I was at Maasai Mara to enjoy the peace and tranquillity of the wild, with Opulent Africa Tours; I recommend them for satisfactory services.
Visit the website: www.opulentafricatours.com,Call+254 724 961 220
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In the wooded grove of the camp, the tip of a tail hands from a high branch of an old fig tree. It’s the resident Columbus monkey waking up in the morning, sending high screeches into the air. The Columbus monkey is very particular about its food and choice of residence. The beautiful black and white monkey lives high in the old trees, rarely touching ground and its diet consists of the leaves of the indigenous trees.
I have a host of other interesting neighbours at the beautiful tented camp-one of the premier camps in Kenya that set a standard for life under canvas .There’s the hyrax taking a snooze in the hole in the tree trunk while the others scampers up and down the branches. A close relative of the elephant, the hyrax looks more like a huge rat than the mega-herbivore.
“Siana springs is built around the springs “explains our guide” Siana in Maa means “plentiful”. These are the largest water springs in the Mara ecosystem”.
We are on nature walk before we set out on a whole day game drive to see the big cats of the mara like the black manned lions and to reach the mara river where the hippos reside. There are elephants everywhere at the moment and we’ve been seeing lions everyday “says our guide.
With the sky so beautifully blue and the Ngama hills pasted against it, a fresh spring gurgles from beneath the ground, so clear and fresh that without any hesitation, the young maasai naturalist scoops some with his cupped hands to quench his thirst. The rivulet finds passage through the trees, quenching their thirst as it passes by giving the perfect incentive for more to take root.
“The maasai get more than 80% of their medicine from these trees “says our guide pointing at various trees like the orange leaf croton or the Croton dichocramus.”The leaves of this plant have insect repellent chemicals; the branches are termite resistant and so make strong and durable walls and fences while the roots and twigs are used to give soups a nice scent”.
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| Favourite spots: |
We stop over the stones of the rivulet and into a clearing. It’s cool with a few tall branches fallen to the ground “This was the meat camp where the great grandfathers and the elders came to feast and hold meetings in the old days “continues our guide.”And they marked the days at the camp by drawing sticks in the tree trunk for ever day passed”. True to word, we see etches on the tree trunk faded with passing of time.
Walking past the indigenous trees of the lodge, we step into the obstacle course. The obstacle course portrays the challenges faced by wild animals. There’s whole gamut of wild antics like the monkey swing, impala jump, gecko climb, hyena scramble and more.
Dinner under the starlit Mara skies with a blazing bonfire and maasai warriors in t
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| What's really great: |
.The annual migration of the wildebeest is on this area-it’s one of the eighth wonders of the modern world.
.The tents are beautifully dotted around the garden where the bushbucks watch you walk around as they graze on the grass.
.The camp has all modern facilities such as internet services.
.Its 240Kms southwest of Nairobi and 8 Kms from Sekanani gate of the maasai mara national reserve.
.The food is great, not to mention a massage tent to relax the muscles.
.There’s the Siana conservancy run by the local Maasai community which is a buffer zone to the reserve to protect the wildlife and limit degradation by livestock. The revenue goes into supporting the schools and other community projects.
.The adventure club is great for kids and parents to be active and learn ways of the wild.
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| Sights: |
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Migration of wild beests
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| Accommodations: |
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Siana springs
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| Other recommendations: |
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Great rift valley
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Published on Saturday November 28th, 2009
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