Travel is more than having a destination in mind. It is discovering a place in your heart you’ve never been before-Anonn
While most of the country was making the annual exodus upcountry and the remaining quarter suffocating Mombasa’s Jomo Kenyatta Public Beach, I purposefully chose to enjoy the quiet of the Mara bush.
I was also rather keen on the fate of the celebrated Marsh Pride after the poisoning incident that killed three members of a pride, among them Bibi, a 17-year-lioness thought to be one the oldest in the Mara Triangle.
Thanks to senility, I almost bungled the trip confusing my departure dates by an entire day; you can imagine the shock I got from my hosts inquiring why I was a no-show.
Thankfully, Safarilink came to the rescue in a record thirty minutes and rescheduled my flight for the following morning. This time my memory clocked right and by ten in the morningrrr/, I was sipping coffee out in the savannah.
Surprises began rolling in as the off-road cruiser taking me to the camp started its thirty-minute journey. I learnt that Scar, the lion who bears an uncanny resemblance to the main antagonist in The Lion King, still reigned supreme.
This Hugh Hefner has consorted with at least six prides of females, including the Marsh Pride! He had survived the poisoning after being cut off on the other side of the swollen Mara River.
Anyone who has been on several game drives will attest that they can get rather monotonous, especially, with an unaccustomed guide. I was, therefore, impressed with Erick, my driver and guide, whose first question was what I hoped to experience during my stay.
I told him that an incredible sight like the birth of a rhino calf or wild-dogs making a kill would be ideal. I also hinted that I wanted to satisfy my birding curiosity. “Let’s see what the gods of the wild have in store for us,” Erick confidently concluded on the matter as the gates to my home for the next two nights opened.
Most of my country-mates obliviously assume that luxury travel, for its cost, is only designed for foreign tourists. My opinion, however, is that poor planning always results in a collision with these “foreigners” who have been saving (for years in some cases) at the last minute, often during the high season.
To coagulate this argument, take Kichwa Tembo, for instance. Its package for Kenyan residents, that includes accommodation, three meals a day, teas and coffees, two safari activities per day, emergency medical evacuation insurance and transfers to and from the lodge’s airstrip costs Sh15, 000.
This is where where I was staying and their rates are a bargain considering its managers, and Beyond, are one of the world’s leading luxury experiential travel companies.
Since 1991, they have been designing personalised luxury safaris in at least 15 African countries, as well as arranging bespoke tours in India, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Chile and Argentina.
Kichwa Tembo Tented Camp and its steeper sister Bateleur Camp, both run by andBeyond, are situated in the Kichwa Tembo private concession in the foothills of the scenic Oloololo Escarpment, the rim of the Great Rift Valley at an altitude of about 3,280 metres. Kichwa Tembo is situated in the remote north-western border of the Mara and sits on 60 acres of forest through which Sabaringo River cuts.
It was officially opened in 1982 and its current owners picked it up some 15 years ago, to increase their portfolio of 33 extraordinary lodges and camps in Africa and India.
In addition to its excellent year-round concentration of wildlife, Kichwa Tembo lies directly in the path Great Wildebeest Migration. For this advantage, it regularly partners with HerdTracker and Make It Kenya to bring the live footage of the wildebeest migration to viewers around the world. Assistant Manager Stanley Mpakany was gracious enough to accord me a tour of the recently refurbished camp.
With a strong emphasis on privacy, the new layout maximises the uninterrupted views ensuring that each tented suite enjoys its own private Mara experience. Simple yet contemporary, the Maasai-inspired suites are elegant and timeless, firmly entrenching andBeyond Kichwa Tembo camp as the unrivaled luxury tented camp of its size in the greater Mara.
Over-sized beds are perfectly positioned to make the most of the views, while stained cypress wood furniture combine with tribal decorative elements.
Opening up onto incredible Masai Mara views, the guest areas feature cosy split-level spaces decorated in a palette of stone and taupe.
Celebrating the romance and nostalgia of the Mara, a double-storey bar and lounge area feature over-sized windows with spectacular panoramas.
The split-level dining area has been designed around an interactive kitchen and vegetable garden, making food an integral part of the safari experience.
Its “garden to table” lunch experience is delightful and I selected ingredients for my lunch from the lodge’s shamba in the courtyard.
Chef George and his team used my pickings to whip up a healthy, hearty and delicious meal.
If you are not a foodie like me, then an escape that is the massage room or the rim-flow swimming pool on the edge of the Mara, with a most spectacular view, would have done it for you.
Importantly, the new camp makes use of the best available technology to reduce the use of fossil fuels.
There are 183 square metres of solar paneling for heating water.
For those traveling with children or small groups, the camp has three family suites of two interconnecting tents.
As part of the establishment’s WILDchild programme, younger guests experience fascinating animal encounters and, under the care of their ranger, are encouraged to explore their surroundings by touching and interacting with a captivating new world.
Such are the joys of the emerald season that leave me wondering why we do not take all-out advantage.
