Welcome to Enchanting Journeys

Majestic Kenya…yours to experience 

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"Here I am, where I belong” - Karen Blixen

How do you capture the essence of Africa on paper without using up every cliche in the book? No other Continent comes close to it for scale, variety & pure, raw impact. Something special about Africa touches the soul; it is a Continent of 54 immensely diverse countries that is both deeply troubled & profoundly uplifting. The Big 5, a beautiful diversity of Landscapes, Animals, Flora & Fauna & of course, fascinating Cultures.

 

& Kenya is where the concept of an African Safari began - the magic of the open, Game-packed savannahs still reverberates throughout this fascinating country. Come…experience Kenya with us…

 

Whether you are a wide-eyed first-timer or a frequent visitor, Africa cannot fail to get under your skin. The canvas upon which the Continent's epic story is written is itself astonishing & reason enough to visit. From the tropical Rain Forests of Central Africa to the endless rippling Dunes & waterless tracts of the Sahara, from the signature Savannah of the east to jagged mountains & green-tinged Highlands all across the Continent, Africa has few peers when it comes to natural beauty.

 

Africa’s natural history alone would make a dozen visits worthwhile - where else on earth can you fall asleep to the sound of Lions roaring, or watch a million Flamingos take off from the waters of a remote soda Lake? Parts of Africa boast scenery so spectacular they will damn near blow your mind, but the essence of this incredible Continent isn’t in any Desert, Mountain or Lake. It is the spirit of the people - pushing, shoving, sweating, dancing, singing & laughing - that infects so many visitors with a travel bug so powerful they will never stop coming back, sometimes against all sense or reason.

 

The past retains its hold over the lives of many Africans, but just as many have embraced the future, bringing creativity & sophistication to the Continent's cities & urban centres. Sometimes this New Africa is expressed in a creative-conservation search for solutions to the local environmental problems, or in an eagerness to break free of the restrictive chains of the past & transform the traveller experience. But just as often, modern Africans are taking all that is new & fusing it onto the best of the old.

 

On this fantastic, enlightening, surprising, intriguing Continent where human beings first came into existence, customs, traditions & ancient rites tie Africans to generations & ancestors past & to the collective memory of myriad people. In many rural areas, it can feel as though the modern world might never have happened, & they are all the better for it, old ways of doing things - with a certain grace & civility, hospitality & a community spirit - survive. There are time-honoured Ceremonies, Masks that tell stories of spirit worlds never lost, Music that date back to the days of Africa's golden Empires.

 

Debate with venerable Merchants among the cool, narrow streets of an Arabic Medina, dance to the thumping Reggae beats coming from a West African Market Stall, or shoot the breeze with Fishermen under Indian Ocean palm trees & you will be struck more than anything else by the honesty, warm-heartedness & vitality of the African people.

 

A Noah's Ark of wildlife brings these landscapes to life, with a tangible & sometimes profoundly mysterious presence that adds so much personality to the African wild. So many of the great beasts including Elephants, Hippos & Lions, call Africa home.

 

And East Africa is a wild realm of extraordinary Landscapes, People & Wildlife in one of the Planet's most beautiful corners. A Cradle of Mankind, as the first species of the Homo genus evolved here & migrated to the rest of the world. The 2 highest mountains in Africa are located here: Mount Kilimanjaro & Mount Kenya. River Nile, the longest in Africa originates from Africa's biggest lake, Lake Nyanza (also known as Lake Victoria).

 

Prior to Colonialism, the Swahili Coast, which comprised the coastal areas of what is today Kenya, Tanzania & northern Mozambique was a very prosperous region, being home to numerous wealthy City-states such as Zanzibar, Mombasa & Kilwa Kisiwani. Zanzibar in particular, was the hub of Trade Routes that went across the Indian Ocean & Sahara Desert, including that of the Arab Slave Trade.

 

Ethiopia became one of the world's first countries to adopt Christianity as the state religion, having much older Christian roots than most European countries & consequently, there are numerous impressive Churches that reflect that heritage.

 

In the late 19^th century, the British Empire tried to create a chain of colonies from Cape to Cairo, competing with German East Africa until the defeat of Germany in World War I, after which present-day Tanzania was transferred to the British. Ethiopia famously resisted European colonialism (except a brief occupation by Italy in the 1930s), & the Dervish State wasn't colonized until after most other pre-colonial African States.

 

Going on safari may be something of a travel cliche, but we are yet to find a traveller who has watched the wildlife in motion in the Masai Mara, stumbled upon the paradise that is the Ngorongoro Crater, or communed with Gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest & has not been reduced to an ecstatic state of childlike wonder. Try it once & we guarantee you will dream about coming back for the rest of your life.

 

Africa’s not always an easy place to travel in & it can be challenging at times. Hardships & logistical disasters can happen. But don’t believe everything you see on CNN & Fox or other western channels whose coverage of a place is prevaricated on political expediency. The list of delinquents changes often & the same destination could be denigrated today & accorded glowing coverage tomorrow.

 

Natural Beauty | Wildlife Bonanza | Captivating Cultures

And now with reference to context, let us talk about Kenya in East Africa on the palm-fringed coastline of Indian Ocean, encompassing Savannah, Lakelands, the dramatic Great Rift Valley that once threatened to tear the Continent asunder, the snow-capped Mountain almost on the Equator & within sight of harsh Deserts. Home to wildlife - Lions, Elephants & Rhinos, Giraffes etc. in the lush, dense Forests reminiscent of the Continent’s heart & of course, the unique picture-perfect annual Wildebeest Migrations.

 

The people, too, represent a wide cross-section of everything that is contemporary Africa, & everyday life brings together traditional Tribes & urban families; ancient customs & modern sensibilities. Swapping the latest political gossip with the switched-on locals is just one more small pleasure that comes with the culture & adds depth & resonance to Kenya’s age-old story.

 

The Masai, the Samburu, the Turkana, Swahili, the Kikuyu - these are the people whose histories & daily struggles tell the story of a country & a Continent - the struggle to maintain traditions as the modern world crowds in, the daily fight for survival in some of the harshest environments on earth, the ancient tension between those who Farm & those who Roam. Drawing near to these cultures, even coming to understand them a little better through your presence among them, could just be a highlight of your visit.

 

The survival & abundance of Kenya's wildlife owes everything to one of Africa's most innovative & successful Conservation communities. Through some pretty tough love - Kenya pioneered the use of armed Rangers to protect Rhinos & Elephants - Kenya stopped the emptying of its wilderness, bringing its wildlife back from the brink after the poaching ‘free-fall’ of the 1970s & 1980s. More than that, private & community conservancies bring Tourism together with Community Development & Wildlife Conservation in a near-perfect marriage

 

Wildlife Safaris have been the mainstay of Kenya’s Tourism for decades & several Game Parks are among the best places in Africa to see Lions, Elephants, Leopards etc.& the famous Wildebeest Migration. Kenya also rates as one of the top 5 Bird-watching destinations in the world.

 

Other activities for outdoor aficionados include Trekking the glacial ridges of Mt Kenya, Ballooning over the Masai Mara, snorkelling at the Marine National Park in Malindi on the Indian Ocean coast & much more besides.

 

For a country of its size, Kenya sure packs a lot in: Mountains & Deserts, colourful Tribes, Beaches & Coral Reefs & Africa’s best wildlife attractions. In fact, to say Kenya is Africa in microcosm would not be stretching the point. There are a million different reasons to come here & picking just one is nigh impossible.

 

There is so much more to Africa than nature's considerable bounty. Idyllic scenery, majestic animals, great experiences are just the beginning. Take the plunge now & yep….the Big 5 await you & The Journeys is ready to take you on well, a journey (or journeys) of discovery.

  

Come…be inspired & discover the World…

We are in the process of updating our Offerings of experiential journeys to Kenya. Please contact us in the interim if you want to explore more options & we will be happy to customise & offer suggestions based on your personal preferences…