A unique tourism affair of dining with giraffes

The adventure of camping and dining in the wild with giraffes is now becoming a popular tourist attraction in Diani, Kwale County.

Lying a stone throw away from the vast white sandy beaches, is a luxurious tented wildlife camp that offers visitors a chance to interact with various animals like giraffes, zebras, tortoise, birds, and Nile crocodiles as they walk through the vast conservancy.

Nature lovers can enjoy picnics, host a party and meditate in the serene 70 acres Matengo forest that borders the Kaya Sacred Forest.

The conservancy was set to conserve and protect the local coastal forest and promote conservation education to the local community as well as promote tourism in the south Coast.

Through the nature trail, guests get to learn about over 30 medicinal tree species in the forest that is home to yellow baboons, endangered Angolan colobus monkeys, vervet and Sykes monkeys.

The park, dubbed Borabora Wildlife Park and Luxury Tented Camp, has become an alternative and complementing adventure for tourists who visit Diani seeking fun activities away from the beaches and hotels.

Mark Rudolph, a tourist from Russia decided to bring his young family to the park wowing his young son and daughter who could not contain their joy as the giraffes licked the palates off their tiny hands.

According to Rudolph, he was tired of hanging out at the hotel and beaches and wanted something different. And Borabora being near to their hotel, he opted to visit and appreciate the beauty of the wildlife.

"This park has provided an alternative to those who want some adventure, away from the beaches, without having to travel far away from their hotel. It is actually a satisfying experience to feed giraffes, and my family is enjoying it," said Rudolph.

And as the sun sets ushering in the night, the waiters set the tables in the forest as chefs prepare delicacies according to guests' specification, while the warders set the ginger leaves for the tourists to feed the tall mammals.

Groups get to enjoy a serene candlelight dinner in the middle of the forest in the company the friendly giraffes called Kwale and Taita that love the attention and petting by humans.

Alternatively, the families can sit by the deck overlooking the forest and have their dinner while watching closely as the giraffes are fed by warders while guests get to take pictures and videos of the endearing moments.

According to Silas Isabwa, a tour guide and warder at the park, in the past, tourists had to make arrangements to travel miles to game parks in Shimba Hills to see the wild animals; and even so, the chances of interacting with the animals one-on-one was slim.

Isabwa said tourists can go sky diving, snorkeling, jet skiing, bike riding at the beach and spend their evening in the wild and dine with the giraffes deep in the forest.

Also, one can decide to camp for a night at the conservancy and sleep under the tented rooms that gives a scouting impression in the wild and wake up to the sounds of chirping birds. The rooms have a bed, a shower and washroom. Under the calm night, only sounds of crickets and frogs reign the air.

Isabwa said the park is an additional gem that adds touristic adventure to Kwale County that was voted among the best tourism destination in the world. The park lies about 9kms from Ukunda airstrip, making it easily accessible by road.