Safari in Watamu.. A trip to Kenya in the first month of the year

Hello and all, we are Georgia and we have just returned from Mauritius and Kenya ... needless to say that we are suffering from the so-called "mal d'Africa", but we are happy to have spent these few days in a wonderful and fascinating country.
This holiday we'll take forever in our hearts thanks to an extraordinary person who had the privilege to know .... the legendary Tony Manero of Watamu.
Together with him we made several excursions, including Safari 3 days and 2 nights for the National Park to Amboseli and Tsavo East ... unforgettable experience also made unique experience of our guide, the legendary Ambrose, a gentle giant part of the team of Tony, who does everything to make you spot the greatest number of animals.
In addition to the safari "normal" we also advance was "safari blue" ... a beautiful day on a boat in the Watamu Marine Park, spent to see dolphins, snorkel and eat local dishes and lobster in the company of cheerful people who make Guests and their only concern is to "make you feel good!
We traveled with Staff & Co and stayed at the Twiga Beach Resort in Watamu ..
Guys, what are you waiting to leave? ...
if you feel like, in our diary tell you a little of our emotions ...
Jambooooo

 

Partenza

Jambo Jambo friends! We left for Kenya on 8 January 2010, first as a traveling companion. ... Snow! But we knew that soon it would be only a faded memory! However, perfect travel and punctually, at 3:00 local time, arrived in Mombasa.

Want to now, want a little 'luck, in 15 minutes hurry formalities (visa 20 euro or 25 dollars), customs "nothing to declare" we are ready and in front of the bus that will take us to the village, the Twiga Beach Watamu.

Very good first impression, such warmth, quiet, very soon "pole pole - slowly," and "Hakuna matata - no problem" will become the most common terms of the holiday.

Two hours of travel and destination, the village looks nice, it just opened, the first visit to the beach, we are immediately struck the white sand and the tide seems to emerge that makes the reef.

Rest and relax throughout the day, but we are here for the savannah with all its wonders and to know, understand and be aware of what until now had been tales of travel beds here and there or seen on television documentaries

There had been highly recommended by friends and everywhere we had read or heard information that there is no better way to visit Kenya if not relying on local guides, the famous beach boys ... .. OK! won!

But who?? There are so many ... of those who can we trust? Browsing the web one of the most common names was a Tony Manero of Watamu. We send him an email 3 days before leaving the willingness to guide us in asking him to visit this wonderful place.

We respond quickly, very friendly, it puts at our disposal and we exchange phone numbers to meet once a village and in fact, very punctual and having taken care that everything goes well, we are to find.

Excellent first impression, is a nice young man, very kind, speaks Italian very well and works for a travel agency in Watamu. Do not struggle to find quickly an agreement, both economically and with regard to the proposed trip.
We choose the safari 3 days 2 nights package and included in the proposed "Blue Safari" and a tour of the nearby town Malindi.

Here we open a parenthesis for those who are a bit 'skeptical as we were before we leave! The villages offer the same trips but at prices much higher. They rely on the same travel agents and in terms of quality of service, the only difference is that part of the van in the village instead of the gate!
Certainly the village to discourage you choose the tour with the Beach Boys, they will tell (as happened to us) do not trust, that will leave you disappointed that you run the risk of being on foot ... .. bla bla bla .... crap, just want to sell their package and then adding a third party.

To be fair we do not talk price, which varies according to your requests and needs, but we assure you that Tony Manero offers hiking at a price significantly lower than in the villages and the lowest among his colleagues (we were able to compare it with other kids know each other during the holidays). All with great professionalism and punctuality.

We forgot, in many places we read about that you should pay in U.S. dollars in Kenya ... .. much prefer the euro, the currency only bring a maximum change them if necessary, in local currency, the shilling (1 euro = 100 shillings). Even for an entry visa, the customs authorities demanding a payment in euro as an alternative to the dollar. This not to repeat our mistake because we have lost both purchase dollars in Italy for the next dollar / euro exchange applied in Kenya ...

Safari Blue

The next morning, Sunday 9, we start at 8.30 for the "Blue Safari". Tip, even in advance (and this will be a constant) TONY awaits us at the gate of the village to take us to Watamu.

From there with a group of Italian boys, TONY other customers, is part of a boat bound for the Watamu Marine Park, but not before having sought and found a beautiful school of dolphins swam with the little one not far from the coast. Wow!

After stopping for a refreshing swim above the reef to do some 'snorkeling and we dry on the terrace of the boat and, as we move toward the mangrove forest, TONY entertains us with sympathy and discretion, always available to answer our curiosity and satisfy our demands, as when, while not expected, agrees to a break in a fabulous stretch of beach, where the transparency we had sent an irresistible appeal.

At about 12 we arrive at your destination on the island where, with a wonderful reception, we expected the local fishing communities that we cook every gift of God, octopus, crab, tuna and prawns ... ... .. dish and lobster grilled or barbecued. Drinks and fresh fruit will complement the delightful poem! Ahh ... all included in the excursion package! After lunch a little 'relaxation, a canoe ride through the mangroves, the boatman to bring all of the gondolier and 15 for return flights to Watamu, happy, singing and percussion. Guys, impossible not to be in a good mood!

Safari at the Tsavo Est

Sunday morning .... 6 for appointment to the safari. Alarm, 5:50 the bus already waiting for us that will lead us in search of animals and natural wonders. We know the other fellow travelers, with Maria Elena and Angelo Nunzio with Marina, excellent people who have helped make our experience memorable.

But we also know the mythical AMBROSE! And 'the bus driver, a gentle giant who never stop to thank for the passion with which has led us to the safari. We were impressed to see a man who loves his work so that really gets excited at the sight of a cheetah or a lion, that holds us and does everything to make you feel good. Add to that the perfect knowledge of the whereabouts and habits of animals ... voila, it turns out the driver nr. 1! So, in summary, if you had the patience to read this far, remember: Tony Manero AMBROSE = safari guaranteed the best!

On the way to the park is moving to see hundreds of kids of all ages, walking in single file to board the way to go to school. They are beautiful in their uniforms, all equal and all sorted, the largest look after the kids and bring all of the branches of wood. They will explain that later serve to help the school canteen kitchen fire ... a true lesson of altruism and mutual aid education ... we meditate, meditate ....

We arrived around 9 in the park of the "Tsavo East" and start the so-called "game drive in search of animals to admire. Men of the super telephoto lenses equipped with the ladies to offer their support with binoculars and compact for the shot boundary ... a very efficient team!

The highlight of the day just before lunch .. after you've seen beautiful red elephants, gazelles, birds of prey, baboons etc, between the radio voice of the driver bounces the sighting of a rarity, thanks to Ambrose in a moment we are only a few meters by two beautiful female cheetah. E 'unique emotion, an attempt to capture the best shots but you also try to give everything in the 2 gigabytes of memory TONY advised us to keep our heads ...

Happy and satisfied, we went for lunch at Voi Wildlife Lodge, plunged into Savannah, where to stay for the night. It 's a nice surprise, nice, spacious rooms with bathroom and overlooking a pond where a hippo is a nap surrounded by hundreds of birds colorful ... discreet lunch buffet, afternoon naps, and at 16, to run away again.

We see close to a family of elephants with small, zebras, giraffes, eagles, bison, ostrich .. we are very lucky and very skilled AMBROSE is because, as a result of comparing ourselves with other teams, we could boast of having seen so much ... but .... Us missing the lion, the King of Savannah !!... TONY AMBROSE and tell us not to worry ... and we trust!

Let's go back to the lodge, shower, dinner and sleep after a wonderful day.

Wake up at 6, breakfast ... TONY runs at our table and flung it on the bus ... was spotted a lioness with cubs! .. In a flash AMBROSE takes us to the place .. it's beautiful, the puppies play with each other a few meters from the road, his mother carefully keeps them two feet away ... even though little by little the place is filled with buses and jeeps, absolute silence reigns and respectful of these wonders of nature ...

Amboseli National Park

We are shooting for a while 'and we start with the destination of Amboseli Park, located four hours drive from Tsavo East, the slopes of Kilimanjaro! .. The journey is long but never boring, talking, joking, TONY meets patience with our curiosity and Ambrose takes us safely to the goal .. it was really created a nice group ..

Once in the Amboseli Savanna know how we ever imagined and seen in tv .. vast expanses, the look in prey depth, the giraffes are there .. they eat from high branches at the entrance we are greeted by the Masai tribe of brave hunters who controls the park. We go to the tented camp of Kibo Safari Camp, is cozy, nestled in verde3, tents each have two nice beds, bath, shower and hot water .. a truly unexpected luxury.
Lunch buffet of good quality, staff always friendly, as everywhere else for that matter.
May they rest and go in search of new sightings. We see hyenas, elephants, a great female cheetah walks through the marshes at the roadside crosses and a little 'owl takes pictures in all poses before disappearing into the infinite wilderness.

Almost at sunset, as promessoci by TONY .. here! A young male lion with the mane begins to thicken, limps a bit ', to be wounded in the leg .. I admire and photograph, is majestic and impressive.
At this point a love scene exciting ... a beautiful lioness appears from the bushes .. the above, check that the path is free of dangers before the passage of his wounded comrade, he in fact follows the step by step a few feet away .. quench their thirst, they cross the street and disappear into the bush with a leap.
Mother Nature gave us another surprise and thanks to the timing and jurisdiction of Ambrose, we were back there, a few meters in front row, in respectful silence to imprint indelibly in memory.

After dinner, the camp, an evening around the outbreak with charming and archaic tribal dances of the Masai night .. just as exciting, invaluable to sleep with the sounds of Savannah, a feeling of peace and reconciliation with nature. And above all, a starry sky so beautiful I think it will be hard to see him somewhere else.

Back to Watamu

Upon awakening, surprise! The mist disappeared the day before it opens before us the spectacle of dawn illuminates the majestic snow-capped peak of Kilimanjaro which dominates the park Amboseli ..

And we met loads of emotions back to Watamu, we expect a lot 'of road .. we could not ask for more data and a tip to our guides, can never compensate adequately express your emotions! THANKS!

Relax in Watamu - Sardegna 2

The next day a little 'healthy and invigorating and relaxing at the beach pool. In the morning we take a walk along the white strips of sand in front of the famous "Sardinia 2. Low tide brings out spectacular sea stars, colorful fish you wallow around, it seems to be in an open-air aquarium. We come walking up to the reef and go back to an hour because there would have raised the tide.

This stretch of sea is beautiful, not surprisingly there are many tourists from Malindi to enjoy this beautiful white beach. Of course, we do not support Kenya for a holiday purely for "the beach and sea," there are places in the world well suited to this .. but, among the most popular resorts on the coast, if you want to toggle the wilderness with a little 'to beautiful sea, then surely choose Watamu.

In the afternoon we decide to make extra trip and contact our Tony Manero. We want to visit the Marafa depression, the so-called "Devil's Kitchen." Needless to say, in the twinkling we agree at an affordable price "as friends" and we set an appointment for the next morning.
Ascolta
Trascrizione fonetica

Visita a Marafa, aka "Hell's Kitchen"

Right on time comes to pick us and we leave, not before he had seen the longest solar eclipse of the millennium. Marafa cross to go to the villages of the local tribes, everyone is always smiling and cheerful greet the passage of cars. We arrive on site and understand why we had read in our guide that "come to Kenya and visit Marafa is like going to visit Arizona and the Grand Canyon." Let them tell by the friendly and good local guides the charming legend that is handed down about this wonder of nature!

Malindi tour

Back in Watamu, TONY in the afternoon to take us to accompany us on the tour of Malindi, as originally agreed. It can also ensure that you recompose the safari group, is pleased to see fellow travelers. All together we leave for the nearby town and we stop the manufacture of handicrafts made of wood. It 'amazing to see the workers at work. They have an incredible dexterity, forged from a piece of wood of the true works of art .. pity then that the finished object, and if they are infinite in the large store costs three times more than the price that you can do any vendor on the beach or in the stalls for the same product.

We continue around Malindi. TONY leads us to the poorest part of town. And it's really poor. We stopped a little something to distribute to children playing in the street, pens, pencils, drawing paper, t-shirts .. you risk falling into the rhetoric that we keep for us the feelings that have caused those big eyes .. try it ..

We return to the village, this time we are gripped by the gloom, the holiday is over, the next morning you return home. We believe that the sensitivity of Tony Manero is also in his gesture to invite us to eat with him in Watamu .. accept willingly embrace with which we take our leave is strong, intense .. we found a friend. It is largely thanks to him if Kenya is able to penetrate into our souls and touch some of the corners of consciousness and awareness, perhaps a bit 'sleepy. And that made us decide that this was already the most intense and beautiful vacation ever made. And that absolutely want to come back soon .... This will be the Africa sickness ?.... ASANTE SANA TONY!

If you want to contact Tony Manero I suggest you write an e-mail address already tony_m85@yahoo.com Italy, will answer immediately, or a SMS to nr. 254 729 27 23 62.
You can also visit his website www.tonymanerokenya.it, http://tony-manero-safari-Kenya.over-blog.com/ his blog and his Facebook page Kenya SAFARI Tony Manero.