The Emakoko is situated on 15 acres of land bordering the National Park and opened in January.  This  twenty-bed luxury lodge artfully built into the side of a valley on the Mbagathi River is owned and managed by Anton & Emma Childs.   Great care has been taken to incorporate the beautiful fig trees which grow on the cliff where the lodge is situated. All rooms look straight over the river and into the Park. The lodge itself is  a mere 25- minute game drive from all important locations – Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Wilson Airport and all the main city attractions.  It is the location that makes The Emakoko so special, the National Park provides a buffer between civilization and the Lodge and yet everything is still within easy reach. The Emakoko allows people to start and finish their safari in the wildlife environment they have travelled so far to enjoy. The only “transfer” delays likely to be encountered en route to or from The Emakoko are the natural pauses to watch a pride of lions or waiting for a Rhino or journey of Giraffe to cross the road.

Lewa House has seen a homecoming with the return of Sophie and Calum Macfarlane – Sophie grew up on the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy and now she, Calum and their children are making Lewa House their home.  Located in the very heart of the Conservancy, this small owner run lodge offers unique access to all corners of this world renowned conservation area. Perched on the crest of a hill, Lewa House looks out over a range of ecosystems that make up the protected area and offers excellent access to all aspects of this rich wildlife arena. Through a range of authentic activities guests are able to unlock and understand what is being achieved here. The cottage style rooms are spread out along the hillside, all looking to the expanse of wilderness to the north.  There are 3 family style cottages, each comprising of two en-suite rooms and a large shared veranda which have been elegantly refurbished. The brand new 4 single room cottages are being built with sustainable, ecological principles in mind whilst being exceptionally comfortable and spacious, with wonderful views across the surrounding landscape.  Lewa House will re-open in June 2012 and the Macfarlane family is eager to welcome you.

Mara Plains Camp is in the process of a number of small beginnings.  It is currently closed until June 2012, as the much requested family tent is built.  This tent will consist of two luxury en-suite tents connected by a shared living room area.  At the same time, Mara Plains will carrying out some improvements and soft refurbishments in the public areas and the back-of-house.  One more exciting addition will be completed when the camp re-opens in June and that is the Swarovski Optik binoculars which will be in each tent.  These SLC 8 x 42 HD Field Binoculars are the top in their class just like Mara Plains Camp.  Finally, the camp will close again in November and reopen in March after having done a complete and total renovation.  Small beginnings indeed.

These are just a few of the “small beginnings” happening at the Bush and Beyond properties and we truly anticipate great things to come of them.   Please visit soon and see for yourself.

1.  My own set of binoculars. Doesn’t matter if I am on safari by myself, with my husband or with the whole family I want my own set of binoculars.  There is nothing more frustrating than having to share a pair because when your guide says “check out the leopard moving through the brush over there”, you don’t want to have to ask your husband for the binos and you definitely don’t want to miss the leopard while you are trying to readjust the focus of said binos!  Can be a deal breaker in a marriage let me tell you.   So buy or borrow your own pair it will be worth it.

2.  Extra memory cards for my camera. Doesn’t matter that I have been going on safari a few times a year for the past decade, I always take more photos than I can possibly imagine as there is always something new that I want to record.   You don’t want to have to make the choice each night of which photos to delete on your memory card in order to have more space for tomorrow and you definitely don’t want to run out of space the minute you spot the lion cubs.

3.  A headlamp not a flashlight. Nothing against flashlights but I love having my hands free as I walk to the toilet at the back of the tent in the middle of the night or when I am being escorted back to my room after a few “dawas” around the campfire.  You can easily get a headlamp at any outdoor equipment store and they make great reading lights as well when my husband has decided to hit the hay earlier than me.

4.  A fleece vest or jacket. Most people think of Africa and think of sweltering tropical heat and that is true in some parts of the continent but not in early mornings or late evenings in Kenya.  You have to remember that Kenya is at a high altitude and straddles the equator so we often have very cool mornings and evenings.  So I always dress in layers and start my morning game drive with my fleece vest on and I peel off the layers as the day warms up and put them back on as the sun sets.

5.  A kikoi. Now, you might not know what a kikoi is if you haven’t been to East Africa yet but it is a fantastic woven cotton sarong that is the garment of choice on the coast.  I always buy them when I am over as they come in great colours and make fantastic gifts.  But I have used mine as a sarong over my swimsuit, a shawl in the evenings, a skirt when my luggage was lost, a sunshade in the land rover, a picnic blanket and as “air conditioning” by soaking the sarong and laying it across my body during my afternoon siesta.  Wouldn’t leave home without one anymore and I often pack two or three!

So those are the 5 essential items I always pack when I’m going on safari plus lots more items which you can find in the “what should we pack” section of our website.  I’ll be sharing some stories & pictures from my safari in our next blog so stay tuned!

Sophie’s grandparents were innovative in establishing tourism on private land in Kenya with their tented camp and it was here that Sophie spent every school holidays working with them, watching hospitality in action – the old fashioned way!

Calum and Sophie met in Scotland where Sophie had gone to study, were introduced by mutual friends and the story continues….

Calum, of Scottish origin, grew up with a passion for nature.  He went onto study Zoology and was working as specialist African tour operator when Sophie met him. Since then he has gone on to attain the FGASA Trails guide qualification and leads most of the walks at Lewa House.

They both moved to Kenya in 2008 and spent 4 years running Elephant Pepper Camp in the Masai Mara for Cheli & Peacock, where Calum has enjoyed entertaining guests with his quirky wildlife knowledge.  They made Lewa House their home in 2012 and the adventure continues!

Delia Craig is the matriarch of the Craig Family who founded the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy and whose offspring are still running Lewa Wilderness (Delia’s son Will) and Lewa House (Delia’s granddaughter Sophie). Delia was born in Kenya in the 1924 and her parents starting farming in Lewa in 1927 where she grew up. In 1946, Delia married Douglas Craig and they settled at Lewa where they had 3 children, Sue, Ian and Will. In 1970, they introduced walking safaris at Wilderness Trails and a few years later they created the world famous rhino sanctuary – the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy. The conservancy is now home to the Big Five, 30% of the world’s population of endangered Grevy zebra and countless other species of wildlife. Delia and her family have welcomed guests to Lewa since the 1970s and have continued to embrace their motto “leave room for the wildlife”. Delia can still be found out and about at Lewa and is the subject of a wonderful book “From Ox Cart to Email”.

Betty Nayianoi Maitai is the first female graduate of the Koiyaki Guiding School and an accredited guide at Ol Seki Hemingways Mara Camp. Betty grew up in the Masai Mara area and has guided at Ol Seki for over 7 years. Betty has been featured in Conde Nast Traveller Magazine as she like Delia Craig is a true pioneer. Her most memorable guiding moment was spotting an Aardvark which is among the rarest animals in the Mara and she was lucky enough to witness it sweeping termites into its mouth with its long sticky tongue. The experience was thrilling as the aardvark is a rare and unique animal and in Betty’s Maasai culture they believe that when you spot an Aardvark you will live a long and happy life.

Daphne Sheldrick’s involvement with wildlife has spanned a lifetime. Born in Kenya in 1934, she grew up amongst animals, both wild and domestic. For over 25 years Daphne lived and worked alongside her late husband, David, the famous founder Warden of Kenya’s giant Tsavo National Park. During that time she raised and rehabilitated back into the wild community orphans of misfortune from many different wild species. Since the death of her husband in 1977, she has lived and worked in the Nairobi National Park, her home duplicating as the Orphans’ Nursery. It is here that she has successfully hand-reared over 130 newborn Elephant orphans, some from just hours old, the first time this has ever been achieved. Daphne has also successfully raised and rehabilitated over a dozen Black Rhino orphans from newborn. The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, established after the death of her husband in 1977 in his memory, has made a further significant contribution to wildlife conservation in Kenya. Guests staying at The Emakoko can visit the Orphans’ Nursery and meet the orphan elephants & rhinos that Daphne is raising.

Kenya has had a number of legendary women in its past including Beryl Markham, Karen Blixen, Wangari Maathai and many more. Delia Craig, Betty Nayioanoi Maitai and Daphne Sheldrick are just some of the living legends of Kenya. Today, we can find many more at our Bush and Beyond properties including the three mentioned and also the Francombe women (Rocky, Julia & Chyulu) at Ol Malo; Rainee Beaton of Nomadic Encounters; Hilary Bastard & Katie Rowe of Sarara; Gil Elias at Ol Lentille all of whom besides welcoming guests are heavily involved in the community and with the wildlife.

So take a leap and come to Kenya to meet these remarkable women. St Bridget would be so proud of them!

1. The wildlife is the obvious place to start.  The chance to see lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino plus giraffe, zebra, gazelles and so much more is the number one reason people go on safari.  Our properties provide you with the chance to see all of these animals and so much more within the privacy of our private conservancies.

2. Cultural interaction with the local communities that are all part of our Bush and Beyond family.  You get a chance to meet, spend time with and learn from the Maasai and Samburu tribes in an authentic and in depth fashion.

3. Our owners and managers who treat you like part of the family.  At our properties we like to make you feel like you are visiting your favourite relatives who provide you with wonderful experiences, great meals, superb accommodations and no hassles.

4. Amazing landscapes which you are able to experience and interact with.  Our properties are found in some of the most amazing locations that you can possibly imagine – on the slopes of mountains, in the vast plains of the savannah, on scenic plateaus, on the green hills of Africa and within a park that borders as major city.

5. The chance to be active and adventurous.  Imagine riding amongst the zebra on horseback or striding out amongst the plains with your Maasai guide to explore the landscape.  Or being on top of a camel as you return from a night spent camping by the river or soaring above the earth in a replica biplane.  Or driving out under the stars to see what you can discover by spotlight.  All of these activities and many more are part of the Bush and Beyond experience.

6. A chance to reconnect with your family.  There is something magical about being on safari with your family away from all the distractions of everyday life.  The chance to experience new things with your children and learn together is one of the most powerful bonding moments and to be able to give the gift of travel is simply the best.

7. The food.  Yes, you might be in the bush and you may even be camping with no running water or electricity but you will still be experiencing fine dining and delicious cuisine.  Imagine a made to order omelette with homemade cinnamon rolls or individual cheese soufflés followed by roast lamb with all the trimmings.  Delectable tarts, pies, cakes and even ice cream will satisfy so sweet tooth as well.  Our chefs are famous for their incredible creations.

8. Experience one of the natural wonders of the world.  The annual migration of the wildebeest from the Serengeti to the Masai Mara is considered one of the eight natural wonders of the world and you can witness it from 5 of our different properties.  Picture being surrounding by hundreds of thousands of wildebeest and seeing them make their epic and dangerous river crossings.

9. To have a romantic interlude with your partner.  Imagine the two of you waking up together to the sounds of the birds singing and watching the sunrise from your verandah.  Or sipping champagne under the stars in your own private bath.  Or enjoying a private bush dinner for two with the wildlife and landscape spread out before you.  Nothing is more romantic than a safari!

10. The chance to slow down.  The best part of a safari is you get the chance to slow down and begin to move with the rhythms of the natural world.  You get up with the sun and the birds, you rest in the heat of the day and you retire when the sun goes down feeling that you have put in a full day.  You have time for meaningful conversations around the fire or table and you remember who you are and what your purpose in life is.

So that is our top 10 list and we think that any one of those reasons is reason enough to come on safari with Bush and Beyond in 2012.  We look forward to seeing you.