From Trish's notebook...

I've been back from Kenya just 2 days and I'm already missing those big skies, the wood smoke, elephants and hugely welcoming people. Our friends in Kenya are suffering greatly as a result of the extensive and damaging media reports since the elections in early January. I figured the obvious thing to do was to jump on a plane at the earliest moment and check on the real situation for myself. What could be better than physically being in the country. I've also harboured a secret desire to experience the magnificent Masai Mara plains without another vehicle or human in sight! 

My journey included different geographic parts of Kenya from north to south - Nairobi, Amboseli, Chyulu Hills, Laikipia, Samburu and the Masai Mara with stays and visits to 23 camps and hotels en route. I met and talked to so many people I'm hard pressed to remember all the faces and names or the distances we covered. Not once was there a hint of violence, unrest, damage to property or self or a feeling the country was not completely back to normal.

I over-nighted at the unique Giraffe Manor in Nairobi and fed one of the giraffe at the front door with horse cubes. From the moment this tall, handsome male flashed his long, dark lashes at me I fell in love!  I tried not to wash my hand for some time afterwards to keep the warm, tickly, sensitive sensation when he licked my hand; I still feel it as I write!

Mike Rainy, the white Masai, showed us the marshes of Amboselli and we were lucky to see two wildebeest gladiators toughing it out in the dust. We enjoyed an open air breakfast in the early morning light with Mt Kilimanjaro shining above us and could see global warming hadn't melted the glacier yet!

The blood hounds of Ol Donyo Wuas in the Chyulu Hills deserve a mention for the unique experience they provide visitors - especially families with youngsters. Their favourite activity is smelling an item of guest's clothing and then tracking him down when he's gone off on a game drive. The rest of the family track with the dogs or wait to be found on the vehicle to be lavished with big wet doggy kisses. These dogs work hard assisting with protecting the resident rhinos from poaching when there're no guests to amuse.

The most memorable experience was the visit to the "Singing Wells" at Sarara. Sorry there're no pics because filming or photography is NOT ALLOWED and you keep these unique scenes only in your memory! The rights to the ancient wells are owned by the local Samburu families. The wells are dug in the sandy river bed and each day members of the family stand naked on one another shoulders, hand drawing buckets of water from the depths of the well whilst singing at the top of their voices and hand watering thousands of well fed, glossy white and brown cattle. Donkeys are allowed to drink second, then goats and lastly camels who I guess can hold out longer! Each animal follows the sound of his owners singing to find the right well to drink at; even the calves recognise the sound of their own songs. At night, elephants sneak in and pinch their share of the water without paying the proper dues and tipping sand into the well which has to be dug out again in the morning!

An amazing new safari we're offering, "The Zambezi Film Safari", is hosted by BBC wildlife cameraman Warren Samuels and Rob O Meara, independant film editor and digital photographic reproduction guru. Both are highly experienced at filming, Warren is the cameraman for the Big Cat Diary cheetahs amongst other wildlife TV programmes. If you're an amateur film maker, a pro or even if you'd just like to watch how wildlife films are made, this is an ideal opportunity to book up and prepare for and where better than in the Mara where the filming is so rewarding.

Most of all I loved being in the heart of the Mara at Rekero where we were treated to two of the best Masai guides I've had the pleasure of spending time with. They drove us across the grassy plains full of fat, well fed game - we saw one other vehicle the whole day. They kindly laid on a seriously impressive thunderstorm, sundowners with a pride of lion at our feet and the company of the owners who have a boundless sense of humor and love to play party games after dinner. A traditional camp, it is so well managed there is help waiting in the shadows to fill your bucket shower up if you run out of water whilst still full of shampoo, (which of course you don't admit to as it proves you weren't listening to your room attendant when he told you about 20l of water).

I could go on because there is so much to tell but there's not enough time or space. I'll end by urging you to think about visiting Kenya for the first time or for a repeat visit because there'll never be a better time to have the finest game viewing, perfect hosts and tastiest food than right now, this year before everyone flocks back in their hordes! We're very happy to share our recent images with you or to chat over the phone, please just get in contact with us.

Get a Kenyan update  now and if you have spare time later this year then consider Kenya’s “Great Escape” or sample some safaris in Kenya … 

We've recently set up a partnership for high quality safari gear, all made in Africa by real people and suited precisely to the climate.

If you'd like to make some purchases and claim a discount as a Zambezi client, all you need to do is click on http://www.safari-store.co.uk/ and enter "zambezi" as the promotion code when you check out to claim your 10% discount.

You can also take advantage of special offers on the Travel Essentials Collection by clicking on the link below. Each essentials collection includes travel bag + binoculars + travel pack (natural insect repelling spray, creme, soap). Ideal as presents for a friend or as a treat for yourself!

From Africa:
Char and Liz are impatiently waiting the connection of their satellite broadband in Kariba so they're able to send email and browse the web like the rest of us. The equipment has arrived and is ready for connecting, it took 2 months to reach Zimbabwe from the States.

Until it is connected, their email is done on very old dial up connections and with Zimbabwe's unreliable power and phone connection they're sometimes awake at 3 in the morning trying to download and send mail! So next time your internet goes down for a couple of minutes, spare a thought for these two brave ladies.

Delene has been on leave for part of the month and will return to her Luangwa Valley office shortly - we've really missed her. Julie leaves specialised travel at the end of March to work with incentive groups in Johannesburg.

From Devon:
Chris sets off to Gabon in two weeks to lead our second set departure trip for 2008, whilst Debbie and Jane are planning their trip to the Caprivi Strip in May in between analysing stats and reconciling accounts. Sam's been visiting North and South Tanzania, Zanzibar and Austria just to top her travels off!

Lynda with her two young daughters, is finalising plans for a visit to Zambia in August. John is tracking primates in Uganda towards the end of April while Jools and Sam are visiting Zambia in June. Claire is laying low waiting her turn to plan a trip to Africa.

From Lincoln:
We've our second husband and wife pair on the team when Jackie's husband Mark, joins us in June to round off our small Lincoln office.

Thats the round up; hope you had a great Easter and "c u" next month.  With some luck we'll be cracking champagne to herald positive change in Zimbabwe! 

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