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Contact Natural World Kenya Safaris to book your dream African safari holiday in Kenya safari, Tanzania safari, combined Kenya & Tanzania safari, Zanzibar beach vacation, Uganda gorilla trekking & Rwanda trekking tour. Start your tour from Nairobi, Mombasa, Malindi/Watamu, Kilifi, or Diani beach and explore our premium national parks, game reserves & private wildlife conservancies.
Email, call +254704001122, or chat on +254788287151 with our tour managers today.
You can also visit our offices in Westlands Nairobi (head office), Nairobi Airport office, Diani beach office, Mombasa CBD office, or Mombasa Airport office.
Our friendly staff are happy to help you plan your dream vacation.
The tour is a retreat excursion to the timeless allure of Lamu island from Nairobi Kenya
The 3 days Lamu archipelago flight excursion flies into Lamu’s Manda Island’s airstrip from Nairobi Wilson airport
Lamu Cultural Festival is a celebration of both the past and the future, and the beliefs and traditions that are the heart and soul of the Lamu community. Most visitors to the island fall in love with this relaxed and peaceful lifestyle, and visiting during the Lamu Cultural Festival is a chance to experience Lamu life at its most exuberant and joyous.
Each year, Lamu comes to life during the annual Lamu Cultural Festival. Several competitions and races are staged during this week long festival. These events are designed to each encourage local skills or practices that are central to Lamu life. These include traditional Swahili poetry, Henna painting and Bao competition… Bao is probably the oldest known game in human history, with archaeological evidence suggesting that the game has been played throughout Africa and the Middle East for thousands of years.
In order to preserve and encourage the art of dhow sailing, now threatened by increasing availability of engines and prefabricated boats, a dhow race is also held. The town’s finest dhows are selected to compete, and race under sail through a complicated series of buoys, combining speed with elaborate tacking and maneuvering skill.
Other events include swimming, and at times a challenging cross country race along the waterfront, all the way to Shela village and back- all in the physically draining heat of the day. The real highlight of every festival involves the town’s most endearing symbol- the donkey race. Local donkey jockeys literally spend the entire year honing their riding skills for this event, and the winning rider wears his title with great pride.
It is also a great shopping event which allows you to buy all types of products from home products, toys for kids, and being a coast town, you my want to consider getting the best snorkel gear, fishing gear, etc.
Being a winning donkey jockey requires a specific set of skills. As with most such races, small physical stature is helpful, but keeping a stubborn donkey moving and on course requires a definite talent.
Lamu Cultural Festival is a celebration of both the past and the future, and the beliefs and traditions that are the heart and soul of this community. Most visitors to the island fall in love with this relaxed and peaceful lifestyle, and visiting during the Lamu Cultural Festival is a chance to experience Lamu life at its most exuberant and joyous.
The ruins of Takwa are located on the south eastern corner of Manda Island Lamu District in Coast province. A 30 minute boat ride from Lamu Town.
Takwa ruins are the remains of a thriving 15th and 16th century Swahili trading town before it was abandoned in the seventeenth century. It is not only important because of its period of occupation but also because of its dense settlement and its relatively well preserved remains. The unique Friday Mosque with a large pillar a top the qibla wall is among the most notable features. This pillar is believed to symbolize the burial of a Sheikh be low the wall.
The position of the site at the narrowest location on the whole island, was most probably a strategy. Takwa’s position/location with shallow waters must have been of considerable importance especially during its peak, when many of the sails that came into view were likely to be hostile.Therefore access to the site must have been primarily from the shallow channel which could only admit vessels of shallow draft.
Takwa eventual abandonment in the 17th century was due to salination of the once fresh water and endless fighting between Takwa and Pate people. These ruins were gazetted as a National Monument in 1982 in Gazette notice No. 1514. At present, Takwa is open daily to the Public. It is a very pleasant place for a casual visit, which can be complimented by a picnic and overnight camping.
If you are keen to follow the ancient tradition of sailing between the islands on the trade winds and you fancy seeing the archipelago from the deck of a boat then a dhow or yacht safari offers a truly special experience.
You can get involved with planning your own trip through the islands, passing fishing villages and stopping at remote beaches to picnic after snorkeling.
Sailing from Lamu to Kiwayu is arguably the best way to experience the Lamu Archipelago.
The best time to go gorilla trekking in Uganda is during the dry season (December– February and June - August) when conditions are especially good for trekking to view mountain gorillas. Game drives in the national parks are also fruitful during this time.
Wear neutral colored, lightweight clothing on your Uganda safari. Dress in layers and bring a warm sweater for morning and nighttime game drives. For gorilla trekking, bring a waterproof rain jacket, hiking boots, long socks, hiking pants, bug repellant, and a daypack. A sunhat and gardening gloves are also a good idea; the jungle is dense and thick.
Natural World Kenya Safaris offers Gorilla Trekking Safaris in Uganda with basic accommodations starting at $96 per person, per day, plus the Uganda gorilla trekking permit which costs $700 per person per day (the permits are required, and those fees are non-negotiable.) Costs increase from there.
Natural World Safaris can provide basic, mid-range, and luxury trekking safaris and is eager to work with almost any budget.
Suggested tips range from $10 to $20 per person per day for a private guide and the same amount for your driver if that is a different person than your guide.
If you are on a guided safari or gorilla trek in Uganda, your chances of encountering problems are minimal. However, it is always a good idea to take precautions on your safari, particularly when traveling through urban areas or in regions close to the border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The trek to spot gorillas can be strenuous. It could take anywhere from two to eight hours to find and observe the gorillas, depending on the time of year. Be prepared to hike for multiple hours through uneven terrain at high altitude. It is advisable to train before any gorilla trekking trip by walking uphill, or better yet, by taking day hikes.
When it comes to wildlife viewing, there are never any guarantees. There are no fences in the parks in Uganda and the gorillas are free to roam. However, our expert guides and gorilla trackers have years of experience taking guests to see these magnificent creatures. They know their favorite spots to congregate and work closely with park officials each day to provide the best possible chance of seeing gorillas in the wild.
Most mountain gorillas in Uganda live at between 4,900 to 7,500 feet. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, home to the country’s mountain gorillas, has a high point of 8,550ft.
The best time to go on a gorilla trek in Rwanda is during the dry season (June - September) when conditions are best for trekking to view the country’s highlight: the fascinating mountain gorillas.
Wear neutral colored, lightweight clothing on your Rwanda gorilla trek. Dress in layers and don’t forget a sweater for chilly morning and nighttime game drives. For gorilla trekking, bring a waterproof rain jacket, broken-in hiking boots, long socks, hiking pants, bug repellant, and a daypack. A sun visor and protective gloves – such as gardening gloves - are also useful.
Natural World Kenya Safaris offers Gorilla Trekking Safaris in Rwanda with basic accommodations starting at $720 per person, per day, plus the Rwanda gorilla trekking permit which costs $1,500 per person per day (the permits are required, and those fees are non-negotiable.) Costs increase from there.
Natural World Safaris can provide basic, mid-range, and luxury trekking safaris and is eager to work with almost any budget.
Suggested tips for your guide are $25 per person, per day for a private guide and the same amount for your driver if that is a different person than your guide.
Rwanda is one of the safest countries in Africa, particularly if you are on a guided safari or gorilla trek. Your chances of encountering problems are minimal. However, it is always a good idea to take precautions on your safari, particularly when traveling through urban areas. Cross-border travel into the Democratic Republic of the Congo or Burundi is not safe, however, so steer clear of this.
The trek to spot gorillas can be strenuous. It could take anywhere from two to eight hours to find and observe the gorillas, depending on the time of year. Be prepared to hike for multiple hours through uneven terrain at high altitude. It is advisable to train before any gorilla trekking trip by walking uphill, or better yet, by taking day hikes.
When it comes to wildlife viewing, there are never any guarantees. There are no fences in the parks in Rwanda and the gorillas are free to roam. However, our expert guides and gorilla trackers have years of experience taking guests to see these magnificent creatures. They know their favorite spots to congregate and work closely with park officials each day to provide the best possible chance of seeing gorillas in the wild.
Most mountain gorillas in Rwanda live at between 8,000 to 13,000 feet. Volcanoes National Park has a high point of 15,000ft.
Contact us for more information
For more information about our safari excursions, or to book your dream safari trip with Natural World Kenya Safaris, simply get in touch with our friendly travel advisors. Give us a call on +254 704 001 122 or leave your details on our contact us page, and we'll reply as quickly as possible.
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