Lewa conservancy and safari camp a place of the heart and soul

[offshorebirder]

About these photos of @COSMIC RHINO modeling wildlife ties, he says:  "The guide took these pictures at breakfast and I fitted the ties without using a mirror."

 

 

 

 

 

Here is a note and keepsake from Lewa Safari Camp

 

[COSMIC RHINO]

• Well a Sydney  radio host said  I just  about never wear  ties  , so  I thought I can do better  complete  with hiking  boots  and ingrained bush dust
• male  ostriches  dance in front of each other as a way of showing of , hey I will be  getting the lady birds
• the photos are approaching sunset
• the  plant is folk  medicine for malaria  symptom relief, the leaves are   made  into  a tea to purge  it out , one of the local universities  is doing proper research to see what might be in this practice  

[COSMIC RHINO]

I had my camera  ready all the time  ,  a lens pen  was attached  to the lining of the inside lid of my camera  bag by sewing in a short length of elastic

 

I  used it  often together  with a blower  brush to remove  that thin film of dust  which always seems to cover  nearly  everything

 

WORKING TOGETHER

 

When I  changed guides  as someone was briefly  going on leave  , my new guide  Tom commented  that I  had frequently  returned  but we had not  worked  together before  

 

by that   I took it  that I was   not  one of those visitors  who really enjoyed   the comforts  of the camp  and did  not mind a shorter game drive  , I was  there to connect  with the devine  glory  of nature  , this  is  my time  to get serious  about things , I am on holidays  but I treat it more like  work

 

It is my strong aim to spend as little time in camp and as much time in the bush 

 

time in camp is a maximum  of 4 1/2 daylight hours per day

Edited July 3, 2018 by COSMIC RHINO

[COSMIC RHINO]

May  15  was elephant  supreme

 

 

game viewing  ,breakfast then   down  to Isilio  valley  for a deightful  viewing of eles  having a bath  in a muddy waterhole  a few  at a time  ,then rub on the  nearby soil for a thicker mud  coat

 

my  guide knew  that I am here for the wildlife , it was an elaborate breakfast  but  I was not there for long , he saw I  was no longer eating so asked me if I was ready to go   

 

well there were a quiet a few eles around so some of them used a nearby waterhole with the same thing in mind

 

they just  peacefully walked past some reclining white rhinos   

 

[COSMIC RHINO]

what can you  do  after the wonderful morning with  the elephant mud bath 

 

well  the drive  on my last afternoon was  great  

 

good Grevy's  zebras  , white rhino and black rhino .

 

the guide could see  Sonia  from a great distance  , we approached closely   but her calf was not there , she remained  calm and  after a while her calf  emerged  ,  well they must have been resting  very close to her.

 

the calf was born on 22 April  and guides  have not mentioned  a gender , that makes less than one  month at the time.

 

after a while   suckling  was done  , then they went back to eating plants  together  at close distance 

 

what a love  site

 

I used to have  no problems with tamarillo,  then last year I  got one  which tasted  odd and made me  ill 

 

I  have  tried to avoid  them since  but I inadvertently was given just a bit of one which made  me feel queasy  in the stomach 

 

so the planned dinner was changed to peppermint tea, soup, bread and yoghurt 

 

the morning juice  was changed to apple, I got over  being  queasy          

 

there was a message from my agent  that  my return flight  was cancelled  , and I accepted  the offer of a road transfer at no added  cost,  but that only lasted  a few hours  before  more people booked  onto the flight  and  I  could  look forward  to a final game  drive which  have a tradition of being very good 

 

as is often  the other guests were interesting

 

it happened  again  a large  family   group  of local members of the Indian  community arrived each with  their  almost full sized solid sided wheeled suit cases 

 

both  I and the guide  thought they would have known  that only small soft bags were usually accepted ,somehow the bags were loaded onto the small plane

 

I had seen this before with a large Chinese group  booking in 2016, their agent had told them nothing  and they were unimpressed , especially  the guy with the big camera  who only had his camera kit accepted

[COSMIC RHINO]

any other  guests and there  were no many of them stayed  about  3 nights  or a bit less

 

as well as the  Indian family mentioned  above, there  was  a local UN peace keeping trainer , someone  from  the Australian high commission and her mother  , the British army commander and his  wife, an older  couple from  new zealand , a Canadian mother and her daughter

 

separate  food requirements  were dealt  with very well

 

depending  on the number of people it  was either one  dining table  or a number of tables  with no one eating alone

 

the  acting manager  had interesting things to say about local life  , his  sister is studying law , an overseas  online  book order is no viable as there is a  government imposed collection fee equal to about  USD 100 per parcel

Edited July 5, 2018 by COSMIC RHINO

[COSMIC RHINO]

I  have  got used  to  a few logistics tricks during my trip

 

 

• I  put  a spare  camera  battery into a  small fabric pencil case in my  cargo pants  pocket so it is always  dust free and fast to get at
• I put even more batteries ,SD cards  etc  in a much larger pencil case  within my cabin bag
• my small cabin  bag goes out on drives  to bring fleeces in and out of   ,rather than toss them on the floor of the vehicle  .  it also has the above  pencil  case in it
• my camera cleaning kit  is easy to find in my camera bag which is tied to a bar near the seat I use in the vehicle
• if I need more height I sit  on the cabin bag  which is placed on the car seat 

[offshorebirder]

Thanks for the details about Lewa @COSMIC RHINO.

 

Question:   how do you like their vehicles?    Are they open-sided with canvas tops?   Or flip-top metal roofs with side windows that lower?   Or completely open with no canvas shade (like in southern Africa)?   

 

If you have any Lewa vehicle photos, I would be glad to convert + post them.

 

 

[COSMIC RHINO]

the  Lewa  Safari  Camp vehicles  are 1ong  wheelbase Toyota  landcruiser  4WD  utility/pickups  open sided with canvas  top and  a fixed  windscreen    as do are nearly all the camps in the reserve  

 

sirikoi camp uses open land rovers

 

none  of the camps  use  vehicles  with metal  roof hatches

 

I can send you some older photos with the older  Cheli and peacock color scheme 

Edited July 6, 2018 by COSMIC RHINO

[COSMIC RHINO]

the open  view the vehicle is wonderful and very wide

 

I sent copies  of  the black rhino seduction photos to Tom  one of my guides

 

he told me  that    the male senducing Sonya is Ndooto

Edited July 6, 2018 by COSMIC RHINO

[COSMIC RHINO]

 

if you like birds the guides  at Lewa Safari  Camp are used  to guests who are  keen on them and can look after you  

   

I  have  not been  to the Ngare Ndare forest myself  , doing the walk being taken from Lewa Safari Camp and returned to camp   would be the easy way 

 

looking online they have their own site , looks like  if you want to do more there  it could involve car hire, bringing your own tent and food

 

a heavy 4WD vehicle may be the best choice

 

Ngare Ndare Forest Trust has an awesome array of things to do and see from the Tree Canopy Walk through the treetops to forest walking, forest camping, game drives, birdwatching through to more adventurous activities like Canyoning, Ziplining, Mountain Biking and Rock Climbing.

It’s common to see elephants, buffalo and wild dogs from the treetop Canopy walk and its a veritable haven for bird watchers. There are crystal clear waterfalls which are great for picnicking under or for a refreshing swim in the chilly natural pools.

We have two campsites that are sited near flowing water where guests can enjoy camping out in the wilds of the forest. The campsite is equipped with clean running water, a toilet and a bathroom. We have well trained guides who can take you on informative and fun filled camping that must be always accompanied by an armed ranger.

There is always the excitement and sometimes a danger in meeting up with the big five in a forest environment

http://www.ngarendare.org/forestcamping.php

 

http://www.ngarendare.org/ecotarrifs.php

 

you need to pay by mpesa account

 

their email  is info@ngaredare.org

[COSMIC RHINO]

to  put things   very  clearly 

 

Lewa  Safari  Camp   is just great  ,  the guides are just  superb  , the vehicles   give wonderful game viewing  , with  the bush breakfast ever day you get more game viewing  , the camp is  very comfortable, it is a luxury camp, well nothing more is needed, the tents are up to Grand Designs grade

[COSMIC RHINO]

the  vehicles  also have canvas covering  at the back, a most welcome feature  when it is colder.

[COSMIC RHINO]

the camp easily serves  guests for  what they seek

 

as discussed with guides before  most people  come  before  their foreign agent suggested it  and know almost nothing about the place when they arrive

 

on my observation  nearly  everyone  enjoys the luxury on offer  ,hence  they have breakfast in camp their final morning  

 

my reaction is I  did not come her to eat   and I here for as much time in the bush  I can get  , the most important thing is the game drive

 

the rest  of the lovely  camp is 100% detail  ,location  not  what a hotel  under canvas  offers as food , tents etc  has to offer

 

to  quote   the Mexican poet Octavio Paz    ,  in a different context  ,time spent in wild animals  and wild lands is  "our quota of paradise "

[COSMIC RHINO]

on  one occasion I  got a little bit carried away with writing  my trip journal  and ended up a bit late  for the afternoon game  drive 

 

my guide thought  that  I was resting  and overslept 

 

the drive began  when I got to the parking lot and it was wonderful  

 

Well I am  hardly suited to the marathon  my 5 minute  stiff walk  from the tent  left me felling just  a bit worn out

 

the conservancy has an average elevation  of 1,800 meters  ,  I am not  at all suited to  altitude 

[COSMIC RHINO]

the camp  has  a boma   with  terracotta  structures put in for burning wood 

 

it was used  once for a night cook out  dinner 

 

the  acting manager  and  one of the guests  discussed  the comparative difficulty of climbing  MT  Kenya  and Kilimanjaro  , they  had  each done them both , and both said  MT K is  harder 

 

well I say  both are  lovely to look at  , but I have  no intention of going up either

 

given  my difficulty  of a stiff walk  at Lewa  , I am not really  sure  if  the guide  on my MT K  trip  all those years  ago  gave  the correct  camp  hights 

 

I recall having problems from 10,000 feet up , looks like to  me that they  were  reporting the camps  as higher than  reality  

Edited July 8, 2018 by COSMIC RHINO

[COSMIC RHINO]

the  final drive was wonderful  black and white rhinos  , elephants , reticulated giraffe  and Grevy's  zebras all  in relative  proximity to the airstrip

 

well someone is  not know  for keeping to time  the plane can come late or early ,so to keep it simpler the guides call them Safarilate

 

it is very obvious  what is happen  the plane  will be seen low in the air and  it makes  a bit of noise

 

my guide phone  camp and confirmed  that  it was  about to arrive  

 

I  am so used to this  that  I  could  change  my fleece   etc  to  my main checked bag  and moved  my  camera, binos, spare batteries  etc  to  the cabin  bag

Edited July 8, 2018 by COSMIC RHINO

[COSMIC RHINO]

on practical  logistics 

 

• someone  who is thin does  well to have  a length of rope  ready to put through  trouser belt loops when  going through  airport metal  detectors  
• it is good to  keep sunscreen ,insect repellent , lip balm  etc  in a small cosmetics  purse   so  they can  be easily  found  and  they don't make a big mess on everything else if there is a leak

as is usual  at Wilson  airport  the luggage  comes  out quickly  and goes  again through a metal  detector  at arrivals

 

well the flight  had left a bit  early , is was standing  outside the airport fence  , security  asked who was collecting  me,  they said  that they would check  and be back with me in 1 minute , they kept  to time  and my agent had  recently  arrived

 

WESTON  HOTEL 

 

it is wonderfully close  to Wilson  airport 

 

it turns  out that the food incident  from 2017  was caused  by external  caterers  

 

I was  cautious  coming through avoiding the food , took  some fruit  from the camp  to use  on my  final night  but eat  their  breakfast  on  the cooked  vegetables  on my  final  morning  

 

I had  no illness  at all

Edited July 8, 2018 by COSMIC RHINO

[COSMIC RHINO]

GUIDE  PHOTOGRAPHER

 

my second  guide Tom  also  took photographs

 

the effect  of this  is that  there were 2 people at a good siting  who wanted to stick around for  as long as it remained good

 

with my permission he stoped for  lilac breasted rollers

[offshorebirder]

Here are a couple of photos of Lewa Safari Camp vehicles that @COSMIC RHINO sent me to convert + post.   Looks like a good design and the vehicles are "in good nick" as one would expect.

 

This one from 2013 was accompanied by notes: 

"Guides left to right are Festas and Norman. 

My safari bag is distinctive."

(indeed it is)

 

 

2015 with guide Leban

 

 

And here is one more @COSMIC RHINO threw in with his guide Leban from 2015.

 

[COSMIC RHINO]

Agents continue  to call the place  Lewa  Downs its name from the days of cattle farming , rather  than the  more recent name  Lewa  Wildlife Conservancy  

 

more  recently  the vehicles  and staff  uniforms  have gone all pale green 

 

Lewa  has an operating code  which only allows  green 4wd  vehicles

 

the  camp uses  large cylinders  of bottled gas in the  kitchen  ,getting them in when it is wet can be exciting  , the truck got bogged  , was pulled out by a tractor  which stayed  with it  until they were leaving the reserve 

 

I  purchased a red bag to make it  more noticeable than black, then noticed  someone checking into a hotel  with an identical bag,  so I  got some leopard  and zebra print material from a fabric shop  ,then glued  and stitched  to the top of the bag to make mine  very noticeable, especially  at airport bag carousels  and hotel luggage storage

Edited July 10, 2018 by COSMIC RHINO

[COSMIC RHINO]

• the  camp  is  a place for nature  there is a massive  weaver birds nest  very prominately on the  eves  of the main  bar and dining room, the birds have actively used it for years
• the tents have good timber  furniture, no marble  the photo of  the note  with rhino key ring was   taken in my Nairobi  hotel
• for added security  to get into the  departure units at JKIA  passengers  now have to show a copy of their e tickets

[COSMIC RHINO]

PHOTOGRAPHER GUIDE 

 

something else   of note  is that Tom  stop a reasonable distance  from the  animal  quiet a few  times  and suggested  that  it was time for  a safety shot

 

BEING  QUIET AROUND BLACK RHINOS

 

guides  can notice things at greater distances,  at times  a very  quiet approach  is made to a black rhino  , the vehicle  is on a very slight incline  on the track,  the motor is switched of , then the accelator  is gently used  , the car moves  in near silence  

 

when close  to black rhinos  watch the volume  of  your  voice  ,speak in a very low voice  , consider whispering   

[shouldbewriting]

Wonderfully informative! Many thanks.

[COSMIC RHINO]

once again on this trip that distant rock like  thing , get closer was a black rhino 

 

I  have now taken down  some of the laminated  photos of the great  migration  on   my walls , and  replaced them with  Grevy's  zebras, muddy elephants  , anna  and  sonya  black rhinos with calf

 

I wonder about some people  when  I was printing  them at office  works some young men wondered   if a padded  office chair  would be  suitable   for  37 hours  in a row of computer  gaming  

Edited August 14, 2018 by COSMIC RHINO