THE THRILL OF VISITING A PRISTINE WILDERNESS…..
Most people think that they know all there is to know about Kenya: after all they have been visiting several times and mainly visiting many major tourist areas characterized by elephants and lions, acacia trees and perhaps sunny white sand beaches. However, Kenya is like an onion: only after removing layer upon layer of skin that you will come to its succulent, well protected heart! So, travellers adventurous enough to leave the beaten tracks of tourism find themselves face-to-face with new, unknown and incredible destinations that even the European explorers have never been more than a marginal and transitory presence.
There are extremely few places left on the planet that can be called truly pristine, and Northern Kenya is no doubt one of them. If you would like to visit those kinds of places you are warmly welcome to talk to us. These glorious wild and untouched places are alive, with ecosystems both unique within themselves and vital to many existing organisms. Not even mentioning various contemporary pastoralist native people that are still practicing innumerable activities expressed in religion and science; music, poetry, and dance; myths and history; fashion and ethics, all round their primitive life- that appear to us intricately inter- woven.
In the far Northern Kenya near Lake Turkana (the world's largest permanent desert lake and the world's largest alkaline lake) lies a precious jewel of Circumpolar North; Mount Nyiru and Mount Oldonyo Mara Nyiru, Suguta Valley, Lake Longipi, Naperito Rock, also known as 'The Cathedral Rock', in the middle of Lake Logipi, Mount Kulal and several deserts like the famous Chalbi Desert. In 2016, we had a remarkable opportunity of visiting these vast wilderness areas for the first time and felt a deep connection to these areas. Ever since that time, we have been privileged to get many more intricate visit in northern Kenya to learn even more.
We have observed and enjoyed breathtaking views of the most beautiful landscapes that we have ever seen in our lifes, as it is so remote and untamed that many peaks, valleys, barren salt wastes and water pans are still not named yet! For example some landscapes like the huge seasonal Milgis River, which flows into the Kaisut Desert 100 kilometers away to the east of the exceptionally dramatic Matthews Range and the Ndoto mountains, making the ecosystem about 4,000 square Kilometers. The Milgis Lugga created by various tributaries that join the main river is probably one of the most melodramatic to cross even with a 4x4 vehicle due to its wideness and sand deposits.
One evening we sat meditating on a nameless hill top after a half day trek, looking out at the Suguta Valley and Lake Longipi and found amidst its startling beauty a glimpse of hope and faith in the future of humanity. No matter how industrialized our nation gets, no matter how our resources needs change, we believe that we will have the moral courage to keep places like Northern Kenya free of unnecessary development, so that future citizens of the world can continue to have that special opportunity to meet nature in its wildest form.
As a special way of celebrating our over 20 years of adventures in East Africa and excellent services to the many travellers who have been privileged to travel with us, we would like to invite you to join us on a special trip to Northern Kenya. In 2019, we are organizing a Special Adventure Trip to mark 20 years of Ben’s Ecological Safaris by visiting selected places in Northern Kenya with the highlight being a scenic flight over the majestic Cathedral Rock, the flamingo flocks of the jade-green Lake Logipi nestling between volcanic peaks, the dramatic Suguta Valley beautiful sand dunes and mushroom-shaped formations and the Nabuyatom Crater, a geological marvel of that Lake Turkana.
Our trip will be geared towards the Conservation of Mount Nyiru with its endangered verdant cedar and podo forest, which might be the only natural cedar forest remaining in Kenya. As the matter of fact many of the forests of Northern Kenya, and particularly in Mt Nyiru, have not been studied in details, although they comprehensively play an important role to the life of the pastoralist communities surrounding them.
Our tour will be done in partnership with our hosts Desert Rose Lodge, a small boutique lodge where native culture is strong and where we can enjoy regional cuisine and experience traditional lifestyle. Desert Rose Lodge will deliver charm, superior amenities and native warmth in indigenous style that fit into their environs naturally and strategically, hence giving our clients an exceptional opportunity to immense themselves in local hospitality!
There are very few spaces remaining on the first tour, so if you are interested, you are therefore welcome to get in touch with us.