Kenya offers much more than wild safaris

Historic B&B manors, museums and vibrant pockets of local culture await

Jeffrey Groberman, For the Vancouver Sun; Canwest News Service

Published: Saturday, August 09, 2008

When most people go to Kenya from Canada, they go for one reason: A safari.

Yet Kenya offers much more -- including incredible beaches that rival anything in the Pacific, Caribbean or Mediterranean. There is no denying that East Africa is a long way from Canada -- at least 24 hours from Vancouver and 18 from Toronto. So, once you've decided to travel that far, you owe it to yourself to see as much as you can.

A lot of people avoid Nairobi, or stay just long enough to make a connection to their safari. However, there are a couple of wonderful places to stay just outside Nairobi that may very well be the highlight of your trip. Both are near the underrated Nairobi National Park.

 

Kenya's beach resorts are situated just to the north and the south of the city of Mombasa. You may want to plan to end one leg of your safari expedition at Mombasa, which borders Tsavo National Park, or you can take the night train or a flight from Nairobi to Mombasa.

Most of the beach resorts are all-inclusive. One I recently visited was Voyager Beach Resort, perched overlooking the white sands of Nyali Beach. The Voyager has 233 rooms, three restaurants and two pools. Prices start at about $165 per person per night based on double occupancy, although lower prices are probably available on-line.

On the south coast is the award-winning Pinewood Village, a small boutique beach and water sport resort. Pinewood was inspired by owner Alnoor Kanji's sojourn in Canada, where he worked as a pharmacist in both Toronto and Vancouver. He named the resort Pinewood because the casuarina trees reminded him of a favourite forested area near West Vancouver.

The newly renovated Pinewood Village has just 38 rooms and 20 suites situated in clusters around a garden setting. The hotel beach adjoins Aqualand, a water sports centre that offers a wide range of activities including scuba diving, deep sea fishing, and windsurfing. Rates for half board (room, breakfast and dinner) begin at only $73 per/person/per night based on double occupancy. If you want to upgrade to all-inclusive you can add $42 per person per day.

Although safaris are Kenya's main draw, there's lots more to do and see there. Now that political turmoil is over, keep your eyes open for even deeper discounts as the government and tour operators announce even more incentives to kick start tourism. If you were inspired to visit Kenya by the magnificent vistas from Out of Africa, you will want to stay at Karen Blixen's Coffee Garden and Cottages, which are just down the road from the Karen Blixen Museum -- the house where Blixen actually lived.

The Coffee Garden and cottages were acquired in 1999 by Dr. Bonnie Dunbar who was a founder of the African Biomedical Centre and professor at the University of Nairobi.

The property was part of the original Swedo-African Coffee Company that was bought by Baron Von Blixen in 1913 just prior to his wedding to Karen Dinesen (Blixen) and now contains two historic buildings from the Out of Africa era: Swedo House and the Grogan/McMillan Manor house.

Swedo House is rich in history, having hosted such dignitaries as former U.S. president Theodore Roosevelt during his 1908 visit to Kenya. It was later occupied by Blixen's brother who came to Kenya to run her plantation.

Dunbar later acquired the nearby historic Grogan/McMillan Manor and had the building carefully disassembled, moved to the Coffee Gardens and fully restored. It now serves as a location for special dinners and formal events.

While Swedo House and the Grogan/McMillan Manor House date back to the beginning of the 20th century, everything else about the Coffee Gardens is definitely 21st century and state-of-the-art.

When Dunbar acquired the property in 1999, she commissioned Danish architect Thomas Gronlyke to design 16 luxury cottages. The property also has a swimming pool, gym and spa with Jacuzzi and sauna.

Dunbar can help arrange fly fishing or bird watching expeditions to Lake Victoria, or helicopter fishing on the slopes of Mt. Kenya as well as horseback riding, a game of polo, sky diving, hang gliding or river rafting.

As well, you can golf or visit the nearby Karen Blixen Museum, feed the giraffes at Giraffe Manor or drop in at the elephant orphanage. If you want to go into Nairobi for a day of shopping, Dunbar can arrange that as well.

The rate per couple per night for the B&B is $375.

Perhaps the most pleasant surprise on my recent visit to Kenya was African Heritage House. This magnificent five-bedroom house, perched on a bluff overlooking Nairobi National Park, is the dream of jewelry designer Alan Donovan.

African Heritage House is on the outskirts of Nairobi -- just off the Mombasa road. You can also take the Nairobi to Mombasa train, as Donovan has his own station right in front of his house.

Vancouverites might remember Donovan from Expo 86, where he designed the interior of the popular Kenya Pavilion and, for a brief time, operated a jewelry store on Granville Island.

Donovan's African jewelry has been featured in movies such as Out of Africa and The Color Purple. His company, African Heritage, promotes and commissions African crafts, costumes and jewelry.

It seemed only a matter of time until Donovan would need a house to display his magnificent collection, so he bought an eight-acre site just on the edge of the Nairobi National Park and built a five-bedroom house there. This startling beautiful house has been featured in such magazines as Architectural Digest.

Donovan runs African Heritage House as a B&B where you can enjoy the hospitality, the view, tours of the game reserve, and a sundowner dinner on the roof patio of the house.

Every nook and cranny of the house is filled with Donovan's African collection of jewelry, crafts and costumes, and every room features stunning views of the national park and its wildlife.

Cost is $300 per couple per night -- a wonderful bargain.

IF YOU GO:

--
Jean-Louis Kayitenkore
Procurement Consultant
Gsm: +250-08470205
Home: +250-55104140
P.O. Box 3867
Kigali-Rwanda
East Africa
Blog: http://www.cepgl.blogspot.com
Skype ID : Kayisa66