Kenya’s Wild North and Beach Adventure

Nights 4 - 6: Meru Wilderness

Off the beaten tourist path, Meru is often cited as a secret gem. A thriving rhino sanctuary means all of the Big Five are here and the contrast of habitats makes it one of the most spectacular parks in Kenya.

Along with neighbouring Kora National Park, it was here that George and Joy Adamson hand-raised and released Elsa the lioness and subsequently the lions used in the creation of the Born Free movie. Guests here can visit George’s grave, next to that of some of his lions. Numerous streams of crystal-clear water emanate here and tumble down to create ribbons of palm-fringed oases in what is otherwise a harsh ‘thorn-veld’. Naturally, these conditions attract wildlife and it was for this reason that Meru National Park was created.

Meru Wilderness camp comprises of the following:

Light weight tents with proper beds and carpets, shelves for clothes and a side table and solar lighting.
En-suite toilet set over a hole in the ground, known as a short drop loo.
Bucket shower in a tent near your tent. When you would like a shower, water is heated in a metal drum on an open fire and poured into the bucket which is then raised using a rope.

All the food is freshly cooked in the kitchen which is set up under the shade of a glade of trees. Delicious pizzas, quiches, home-made bread, and lots of healthy salads are produced daily, as well as unhealthy treats such as chocolate fondant, sticky toffee pudding and lemon, heaven!

Meru is tropical and full of rivers and palm trees, glades of magnificent fig trees, mahogany trees and many more. The vegetation can be thick meaning you have to work to see wildlife a bit, but the park is full of lions, giraffes, buffalo, elephant, lesser kudu, gerenuk, hippos, crocodiles, cheetah and leopard. Inside a rhino sanctuary are white and black rhino. With a huge range of habitats it is no wonder it has the greatest diversity of mammal species of any park in Kenya.

Fishing in the clear rivers of Meru usually produces enough tilapia for dinner one night, and you can fish with a fly here as the water is clear enough. Spinning rods and worms are provided.

Nights 7 - 9: Lobolo Camp

To the far north west lies the “Jade Sea” – Lake Turkana. The largest alkaline lake in the world, it is also the planet’s largest permanent desert lake. It sits in the floor of the Great Rift Valley and is surrounded by fascinating geological and anthropological history. The shores of the lake continue to reveal hominid fossils and stone tools, searched for by the Turkana Basin Institute, set up by the famous paleoanthropologist family, the Leakey’s.

Midway along the western shore of Lake Turkana sheltered in the hollow of a spit lies Lobolo Camp, which in the local Turkana language means a place of abundant water, indeed it is an area of natural springs whose waters have given rise to a verdant oasis of foliage and distinct animal and birdlife. It is a discreet oasis with a special atmosphere of tranquillity and a halcyon spirit, “far from the maddening crowds.”

Adeptly integrated into this milieu are Lobolo’s eight ensuite safari-genre tents, with spring water showers, flushing toilets and washbasins, nestled within the extensive palm grove. Each tent has its unique remarkable varied view of the sandy beach, the lake, Central Island and the distant shoreline. The tents are elevated to give a vantage view level and are well sealed against insects or any unwelcome intruder.

Lobolo boasts the biggest swimming pool ever – Lake Turkana. The Lake’s jade colour and calm waters “when the lake is at peace” is irresistible and a swim is a must, it is so soothing and refreshing…you may not want to leave Turkana at all!

The camp offers multiple activities from sports fishing to fly fishing, guided walks, fly camping, bird watching, helicopter and boat safaris, visits to Central Island and the list goes on. With your fishing gear, all you need to do is to choose your destination and a dedicated fishing boat will be ready waiting for action.

Helicopter safaris with the feel of being close to the sky and above everything else, is another ideal and exciting way of travel to Lake Turkana and around Lake Turkana.

Nights 10 - 13: Mike's Camp

Right in the northern corner of the Kenyan coastline, is an archipelago of islands, seemingly stuck in time. Lamu island and its neighbor, Manda, are becoming more popular with tourists, decades after they were ‘discovered’ by Hollywood stars and European royalty. Many consider it a great alternative to Zanzibar, which some claim has lost some of its charm.

Mike’s Camp is located on Kiwayu Island, one of the many unspoilt, idyllic islands of the Lamu Archipelago, on the Kenyan Coast. You are offered your own private island where you are safe and undisturbed. Surrounded by miles of soft white sand, turquoise waters and gorgeous coral gardens, it offers one of the only beaches in Kenya on which you can walk for miles without seeing a single soul.

There are 7 comfortable and spacious bandas (rooms) on top of the sand dunes under the tortilis trees blending harmoniously into the environment. All have magnificent panoramic views of the mangrove creek, or Indian Ocean and are set in total privacy from each other. They all come with king size beds, towels, toiletries, mosquito nets, ensuite bathrooms with hand painted bucket shower and flushing toilets, and a daily laundry service. The rooms are all very spacious, extra beds can be added to accommodate families and friends.

Mikes camp is situated in a location that offers a huge array of activities. It stretches from being ideally romantic and relaxed, to action packed family holidays with more than enough activity to keep kids and adults fully entertained. The constant change of the tides throughout the month opens up different opportunities each day, exposing different reefs, beaches, ancient ruins, and natural caves all offering a new adventure. This satisfies different activities whether you’re a keen fisherman, diver or kite boarder.

Diving is fantastic from mid-October to mid-December and again from mid-January through to the end of March. In these months the wind drops and water clears offering very adventuress dives. Dive sites include a wreck dive, creek drift dives, coral garden dives and offshore dives on the knolls.

Some of the best fishing on the Kenyan coast takes place a mile offshore from Kiwayu island. This is a huge attraction to those serious fishermen. Mikes Camp has two smaller fishing boats at the camp that will take you out for a fun days fishing for sailfish, tuna, dorado, skip jack, wahoo, marlin, or creek fishing for snapper, rock cod, trevally, bone fish (rare) and many more species.