April 4, 2013

We enjoyed our stay in the Samburu game lodge very much but today it is unfortunately time to move on.

As my family does not feel like visiting another tribal village we stop some Turkana women along the road and ask if they allow me to take their picture.

Turkana, Kenya

Turkana, Kenya

We will be staying one night in the famous Mount Kenya Safari Club. An advantage of travelling in the wet season is that prices are significantly lower than in the dry season and in the high season this place would have been far above our budget. As there are only a handfull guests, they upgrade us to a garden suite, a separate unit in the garden with two rooms and a living room in the middle with an open fire place and a view of Mount Kenya. Fabulous!

I visit the Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy with my youngest daughter. She loves it that she is allowed to feed some of the animals. The guide at the conservancy is  just superb.

Mount Kenya wildlife Conservancy

Mount Kenya wildlife Conservancy

Mount Kenya wildlife Conservancy

We are the only tourists around. At the conservancy they have a mountain bongo rehabilitation programme. The Bongo is a highly endangered species with less than 100 animals remaining of which 70 are in the conservancy and the plan is to reintroduce them to the wild in the Mount Kenya national park or the Aberdares mountains. 

Mount Kenya wildlife Conservancy

Mount Kenya wildlife conservancy

In addition they have a breeding programme for the endangered cheetah. The Kenyan cheetah is weak due to inbreeding and at the Conservancy they try to breed East African cheetah with Southern African species to strenghten their genes.   http://www.animalorphanagekenya.org/

Mount Kenya wildlife conservancy

 What makes the Mount Kenya safaric club so wonderfull is their staff. From the reception, the bar, the restaurant , the chuca dancers, everyone we met was so friendly. The bar tender from near lake Victoria was especially fantastic with the children.