Adventure travel 2013: Top new trips to emerging places

Published in USAToday.com

Tsavo, Kenya: Africa's Appalachian Trail

Tropical Ice Ltd. is setting new standards for the continent's hiking options by guiding a seriously epic, long-haul trekking trip across central Africa. The 100-mile-plus walk traverses the massive Tsavo West and East national parks, following the courses of the Tsavo and Galana rivers.The walking safari takes 11 days, utilizing 8 of the company's camps. As co-owner Iain Allan says: "The wonderful thing about this walk is that it follows no roads, only trails created by hippo and elephant, so we're able to explore some really remote areas—the Africa of my youth." Also, Artisans of Leisure is offering new trip options in Kenya, on a broader basis.

‘Out of Africa’ revisited: the Karen Blixen Museum in Kenya

Published in the Dallas Morning News

NAIROBI, Kenya — “I wonder if I’ll see Meryl Streep here,” I think as I first behold the squatty, sprawling gray fieldstone bungalow where once lived Karen Blixen, the real-life heroine of Out of Africa, a film that won seven Academy Awards. Now home to the Karen Blixen Museum, this elegant century-old cottage on the outskirts of Nairobi draws visitors from all over the world.

Streep, who played Blixen opposite Robert Redford in the 1985 Sidney Pollack film, was rumored to be on safari in Kenya, so it wasn’t altogether unreasonable to think she might wander in. George Clooney has even visited, but I wasn’t looking for movie stars; I’d come for Karen, whose true story is far more fascinating.

Exactly 100 years ago this December, Karen Christenze Dinesen, a naive 28-year-old Danish bride, boarded a ship in Naples, Italy, and embarked on a life-changing adventure in Kenya, where she would spend the next 17 years. Her story, later chronicled in her memoirs, Out of Africa and Shadows on the Grass under the pen name Isak Dinesen, is one of a passionate, tumultuous 17-year love affair with Africa.

Her great adventure began when she married her cousin, Baron Bror von Blixen-Finecke, and they bought a 6,000-acre coffee farm in colonial Africa. After they divorced, the baroness tried to hold the failing farm together. Over time, she fell in love with tall, blond, balding British aristocrat, safari guide and aviator Denys Finch Hatton. Although he loved her and periodically lived with her in this house, he was a free spirit who wouldn’t be tied down. Killed in a plane crash on his way back to her, Finch Hatton is buried in the Ngong Hills above her farm.

At the time of his death, Blixen was losing everything she owned to drought, fire and creditors. At night she would walk paths of the farm agonizing over how to save it. In despair, she attempted suicide and left Africa forever.

Time would soften the rough edges of her story and help Blixen heal.

Bror and Karen named their 1912 bungalow Mbogani, a Kiswahili word meaning “house in the forest.” In 1964, the Danish government purchased the house, which had several owners over the years, giving it to Kenya as an independence gift. Acquired by National Museums of Kenya, it opened as a museum in 1986. After closing for renovations, it recently reopened to the public. Surrounded by sweeping lawns and towering trees, the house looks surprisingly unchanged from when Blixen lived there from 1917 to 1931, as old photographs show.

Though Blixen sold most of her furniture to pay creditors, a few pieces have been recovered and donated to the museum, including a bookcase built for Finch Hatton’s books with money he gave her. On it, she engraved small brass plates with his initials. A cabinet in the dining room held medicine used to treat natives on the farm. Other furnishings are of the period; some, including a phonograph, cuckoo clock and dining table, are from the set of Out of Africa.

The house is roomy, with a library, dining room, foyer, lavatory, three bedrooms and kitchen. The dining room where Blixen twice entertained the Prince of Wales has a fireplace and French doors opening to a small patio with views of the Ngong Hills. A millstone table there was Blixen’s favorite spot to sit and smoke each morning.

Twice nominated for the Nobel Prize for literature, Blixen died in Denmark at the age of 77. Biographer Linda Donelson writes, “Every evening before going to bed, she opened the south door of her house and looked toward Africa.”

Blixen writes, “I have had so infinitely much that was wonderful … I have looked into the eyes of lions and slept under the Southern Cross … seen the grass on the great plains ablaze and covered delicate green after the rains. I have been the friend of Somali, Kikuyu, and Masai; I have flown over the Ngong Hills.”

Here in Kenya in this house, Blixen would awake each morning thinking, “Here I am, where I ought to be.” Today, standing on her lawn where thousands of natives once gathered for Ngomas, drum dances lit by bonfires, I feel the same way.

Janis Turk is a freelance writer who lives in Seguin.

When you go

The Karen Blixen Museum, 6 miles outside Nairobi, is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., including weekends and holidays, offering guided tours. The museum conducts research and has collected oral history about Blixen from the descendants of her workers. It also hosts a new exhibition that tells Blixen’s story from the African perspective and is building a new visitor center. museums.or.ke

Stay: Out of Africa fans will love spending the night on Blixen’s actual farm in the Karen Blixen Suite, adjacent to the Denys Finch Hatton suite at Hemingways Nairobi, a new 45-room boutique hotel property that opened in April on what were once the grounds of Blixen’s farm, less than a mile from the Karen Blixen Museum. All rooms have arresting views of the Ngong Hills. For possibly the best steak in town, dine at Hemingways Brasserie, where the executive chef, Barry Tonks, is the only chef in Kenya to have been awarded a prestigious Michelin Star. hemingways-nairobi.com

Downtown: For a downtown option, stay at the new 200-room Hotel Villa Rosa Kempinski opening this month in Nairobi’s commercial center. kempinski.com/en/nairobi/hotel-villa-rosa

Safari: Kenya’s best safari camps are just a short flight from Nairobi on small carriers such as SafariLink. For a family-friendly option, visit Sweetwaters Serena Camp in Ol Pejeta Conservancy in the shadow of Mount Kenya. serenahotels.com/serenasweetwaters

If you want the best chance to see the Big Five of wildlife and long for your own romantic Out of Africaexperience, go on safari where Denys Finch Hatton and Bror von Blixen-Finecke did: the Masai Mara. Stay in the Olare Mara Kempinski Masai Mara Tented Camp in the Olare Orok Conservancy, where you’ll find more than 2 million wildebeest, zebra and the world’s largest lion population (kempinski.com/masaimara). Other great options are Elephant Pepper Camp (elephantpeppercamp.com), Mara Leisure Camp (maraleisurecamp.co.ke) and Cottar’s 1920s Safari Camp (cottars.com).

Experience: The Mara is also home to numerous Masai villages, many of which welcome visitors. The Masai retain their native dress and fascinating culture.

EXPLORE KENYA by visiting magicalkenya.com.

Sneak Peek: Mahali Mzuri, Kenya

Published in RobbReport.com 

On August 1, Mahali Mzuri, a Virgin Limited Edition property, opens on the Motorogi Conservancy in the Maasai Mara ecosystem in Kenya. It comprises 12 tented rooms, priced from $590 per person per night, with meals and guided tours included. On the daily game drives through the Motorogi and the nearby Olare Orok Conservancy, guests might encounter lions, leopards, wildebeest, elephants, gazelles, and more. The property also offers day trips to local Maasai communities, as well as a full-service spa. (+44.208.600.0430, www.mahalimzuri.virgin.com) 

From lions to luxury, a Kenyan safari like no other

Published in the New York Daily News

See the "Big Five" on the Serengeti, then dip your toes in the Indian Ocean

Elephants roam the northern Mara Conservancy in Kenya, which celebrates its 50th year of independence from Britain this year.

Kenya marks 50 years of independence from Britain this year, and there's no better way to celebrate than by visiting the original home of the safari — a local word for "journey."

New openings throughout the East African country are poised to make Kenyan journeys, from city to bush to coast, extra luxurious — and stunningly sundry: the tourist-friendly country, divided by the equator, boasts a dramatic diversity of climate, culture, language and landscape.
Safaris generally kick off in Kenya’s bustling capital, Nairobi, at the Norfolk Hotel, a 109-year-old institution that’s hosted the likes of Teddy Roosevelt, Ernest Hemmingway and Robert Redford, who filmed “Out of Africa” there.

The colonial-style property's lush, sprawling grounds are decked out with a 1903 rickshaw and Model A-Ford Roadstar — but there are plenty of new features: the hotel recently completed a $12 million restoration that included the addition of hypoallergenic suites and extensive refurbishment of all guest rooms.

Also in Kenya’s concrete jungle, two hotels opened their doors. Hemingways Nairobi is a 45-suite boutique hotel set in an exclusive suburb, while Hotel Villa Rosa, in the city center, will be Kempinski's first property in Kenya. With 200 rooms and a host of dining options — including a pan-Asian restaurant, Italian bistro and Moroccan Rooftop Lounge — Hotel Villa Rosa will also offer conference facilities and a spa.

Nairobi is a cosmopolitan city of over 3 million people, but visitors can fast forget that in Nairobi National Park, the only protected area in the world close to a capital city. Along stretches of acacia bush, wildlife roam: rhinos, lions, leopards, cheetahs, buffalos, giraffes, zebra and more.
 

Have a sunset cocktail or sumptuous Indian buffet dinner at the new Ole Sereni Hotel’s chic Big Five restaurant, overlooking the park. Then check into The Emakoko, a modish lodge on the park’s southern border, which opened in 2011.
Spy on buffalo while taking a bath in one of 10 open-plan cottages, or enjoy a game drive like none other: Ogle zebras on one side and the Nairobi cityscape on the other.
A short flight from Nairobi is the Masai Mara region, and one of Kenya’s most famous nature reserves. It’s classic savannah — 700 square miles of vibrant grasslands and crimson-colored earth — where animals abound and the Masai, decked out in vibrant beads and tartans, tend to their cattle.

The Mara hosts a renowned seasonal animal migration — up to 2 million wildebeest, thousands of zebra and an escort of carnivores from the Serengeti plains — but any time of year guarantees prime animal viewing. The popularity of the Mara makes animals accustomed to visitors — which means an elephant or lion is likely to graze your open-air vehicle.

Snap shots of topi, spotted hyenas, noble-looking impalas and sprightly Thompson gazelles. The odds of catching sight of all of Kenya’s feted “Big Five” — lions, leopards, elephants, buffalos and rhinos — are exceptionally good, and expert safari guides are eager to share their encyclopedic wealth of animal knowledge.

As for accommodations, If camping in Kenya evokes notions of roughing it in meager tents, you haven’t been on safari lately. It’s possible to go bare bones, but the ultimate experience is eco-luxury: elegantly decked-out canvas tents; bush breakfasts and lunches featuring gourmet cheese platters and and as-you-like-it omelet stations; nightly “sundowners” at sunset with a fully staffed bar, canapés and a campfire magically appearing in the bush.

Two eco-luxury camps in the Mara boast exceptional service and style. Elephant Pepper’s eight elegant tents are nestled in a grove of giant ebony and elephant pepper trees. Sans generators, fences, cement or permanent structures, the camp boasts “bucket showers” — order your shower in advance, and the golden tank will be filled up when you're ready for it. Gourmet meals are served outdoors or in the candlelit-dining tent, decked out in classic safari style: gold and dark-wood furniture, brightened by beaded Masai accents.

1)Women from the Masai Mara sing in front of the traditional boma (thorn-hedge) surrounding their village.

At nearby Serian Camp, owned by Kenyan filmmaker Alex Walker, sleep in a four-poster bed while being serenaded by hippos. The camp is set on the Mara River, where river walks and sunset run alongside zebras.

Both camps are members of the four-year-old Mara North Conservancy, a consortium of eco-friendly tour companies partnered with Masai land owners to sustain wildlife and local communities. Land is leased, and the 12 member camps also set up educational and health programs for local communities.

As the Mara’s popularity grows, more camps and conservancies open to serve the masses. Marasa Africa, a member of one of the largest private-sector groups in East Africa, purchased three safari lodges in Kenya, including the Mara Leisure Camp, where tents have been refurbished. The Olare Mara Kempinski, featuring 12 elevated tents with private balconies, opens this year in the Olare Orok Conservancy, home to some of the Mara’s largest lion prides, and Virgin chief Richard Branson just launched his 12-tent property, Mahali Mzuri — Swahili for “beautiful place” in the Motorogi Conservancy.

From the cool mornings of the Mara, safari-goers can migrate north to the arid, secluded Shaba Reserve, alongside Samburu National Park. This volcanic area is home to some of the largest elephant bulls in Kenya, along with unique wildlife species: endangered Grevy’s zebras, reticulated giraffes, Somali ostriches and gerenuk antelopes.

Settle in at Joy's Camp, an elegant oasis opened two years ago on the site of naturalist and author Joy Adamson’s tented home. The camp overlooks a natural spring where elephants and lions jostle for watering rights. Do laps in the pool while buffalo and zebras parade before you.

Elephant Pepper Camp offers eco-luxury in the bush.

Settle into a majestic bed that evokes Princess Jasmine: sumptuous tents are uniquely decorated with Somali cloth design, handmade glass and vibrant local fabrics. Awaken to a symphony of birds: over 1,000 of Kenya's bird species are seemingly right at your doorstep.
After days in the bush, ending safaris on the coast is the ultimate luxury. Fly to the port city of Mombasa, gateway to East Africa and chock-a-block with Arab houses featuring juliet balconies and brass-studded doors.

Enjoy days of R&R at one of two neighboring resort areas: Lamu features unspoiled beaches, medieval ambience, an architecturally magnificent Old Town and an annual Swahili cultural festival; Diani Beach is a slice of the Caribbean in East Africa, named by CNN traveler as Africa’s second-best beach.

Settling into one of Alfajiri's three breathtaking villas — garden, cliff or beach — is the premiere Diani indulgence. The chic beachfront properties are decked out in striking handcrafted furniture, and most rooms boast ocean vistas; the grounds are dotted with palm and frangipani trees and decked out with private infinity pools.

Let the Italian owners roll out the red carpet, all included in your stay: massages on the beach; full-time butlers, babysitters and chauffeurs; gourmet menus featuring local specialties and Mediterranean delights.

Take a Ngalawa — local African boat — to a coral reef for snorkeling, or a middle-of-the-sea sandbar for sunbathing. Enjoy a camel ride on the beach, then sip a local Tusker beer at one of the popular bars along Diani's casual, lively beachfront strip. Pay a visit to the oldest Mosque in East Africa, the Congo Mosque, located along a stunning stretch of white-sand beach, dotted with coconut vendors.
For a more traditionally resort-style Diani experience, book a room at the newly opened Swahili Beach hotel, a sprawling five-star property featuring 110 Swahili-style rooms — think Arabic arches merged with East African touches — eight pools, a spa, a champagne and oyster bar.
And in the end, it all adds up to a safari like none other — from lions to luxury.

Safaris can be coordinated via Extraordinary Journeys: ExtraordinaryJourneys.net