Excursions
Bomas Of Kenya
Tell Me About My Tour To The Bomas Of Kenya In Nairobi?
Bomas of Kenya offers you "Kenya in a miniature". It lets you see the wonderful diversity of cultures
that make up Kenya.
The term Bomas, meaning "homestead", are displayed on your tour; each represent one of Kenya's
major ethnic groups, and is built to the original traditional architecture of an African home as built by the ancestors.
The
government in 1971 as a wholly owned subsidiary company of Kenya Tourist Development Corporation (K.T.D.C) started the Bomas
of Kenya. It was established to preserve, maintain and promotee rich and diverse cultural values of various groups of Kenya,
and to act as a tourist attraction center.
Different aspects of Kenyan culture are displayed that include living styles,
crafts, music and dancing.
You can view traditional villages representing the lifestyle of ethnic groups such as Kikuyu,
Kalenjin, Luhya, Taita, Embu, Maasai, Kamba, Kisii, Kuria, Mijikenda and Luo.
The Bomas' world famous Harambee dancers
perform daily in a unique spectacular theater, the biggest in Africa which seats 3,500 people. Dancers representing different
ethnic tribes dance across the stage in a vibrant kaleidoscope rhythm and hue. Proud Samburu warriors vault skywards as they
woo their maidens with chanting cries and twirling spears.
Bomas of Kenya has over 30 traditional dances collected
from different tribes of Kenya.
Other facilities at the Bomas of Kenya include:
- Two large separable halls accommodating up to 2,500 and 4,000 people.
- Picnic sites
- Children's playground.
- Outdoor soccer and volleyball grounds.
- Indoor volleyball, badminton, pool and table tennis facilities of international standards.
Karen Blixen Museum
Tell
Me About My Tour Of The Karen Blixen Museum In Nairobi, Kenya?
Karen
Blixen Museum is located on the outskirts of Nairobi on Karen road. Its history dates back to 1914, during the First World
War, with the arrival of Karen Blixen from Denmark. At the foot of Ngong Hills, Karen Blixen established herself as a farmer.
After her departure in 1931, the suburbs retained the commemorative home of Karen.
The Danish government donated the
house, and the surrounding land to Kenya after independence. The house was restored by the Danish government, and was used
during the filming of "Out of Africa" which immortalized Karen Blixen's book by the same name. The museum was opened to the
public in 1986.
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A striking feature about Karen Blixen Museum is
the beautiful grounds. The house built in 1910 has a red tile roof and mellow wood paneling in the rooms. When Karen Blixen
bought the property, it had 6,000 acres of land but only 600 acres were developed for growing coffee; the rest was retained
under natural forest.
Much of the original furniture is on display in the house. The original kitchen has been restored,
and is now open for viewing. A Dove Stove similar to the one used by Karen Blixen is on display, as are the kitchen utensils.
Reconstruction of the coffee factory, along with other old farm machinery is underway. The aim here is to take an individual
back in time, and provide a visual impression of each settler life in Kenya.
The museum has become a herb of various
activities including private parties, research and visitation, from all over the world. The income so generated is used to
refurbish and maintain Karen Blixen and other regional museums.
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Karen Blixen Museum Exclusive Online Video
Karen Blixen's Home in Ngong Hills, Nairobi Suburbs, Kenya.
Lake Nakuru National Park
Tell Me All You Can About The Great Rift Valley And Lake Nakuru National Park Located In
Kenya?
The Great Rift Valley, mostly known in Kenya as the East African
Rift Valley, was formed between 2 and 7 million years ago. It is the longest rift on the surface of the earth. The Rift Valley
starts all the way from Jordan, Middle-East, and runs through Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Congo, Malawi, and ends near the
coastal town of Solada in Mozambique. The amazing quality about the Rift Valley is that once it reaches the Kenyan border,
it diverges into two rifts, which later converge near Lake Rukwa in southern Tanzania.
The Great Rift Valley is approximately
4,000 miles long and 35 miles wide. It was formed due to geological tension in the earth's crust that caused a deep depression,
while probably forcing the sides upwards. The floor of the valley is normally below sea level. In Kenya, the Rift Valley gave
rise to many lakes that have become a habitat for diverse wildlife. The walls of the Rift Valley are called escarpments; the
famous escarpments of Kenya being the Mau Escarpment. The Mau escarpments are famous for their height, which rise over 8500
feet.
To the surprise of many tourists, geological movements still occur in the Rift Valley. In 2000, the British
media, BBC, reported that Mount Kenya had reduced in height. Both Mount Kenya and Kilimanjaro are almost adjacent to the Rift
Valley.
Nakuru in Kiswahili means "Waterbuck Haven". Lake Nakuru National Park, close to Nakuru town, was established
in 1961. It started off small, only encompassing the famous lake and the surrounding mountainous vicinity. Now it has been
extended to include a large part of the savannahs. Currently, the fenced Lake Nakuru National Park covers around 90 square
miles. It has unusual but beautiful vegetation. The forest vegetation is covered with Euphorbia, tall cactus like trees and
acacia woodland. The forest region is a host to over 400 migratory bird species from around the world.
Lake Nakuru
National Park can be accessed via three gates: Main, Lanet and Nderit. The park's lake is internationally known for its Lesser
and Greater Flamingos. Ornithologists often describe Lake Nakuru as "the most fabulous bird spectacle in the world". The Lesser
flamingo can be distinguished by its deep red carmine bill and pink plumage unlike the greater, which has a bill with a black
tip. The Lesser flamingos are ones that are commonly pictured in documentaries mainly because they are large in number. There
are estimated to be over a million Lesser flamingos. These numbers are on a steady increase again. The numbers had been reduced
due to the El-Nino weather pattern that flooded the lake, and changed the alkaline concentration. The flamingos feed
on algae, created from their droppings mixing in the warm alkaline waters, and plankton. Lake Nakuru National Park is also
shared with the white pelicans and the ever-snorting hippos.
Other wildlife in the Lake Nakuru National Park include:
The famous Black and White rhinos. The Black rhinos have been slowly multiplying over the years, and are well protected. Thanks
partially to the government of South Africa. Lake Nakuru National Park also boasts an increase in White rhinos. There are
plenty of waterbucks, impalas, dik-diks, grants gazelles, lions and leopards. In 1977, the Rothschild giraffe was introduced
to the Park. The park also has large sized python snakes that inhabit the dense woodlands, and can often be seen crossing
the roads or dangling from trees.
Due credit should be given to the World Wide Fund For Nature organization and local
Kenyan wildlife foundations for supporting the preservation of animals, protection of the rhinoceros population and research
into the effects of surrounding communit ies and industries. Lake Nakuru National Park is the only park in Kenya that is completely
fenced.
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Click Here To View Exclusive Lake National Park & Great Rift Valley Online Videos. | |
Limuru Tea Country Tour
Tell
What To Expect On My Tour To The Limuru Tea Country Plantations?
On
your arrival at the Kiambethu Tea Estate, you will be guests for lunch and afternoon tea. The Kiambethu Estate is located
at an altitude of 7000 feet above sea level, and has lush acres of tea plantations that seem to vanish in the horizon. Two
English families, Mitchell & McDonnell in the early 1900's, built the Estate. These families are said to be the first
to have ventured into the tea business. You will also have a lecture on the area and about the production of tea. In the afternoon,
a walk through the tea plantations and forests will display the conditions needed for the growth of tea.
The lecture
on growth of tea is a good learning experience. For instance, you will see tea pickers on the farm plucking the top two leaves
and bud from each plantation. Tea needs good rainfall, which is plenty in the region so tea is picked all year round. After
the tea is picked, they are sent to the factories to be processed and sold to local and export markets. Kenya is the third
largest producer of tea after Sri Lanka and India.
Nairobi City Tour
Tell Me What To Expect On The Nairobi City Tour, Capital City Of Kenya?
If you planning to visit Kenya, it is more than likely that Nairobi will be the first city
you will fly into. It was built in 1899, and grew as a central point for the Kenya-Uganda railway. Nairobi comes from the
Maasai word, "Enkare Nyrobi" meaning the "place of cool water".
During your tour of Nairobi, you will visit a variety
of places. These are:
Snake Park - The park displays
a variety of East African snakes that are viewed in glass cages. Most of the park attendants used to allow one to place a
four feet python around one's neck and take a picture with a camera.
Kenya
National Museum - is adjacent to the Snake Park. They exhibit fossils excavated
within East African river valleys, which is believed to be the origin of human kind. The Kenya National Museum also displays
a variety of stuffed bird species and displays diverse Kenyan culture.
National
Archives - Seen here are photographs, exhibitions of handicrafts, paintings and journals of Kenya's history.
You will also visit the Kenyan parliament building, the shopping bazaars and the local shopping market.
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Kenya National Museum Exclusive Online Video
Come explore African culture and anthropology, archaeological excavations, birds' species, art
gallery and more. The visit is a must for educators, student and families.
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Nairobi National Park And Animal Orphanage
Tell Me All You Can About Nairobi National Park And Animal Orphanage Located In Kenya?
Nairobi National Park is located 15 minutes from downtown city center. It was established
in 1945 as the first national park in Kenya. It is 44 square miles in size, and much to everyone's surprise, all the wildlife
are free ranging. The meeting of the Athi and Kapiti plains promoted the abundance of animals within the surrounding location.
For the protection of the residents in surrounding regions, a small section of the Nairobi National Park has been fenced off
to deter wild animals from wandering off. During the dry season, the animals congregate on the northern part of the park because
of availability of water from the dams, otherwise the seasonal streams cause the animals to be fairly distributed.
There
are 75-recorded species of mammals at the Nairobi National Park, such as: cheetahs, rhinos, gazelles, giraffes, impalas, and
lions. The vegetation around Nairobi National Park is a mixture of grassland, shrubs, plains and woodlands. There are
a number of migratory and local birds; migratory birds come from as far as Western and Eastern Europe. Bird species include
the secretary birds, ostriches, crowned canes, doves, tawny and martial eagles, hornbills and marabou storks.
Visit To The Animal Orphanage
The
animal orphanage provides shelter to stray and orphaned animals. The animals once well enough or old enough are released back
in the wild.
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