Win a getaway for two people to Island Camp, Baringo

Are you a Kenyan resident and Fancy a FREE getaway? Well here is that chance!

Give us the best slogan for a Valentine's weekend getaway advert by posting it as a comment on our facebook page and get your friends to like your slogan. 

The slogan with the MOST number of likes stands a chance to win 2 nights full board accommodation  and boat transfers for 2 people at Island camp, Lake Baringo! 

About Island Camp, Baringo

Island Camp, recently renovated in early 2013, is situated on an enchanted, remote island - Ol Kokwa - in Lake Baringo. It is informal, relaxing, and surrounded by spectacular scenery, a perfect retreat for weekends, private parties and conventions.

Accommodation is in 17 ensuite lake view rooms; 6 standard, 7 deluxe and 4 superior with private splash pool, tucked away under the shade of spreading acacias and separated by green lawns and natural rockeries. The views of the surrounding Rift Valley are at their most spectacular from the refreshing, clear swimming pool situated at the pinnacle of the camp. Winding paths lead down from the pool to the informal dining and bar areas.

Optional boat trips around the lake, water-skiing, champagne breakfasts, guided walks to the hot springs. Visits to the local Njemps villages and close by Lake Bogoria Game Reserve popular with large numbers of flamingos, hot springs and the elusive and elegant Greater Kudu.

Promotion is valid till 10th February, 2014.

Let's get creative - GOOD LUCK!!!

Happy Holidays!

We take this opportunity to thank you for all the support you have given us throughout 2013.

We also take this chance to wish you and your loved ones a very Happy Christmas and all the very best for the festive season.

Please be careful in your travels particularly on the roads as they will be busy and for flights, be at the airports in good time.

With best wishes at this time and may 2014 be a better year for all of us and hopefully throughout the world!

xoxo
The Uniglobe Let's Go Travel Team

And the migration is back!

On Friday we woke up to the news that the wildebeest migration in the Masai Mara were back!

In a rare and dramatic shift, the wildebeest and zebra herds are reported to be back from northern Serengeti where they had moved to following some mid-season rains in October. The herds had presumed the time to relocate to the Serengeti had come, but local rains in the Mara ecosystem have changed that. The plains are now greened with fresh grass and luscious shots and it is our assumption that if the weather continues like this, there is a likelihood of wildebeest giving birth in the Mara like it was the case in 1998.

So...if you had planned to see the migration but somehow you got caught and never got to witness it, nature might just be giving you a second chance this year or perhaps the animals heard Kenya were celebrating their golden jubilee since independence and decided to stay over for the party?! Hahahaha.....

Reports coming from the Mara indicate that the wildebeest are moving north of Mara Intrepids Camp through the Olare Orok Conservancy and across Posse Plain down to Sand River. The wildebeest and zebras are said to be everywhere, with crocodiles and other predators already enjoying their early Christmas feast! 

For Masai Mara bookings, contact us. 

Update on Loisaba Ranch Fire

On 31^st October 2013, we woke up to the news that Loisaba Lodge and Loisaba Private House had been destroyed by a bush fire; luckily no one was injured and personal belongings and artefacts were saved.

The fire is said to have started mid-morning, probably by pastoralists making tea on the north eastern boundary of the conservancy, and due to the dry bush, thick grass and very high winds being experienced that day, the fire travelled fast, often leaping 30 feet, and burned nearly 25,000 acres of grassland, as well as the Lodge and Private House, before it was put under control.

Even though precaution measures are in place in these lodges, bush fires happen occasionally, especially in the dry months. The Loisaba fire was particularly large and aggressive, but thanks to their teams, no-one was injured, and Loisaba Cottage, Kiboko Starbeds, conservancy headquarters and staff village were saved.

Loisaba community have passed their gratitude to their neighbours, the local community, the County Government and friends who committed time, men and resources to helping them fight the fire.

Due to the integrated nature of the Loisaba tourism operation, with the loss of the Lodge and the Private House the Loisaba management has had to take the tough decision to close down its tourism operations until further notice. Cheli & Peacock which are the lodge booking and marketing unit, released a brief on 5^th November stating that it was in their firm belief that Loisaba would rise like the mythical Pheonix from the ashes of that tragedy to shine like the seven stars from which it takes its name.

We send our heartfelt apologies to the Loisaba Team and look forward to the reconstruction of the Lodge and private house.

KWS successfully moves black rhinos to a newly established sanctuary - Borana Rhino Sanctuary

The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) has successfully translocated a number of rhinos from Lake Nakuru National Park and Lewa Wildlife Conservancy to the newly established Borana Rhino sanctuary in Laikipia.

The rhinos were moved from Lake Nakuru National Park while the others were translocated from Lewa Wildlife Conservancy. The composition was so designed to avoid in-breeding. The week-long exercise (August 26-31, 2013) was funded by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Zurich Zoo and US F&W in collaboration with Kenya Wildlife Service.

The translocation is aimed at establishing a new rhino population and keep the established populations in Lake Nakuru National Park and Lewa Wildlife Conservancy productive by maintaining their numbers below their ecological carrying capacity levels.

The rhino conservation policy since 1989 has centered on the creation of intensively protected fenced sanctuaries. Black rhino has steadily increased within the sanctuaries necessitating removals to avoid negative density dependent effects. However, many established sanctuaries still remain overstocked hence new secure habitats are required.

The current Conservation and Management Strategy for the Black Rhino in Kenya 2012-2016 sets targets on restocking former free ranging areas which can support large populations, as well as the creation of intensive Protection Zones (IPZ) and secure sanctuaries in order to achieve its strategic objective of population expansion to reach a confirmed total of 750 black rhinos by end of 2016.

 Focus is placed on promoting creation of more government, private and community rhino sanctuaries to achieve the vision of a metapopulation of 2,000 black rhinos in Kenya managed in their natural habitat in the long term. Borana rhino sanctuary which is privately owned was one of the new areas targeted in the strategic plan for rhino population expansion. 

WWF species manager, Robert Ndetei witnessed the translocation and pledged continued support to KWS in its quest to conserve the last great species and places on earth for humanity. He said the international body has had a long standing relationship with KWS and cited among others collaborations in the establishment of rhino sanctuaries among them Lake Nakuru, Tsavo West and the creation of Intensive Protection Zone (IPZ) in Tsavo West National park.

 Mr Patrick Omondi, the KWS Deputy Director of Wildlife Conservation, thanked all partners who made the exercise successful. He said KWS will continue to partner with private land owners in the conservation of wildlife and commended the management of Borana Rhino Sanctuary for meeting the prerequisites for rhino conservation. He encouraged communities to set aside more land for wildlife conservation.

The original post is credited to KWS .

HANDS OFF OUR ELEPHANTS - The message is loud and clear!

CONSERVATIONISTS ISSUE A RED ALERT AS POACHING OF JUMBOS INTENSIFIES

Nairobi, July 26^th…Conservationists in Kenya have issued a warning that poaching could exterminate elephants in the next 10 years unless measures are undertaken to stem this crisis.

Led by WildlifeDirect, a world life conservation charity organization, they now want the Government to respond to the crisis as a national disaster and work with all sectors to address it.


According to Dr Richard Leakey, former Director of KWS and the Founder of WildlifeDirect, there has never been such a level of killing as we are experiencing today, unless we do something now elephants will be gone from the wild within the next decade. Leakey is credited for bringing an end to poaching in 1989

“Today the situation is worse. Until the elephants are physically counted by an independent group we need to be very wary. We need to change things urgently and find creative solutions. Kenya’s wildlife belongs to the citizens of Kenya’s who must stand up to defend this heritage.  I believe that partnerships with private sector are critical. We cannot afford any further delay and we have to be tough!” warned Dr Leakey.

WildlifeDirect has announced their partnership with Key stakeholders in Government, NGOs, Private Sector, local celebrities, community leaders, corporate organizations to mobilize the nation in a joint effort to save elephants.

The movement dubbed HANDS OFF OUR ELEPHANTS calls for action by Kenyans of all walks of life to help. The campaign seeks to create awareness about the crisis, and demand for a massive surge in anti-poaching and investigations at ports to crack down on corruption and trafficking of ivory, followed by convictions that send criminals to jail for tens of years. The public can help by providing information through the use of a wildlife crime hotline. 

Speaking during the Press briefing, Cabinet Secretary for Water, Environment and Natural Resources, Prof Judy Wakhungu, said the government is fully supportive of this initiative. She added that the new wildlife legislation will soon be presented to parliament for endorsement. 

“We need the help of partners and we will also do our part. Under this new legislation, anyone found dealing in trophies of ivory or rhino horn will be liable to a fine of not less than one million shillings or imprisonment for a term of not less than five years or to both, while poachers will be liable to a fine of not less than three million shillings or imprisonment for a term not less than five years”, said Prof Wakhungu.

Kenya Airways CEO, Titus Naikuni, a key partner in the campaign noted that his airline will not allow delivery of poached goods across the borders and any staff found engaging in illegal activity will be dealt with.

Speaking for Vision 2030, Director General Mugo Kibati added that “Kenya has hardly begun to tap the economic potential of her wildlife tourism. We welcome this initiative as it will ensure that Kenyans realise the country’s economic aspirations. Tourism is key to the economic pillar of Vision 2030 and without wildlife, there will be no tourism. Losing elephants threatens the very stability of our country. ” 

The demand for ivory in the Far East, particularly China, has attracted criminal cartels to Kenya who are feeding the insatiable demand for ivory in the Far East, especially China and Thailand. Conservationists warn that unless the demand is extinguished, poachers will wipe out Africa's elephants. 

CEO Wildlife Direct Dr. Paula Kahumbu lauded the government for welcoming the initiative which brings Kenyans together to save the country’s heritage. 

 “Kenya traditionally has been at the frontline in combating elephant poaching but we have lost that ground in recent years. It is essential that we work together and restore our leadership position in the world to ensuring that we protect our endangered species, and a global heritage. While we crack down on wildlife crime in Kenya, we also need the help of governments of Africa, Thailand, China, and USA whom we are asking to ban the domestic markets of ivory as legal markets are a cover for laundering illegal ivory. We will also appeal to the hearts of anyone buying ivory in these countries as they are contributing to the slaughter of African elephants”. 

The HANDS OFF OUR ELEPHANTS campaign is a plea to every member of the public and all sectors of the economy to champion the campaign against elephant poaching. The First Lady, Mrs Margaret Kenyatta is the campaign patron. A similar effort has been announced by Hilary Clinton in USA who seek to coordinate actions of the US based conservation community around this crisis. 

The situation facing Kenya is grave. According to the Kenya Wildlife Service, (KWS) poaching is escalating out of control, the country lost 384 elephants to poachers in 2012 up from fewer than 50 just five years ago. For every matriarch killed several young will also have died. The country is also witnessing a surge in poaching by local communities who are using traditional methods including poison arrows, spears and traps.  Tanzania with 70,000 elephants report that they are losing 10,000 elephants per year, and conservationists warn that these poachers will move to Kenya once Tanzania herds are depleted. 

For more information, kindly contact: Vata Nganda, Senior strategist TBWA Kenya on 0736436157 or Email: vata.nganda@tbwa.co.ke