If you’ve ever wanted to see Kenya – and, really, you should – the time to do
it is now. Not convinced? Here are three good reasons.
First, Kenya needs us. Tourism is the country’s biggest foreign-currency
earner, but the recent conflict crippled the trade, with some estimates
indicating that visitor numbers have fallen by as much as 85%. In a poor
nation, that means real hardship, for people and, potentially, for animals:
the UN Environment Programme has warned that, without tourist revenue, many
conservation projects are in danger of collapse. Now the party leaders have
shaken hands and peace has been declared, Kenya needs visitors to get back
on its feet.
The second reason is simple. It’s fabulous.
It has superb beaches, seductive landscapes and unsurpassed wildlife. Right
now, the dry weather has elephants, giraffes, wildebeest, zebras and
gazelles – as well as their attendant predators, including lions and
cheetahs – gathering at water holes in the Mara, but without the usual packs
of tourists in attendance, so you’ll be able to enjoy outstanding
game-viewing in peace. In April, the rains should come, and the parched bush
will burst into green life. It’ll be trickier to spot some animals, but in
the more populated reserves, you’ll still come home with your boxes ticked –
and, on the coast, brief afternoon cloudbursts tend to freshen the air and
leave the rest of the day clear for sunbathing.
Last but not least, tour operators are offering some outstanding bargains to
tempt us back to Kenya, with reductions of up to 50% on beach breaks, and
luxury safaris down by as much as £1,850. This means that, by booking now,
you’ll support the country, save money and have a cracking holiday into the
bargain. Beat that.
So, what’s on offer? Many of the biggest reductions are for midmarket resorts
on the coast. Some hotels have laid off staff, so service levels may have
taken a knock, but at these prices, you should be able to live with that.
Kuoni (01306 747008, www.kuoni.co.uk )
has cut rates by half for the four-star Planhotel Malindi Beach, a dinky
23-room place on a good stretch of white sand, two hours from Mombasa. It
has two pools, and guests can make use of the dive centre at the hotel next
door: a week in May is down to £464pp, including flights and all meals.
Alternatively, the same company has a week at the excellent Baobab Beach
Resort, a recently refurbished, rustic-style place set on low cliffs above a
gorgeous stretch of Diani beach. A week in May is down to £475pp, including
flights and meals – a saving of £546.
It’s hard to match that, but Cosmos (0871 423 8560, www.cosmos.co.uk)
is having a go, cutting prices by as much as 30%. A week at the three-star
Neptune Paradise Village can be had for £525pp (reduced from £725),
including flights and all meals, leaving on May 12. Don’t expect the Ritz,
but the grounds are beautifully landscaped and it’s right on Diani beach.
Somak (020 8423 3000, www.somak.co.uk)
has some good deals in March, too. A week at the pleasant Sun’n’Sand beach
resort at Kikambala costs £869pp (reduced from £1,138), including flights
and meals.
On a different level altogether is Msambweni House, a slice of isolated
boutique luxury set in a 28-acre nature park. Family-owned, it takes just 12
guests, and offers a gorgeous 25-metre infinity pool, daily massages, more
than 200 metres of private beach, top-class French food and
Swahili-influenced rooms that are nothing short of grand. The price is
spectacular, too: a week at any time until July, has been cut by £900 to
£1,250pp, including flights and meals. Book with To Escape To (0871 711
5282, www.toescapeto.com).
There are also safari bargains to be had. To Escape To has a week at two of
the most attractive camps around the Masai Mara: Shompole, a luxury lodge
constructed using local materials, with water running through each room to
be collected in private plunge pools; and Naibor, which consists of seven
stylish designer tents. The price is down from £780 to £1,990pp for four
nights at Shompole and three at Naibor, including flights, all meals and
game drives.
More down-to-earth is a birds-and-big-game safari from Africa Sky (0870 904
0925, www.africasky.co.uk). You
stay for two nights each at four small, tented camps scattered around the
Mara. They’re comfy, but not flash, with the emphasis firmly on the
wildlife. Walking safaris are accompanied by local Masai warriors. In late
June, the price is reduced by £250 to £2,265pp, including flights, meals and
game-viewing.
Rainbow (020 7226 1004, www.rainbowtours.co.uk)
has knocked £225 off a posh eight-day beach-and-bush combination. On safari,
you spend three nights at Governors’ Camp, Kenya’s first luxury tented camp,
and still one of the best; by the coast, it’s four nights at Funzi Keys, an
understated but exclusive hideaway that’s been voted one of the world’s top
private island resorts. Until April 21, the price is £2,019pp.
The chunkiest reduction, however, is at the top end of the market. Eight days
for £2,482pp may not sound like much of a bargain, until you realise it used
to cost £4,335 – the best part of two grand more. The trip is split between
two of the classiest camps in the country: Elsa’s Kopje, built on the
location for the film Born Free in Meru National Park, has 10 luxurious
cottages, each with a butler; Cottar’s 1920s Camp is an elegant homage to
colonial style in an exclusive 22,000-acre concession on the Mara. Book with
Carte Blanche (020 7376 1950, www.carteblanchetravel.com).
Finally, a nice idea from The Ultimate Travel Company (020 7386 4646, www.theultimatetravelcompany.co.uk).
It’s not offering reductions, but some would say it is going one better: for
each booking for a chain of camps across the country, it will donate money
to help people displaced by the fighting. Three nights in the Mara at
Rekero, followed by a four-night stay in the north at Lewa Tented Camp, set
in the heart of a 62,000-acre community ranch, start at £2,693pp, of which
£250 will be donated. The price includes flights, meals and game drives.
For the latest Foreign Office advice on Kenya, go to www.fco.gov.uk.
For more information on visiting the country, go to www.magicalkenya.com.
All flights quoted depart from London. Contact the operators for details
of regional departures
That is tantamount to a classic socially responsible holiday or in uncertain terms 'Fair Trade' holiday. As a Kenyan, I would encourage bargain hunters to get on the phone and internet for pure indulgence whilst making a diffrence[ towards reconstracting and restoration of the becon of hope or use too be]. Karibuni-swahili(welcome) Hakuna Matata(There is no problem).
Otingo McGregor, London, UK