Bush meets beach in elephant country

By Stevens Muendo

After four hours of scenic drive on the Nairobi-Mombasa highway, our tour guide and driver Mathew Katoto, diverts the van into Voi town.

Driving through a narrow rough weather road, we finally get to our destination — the rugged and wild, yet tranquil and serene Voi Wildlife Lodge.

It’s the sunset hour and the romantic magnificent array, which seems to crystallise into the Savannah wilderness steals our first glance.

"Welcome to wild and beach. You are now lost into Tsavo East National Park," invites a jovial Riungu, the manager.

A sense of thrill runs down my spine. This is a dream get-away destination and I can just imagine what the three days ahead will unveil, after all not everyone gets a chance to sample one of Kenya’s hottest tourist spots.

Gateway to Tsavo East

After a welcoming cold drink, my partner and I are ushered into our room spacious en-suite bathroom wonderfully furnished in African dÈcor. This is the gateway to Tsavo East, the home of the red elephants.

At the vista Sundowner Bar and lounge later in the evening, holidaymakers are treated to game viewing around the water point to the sounds of soothing music from the live band.

Inside the main makuti thatched Tembo restaurant, another lot was dining to the fantastic backdrop of the plains of Tsavo.

Designed on stilts overlooking the waterhole, the bar extends into the park allowing visitors to get as close as possible to the sights and sounds of the Kenyan bush.

And still, adjacent to the Tembo Restaurant, the Mandhari Bar provides an alternative setting for game viewing for guests as they indulge in their favourite drinks.

Back in the restaurant, a mouth-watering selection of both local and international cuisine awaits; Bush breakfasts and packed lunches, we are told, can be also arranged for those out on the expansive safari.

Voi Wildlife Lodge not only has a waterhole for big game watching but also has spectacular views of Kasigau, Sagalla and Mwakingali Hills.

The lodge has 72 en-suite rooms besides other luxury rooms with four-poster beds and scenic views of the expansive Savannah which can be enjoyed from the comfort of one’s balcony.

The lodge also has luxury tents with en-suite bathrooms fully tiled. Each tent accommodates two beds giving the feeling of the wild with a tinge of modernity. There are also a number of rooms specifically designed to cater for disabled guests. Paved paths, lit by night, lead from the rooms to the reception and the restaurants.

"We have been enjoying a tremendous increase of domestic tourists for the past two years. Half of our visitors are Kenyans who come from Nairobi and Mombasa," Riungu reveals during breakfast.

Large selection of animals

"This is very encouraging. It means that Kenyans have started to appreciate their heritage and are now saving money for holidays, something that was previously deemed a white man’s affair," he adds.

An ordinary day for a visitor at the lodge starts at 6:00am to the sweet sounds of the birds and the loud trumpets of the elephants. For those not keen on taking breakfast in their room, a short walk to Tembo restaurants reveals a sumptuous meal. This is then followed by a whole day of safari in the park.

All round is savannah grassland with patches of thorny bushes and swampy marshland. This beautiful landscape gives way to the Yatta Plateau, a creation of lava that oozed from Ol Donyo Sabuk Mountain.

"This is the most visited national park in Kenya. It hosts a large variety of animals such as lions, leopard, cheetah, zebras, giraffes, antelopes, kongoni, lesser kudu, oryx, klipspringer, impala and many more offering a wider view of the wild," reveals our guide Katoto.

"It also hosts a variety of migratory and native birds some of which come from as far as Eastern and Western Europe," he adds, pointing at a swarm of white-headed buffalo weavers and red and yellow bishops by our side.

There are many interesting aspects in the open areas of Tsavo East not least the spine of the Yatta Plateau, one of the world’s longest lava flows.

An additional attraction is the Athi River flanked by stately palms, which near the Manyani gate forms the Lugard Falls, a long stretch of rippling white water cataracts and a favourite haunt for sunbathing crocodiles. Lugard Falls gush through a small fissure, narrow enough for the foolhardy to leap across, before dropping to Crocodile Point below, where the river changes its name to the Galana.

The safari adventure comes to an end at 4:00pm when the convoy of tour vans descends back to the Lodge. Exhausted and yearning for refreshment, the swimming pool, Jacuzzi, steam bath and sauna holds much promise. At this time of the day, room services are the order of the day as visitors opt to relax in their rooms. This provides lovers with a perfect opportunity to discuss matters of the heart. It also provides a fitting atmosphere for self-searching and reflection to others.

Fit for romance

Those with children are also catered for because there are a host of activities to engage the young ones fully. These include swimming or playing at the alternative volleyball and badminton courts as well as playing pool. And for the less active, a Discovery Area complete with a mini-library, TV and DVD facilities is available.

And for those on honeymoon or seeking an exclusively romantic get away, there is the recently opened Voi Wildlife Lodge Manyatta Camp, which stands less than a kilometre away from the main lodge. It was our destination on the final day of our tour.

At the entry of the Manyatta Camp is a wooden pole the shape of a spear — traditionally used to signify the presence of a Moran in a hut.

"This is our latest attraction. The 25 three-star private Manyattas are the most private you can dream of, away in the wild. We have hosted important personalities in the last few months of this camp’s existence," says Riungu.

The gate is facing the seasonal Voi River before the fenced off grassland to ensure privacy, each camp is superbly designed with a private swimming pool and two cosy beds.

On a full moonlight, honeymooners can enjoy their romantic moments in privacy barely 500 metres away from grazing wildlife in this scenic paradise.

There is also a common bar and swimming pools where visitors are treated to cocktails, wines, whisky, champagne and other sumptuous drinks in exclusivity.

"All these amenities are affordable to any Kenyan seeking a holiday away from the busy towns. You only need to take a weekend out here and you will rediscover the beauty of life," concludes Riungu.