Kenya accomodations – Empakaai Cultural Safari

Kenya’s hidden gem: Meru National Park

Mount Kenya region

Welcome to one of the largest and most beautiful National Parks of Kenya. Meru National Park is a vast and varied ecosystem, situated to the east of Mount Kenya. It does not often get included into the trip itineraries, whilst it is definitely worth a long and thorough exploration. Meru National Park is a perfect destination for a curious wildlife enthusiast with passion for calm landscapes, long game drives, the story of Lioness Elsa of Born Free, encounters with Big Five and watching beautiful birds.

Meru National Park was one of the two areas where Joy and George Adamson raised the lioness Elsa. The grave of Elsa is located on the National Park’s territory: at the Park’s southern end, off the northern bank of Ura River.
This is a birdwatcher’s paradise with over 400 bird species recorded.
Established as a National Park in 1966 and governed by Kenya Wildlife Service.
Home of African bush elephant, hippo, Grevy’s zebra, leopard, cheetah, eastern black rhino, southern white rhino and many others.

Waterways, home to many wild inhabitants, define many game drive routes here

Grasslands and doum palms of Meru National Park

Roads are comfortable even for a full day game drive

Waterbuck, zebra, lesser kudu, hartebeest share generous grasslands

There are two roads to Meru National Park from Nairobi:

Via Nyeri and Nanyuki. This travel option is perfect for those who wish to visit Aberdare area, Mount Kenya and game reserves nearby (we recommend Ol Pejeta game reserve), and Samburu National Park. You will experience a drive with increasing altitudes, stunning scenery and many encounters with developing rural Kenya.
Via Embu to Meru. A busier road with local traffic, more suitable for experienced drivers familiar with the area.

Ikweta Safari Camp

We recommend Ikweta Safari Camp: the home of affordable safari luxury, just 2 km away from the Murera Gate of Meru National Park. Their tents are large, beautifully decorated with local crafts and well equipped with carefully maintained facilities. At Ikweta Safari Camp you will also find an excellent swimming pool, well supplied restaurant and a great setting for a romantic dinner under the star studded sky.

Relaxed, cosy and private
All comforts in your tent
Reading, chatting or just observing and listening to nature?
Nature is always nearby, even when you take a nap

Planning your trip to Meru National Park

Empakaai Cultural Safari team is always here to help you plan and organise your trip to Meru National Park, or create a tailor made trip including this exciting hidden gem of Kenyan wildlife.

Treat your body, mind and senses with wild nature of Meru National Park… and a stunning sunset!

Visit our Instagram @empakaai_cultural_safari for more impressions from Meru National Park. Write to us: empakaai.cultural.safari@gmail.com

Lake Baringo, you are in my heart

We sincerely thank our guest who visited Lake Baringo with us, for writing and sharing this story with Empakaai Cultural Safari.

A big place in my heart belongs to Kenya since I’ve visited this fascinating country with Empakaai Cultural Safari some months ago. And Lake Baringo is one special place that keeps stirring up my memories and does not let them become vague or even distant. It is as if I’m just back after having experienced a sharp sense of belonging there and always being expected there.

This feeling of knowing a place that I visit for the first time is one of the reasons why I am addicted to travelling. A moment when this feeling takes over usually gives mystical goose bumps, makes me think of soul reincarnation, previous lives and roots of my distant ancestors. It is a true gift. And Africa is always very generous in giving me these gifts of feeling welcome. I am very thankful to Kenya, especially for Lake Baringo, for many moments of warm welcomes.

Lake Baringo and its magnificent nature feel very peaceful and slow, but there is always something going on here, in the most delicate, natural, non-intrusive way. So even if your body is tired and your mind is preoccupied, it is guaranteed that you will come to peace here fully, just by observing and keeping your eyes and ears open. Just know with all your inner senses that you are welcome and accepted. The nature of Lake Baringo embraces you fully.

The road from the town of Nakuru to Lake Baringo was very bumpy and a harsh drive made me even more impatient to arrive. We stopped at Roberts Camp – a charming well organized place with a very good restaurant that surprised us with fresh food and cold beers. Their terrace is a perfect viewing ground for bird watching. When we arrived there was a British family of bird watchers sitting on the restaurant terrace, complete with various sets of binoculars, impressive knowledge of birds’ names and a local guide who sat shyly a bit behind. It crossed my mind that it is actually a perfect scene from a book of colonial stories.

Every time of day and night has got a special sound around Lake Baringo. Especially the night was fantastic. Its sounds made me think that walls and roof of my chalet disappeared. Suddenly all sounds became so close and intensive. The water level must have risen quite high, so I heard sounds of splashing water all around me. With sounds of water came sounds of hippos. And they brought those fantastic adrenaline-provoking wildlife-triggered shivers caused by a realization that there is only a thin wall between a loud wild animal and myself.

Lake Baringo opens up and shows its real strength and diversity when you are on water. You might even suddenly discover a passionate bird watcher within yourself! So make sure you take a boat ride: to watch many rare and beautiful birds, to see a sleeping crocodile from very close or to observe local ladies doing their laundry next to hippos showing only their head tops and nose tops. You will no doubt hear stories of many tribes who live around the lake and will see them crossing the lake in their boats.

And here is some practical advice about doing a trip to Lake Baringo:

Before departure, make sure you stock up on bottled water for consumption during your drive. This is a hot and dry area of the Great Rift Valley. If you started your drive in Nakuru, you will be crossing the equator.

The road condition will most probably be the worst you’ve experienced so far in Kenya. This means two things: 1) your trip might take longer than you expect just by checking the distance; and 2) if you are sensitive to sea sickness, consider hiring a better vehicle for this part, the one that can go over serious holes on the road without getting its passengers thrown from side to side.

With Empakaai Cultural Safari you can relax and let your guide take care of all logistics and necessities. I am so grateful to Moses for his hard work that created valuable space and time for me to enjoy the beauty of Lake Baringo.

Just drop him a line to empakaai.cultural.safari@gmail.com to book your own fascinating experience at Lake Baringo. And check his Instagram account empakaai_cultural_safari for more photos from our Lake Baringo trip!

Thomson Falls: magic water and faded glory

The town of Nyahururu welcomes you back to the part of Kenya where fields and forests are green and lush, at least in December. You will visit Nyahururu and its beautiful Thomson Falls on the day of the Mount Kenya, Samburu and Maasai trip that brings you from the Samburu National Reserve back to the southern hemisphere.

Seeing and hearing the magnificent waters of Ewaso Ng’iro falling from the height of 74 meters – known to the world as Thomson Falls – is fascinating. Especially when just two hours back you were in the midst of a dry thirsty land.

It was very easy to relax and unwind while watching the Thomson Falls

The Thomson Falls Lodge will put your mind to rest. Its colonial style cottages, decorated by beautiful flower gardens, create a peaceful atmosphere of a well run cosy place.

The garden and green lawns are very well maintained. Trees and flowers are of a truly impressive variety, which might be envied by some botanical gardens outside Kenya.

This impression changes slightly when you are inside, in your room or in the restaurant, where the level of maintenance can be best described as “faded glory”. Meaning that not much attention is being spent on repairs and refreshing of the interiors. This is a common thing in Kenya though. Just enjoy the vintage furniture, doors and window frames, weird paintings, old fashioned clocks, lamps and chandeliers. The rooms in the Thomson Falls Lodge are even equipped with a real open fire place! Once you’ve had enough of post colonial pleasures, just get out and spend as much time outside as possible.

The Thomson Falls viewpoint is situated right next to the lodge. Here you can spend some time meditating while watching the waterfall. Or socialise with friendly local vendors, if you are in the mood to do so.

The level of service in the Thomson Falls Lodge is excellent. Staff is well trained, polite and very attentive, especially in the restaurant. If you’ve already had enough ugali and roast potatoes during the first couple of days on your trip, the Thomson Falls Lodge restaurant will make you happy with some good options for breakfast, lunch and dinner. You can expect to receive a service in a colonial style too, with all table accessories present in front of you and full attention to your needs and desires.

Parts of this post and photos are used in our evaluation of Thomson Falls Lodge on Trip Advisor (ECSafari). With thanks to the staff of Thomson Falls Lodge for their hospitality!

Would you like to visit Nyahururu and see the impressive Thomson Falls? Contact us at info@empakaaiculturalsafari.com. We will help you to plan and make a perfect trip to Kenya. We will put the Thomson Falls Lodge on the itinerary, if you wish so!