Western
Kenya Culture and Community Safari -9 Days(VSL 770)
Day
1 Nairobi – Nakuru – Kericho
Leave
Nairobi early in the morning after breakfast and drive through the Great
Rift Valley and have a stop over at the View Point to have a glance
at the breathe taking Escarpment. Proceed to Lake Nakuru for a game
drive in this home of the multi million Flamingos, the Pelican Birds
and the White Rhino. Early lunch in Lake Nakuru Lodge, then proceed
to the ever green Town of Kericho to have the spectacular view of the
Tea Plantation. Have some times to interact with tea pickers and learn
much more about the laborers. Dinner and overnight at a Kericho Hotel.
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Day
2 Kericho – Kano Plains (Lwanda Magere Site) – Kisumu
After
breakfast, depart from Kericho to the plains of Kano and visit the grave
of the legendary fallen hero of the Luo tribe. You will be briefed on
the history of Lwanda Magere whom according to history after he was
shot by a spear from the Kalenjin tribe whom they were at war with,
he fell down and turned into a stone. You can give your donation to
the staff to maintain the grave and there welfare. Proceed further passing
through the Rice Plantations arriving in Kisumu City late evening, picnic
lunch enroute, dinner and overnight at a hotel.
Day
3 Kisumu Full Day
You
will spend full day in Kisumu visiting Dunga Beach which is famous all
over Nyanza for the sale of Fish. You will have an opportunity to interact
with the local fishermen and get to know the culture around fishing
beaches. Proceed to the Museum where you will have to see different
artifacts of different tribes especially the Luos. Lunch in the hotel.
After lunch proceed to Kit- Mikayi (the stone of the first wife who
is believed to be the mother of Luos who rested here after a very long
journey in search of the source of the Nile). Time allows you can have
a hike at Riat Hills to catch a glance of the active Kisumu City. Dinner
in the hotel, after dinner, optional visit of a Discotheque or visit
a live band and have a feel of Kisumu by night or retire after dinner
to your bed preparing for the next days agenda.
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Day
4 Kisumu – Kendu bay – Homabay.
Depart
after breakfast from Kisumu City and drive to Kendu bay experiencing
the typical African rough roads to reach Kendu bay and proceed straight
to Simbi Nyaima for a mythological story about this magical Lake followed
by a visit to Orian’g market to amaze at the famous pottery work
by the Orian’g Women Group. Have early lunch in Kendubay, then
drive to Kanjira and Kanam Hot springs this will give you an opportunity
of interacting with groups of man and women whose there work is to transport
the Soda Ash using Donkeys to the Town of Kisii for sale. This is their
source of livelihood. If you have an egg, you can boil and within 5mins,
it will be ready to be eaten. Proceed to Homabay for dinner and overnight
at a hotel.
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Day
5 Homabay – Ruma National Park – Mbita Point
After
breakfast, drive through Lambwe Valley reaching this park which hosts
the largest number of Roan Antelopes in Africa to enjoy a game drive,
picnic lunch, then transfer to Mbita Point for dinner and overnight.
Day
6 Mbita Point Full Day
Have
a full day in Mbita visiting the site at Ligongo Hills where Dr. Mary
Leakey discovered the skull of the oldest man Proconsul Africanus which
is found in the Kenya national Museum Nairobi. The hill also acts as
the Vintage Point to see on rotation how water has gone round the Island.
Visit the Tom Mboya Mausoleum, the vibrant Politician in the History
of Kenya who was gunned down in 1963 which evoked demonstrations all
over the Country and was interred at their home in Kamasengre Village
in Rusinga. Enjoy the mythological story of Nyama gi Ware the stones
which are believed to have been bulls fighting from these different
Clans. Get a ride around the Island back to Mbita in the evening, picnic
lunch enroute, dinner and overnight at the hotel.
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Day
7 Mbita Point Full Day.
We
begin this day by visiting a local Catholic Church early in the morning
after breakfast the rest of the day is dedicated to less fortunate individuals
in the society e.g. Women groups organized by the widows as a result
of HIV/ AIDS scourge, Orphaned children whose parents died of AIDS related
diseases, Tom Mboya Memorial Hospital and the development projects which
are being financed by voluntary groups e.t.c. Visit one or two local
homes and get to know the real picture of how the common rural families
are going over there usual choruses economically, socially and politically.
Join fishermen pulling fish to the shore in the evening and get to learn
how Luos as a tribe depends entirely on Fish as the source of their
livelihood. Dinner and overnight in Mbita Hotel.
Day
8 Mbita Point Full Day.
After
breakfast a visit to a local primary school which is in dire need of
teaching equipments occupies the morning. Enjoy lunch at the hotel after
which proceed for a traditional boat rally competition followed by optional
activities e.g. a walk to Gembe Hills which is on the vicinity of your
accommodation and has quite a number of Birds with a very tranquil surrounding
or just relax around the hotel enjoying the serene of the facility.
Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Day
9 Mbita – Kisumu – Nairobi
Early morning breakfast, then to the ferry to cross over from Mbita
to Lwanda for an onward safari to Kisumu for early lunch, then proceed
to Nairobi arriving late in the evening with a transfer either to a
hotel of your choice or to the airport.
NB:
This itinerary can be extended to Maasai Mara or Uganda on request.Under
this itinerary, we organize the following on request:
- Home
stay for those who want to participate in day to day natural activities
of the community.
-
Voluntary teaching practices in the rural schools.
-
Voluntary community development work.
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Foster parenting.
-
Student exchange programme.
Western
Kenya Victoria Safaris - 9 Days(VSL 771)
Day
1: Nairobi - Lake Nakuru.
Depart Nairobi and drive down the picturesque escarpment of the Great
Rift Valley for the nearby Lake Nakuru National Park where most of the
day is spent viewing game and the extensive bird life that call this
Rift Valley Game Park home. Apart from the wildlife, including the black
and white rhino species this game sanctuary also boosts of the largest
Euphobia candelabra forest in the world. All meals and an overnight
stay at the renowned Lake Nakuru Lodge.
Day
2: Lake Nakuru - Kisumu City.
A mid morning start for Kericho, the tea growing center of Kenya, stopping
at the Kericho Tea Hotel for lunch and an afternoon tour of the tea
plantations. An evening drive for Lake Victoria and the its main port
of Kisumu City. Dinner and an overnight stay at the Imperial Hotel in
Kisumu or similar.
Day
3: Kisumu City - Got Ramogi - Kamito(Aram)
The day is spent visiting the various attractions of this Lakeside City
including the local museum which is rich in cultural and archeological
artifacts, Kit Mikaye ( the rock that has a story to tell that is steeped
in the mythology of the Luo people), continue to Usenge on the shores
of Lake Victoria via the Late Jaramogi Oginga Odinga's mouseleum -Kan'go
ka jaramogi, attempt to climb Got Ramogi- Hill (the home of the grand
grand father of the luo comunity when the luo tribe first settled on
lake victoria) in the afternoon after a lunch of fresh fish and other
savories that include local fare,drive back to Kamito beach . The evening
is spent listening to fork-lore by a campfire on the shores of the lake
as your mutton or lamb roasts on a spit in the open. Overnight in a
middle class hotel, on a campsite or home-stays in an ambassadorial
posh rural home on the shores of Lake Victoria.
Day 4:Kamito(Aram) - Luanda Kotieno- Mbita.
After an early visit to the shores of Lake Victoria to see the swarming
market as fishermen and other traders sell their wares we travel to
Luanda kotieno beach ready to board the ferry to mbita Point, a major
center for insect study that hosts the International Center for Insect
Physiology and Ecology(ICIPE), this is a 45 minite ride on lake victoria
gulf.The day is spent at mbita with a boat ride to takawiri or mfangano
Islands in lake victoria and a drive cross the causeway to Rusinga Island
famous as a bird watchers' island and also home to the late Tom Mboya
a prominent Kenyan politician who was assassinated in 1969 and whose
remains were interred in a Memorial Mausoleum on the island. We partake
of lunch on the island before driving to Lake Victoria Safari Village
for dinner and an overnight stay at the beautiful lakeside resort-Lake
victoria safari village.
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Day
5: Lake Victoria Safari Village.
This day is engaged in investigating the local peoples' culture and
visiting the market place and either Climbing one of the nearby hills
to see the golden sunset over Lake Victoria even as the panoramic view
of the lake's islands and the vast expanse of this great inland sea
unfolds before your eyes or Spend the day fishing on the Lake together
with the local fishermen or Take a boating trip to explore the nearby
islands of Lake Victoria or Relax on the hotel grounds and take a break
from the safari itinerary .At sunset you are entertained by local traditional
dancers and story tellers. Dinner and an overnight stay at the hotel.
Day
6: Mbita Point-Homabay.
An early drive further south after breakfast to Ruma National park ,
game drive followed by lunch at Ndhiwa then continue to Thim Lich Ohinga
then to Gogo falls. Drive to Awendo in the centre of sugarcane plantation.
A tour of the sugar cane plantation is followed by dinner and overnight
at Awendo.
Day
7 : Homabay - Kisumu
After breakefast proceed to homabay then to Kanjira Hot springs and
to Lake simbi Nyaima.We have a walk around this lake see different types
of birds, talk to local people to know much about this magical lake.
Then proceed to Kendu bay for Lunch before visiting Odino falls where
we see the rural development projects e.g schools,churches,and the hydro-electric
power station. We then proceed to Kisumu via the ahero rice irrigation
scheme.Dinner and overnight stay at sunset hotel-kisumu.
Day
8: Lake Victoria - Lake Naivasha.
An early departure from the lakeside Hotel of Lake Victoria for Lake
Naivasha in the Rift Valley. A boating trip to Crescent Island in the
afternoon or alternatively a biking safari to Hells Gate for some Rock
Climbing experience. Dinner and overnight at one of the many resorts
on the shores of this lake.
Day
9: Lake Naivasha - Nairobi.
The morning is spent at leisure and we depart from the hotel at about
11am for the city of Nairobi which is reached in time for lunch.
