4th September 2011. After 4 months in Nairobi (with a 3 week sojourn to SA and the UK in between) we have just taken our very first trip inside of Kenya and our destination of choice was Ol Pejeta Conservancy near Nanyuki in the Laikipia province.
During the colonial era, the Laikipia Plateau was utilized as an extensive cattle ranching area. Lacking the rainfall required to successfully cultivate crops, cattle ranching was seen as the next best way to utilize the land. In those days wildlife was perceived as having little or no value to landowners.
Ol Pejeta's past is filled with many colorful characters. John & Jane Kenyon took over the management of Ol Pejeta in 1949 when it was owned by Lord Delamere and together they spent the next 15 years putting their lives and souls into the development of the ranch. John and Jane left Ol Pejeta in 1958, returning in 1959 for a further ten years before finally retiring to run their own cattle ranch to the north.
Since that period the conservancy has had a number of owners, all entrepreneurs in their own right. However, over time cattle ranching became less and less profitable. Increasingly elephant populations that previously used the ranch as a transit area from the north to Mount Kenya and the Aberdares were forced to take up permanent residence on the property. As a result the fences required to maximize cattle productivity were destroyed and impossible to maintain cost-effectively.
With declining wildlife populations elsewhere and as a means to effectively utilize the land, the recent past has seen increasing emphasis placed upon wildlife conservation. So In 1988, the Sweetwaters Game Reserve (24,000 acres) was opened. Primarily started as a sanctuary for the endangered black rhino, wildlife populations (including the "Big Five") have steadily increased since that time.
The reserve is currently owned by Fauna and Flora International, a UK based conservation organization. The Sweetwaters game reserve has now be extended to encompass the entire ranching area to create the "Ol Pejeta Conservancy", approximately 90,000 acres in extent. This has created the largest black rhino sanctuary in East Africa, with the aim of generating profit from wildlife tourism and complementary activities (including cattle) for reinvestment into community development in the local area.
The drive from Nairobi was fairly good, we struggled a little to find the Thika Road out of the city and after that, took just one wrong turn along the way. It must be said that road signage is not one of Kenya’s many positive attributes and attractions. Once we reached Nanyuki, we made our first stop at the Mount Kenya Safari Club, one of Fairmont’s hotels in Kenya. It is an exquisite place with pristine gardens and the most magnificent views of Mount Kenya. We enjoyed a delicious lunch there and got a sneak peak at their rooms too. We are hoping that at some stage (soon) we return to the area and get to at least spend a night in one of their beautiful suites.
After lunch we made our way through to Ol Pejeta. It was raining fairly heavily and the road into the conservancy is pretty rough going. Mark had his work cut out for him navigating potholes, mud roads and the like getting us to the entrance. As we drove in, heading toward our hotel for the night, we were already spotting game at every corner. I think we saw elephant, buffalo and warthogs in that first very short drive to Ol Pejeta House.
We spent Thursday night at Ol Pejeta House which used to be the exclusive hide-away of multi-millionaire Adnan Kashoggi, reputedly an arms dealer and generally shady character. The mansion is housed inside of the conservancy but still boasts its own extensive grounds and views of Mount Kenya. The main house is opulent in a very period sort of way – enormous reception rooms, stunning verandahs and a huge dining room. We didn’t see the rooms in the main house on this trip as we stayed in ‘Buffalo’, a guest cottage set just away from the main house. We had a living area with a roaring log fire and we slept in what may be the biggest bed I’ve ever seen – well beyond King Size. And after a long day on the road and a very good dinner in the main house, we slept like logs in our big bed.
We started Friday early with a 6am game drive in the conservancy. Now Mark and I, who have been very fortunate to have spent time in a few of South Africa’s lodges and game reserves, automatically presumed that we’d be jumping on an open Landie with other guests and heading on our way. But no, we actually drove ourselves around – what a unique experience, being able to stop for as long or short as we liked, track the animals of our choice etc. The thing that really struck us during this drive and the many others we took in the conservancy was the difference between South African parks and Kenya’s. Everything is somehow ‘wilder’ and more down to earth and the wildlife is abundant beyond anything we’d ever experienced. No small groups of buffalo, 30 or 40 at a time, big herds of elephant, frequent rhino sightings all made the safari experience better than anything we could have imagined. We spent ages watching a silver-back jackal preying on a Warthog with her baby, while we didn’t actually witness the kill – the hunt was just awesome to see.
After our morning drive, we headed to a picnic spot in the conservancy for a ‘bush breakfast’. The staff from Ol Pejeta House had set up a mini-kitchen next to the river and we feasted on a cold buffet and had very yummy Spanish omeletes cooked ‘on-site’ for us as we drank coffee and enjoyed the scenery. The very setting is like a balm for the soul and you can actually feel the ups and downs of every day life seeping out of your system.
After breakfast we had a few hours of down time at Ol Pejeta House before we packed up and moved a few kilometres down the road to another Serena managed hotel in the conservancy, Sweetwaters Tented Camp. We were just in time for lunch (I have to add at this point that we ate and ate and ate while we were away – it is going to take a week of detox to get over our over-indulgence.) Our accommodation for Friday and Saturday night was a very well appointed canvas tent. The tents are permanent and have their own good bathrooms and are covered with a thatch and wood roof, so they’re also weather proof and warm. But best of all, they overlook a watering hole that is very well frequented by the local wildlife, you could spend hours in the deck chairs in front of your tent watching their comings and goings.
Once we’d settled in, we were back out in the car looking for game. After a tip off from the gate guard, we quickly found two lions who were busy enjoying the spoils of their earlier catch – a Zebra. They were fairly low in long grass, but you could see the blood on their faces and every now and again you just saw Zebra legs being tossed into the air as they ate a different part of the animal. It was hard to beat that, but I also then saw my very first Grevy’s Zebra ever, very cute with ‘mickey mouse’ ears (as a friend described them), stockier bodies and thinner stripes. We still managed to see more elephant, buffalo and rhino before we stopped for a sundowner at the picnic stop. There is something so joyous about drinking wine in the middle of the bush – it just takes you so far out of your own world in very peaceful and positive way.
On Saturday morning after breakfast we headed to the Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary which is also located inside of the Ol Pejeta Conservancy. It is the only place in Kenya that you can see chimpanzees and the facility is truly a testament to animal rescue and conservation. The chimpanzees are carefully nursed back to health so they can enjoy the rest of their days in the safety of a vast natural enclosure. The chimpanzees live in two large groups separated by the Ewaso Nyiro River and have started their own families on in the sanctuary. We were lucky enough to get a very close view of a toddler and a baby when we visited.
After the Chimps, we went to visit a Rhino called Baraka who is in a special enclosure as he is totally blind and unable to fend for himself in the wild. We actually fed him and touched him too! Although I kind of felt a little sorry for him, it was great for us to have the experience. Mark got to go on a little Rhino walk and see some of these animals in a special conservation project afterwards. I stayed in the car with Evan who by that time was well overdue for a nap and needed a bit of down time to restore his good humour.
When we returned to camp I was treated to a very good massage at the hotel’s little spa (a great spoil) and once I was done, the heavens opened and it rained and rained and rained a bit more. Evan and I made our way up to the reception area under umbrella for some tea and then almost had to wade back to our tent to spend the rest of the afternoon playing while Mark got to relax a little and spend some time chatting in front of the fire at the bar.
The rain let up a little just before dinner and we saw so many animals at the watering hole, specifically a herd of waterbuck who were all lined up next to the fence and ready to jump over into the camp. One or two had made the leap before there was a sudden power outage that turned all the lights off. This must have scared them as we just saw them all scuttle back and disappear into the darkness.
Sunday morning dawned bright and clear, giving us our first full view of Mount Kenya. Normally covered by clouds and haze, it was just such a treat to see it in its full glory. And just in time, as after a leisurely breakfast, it was time to pack the car, buckle up and make our way home to Nairobi.
We had such a wonderful weekend and we’ve definitely caught a dose of ‘itchy feet’ too - we’re already talking about when and where our next adventure in Kenya will be. This country has so much to offer and to experience and I am so very grateful that we are going to be fortunate enough o experience some of that while we are here.
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