Saiwa Swamp was yet another glorious experience in an absolutely beautiful country.
As a volunteer with VSO Canada, I had the privilege of living and working in Eldoret, Kenya for six months in 2007. I used this opportunity to visit many regions of Kenya with friends and fellow volunteers from the UK. Kenya is a spectacularly beautiful country whose people I found to be warm and friendly. I would often find myself in discussion with westerners and Kenyans about the country’s tremendous economic potential both as a tourist destination and agriculture producer to feed western Africa. All it would take, of course, is sound financial investment, strong local leadership (and perhaps a leap of faith) – but we may be a generation away from that happening!
I set out with friends from England for the 100 kilometre trip from Eldoret to Barnley’s House, which is situated just outside Kitale. Compared to the road from Nairobi to Eldoret, which is a nightmare to drive, the trip to Kitale was excellent, and the sites along the way stunning. Barnley’s House is an ideal base for exploring Saiwa Swamp and the nearby Cherengani Hills. We had dinner in the old settler's house and slept in very comfortable tent-style accommodation (both pictured).
We spent the next day walking throughout the park. After the frantic pace of city life in Eldoret, the Saiwa Swamp was an oasis of calm and beauty. As with all of the parks I visited, including Lake Nakuru, Kakamega Forest, Lake Baringo, Lake Bogoria and Mount Kenya, Saiwa Swamp was without the frills that we would normally associate with many western national parks. We followed a dirt pathway around the park and marveled at the vegetation, insects, butterflies and birds. Our guidebook informed us that Saiwa Swamp was established primarily for the protection of the shy Sitatunga, which is an aquatic antelope with splayed feet. We were not disappointed: we caught site of this sometimes-elusive creature as we were preparing to end our hike.
Before returning to Eldoret, we spent the latter part of the day driving and walking through the Cherengani Hills, a spectacular way to end two fabulous days in Western Kenya.
I look forward to a future opportunity to visit this wonderful part of the world.
20-35 years of age
Great choice for top end safaris
We drove through Botswana coming from Namibia via the north west border crossing, down the west of the Okavango panhandle to Maun, and then up to Chobe before heading into Zimbabwe.
Botswana is great. It has the flat, empty expanses of wilderness that most of us associate with Africa, but which are so hard to find nowadays with the vast population growth and land shortages which affect most African states. Driving from Namibia towards Maun it is pretty mindblowing to think that to the right of the road there is almost nothing but untouched wilderness stretching all the way to South Africa, whilst to the left of the road are the wetlands of the Okavango Delta followed by the Moremi Game Reserve, with its packs of African Wild Dogs.
Unfortunately, we were in a Honda Jazz. Small hatchbacks are not designed for Moremi, the Okagango or the Makgadikgadi Pans, so we stopped in Maun to consider our options. After two days searching in vain for a low-budget, organised camping trip into any one of the nearby parks, which involved me getting the car stuck in sand in the entrance to a hotel and having to be pushed out by local children, we gave up and drove to Chobe. The last hundred or so kilometres were done very slowly on a space saver spare tyre after we were eaten by a large pothole north of Francistown.
My only criticism of Botswana therefore is that there is very little infrastructure for the independent tourist; the entire tourism sector is geared towards high end fly-in safaris. Having said that, it will be the first country in Southern Africa that I return to - purely because I didn't have the money to see everything the first time around. To be truthful, I spent more on petrol than on seeing animals.
The only real exception to the rule is Chobe National Park. It is readily accessible from Victoria Falls and makes a great add on if you are visiting Livingstone or the Zimbabwean side. There are hotels in every price range, and you can park your small Japanese car outside the Avis office at the airport and leave it there. While you are spotting beasts, some poor Botswanan has the unenviable task of driving it the thousand and odd kilometers back to Johannesburg on a space saver as spare tyres of that size are not available anywhere further north.
Several hotels along the road in Chobe have boat and safari vehicle trips into the park, which is great. The boat trips get you close up to elephants, hippos, various antelopes and lots of birds, whilst the jeep safaris are great for lion and all the more common species - we saw a porcupine (the only one I have ever seen), and only just missed some wild dogs. Chobe is easily comparable to good National Parks in neighbouring countries, and it is something of a shame that it gets overshadowed by Botswana's star attractions further West.
If I come into money, I'll be straight back onto the plane to Botswana to do all the things I couldn't afford to do last time around. If you're on a budget, you'll do much better to stick to South Africa or Namibia, where your money will go much further.
35-50 years of age
US
35-50 years of age
Review about Makgadikgadi Pans National Park by ~lustedtowander~
In the dry season, the pans are accessible, but wildlife viewing is difficult. In the wet .... be ready to dig in the mud.
US
35-50 years of age
Review about Okavango Delta by NC Buzzman
The delta is teeming with game and birds and there is never a moment when you are not surrounded by the wonderful wildlife and amazing scenery
SE
50-65 years of age
Review about Ngorongoro Crater by Johan Gardelius
Ngorongoro is speactacular as a formation, but the wildlife we encountered was not that great. But the poverall impression, coming down into the caldera, was magnificent!
SE
50-65 years of age
Review about Lake Manyara National Park by Johan Gardelius
Our family did not have enough time to fully see and rate the park.
US
20-35 years of age
Review about Mokolodi Nature Reserve by lml
My first safari in Africa- we did not see that much, but it was a very neat experience and I did get some glimpses of warthogs and ostriches, although no big game. We ate dinner at a restaurant there, which was beautiful at night.
Review about Tsavo East National Park by John Carthy
Dry park - not the most amazing scenery but has unusual things like gerenuk and vulturine guinefowl (we didn't find any of the latter, despite looking hard). Makes a good alternative route from the coast back to Nairobi or vice versa rather than using the main road. You can spend two days in the park and only have to pay for one expensive lodge. Fairly easy on a self-drive, unlike some other Kenyan parks.
Review about Lake Nakuru National Park by John Carthy
The Kruger of Kenya. Very expensive, almost like a theme park with the amount of people and the swanky facilities. But the wildlife is great - really easy to see most animals and the birds are great because of the lake. Lots of flamingos. All the big animals here - hyena, rhino etc. Brilliant park, especially if you are on a first time safari. Easy to reach from Nairobi aswell.