2 South Rift Valley Safari Dancing with Lions 6 Day South Rift Valley Safari | Dancing with Lions USD 3 950.00 pp • 25 to 30 November 2014 • Facilitator: Greg Du Toit • Safari Starts: Jomo Kenyatta International Airport • Safari Ends: Jomo Kenyatta International Airport • Single Supplement: none • Includes: all meals, accommodation, laundry, all activities and presentations, drinks (excluding spirits), transfers to and from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, conservation donation to SORALO & Rebuilding the Pride teams, local community conservation fees. • Excludes: international flights, visas, items of a personal nature, gratuities for camp staff & guides
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South Rift Valley Safari Dancing with Lions
6 Day South Rift Valley Safari | Dancing with Lions USD 3 950.00 pp
• 25 to 30 November 2014 • Facilitator: Greg Du Toit • Safari Starts: Jomo Kenyatta International Airport • Safari Ends: Jomo Kenyatta International Airport • Single Supplement: none • Includes: all meals, accommodation, laundry, all activities and presentations, drinks (excluding
spirits), transfers to and from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, conservation donation to SORALO & Rebuilding the Pride teams, local community conservation fees.
• Excludes: international flights, visas, items of a personal nature, gratuities for camp staff & guides
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Introduction This exciting new safari is a ‘one of a kind’ that has been designed from scratch to be able to offer you a truly authentic African experience. There is no other safari company that visits this special corner of Africa and no other safari itinerary can offer the unique mix and blend of experiences that this one does. In one sentence, this safari offers up lakes, forests, wetlands, plains, birds, frontiers, mammals, predators, nocturnal wildlife, culture, research, education, photography, conservation, mountains, rivers, wilderness, adventure and freedom. There is no doubt that Africa is a great, wild and enchanting continent but as with all others, human population growth and explosion have seen the continent change drastically over the last few decades. As a professional wildlife photographer, I have dedicated my life to searching for pockets of Africa which remain unchanged. These enchanting places offer a wild freedom and rugged beauty that transport one back in time. If you want to experience the so called ‘lost’ Africa or as I prefer to put it, ‘the real Africa’, then the South Rift Valley Safari is for you. About the South Rift Valley Safari This safari plays out in the southern rift valley of Kenya. If you look on a map it is between the Masai Mara and Amboseli in a region that is NEVER featured on the regular safari circuit. Most safaris offer you a mix of safari drives but this safari is very different in that there are a number of unique and exciting activities that form the basis of the safari. These include walks, presentations from leading scientists, day drives, night drives, authentic cultural activities, all genres of photography, research activities, tracking and more. The south rift valley of Kenya is possibly the most diverse geographic location on the African continent. From soda lakes, to freshwater wetlands, to rivers, to mountains, to grasslands, to savannahs – this area has it all and you will see it all. Africa is famous for its rift valley lakes but very few people get to visit Lake Natron due to its remote and isolated location. It is the largest breeding ground in the world for Lesser Flamingoes and they breed there because no one else goes there! On this safari you take in the incredible sight of Lake Natron and its associated rift valley scenery. For landscape photographers this is a dream come true. For those of you who enjoy being out on foot, this safari offers a wild freedom that is absent in more established parks and reserves. We will explore the floor of the rift valley and we will walk through ancient Fig Tree forests. Together with a Maasai guide, we will interpret tracks and signs left by wild animals and you will take in true rift valley sights, sounds and smells whilst outside the vehicle.
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The Conservation Aspect
• 40% of Safari costs are contributed to Conservation Efforts in the Region (USD 1 580.00 pp) • 2 Satellite Collars will be donated to Rebuilding the Pride Researchers for monitoring purposes • Guests will receive login details and will be able to track and monitor the lion prides remotely
Africa has lost 40% of its lions over the last few decades and the south rift valley of Kenya is one of the last strongholds for free-‐ranging lion. It is also one of the only areas in Africa where lion numbers are on the increase which is even more incredible considering that they live on community land. Guy Western, currently busy with his PHD through Oxford University heads the ‘Rebuilding The Pride’ project and not only will you go out and do field research with his team but you will be given a fascinating lecture explaining the incredible dynamics that have resulted in this being one of the last thriving lion populations on the continent. This safari gives you the opportunity to help conserve Africa’s wildlife and people. 40% of all the profits from this safari are being donated to the people and wildlife of the south rift valley. Not only are you donating by being on this safari but you will hear more about the very projects that you are helping and get to see and experience them first hand. The Photographic Aspect
• Dedicated Photographic Guidance from Greg Du Toit • Wildlife, Cultural and landscape photographic opportunities
This safari is so diverse that is caters for everyone, not just photographers so non photographers are very welcome. But, for the photographers amongst you, you will be able to photograph free-‐ranging lion carrying out a wild and free existence on community land. You will photograph incredible birds at the N’giro Swamps which is an uncharted wetland, and you will photograph a plethora of other wildlife. On this safari we will do a night drive after dinner and you will see shy and nocturnal creatures seldom seen like aardwolf or aardvark. This safari caters for every kind of photographer and cultural photographers will be given an authentic opportunity to photograph Maasai living their daily lives while landscape photographers will enjoy photographing incredibly expansive vistas, that have not yet been done justice with a camera. The Cultural Aspect
• Authentic Maasai Cultural Experience • Guests will participate in herding of cattle with Maasai Herdsman • Guests will learn how the Maasai have learnt to “dance” with, and co exist with lions
One of Africa’s major attractions lies in its diverse array of traditional cultures. The Maasai are one such famous culture and this safari plays out on their land. If you want to have a genuine cultural experience then this is the safari for you. On this safari you will be introduced to a traditional Maasai boma and family. You will join in with the daily boma activities such as herding cattle and milking goats. There are very few authentic cultural experiences left in Africa and this is one of them. You will get to experience the daily life and culture of one of the most traditional clans of the Maasai tribe left in Kenya.
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The Daily Itinerary Day 1 | Arrival in Kenya After being met at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi you will enjoy a scenic 4 hour drive into the south rift valley of Kenya. Our camp has been especially erected for this safari and it is a fully mobile camp with a lite footprint. We will be based inside a unique community conservancy and on the dry dusty floor of the Great Rift Valley. Once we have received a camp briefing, we will head out for an introductory exploration of the floor of one of Kenya’s last true wildernesses. We will enjoy sundowners taking in the beautiful rift valley scenery before heading back to camp. A scrumptious dinner and campfire will be followed by an introductory talk by myself on the area, its people and its wildlife. Turning in for the night, you might here lions roar while sleeping in your tent and if you do, it will be the first time that you have heard ‘Livingstone Lions’ roar. This last sentence will make more sense once you have heard my talk. Day 2 | Lake Natron, Maasai Bomas, Rebuilding the Pride Presentation Our day begins with an early 5am departure for Lake Natron. This is a soda lake in the truest sense of the word. Surrounded by extinct volcanoes you might even glimpse Ol Doinyo Lengai to the south which is the last active volcano remaining in the eastern arm of the rift valley. Natron is like no place else and it has been heralded the most dynamic landform on planet earth by NASA. It is a wild frontier, a harsh and inhospitable place that has a barren, rugged beauty that will leave a lasting impression on you. The vistas are large and this is true big sky country. The drive into and out of the Natron basin will offer you breathtaking rift valley scenery as we pass by Maasai villages and under the steep western escarpment of the rift valley. This is a frontier experience that will challenge even the widest of wide-‐angle lenses. We will take a packed breakfast and the morning will be spent photographing, exploring and celebrating the wilderness of the south rift valley. After lunch and tea back in camp we head out to meet a traditional Maasai boma (village). We will spend the afternoon and evening with the Maasai. You will be introduced to a Maasai family and you will join them in the daily activities of the home such as milking, herding and the associated traditions, including singing and folklore. Photos will also be allowed during this time. This will be an authentic cultural experience and the Maasai we visit will not put on a show or a ‘sing and dance’ for us. What they will do, is allow us into their world, to experience their everyday life. Samantha du Toit from SORALO has been working with this community for the last seven years and she will be at hand to help interpret and explain the culture. It is through the trust that she has earned from the local Maasai, and her caring work, that we have been extended this special invite. These bomas are some of the most traditional left in Kenya and in this part of Africa the Maasai are still semi-‐nomadic. You will not only glimpse this ancient and wonderful culture but you will gain in-‐depth knowledge and firsthand experience. Guy Western is currently busy with his PHD through Oxford University and he heads a fascinating and exciting project called “Rebuilding the Pride”. This unique project is studying both the Maasai and the free-‐ranging lion population of the south rift valley. As mentioned, the south rift of Kenya is one of the only places in Africa where the lion population is on the increase. This is especially remarkable when considering that Kenya only has 2000 lion left and even inside its national parks, lions are decreasing in number. The “Rebuilding the Pride” project is trying to identify all the factors that come in to play in the south rift, which are making it such a conservation success story. Once these factors have been identified, “Rebuilding the Pride” want to design a model that can hopefully be replicated elsewhere to help conserve both wildlife and people. This exciting lecture will open your eyes to the incredible conservation ethics of the Maasai. It will enlighten you regarding lion behaviour and you will gain unique insight into the dynamics of one of Africa’s most diverse, dynamic and unique ecosystems. This exciting talk will broaden your horizons and it will challenge your thoughts on the concepts of both ‘wilderness’ and ‘conservation’! “Rebuilding the Pride” is a one of a kind project that will give you unique and in-‐depth insight and this evening, we will hear from the researchers themselves.
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The Daily Itinerary Continued… Day 3 | Dancing with Lions Part 1 This is an exciting day because we will join the “Rebuilding the Pride” researchers in the field! Researchers get up even earlier than photographers so our day will begin long before sunrise. Of the approximated 50 lion in the area, only 4 have been collared with a GPS satellite tracking collar. In an area that is over 100 000ha (1000 sq-‐km), we will track down the lions of the south rift valley. These are no ordinary lions though, they are free-‐ranging lion, carrying out a free existence on Maasai community land. This is a part of Africa where man and beast still coexist, and on this morning, you will get to experience this firsthand. I am sure many of you have seen lots of lions before, but think about it, everywhere you have seen a lion is because man has been excluded out of the area such as in national parks and game reserves. This experience is very different in that the Maasai and the lions live side-‐by-‐side and on this morning, we will not only track the lion down but we will spend time with them, following them across the floor of Africa’s rift valley. Once we have located the lion, we will pass by Maasai villages and share our findings with them. You will not only see and photograph free-‐ranging lion but you will get to experience what it is like to be a field researcher in wild Africa. You will assist the ‘Rebuilding the Pride” project and you will play a part in conserving this splendid and unique corner of Africa. On this afternoon, we drive south along the floor of the rift valley enjoying the scenery and wildlife. Our destination is the N’giro Swamps at the base of Mount Shompole. This mountain is an extinct volcanoe lying to the north of Lake Natron and it is like molten wax standing on the floor of the rift valley. For those of you who enjoy landscape photography, you will be able to walk along the edge of this wonderful wetland seeking out your special composition with Mount Shompole in the background. The freshwater in the swamps also draws wildlife off the dry dusty plains in the afternoon. This afternoon is special in that you will be able to climb out of the vehicles, shed your shoes and socks if you like, and walk along the edge of the wetland, taking in the sights, sounds and smells of a true African wilderness. After enjoying a sundowner and watching the sun set behind the western wall of the Great Rift Valley we will make our way north again. Using spotlights, our exploration of the valley floor continues into the night. Day 4 | Dancing with Lions Part 2 Again, long before dawn, we will be out on the dusty floor of Africa’s rift valley where we will track down our lions from yesterday to see what they have been up to. Accompanied by the “Rebuilding the Pride” team of researchers, we will join them on their daily field research. This safari affords you the special opportunity of getting to terms with one of the most fluid and dynamic ecosystems left in Africa. The rainfall, rivers and swamps all affect grazing for the Maasai cows and wildlife of the area. Why do the lions not destroy the cattle and in turn why does the growing population of Maasai not destroy the lions? What makes this ecosystem tick and what challenges lie ahead? What better way to answer these questions than by getting out and into the ecosystem, by spending time with both the Maasai and the lion! This morning, we are not on a normal safari drive; we are on an exploration back in time to study an ancient relationship between two organisms, both of which are at the top of the ‘food chain’ and both are sharing the same resources. How do the Maasai, with their cattle and goats, coexist in the same area as Africa’s top big cat? We will answer this question. The south rift valley is a truly wild piece of Africa. It is hot, dry and dusty, dotted with Acacias and the wall of the rift valley is an ever-‐faithful backdrop. The Maasai not only live in this wild rugged countryside but they subsist here without growing crops and among Africa’s wild beasts. The Maasai herdsman are therefore shepherds of biblical proportions! Each day they have the huge responsibility of taking their family’s cattle out grazing and to be watered. Armed physically with only spears, they are responsible for their family’s wealth. Lions are on the prowl and the herdsman are on the watch.
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The Daily Itinerary Continued… This afternoon, we join the Maasai herdsman and we help them ferry their cattle back to their bomas at dusk, which incidentally is the most dangerous time of the day. Walking behind a herd of Maasai cows, listening to their bells and watching the dust that they kick up, you will experience Africa the way the Maasai do. Our herdsman will have their spears close at hand but this afternoon, you will come to realize that their true weapon is the knowledge of not only their land but the wisdom that has been passed down to them by their forefathers. You will gain firsthand experience as to just what incredible pastoralists the Maasai are. Walking on the dusty floor of this ancient land, you will feel truly alive! After an earlier dinner, we head out on a night exploration. The south rift has in incredible array of nocturnal creatures and since we are not inside a park or game reserve, we can go exploring! We will search for aardvark; aardwolf; civets; genets; hyena; whitetailed mongoose; leopards; lion; owls; african wild cats and serval amongst others. The nocturnal fauna is the best kept secret of the south rift and we will unlock this secret. Sitting on the roof of a vehicle with nothing but wild Africa all around you and the starry heavens above, you will once again be touched by the awesomeness of true wilderness! Day 5 | River Walk, Lake Natron, SORALO & Maasai Dinner The south rift is one of the most diverse geographic locations in Africa. This morning we will walk along the Ewaso Ngiro river enjoying the wildlife and scenery. This river is fringed with ancient fig trees and this gallery forest is the largest fig forest left in Africa. These wild fig trees provide fruit year-‐round and the river is a permanent water source in what is a very dry and dusty ecosystem. The fine volcanic dust means that the tracks of the animals are imprinted with superb clarity and we will enjoy tracking with our local Maasai guide. Walking along the river, you will again take in the sights, sound and the smells of this ancient land. For the birdwatchers amongst you, this promises to be a real treat as Kenya’s arid areas are a birder’s delight. We leave camp in the early afternoon and wind our way south enjoying the wildlife of the rift valley. This afternoon, we cross over the swamps and we skirt the western side of Mount Shompole. Our end destination is the northeastern shore of Lake Natron. Most people visiting Kenya go to Lake Nakuru, Bogoria, Baringo or even Turkana. This afternoon, you will stand where very few have as Lake Natron is the remotest and most hostile of all the rift valley lakes. Due to its wild location and inaccessible mud flats, this is the only place in East Africa where the Lesser Flamingoes breed. This breeding takes place right out in the middle of the lake and out of sight but the lake is fed by freshwater springs which the flamingos journey to, to bath and drink. Lake Natron is more of a wilderness experience though than a flamingoe experience, and it is a truly unique and incredible frontier. We will enjoy the evening exploring the shores of Lake Natron and for the last time, we will watch the sun set behind a particularly steep part of the western wall of the rift valley, behind a mountain which the Maasai call Oldonyo Sampu. Winding our way north again, while you stand with your head out the top of the vehicle, you will feel the hot African breeze on your face and you will be dwarfed in an ancient volcanic landscape. You will fall in love with Africa all over again! SORALO is the “South Rift Association of Land Owners”. This trust was formed to take care of all the land between the Masai Mara (to the west) and Amboseli (to the east). It is an incredibly diverse area and SORALO is a community driven initiative that aims at directly improving the livelihoods of the communities, creating linkages and assisting in resource mobilization for the development of the south rift valley region, all the while taking into consideration the key threats and challenges in the area. On our last night we will be hosted by the founding member of SORALO, Samantha du Toit. Sam, a Kenyan by birth, moved into the area in 2007 and her gentle, patient and caring relationship with the Maasai is what makes this such an incredibly successful conservation initiative. We will hear a bit more from Sam about the SORALO projects being initiated and we will enjoy a traditional Swahili dinner consisting of yummy free-‐range Maasai goat! The evening will end around the fire hearing more from the Maasai.
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The Daily Itinerary Continued… By the end of this evening, we believe that your eye’s would have been opened to an entirely new form of conservation and that your definition of the wilderness concept will be forever changed. “Rebuilding the Pride’ which is one of the SORALO project’s is a good news story that will leave you filled with passion and renewed hope for the African continent. Day 6 | Departure After a hearty breakfast, we bid farewell to the south rift until next time. A four hour drive up to Nairobi will deliver you back at the international airport for your onward journey home. Of course if you would like to continue exploring in Kenya then this can be arranged but this is will be on a ‘private request’ basis.
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