Some hotels are more. . . customer-facing than others

Oloitokitok, 25 Feb 2009

Superb bargain at Meru National Park

The Kinna bandas at Meru National Park are gems in the wilderness. Not only do they have incongruously large rooms, decent beds with bedding, new nets, and clean showers and toilets, but the site has its own, pristine swimming pool. In the middle of Meru National Park, which, ten years ago, was all but abandoned, this was a sight to behold. The bandas are looked after by Jackson, who also cares for Ndusi, the orphaned giraffe. Watch out for her feet - one step to the right or left and yours would be mincemeat. A fantastic place – I wish I could have stayed here longer. The bandas cost $70 a night each, or $80 in the high season.

Diamond Beach Village, Manda Island

If you want to be in the Lamu area, but not in Lamu town, nor in the increasingly over-developed and over-the-top atmosphere of Shela, then staying just across the creek, in this rustic little beach resort, is an affordable way to do it. Diamond Beach is on the southern arm of Manda island (the island where Lamu's airstrip is located), and it's the nicest of several small property developments. Tuned into the local mood and utterly relaxing – all sandy toes, wooden boards and horizontal living –  it has simple self-contained bandas with good nets and decent bathrooms, and a delightfully wacky treehouse in a baobab. Ecological principles and a superb beachfront location, just 10 minutes in their boat from Lamu town, or for that matter from Peponi, add up to a very fine place to stay. They have evening electricity and pride themselves on really good food. It's £60 ($100) per night for two, including breakfast, which in this location, with this level of comfort, convenience and general blissfulness, is a snip.

Camp Carnelly's at Lake Naivasha

I thought this place was delightful. It's got a fresh, bright feel about it, which is slightly lacking at the neighbouring Fisherman's Camp (though Fisherman's does have the form, and great shade from its big fever trees – the photo of the lakeshore was taken from there). Carnelly's is a breakaway republic really, after a family feud. Long may both camps prosper. They're certainly both a good deal nicer than Crayfish Camp and more relaxing than Fish Eagle Inn.

Camp Carnelly’s (tel 0722/260749 or 0722/329465). Funky offshoot of Fisherman’s Camp, with 4-person, en-suite bandas for Ksh5000, twin rooms Ksh1600, dorm bunks Ksh600 per person and camping Ksh400 per person. The welcoming and convivial ambiance here, with a relaxing bar-dining area decked in cushions, is serious competition for Fisherman’s Camp next door among the independent and overland crowd. The bar-restaurant does slightly unusual things like smoothies, Camembert samosas and beef wraps.

Naiberi River Campsite

The owner of this unusual campsite and cabins is Raj Shah - a really congenial host who works in Eldoret (family run the Ken-Knit factory in town), but who likes nothing better than chilling by his bar, in his restaurant, with his guests. It's a lovely place, highly recommended. Try to spend a couple of nights here.

This is from Chapter 4, Western Kenya:
If you arrived in Eldoret early enough in the day, there’s a very worthwhile base outside town, Naiberi River Campsite & Resort (Tel 053/2062916 or 0722/686512; lifts available from town if you call ahead), a very popular stop for independent overlanders and tour trucks heading for Uganda. This has a fine scenic location above the small Naiberi River, with comfortable, en-suite cabin-style rooms (Ksh3600 for two, B&B), as well as dorm accommodation (Ksh1000 per person with good, shared showers and toilets) and camping (Ksh400 per person). The centrepiece is a sprawling and enjoyable pub-restaurant built into the hillside, incorporating streams and waterfalls, a central fireplace and the remains of what are said to be Sirikwa holes. The Nepali chef cooks up excellent, sizzling, hot-plate dishes and a variety of other meals, and there’s a congenial bar with DSTV. It’s a delightfully relaxing place to hang out for a day or two, the hilly grounds leading down to the river, and a sparkling (if chilly) swimming pool making it hard to tear yourself away. Facilities include slightly pricey Internet access (Ksh10/min). If you drive here, take the turning (east, on the B54 towards Kaptagat), at the Petro gas station 3km southeast of Eldoret town centre on the Nairobi road. From the Petro junction, drive 15.3km and Naiberi is on your left.

Castle Forest Lodge

I thought I'd start posting up some favourite places from recent travels. We really loved Castle Forest Lodge. It's exactly what you hope it will be. It's been in the Rough Guide for a while but I'd hadn't personally visited before - it was included by my Central Highlands researchers on the last three editions, since 1999. Here's the proposed text for the forthcoming 9th edition of the Rough Guide:



A private home built for British royalty before World War I, Castle Forest Lodge nestles in a fragrantly piney forest clearing at 2100m on the southern slopes of the Mount Kenya. Remotely sited, personally managed by its Dutch leaseholder, far from the main road and overlooking a waterhole regularly visited by most of the usual suspects, this is what Treetops might aspire to be if the famous tree-hotel hadn’t already destroyed its environment. Even if you’re simply passing by, there are few nicer ways to spend an afternoon than sitting on the veranda with tea and homemade cakes.



The old house has several modest, comfortable rooms (“King’s Room”, “Queen’s Room”. . .) with camphor-wood floors. In the grounds there are three bungalows each sleeping four, an arc of stylish, individually decorated double and twin cottages with fireplaces, and also the option of DIY camping (Tel: 0721/422908 or 0722/314918 website; $88BB for two, camping $8 per person). They use solar panels for electricity, but most lighting is by kerosene lamp. Good-value meals are available to order and there’s a well-stocked bar. In between sleeping and eating, you can walk in the woods, sit by the waterfalls of the Karute stream (a short walk from the house through beautiful thick forest), fish the stream for trout or take a horse out for a ride.
If you’re keen to try an unusual approach to the summit of Mount Kenya, the seldom-used Kamweti route begins at the road-head, a steep 8km north of Castle Forest. This southern part of the mountain shelters the last remaining wild bongos on Mount Kenya, as researchers’ night-surveillance cameras proved in 2008. The lodge can arrange a hiking trip for you for $120 a day all-inclusive, regardless of the size of the party, via Mackinder’s Camp and Point Lenana, terminating either in Naro Moru (4–6 days) or Chogoria (6–9 days).

Castle Forest Lodge is 40km from Sagana via Kagio. Take the C73, direction Embu. After 18km, reaching Kutus, continue east on the C73 for 400m, then turn left on the tarmac D458 signposted “Castle Forest Lodge 22km”. After 2km, turn left onto an excellent road which eventually becomes a forest track in reasonable condition. En route, 5km before the lodge, you pass the moribund Thiba Fishing Camp.

Lions in Nairobi!

Wonderful news, amid all the crap politics and meanness, Lions (and a leopard) have actually been prowling the streets of Nairobi.

This city can still surprise you!

British Airways staff's least favourite boss

Almost unbelievable suggestion from British Airways' boss Willie Walsh that rather than reducing the payroll by sacking staff, they should take a month's unpaid leave. He can afford to. In the good times, did BA share its profits with staff? So why change the rules when they're making a loss? Why should staff share in that?

A lot of businesses in Kenya struggling to survive last year after the double whammy of the post-election clashes plus the credit crunch bearing down on them, just sacked staff wholesale, or simply closed down or went dormant. The good ones tried alternative solutions. I was really impressed with the Pinewood, on Diani Beach. The manager there, Alnoor Kanji, told me it had been so quiet there was nothing for many staff to do, so he gave some of them extended leave on full pay, with the understanding (contractually or not, I don't know) that they would have to pay back the unworked days at some point in the future. Well, labour relations are altogether less formal and structured in Kenya and most of Kanji's staff on leave would have been looking after their shambas or doing some small trade (which would make working the days off in the future less onerous). It would be good to see businesses in the rich economies being equally creative. As you sow. . .etc.

Mobile blogging

Well, so much for thinking I'd be posting every day while in Kenya. I bought a Safaricom Mobile Office HSDPA USB Modem for my Apple MacBookPro as soon as I arrived last December (Ksh9,999, or a bit less than £100) and it does work, most of the time. You can find reception in the most unlikely places (Maasai Mara?!). But the speeds are cripplingly slow. You pay a minimum of Ksh1000 per month for 300mb of usage. This may not sound much, but it's plenty. Because much of the time I'm struggling to download or send emails at speeds of less 1 kb/sec (ie less than 1mb per 15 mins). Occasionally, as now, the blue light is on and I'm reading a top rate of 50.7kb/sec. But the lovely folks at Safaricom service centres (and they are, universally, extremely smart and helpful) just say that the software isn't fully matched to Macs, so gives unreliable info. So I don't reallly know. I'd be interested to hear of other people's experiences.

Stephen Fry in Kenya

Stephen Fry is in east Africa filming a follow-up to Last Chance to See, the excellent 1980s book (and radio series I think?) that was presented by Hitchhikers' Guide to the Galaxy author, the late, great Douglas Adams, about endangered species. His blog is worth following and he recently posted this camcorder clip about ivory and rhino horn.

Obama-Muslim-conspiracy theorist kicked out of Kenya

Kenya's record on freedom of speech is improving, so some might see the expulsion from Kenya of American anti-Democrat Jerome Corsi for trying to promote his conspiracy-theory book about Barack Obama's imagined links with Islam, terrorism, Raila Odinga and all things ungodly as a step in the wrong direction. But it looks like Obama's presence on the world stage (assuming he wins) might actually be a force for good, bringing the US some long-overdue respect and credibility and even putting a soft-focus spotlight on Kenya for the duration of his time in office. I haven't read Corsi's book, but I'm instinctively glad he's not being given the chance to talk rubbish in a fragile democracy like Kenya. It's bad enough when the likes of Sarah Palin do it in the US. Yes, I know: what about freedom of speech? Well sometimes (and this time, clearly) saying whatever you like, voicing an opinion, or making things up, serve to act against freedom from mobs, hunger, disease and death. I think the Kenyan authorities made the right call.

Watching the migration in the Maasai Mara

It's hard to tell from the President Kibaki story how much he really saw of the drama of the migration itself. Kicheche Camp's always readable Spot of the Week this week reminded us what a truly sobering, numbing experience it can be to witness one of the river crossings, where dozens of animals die in a natural, chaotic, cacophonous event - while you watch. You almost want to go down there and shoo them back. Watching the deer in Richmond Park it ain't. . .

"Despite their determination to cross, the logistics of getting 20,000 animals across a raging river, each animal seemingly intent on taking the same route as the animal in front of it, means a large amount of patience will be required from those wildebeest bringing up the rear. Patience is a virtue wildebeest have in only limited amounts and once the first animal launches into the muddy depths of the Mara the word soon gets back to 19,999 and 20,000 in the queue and then the push is really on! The first 200 wildebeest perish immediately. Choosing a fatal course across the river they fall victim to the awesome power of the Mara's current and are drowned downstream. The leader of the next throng chooses more carefully but just when it seems his inbuilt radar has found a safe passage, the Mara river deals another killer blow, this time in the form of its most brutal resident - the crocodile. Seeing a kill is brutal regardless of which predator is doing the killing. With big cats there can be moments of finesse and majesty leading up to the gore of the kill itself. However with crocodiles the unadulterated brute force on display possesses a malevolence that is blood chilling. The vehicle is silent except for the occasional whir of the shutter release."

"Tourist Number One" (President Kibaki) gets down with the crowds

The annual wildebeest migration through the Maasai Mara National Reserve has had more than its usual publicity this year. President Mwai Kibaki made an unusually informal publicity trip, which can only have done his image good.

Nairobi blogs

Photo: Carnivore
Most visitors think of getting out of Nairobi as fast as possible, or enduring the city if they're based there, and making frequent forays to the parks or down to the coast. A couple of excellent blogs, written by Nairobians, help to humanise and promote the city in a really constructive and appealing way. (I accept, by the way, whatever I may have said in the first edition of the Rough Guide, more than 20 years ago, that the term "Nairobian" is in use, and means something these days.) They'll make you see the city in a different light.

Chick about Town, run by a sassy hedonist nicknamed Biche, concentrates on products and services, ranging from the best auto repair shop to her favourite contaceptives, and from the rise of the Nu Metro cinema chain to her favourite (and not-so-favourite) restaurants and clubs. All her posts are delivered in a gloriously enthusiastic, upfront and refreshingly detailed style.

Nairobi Now is a collaborative blog, doing for Nairobi's arts and culture scene what Biche does for the equally important business of having fun – though both blogs happily overlap. Live music and club nights, new theatre, fashion shows, book launches, gallery events and new movies are all flagged up. Fancy attending (or performing?) at an open mic poetry session at Club Soundd? Or retreating from the city with some Liszt and Schubert at the Italian Cultural Institute. It's all here.

Scrap the lunatic line - here's another of those visions

Now this is exciting, if it ever happens: Mombasa to Kampala in ten hours. It's part of Kenya Railways Vision 2050 (funny how the target year keeps receding). Wider track and bigger trains would be more likely to be useful in the 22nd century, never mind the 21st - and an average speed of 110kph (68mph) isn't exactly high-speed.

But it's the right idea, isn't it? Get people moving, working, trading, with low-carbon emissions, and bring tourists through one of the world's most fabled landscapes in comfort, maybe calling at a new Maneater's Hotel in Tsavo. I hope I'm still around to see it.

But first Kenya, Uganda and South Africa have to sort out this mess.

Restaurant prices in Kenya

Kenya is experiencing the same price rises in fuel and commodities that are hitting all the world's poorest economies hardest – Restaurant prices in Kenya are notably higher than in the current edition of the guide. Still good value – tourists won't find them unaffordable – but more than ever out of reach of 95% of Kenyans.

Photo: "Carnivore", Langata, Nairobi

Slum TV in Mathare, Nairobi

Interesting recent audio report from the BBC World Service about a new TV station in Nairobi's Mathare slum: SlumTV

Roots of the Rift Valley violence - Kalenjin and Kikuyu

Land and water rights in the Rift Valley lie at the heart of the post-election violence. But there's something deeper and less material going on as well, according to this detailed and thoroughly researched article by Horace Njuguna Gisemba. It implies that something in the "soul" (?) of some young Kalenjin men has made them bloodthirsty attackers of non-Kalenjin, and particularly of Kikuyu. Certainly, the Kalenjin were brutally treated by the British a century ago. Punitive expeditions massacred about 1000 Kalenjin warriors at the end of the nineteenth century, and the account by Colonel Richard Meinertzhagen (who murdered the Nandi leader during a meeting) makes chilling reading (Kenya Diary). But Gisemba implies there was organization behind the anti-Kikuyu violence and says we'll have to wait for the findings of the proposed Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission. That could take years: I'd like to hear from an alternative viewpoint.

Barack Obama slurred by link with Odinga slurred by link with Obama

It's dig-the-dirt time again in American politics and Barack Obama, part Luo like Raila Odinga (but not Odinga's cousin in the American sense of the term "cousin") is accused of very close ties with the ODM leader (they're part of some "socialist/Sharia law" conspiracy). Who in turn is accused of accepting an unfeasibly large donation from the Democratic contender. It's all some sort of desperate Republican smear.

And it seems to have backfired quite spectacularly on the Republicans with the disclosure that one of Republican nominee John McCain's senior advisors, Charles Black, was a lobbyist for the Daniel arap Moi government in the late 1980s and early 90s when the former Kenyan dictator was in power.

To draw the conspiracies out to their illogical conclusion, it's important to recall that Moi's greatest support came from the same powerbase in the Rift Valley and Western Kenya as Raila Odinga's.

Sustainable Mara

It's all happening. . .

An excellent initiative in the Maasai Mara:

"The Mara Conservancy, a not-for-profit conservation management company based in the Masai Mara, has launched a new Responsible Wildlife Tourism Award, aimed at encouraging tourism best-practice in Kenya. Sponsored by international wildlife charity and long-time friend of Kenya, the Born Free Foundation, the award is aimed at protecting Kenya’s wildlife from the potential negative impacts of increasing visitor numbers in the region. . ."

Read the full story here, at TravelMole.com.

The award is being judged by Cheryl Mvula, who featured in the Observer recently, in a piece about the Maasai benefitting properly from tourism.

Photo: Mara Wildebeest © Irv Weissbart