different languages are in use including Kikuyu and Dholuo

Entry point by Land: Malaba and Busia (from Uganda); Lungalunga, Taveta, Loitokitok and Namanga (from Tanzania); Moyale and Todenyang (from Ethiopia); Kolbio (from Somalia; and Lokichogio (from Sudan)

Entry point by Water: Lamu, Malindi, Kilifi, Momabsa, Kisumu, Homabay
Entry point by Air: Jomo Kenyatta international airport, Nairobi; Moi International Airport, Mombasa; Kisumu and Wilson Airport, Nairobi.

Lakes Of Kenya
: Victoria (63,000 square kilometers); Turkana (6,500 square kilometers); Baringo; Bogoria; Nakuru; Elmentaita; Ol bollosatt; Naivasha; Magadi; Chala; and Lake Jipe

Mountains of Kenya: Mount Kenya (17,058feet); Mount Elgon (14,178 feet) The Aberdares (ol Doinyo Lesatiama 13,120 feet); and the Cheranganis (11,055 feet)

African Kenya Safari Planners