|
CS Phyllis Kandie returns from
US tourism promotion tour
By Philip Mwakio
July 17th 2015
Tourism Cabinet Secretary
Phyllis Kandie addresses investors during her
tour of the US.
Cabinet Secretary for East African Affairs,
Commerce and Tourism, Phyllis Kandie, has
concluded a tour of key US cities, where she
met with trade representatives, travel
agents and the travel media. Ms Kandie's
charm offensive to Washington DC, Los
Angeles and New York, which comes the week
before President Obama's much anticipated
visit to Kenya for the Global Entrepreneur
Summit (GES), is part of a wider engagement
programme being run by the ministry to
actively promote Kenya’s tourism and
investment from key markets.
The visit was coordinated jointly with
the New York based African Travel
Association (ATA) as part of concerted
effort to raise awareness for the upcoming
ATA congress, which will take place in
Nairobi from the 9th to the 14th November.
Over 1,500 key travel agents and tour
operators, mainly from the US, are expected
to attend the five day event.
During a presentation at the New York
Times offices, Kandie praised the strong
relationship between Kenya and the US and
the continued faith and confidence that
visitors from the US have in Kenya.
"For decades, Kenya and the US have
enjoyed a very strong and special
relationship and I am delighted that this
has stood the test of time and is today
stronger than ever,” she said.
"The US is Kenya's second most important
source market for tourism with over 100,000
visitors every year, and we are looking
forward to direct flights from the US to
Kenya starting soon. This will not only help
increase visitor numbers but will
significantly boost bilateral trade and
export," she added.
Ms Kandie's presence in the US at this
time had special significance given that it
comes the week before President Obama makes
his visit to Kenya, the first by a sitting
US president since the country gained
independence in 1963.
The GES is a White House initiative that
was instigated and fostered by Obama.
It will bring together
entrepreneurs, social
innovators, business leaders,
venture capitalists and
philanthropists for an intensive
conference to network, learn
from each other, and identify
ways to improve the
entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Kenya will provide a unique
environment for this year's GES,
not only as a beautiful country
with warm and welcoming
citizens, but also as a country
to invest, visit and do business
in.
GES will also provide an
opportunity to showcase the
breadth of entrepreneurs,
especially within ICT, that the
country has to offer – both
President Obama and President
Uhuru Kenyatta will deliver
keynote speeches at the opening
ceremony.
The Cabinet Secretary said
that the visit by President
Obama and the fact that Kenya
was selected to host the GES is
a huge boost to the country's
global reputation as major
tourism, investment and
entrepreneurship hub.
By GILL
MARTIN FOR MAILONLINE
6 September 2015
Thanks to her 50-plus
national parks and reserves,
sweeping plains, abundant
wildlife – including the
spectacular annual migration
of wildebeest in the Maasai
Mara – Kenya holds the title
of the World’s Leading
Safari Destination, winning
the accolade at this
winter’s World Travel Awards
held in Qatar. GILL MARTIN
discovered why as she
visited the magnificent
savannah that captured
Prince William’s heart
during his gap year, drank
in intoxicating African
landscapes and sundowners,
was wowed by teeming
wildlife encountered on dawn
game drives, trekked, swam
and relaxed around campfires
under the stars...
Call of
the wild:
Playing hide and seek with
leopards, sky safaris and fine
dining in the foothills of
Kilimanjaro at three luxury
Kenyan camps
-
High-end stays at Tortilis
in Amboseli National Park
and Sand River Mara, in the
Masai Mara savannah
-
Bedding down at Elsa's
Kopje, the arid desert
wildlife gem in Meru
National Park and the
location of Born Free
-
A champagne start and sky
safari jaunt offered a
chance to see Africa's big
five game animals with
minimal effort
There was the unmistakable
huff-huffing of a leopard close,
very close to our safari camp.
The night was cool and dark, a
vast expanse of sky, pulsating
with a million pinpricks of
starlight.
A guard escorting us to dinner,
his torchlight puncturing the
blackness, confirmed it was the
leopardess that regularly
prowled the camp. But no
problem, he assured us. 'She'll
be here but you are lucky to see
her. Sometimes you spot her
lying on a rock at sunrise.'
And there were
tell-tale prints by the outside
shower by the bedrooms.
But the leopard, one of Africa's
Big Five, was to prove elusive.
We came, we heard, we smelled
but it was the leopard that
conquered in our game of hide
and seek.
Close encounters with the
other Big Four more than made up
for our lack of a sightingWe
watched a lion mating on top of
a rock, his windswept mane
framing glittering tawny eyes
then later a cheetah cub climbed
onto the bonnet of our Land
Cruiser.
We had the privilege of dancing
and praying with Masai Mara
villagers and witnessed the
silent march of 60- plus
elephants, walking shoulder to
shoulder, a black line on the
horizon before their huge bulk
engulfed our vehicles and passed
in puffs of dust from soft
footfalls.
A chef in his whites prepared
our bacon and scrambled eggs
breakfast in the middle of the
bush and we sipped
spine-stiffening sundowners in
the foothills of Kilimanjaro,
Africa's highest mountain.
These are all
unforgettable and
emotion-charged highlights of a
thousand safari experiences.I
have never felt so spoilt.
For this was no Spartan
under-canvas safari, bouncing
around for mile after dusty mile
on journeys between our three
camps: Tortilis in the salt
plains of Amboseli National
Park; Elsa's Kopje, the arid
desert wildlife gem in Meru
National Park and the location
of the movie Born Free, which
celebrates its 60th anniversary
next year (2016); and Sand River
Mara, in the fertile savannah of
the Masai Mara.
Ours was a five-star luxury
safari where we were whisked
through Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta
airport to our personal
transport: a Cessna Grand
Caravan executive twin-engine
plane with Peter the Pilot
waiting to greet us.
This was a champagne
start to our SkySafari
jaunt, a just-launched
(June 2015) hassle-free
programme designed for
those wanting to pack in
as many animal sightings
in different settings in
the shortest time.
And to enjoy all the
creature comforts - soft
pillows, swimming pools,
hot and cold running
water and beer,
excellent fresh cuisine,
massages, friendly
service.
We sank back in our wide
leather seats, revived
with a flute of chilled
bubbly as we soared over
the capital's notorious
traffic jams and towards
Mount Kenya, craning to
spot elephants cooling
off in swampland, a
dazzle of startled zebra
and grumpy-looking water
buffalo.
This felt so Meryl
Streep and Robert
Redford from Out of
Africa as we trundled
along the dirt runway.Sensory
overload followed as our
group were ferried to
Tortilis Camp.
We fired a fuselage of
questions at our patient
driver: how many of the
400 species of birds
would we see, is that
wart hog receiving Wi-Fi
on his antenna of a
tail, how big in that
bachelor herd of
wildebeest, is the tawny
eagle feasting on a
hare, when will those
hippos emerge from their
murky pool? I spied a
dung beetle doing what
dung beetles do:
undertaking a Herculean
task of rolling
provisions uphill to the
larder.
Our guide Eric was a
more seasoned spotter,
picking out a roll-call
of giraffes,
lilac-breasted roller
bird, superb starlings,
water buck, hippo with
just their twitching
ears visible above the
water surface, baby
elephants trundling
behind their mother and
aunties.
He knew most of
the adult elephants by
names given by the
research teams. Rangers
are on constant patrol
to guard against the
scourge of poaching to
feed the lucrative and
insatiable market for
rhino horn in China.Even
that 5.30 a.m. wake-up
call for the first game
drive arrived with a
smile, a cup of green
tea and home-baked
shortbread. (Zip your
tent carefully or the
cheeky black faced
vervet monkeys will
steal them).
And knowing there would
be a lavish breakfast in
the bush, full English
with HP sauce bearing
the royal crest, gave us
heart. There was even an
(unplumbed) lavatory
discreetly shielded by a
bush, with a shovel, in
case we needed to mark
our territory.
Eric treated us to an
'African massage,' his
description of fording
rivers and bouncing over
volcanic rocks from
Kilimanjaro's last
eruption three or four
million years ago, as we
headed back to base for
a swim in our infinity
pool, lazing on sun
loungers before a Tusker
beer, lunch and a doze
before the evening game
drive.
The refreshment
highlight was
sundowners, when barman
Kibaki dispensed liberal
measures of Gilbey's Gin
as we watched a dying
apricot sun turn blood
red against a bruise
blue sky.Emboldened
by the second sundowner
I asked Eric if we could
walk back to the lodge,
whose lights glowed
amber in the distance.
What animals would eat
us, I enquired. 'Lion
and hyena. But with Eric
you are safe,' replied
the scarlet-robed Masai
senior
tribesman armed with a
spear.
False courage deserted
me and we opted for the
Land Cruiser rather than
a two hour scramble
through clumps of spiky
acacia bushes.
If the Masai men are
strong warriors- they
breakfast on milk mixed
with cow blood collected
from a nip in the
animal's neck- the women
are equally formidable.
On our visit to a Masai
village they showed us
round the huts they
build from cow dung and
hide in just three days.
And Phanice, the
masseuse at our lodge,
showed a similar
fortitude, travelling 23
hours by bus every two
months from her home to
work, leaving her eight
year old son and six
year old daughter in the
care of her mother to
fund their education.
She radiated good humour,
saying: 'You have more
days if you smile and
are happy and appreciate
Nature.'
Africa does things
on such a big scale:
big continent, big
sky, big landscape,
big game, big heart,
big problems, big
danger.
Kenya is but a part
of that enormous
continent, with a
buoyant economy
marking two historic
visits this year.
American President
Barack Obama visited
in July and Pope
Francis has spoken
of his hope to visit
in November during
his first trip to
Africa since
becoming pope.
Our visit to just
three of these parks
left me wanting more
of the action - and
determined to spot
that elusive
leopard.
ECOTOURISM CONFERENCE AND
HOLIDAY FAIR
KENYA SET TO PROMOTE
TOURISM WITH UPCOMING EVENTS
BY DR. WOLFGANG H. THOME, | MAR 20, 2013
Kenya is getting ready to present two important
events in the next few months. Here readers will
find information about each event, both being held
in Nairobi, Kenya’s capital.
Nairobi set to host ecotourism conference in
September
(eTN) - The Seventh Annual Ecotourism and
Sustainable Tourism Conference (ESTC) will take
place in Kenya’s capital city of Nairobi between
September 24-27 this year, bringing
together stakeholders from Africa and around the
world to discuss sustainable development and how
tourism can help developing countries to fight
poverty among fast-growing populations.
Hosted jointly by the Kenya Tourism Board and the
Ecotourism Society of Kenya, the event is organized
by the International Ecotourism Society in close
cooperation with the UN World
Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Up
to 500 participants are expected to attend the event
from among the 120 countries where TIES is
represented through local partners and ecotourism
societies,
discussing progress since the previous meetings and
the topics dominating ongoing dialogues and on`line
forums. Proposals are still invited by the
conference organizers as are
calls for
potential presenters, aimed to enrich the agenda of
the meeting and give communities and individuals the
opportunity to voice problems encountered in their
own back yard and share their experience with their
colleagues at large.
The event will
be held at the conference center of the Safari Park
Hotel in Nairobi, which will also be the official
conference hotel, although other hotels are
available for delegates to stay in with regular
transport to and from the venue.
For more information please contact either Ayako
Ezaki via media@ecotourism.org or
the conference secretariat via Edith Bosire,
Conference Coordinator Kenya viaestc13@ecotourismkenya.org
KENYA
ECOTOUR GOES BEYOND "THE BIG
FIVE"
New
"learning safari" promotes interaction
with local people.
While
spotting "The Big Five" is the focus of
many safaritrips to Africa, a new
11-day Ecotour Kenya is offering visitors
a chance to go beyond the typical safari
trail and discover local initiatives that
are promoting both sustainable economic
development and ecological
conservation.
The
first two days of Ecotour Kenya are based
atSinya Omelok, a camp located 90 minutes
from Nairobi. Here, visitors will meet
local Kenyans and learn about new resource
management systems to support income
generation and food security. They will
also be guided along a nature trail that
explores caves, sacred sites, and the
biodiversity of this unique sub-humid
ecosystem.
The
tour continues through Mount Kenya
National Park, Aberdare National Park and
Kakamega, via the Rift Valley.Kakamega
Forest in western Kenya is a superb slab
of virgin tropical rainforest in the heart
of an intensively cultivated agricultural
area. The forest is home to a huge variety
of animals and birds, including the rare
DBrazza monkey. Guests will overnight in
the Rondo Retreat Centre, surrounded by
beautiful gardens in the middle of the
forest.
From
Kakamega, the tour passes through the
White Highlands, arriving in Lake Nakuru
to witness the spectacle of millions of
flamingos creating a "pink carpet" over
the lake. Then it's on to the Elsamere
Conservation Centre which was once the
home of Joy Adamson, who together with her
husband George became world famous for
their pioneering conservation work and
relationship with the lioness Elsa, as
told in the best selling book and film
"Born Free". The centre, situated on the
edge of Lake Naivasha, is a functioning
conservation complex providing
accommodation for 15-18 people in cottages
set in the gardens around the main
house.
Travelling
south along the floor of the Great Rift
Valley, the next stop is the Maasai Mara
Game Reserve, which is renowned for its
extraordinary density and diversity of
wildlife, including the black-maned lion,
cheetah and leopard. Three days are spent
in the Mara with stops at the Mara river
where visitors can also see abundant hippo
and crocodile. One of the highlights is a
3-hour walking safari, led by a Maasai
guide who explains fascinating details
about the local flora and fauna and
teaches participants to identify animal
footprints. Tented accommodation is at an
Eco-camp where there will be many
opportunities to interact with the Maasai
guides.
The
tour starts and finishes in Nairobi with
accommodation at the Nairobi Safari Club.
The price per person isCAD$1,919per
person, twin share, including all
transfers, breakfasts in Nairobi, most
meals while on safari, accommodation in
tents and lodges, all park, camp and
activity fees.
Safari
Seekers, a leading safari company in East
Africa, has designed the Ecotour Kenya
itinerary exclusively for Worldwide
Ecolodges. For additional information
about this unique tour, contactWorldwide
Ecolodges at (403) 933-4333, or
1-888-778-2378 or
www.worldwideecolodges.com.
Safari
Seekers has been in business for more than
15 years organizing a variety of safaris
and tours throughout East Africa.
Operating their own fleet of vehicles,
Safari Seekers can handle everything from
short sightseeing visits to extended
custom-designed itineraries. All price
levels and standards of accommodation can
be arranged from budget camping safaris to
luxurious lodges.
Safari
Seekers is committed to introducing
Canadian adventurers to the wonders of
East Africa. For additional safari
information,
visitwww.safari-seekerskenya.com. For
price quotes and brochures, please
contact: Travel Marketing Experts (Safari
Seekers Canadian representatives) at 55
Town Centre Court, Suite 642, Toronto,
Ontario, M1P 4X4. Tel. (416) 861-1022 or
toll free (888) 423-3995; fax (416)
861-1108 orsafari@travelmarketingexperts.com.
ATA Travel Business Media produces
magazines, books and guides in addition to
representing destination countries and
travel industry member companies and
agencies at selected trade shows and
events. Each of our magazines has its own
web site as follows:
Air
Highways Magazine -
http://www.airhighways.com
Africa
Travel Magazine -
http://www.africa-ata.org
BC
Scene Magazine -
http://www.bcscene.com
http://www.worldscene.org
|
|
|
|
.
We
have 1
