Lion World Tours is offering a special package to Kenya from just USD $2,499* per person including international airfare, taxes and fuel surcharges! This USD $2,499 “Kenya On Sale” package is valid for March 29 ^th and March 31^st departures, and USD $2,699 for all other departures in March, April and May 1-14, 2012. Fly from New York (JFK) or Washington, Dulles Airport to Nairobi, Kenya aboard the award winning Ethiopian Airlines.  Ethiopian Airlines was the winner of the 2009 “Airline of the Year” award from the African Airlines Association (AFRAA).

This package also includes six nights in deluxe accommodations in Kenya, game viewing, guides, meals, transfers and more. The single supplement fee for passengers traveling alone is only USD $250.

At Serena Mountain Lodge guests can awake to the trumpeting of elephant, fall asleep to the symphony of the African night or sit in stillness and observe the fascinating interplay of the animals as they arrive to drink, bathe, spar and forage around the water hole.

Sarova Shaba Lodge is built around natural springs and offers an oasis of green in the midst of this beautiful but harshly arid landscape. Sarova Shaba Lodge is located high above the Shaba Game Reserve, and it cleverly incorporates the beautiful natural springs as one of its special features.

Lion Hill Lodge impresses every guest with its panoramic view of the pink shoreline created by millions of flamingos on Lake Nakuru. The Lodge is situated within the Lake Nakuru National Park Rift Valley Province and is surrounded by natural flora and fauna in its beautiful grounds.

Sarova Mara Game Camp is set in the African bush but the luxurious tents all have permanent roofs, zip-up fronts, and electricity and en-suite facilities. Relaxing outside your own tent listening to the symphony of rasping Cicadas, croaking Tree Frogs and the intermittent call of birds and monkeys is a memorable experience.

“Kenya On Sale”, starting at just USD $2,499 ^* per person is a nine-day trip which includes:

• Round trip international Economy Class airfare from New York (JFK) or Washington, DC (Dulles) to Nairobi, Kenya, aboard Ethiopian Airlines
• All Fuel Surcharges and Taxes
• One night at Serena Mountain Lodge
• Two nights at Sarova Shaba Lodge
• One night at Sarova Lion Hill Lodge
• Two nights at Sarova Mara Game Camp
• Game drives as specified in the itinerary
• Six Breakfasts / six Lunches / six Dinners
• Lion World Tours representative Meet and Greet upon arrival
• Transfers

This package at the price of just USD $2,499* per person is valid for March 29^th and March 31^st departures and is USD $2,699 for all other departures in March, April and May 1-14, 2012.

To book your trip, call Lion World Tours at 1-800-387-2706 from the USA or 1-800-668-9968 from Canada, or visit http://lionworldtours.com/tours/Kenya-On-Sale-Special/Specials to view the full itinerary.

The Annual Migration in the Masai Mara is without a doubt one of the main reasons to opt for a safari holiday, but Acacia Africa has uncovered some less well-known migratory extravaganzas, with opportunities to view some spectacular wildlife including, celebrity sharks, dragonflies, and literally, millions of sardines.

Dubbed “the greatest shoal on earth,” the sardine run on South Africa’s Wild Coast holds two titles – the world’s largest animal migration also featuring the greatest gathering of predators on the planet. Sharks, dolphins, Cape Ganets, cormorants, seals and sometimes even Orcas, Albatross and penguins, follow the sardines north west as they head to the warm waters of the Indian Ocean. The spectacle is best viewed on a scuba dive, however, if you have a snorkel, you can still get in on the underwater action. 7-day Coast To Cape Town small group safari £485pp + local payment from £221pp. Best time to go June through July. Twin-share accommodation.

With any migration you have to employ a certain amount of chance, but when it comes to Hermanus on the Western Cape, you can hedge the bets in your favour.  The historical fishing village employs its own whale crier so you’ll have advance warning – several hundred Southern Right Sperm whales migrating past its shores between July and November. 14-day Kruger To Cape Town £965pp + local payment from £448pp. Twin-share accommodation.

Big Five fans should watch out for the Kalahari elephant and buffalo migration in Botswana. When the rains start to fall in November these huge herds gather into smaller family groups, heading away from the riverfront and deeper into the Chobe National Park. 6-day African Insight overland tour £315pp + local payment from £152pp.

South Africa is one of the world’s top shark diving destinations making it the ideal country for a migration with a bit more bite. The first ever-recorded, and now the fastest transoceanic migration was documented in 2004, Nicole (a great white named after the celebrity and shark lover, Nicole Kidman), completing her return journey from Australia in August of that year.  You can capture a “Carcharodon Carcharia” on camera between May and October, and for those who dare there’s always Great White shark cage diving! 3-day Cape Town Shark Dive £285pp. Twin share accommodation.

Kenya’s Lake Nakuru will be “pretty in pink” in May, as up to two million flamingos return to the national park. (39-day Ultimate African Adventure from £1,375p + local payment from £655pp + gorilla permit from £350p). A birders paradise, Africa also plays host to a less-well known migration in Kwazulu-Natal, the Hluhluwe/Umfolozi reserve attracting the Barn Swallow. From mid October to mid-April, millions of these tiny birds gather just before sunset, offering up a feathered feast for twitterers.

The Cape Cross Seal Colony in Namibia is home to the largest breeding colony of Cape Fur Seals on the planet, but for an all out seal frenzy, October is the ultimate time to travel.  Keep your camera handy as when the bulls return to establish their breeding colonies they often throw in some heroic chest-to-chest combat. 19-day South West Safari £575pp + local payment from £284pp.

Botswana’s Savuti National Park is a hidden gem, and from November through March a dazzle of migrating zebras race across the open savannah. Contained within the more familiar Chobe National Park, the wildlife hub also packs in plenty of predatory action, the lion, jackal, cheetah and wild dog inhabiting the same plains.  32-day Southern Explorer (Botswana) £1,395pp + local payment from £636pp.

The longest insect migration in the world covers 11,000 miles, the route stretching all the way from southern India to Mozambique.  Millions of dragonflies make the mammoth annual trip between June and October – the well-timed event coinciding with the optimum time to travel. 7-day Mozambique Escape adventure £975pp + local payment from £212pp (two sharing). Twin-share accommodation.

Monday, May 9, 2011…Through a unique initiative developed in cooperation with the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Kenya Airways, “The Pride of Africa,” will now offer its passengers the opportunity to voluntarily participate directly in offsetting the carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions related to their flights.

The program is based on a “Carbon Calculator Tool” built into the airline’s online ticket booking process. Passengers can choose to pay an additional amount applied per person to offset carbon emissions related to their specific flight.

Speaking during the official launch of the program, Kenya Airways Group Managing Director, Dr. Titus Naikuni said, “This is an exciting development for Kenya Airways because it shows the commitment that we have to environmental sustainability. What is even more interesting is that we are giving our customers an opportunity to walk on this environmental conservation journey together with us.”

He further stated that Kenya Airways was committed to contributing to global efforts in increasing the level of awareness on environmental issues. “The development of this program is another milestone for Kenya Airways after other successful environmental sustainability programs including the Ngong Hills Reforestation Project, newer fuel efficient aircraft and fuel saving initiatives that have been employed throughout our operations.”

Fees collected through this program will be used to support projects that have been qualified by IATA and certified by UNEP as being credible in having a positive impact on sustainability. One current project is the Olkaria III Phase 2 Geothermal Expansion Project in Kenya which has been successfully commissioned by Orpower 4, Inc. located in Hell’s Gate National Park near Naivasha, Kenya.

The Kenya Airways Carbon Offset Program will be introduced in three stages. The first stage is already live on the airline’s website and is available only for 100% Kenya Airways operated flights.

During the second phase, the Offset Program will be made available to the network of travel agents available globally. In phase three, the airline will make the program will be extended to passengers travelling within the entire network including on code shared flights.

In 2009, Kenya Airways Carbon Emissions Monitoring Plans also got a seal of approval by the UK Environment Agency in line with the EU-ETS legal requirement.

Kenya Airways prides itself as the First African airline to offer the Carbon Offset Program.

Speaking at the same event, UN Under-Secretary-General and UNEP Executive Director, Achim Steiner, noted that climate change is one of the biggest threats facing mankind today. “Finding more sustainable models and approaches to air travel and other forms of transport is a key part of global efforts to tackle climate change and catalyze the transition towards a low-carbon, resource efficient Green Economy.”

He further stated that, “Carbon offsetting is not in itself a solution to climate change, the most effective way being to reduce our emissions. However, high-quality offsetting can reduce the impact of our actions and also help fund projects in developing countries that address both climate change and wider sustainability challenges, such as cleaner energy and improved management of natural resources.”

UNEP is working with airlines, transport companies and some 250 other participants through the Climate Neutral Network (CN Net). Launched in February 2008, the network shares ideas, success stories and best practices on moving towards climate neutrality by reducing and offsetting greenhouse gas emissions. Today, CN Net has private and public sector members from 50 countries. All have set greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets that are among the most ambitious in the world.

About Kenya Airways:
Kenya Airways is the flag carrier of Kenya established in 1977 and headquartered at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. Part of the SkyTeam Alliance, the airline operates to over 46 scheduled destinations throughout Africa, Europe, Indian subcontinent, and Asia.

Kenya Airways Route Overview: Kenya Airways is based in Nairobi, Kenya and operates scheduled service to:
Africa: Abidjan, Accra, Addis Ababa, Antananarivo, Bamako, Bangui, Brazzaville, Bujumbura, Cairo, Cotonou, Dakar, Dar-es-Salaam, Djibouti, Douala, Dzaoudzi, Entebbe, Freetown, Gaborone, Harare, Johannesburg, Khartoum, Kigali, Kilimanjaro, Kinshasa, Lagos, Libreville, Lilongwe, Lubumbashi, Lusaka, Luanda, Mahe, Malabo, Monrovia, Moroni, Ndola, Yaounde, Zanzibar.

Far East, Asia, Middle East: Bangkok, Dubai, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Mumbai, Muscat.

Europe: Amsterdam, Paris, London, Rome.

Domestic: Kisumu, Mombasa, Malindi, Nairobi (HUB).

I have found a heaven on earth. The water is lovely and refreshing, the people kind, and the food delicious. The only drawback is that it’s hotter than hell. I’m in Lamu, an island off the northern coast of Kenya near to the Somali border. Established in the late 1300′s it was a trading port with it’s heyday being in the 1500′s and 1600′s and has large Islamic community.

For me, walking around the town is like stepping back in time. It seems the only things that have changed are the shop signs and the men’s modern, if aged, clothes. The women are resplendent in their black flowing robes with faces covered, only their eyes peering out, unreadable. They could be smiling or sneering, I really can’t tell at all. All I can think of is that they must be seriously hot under all those clothes. However, the glee in which the children greet me, the muzungu ["white person" in Bantu], is patently obvious. They squeal and scream, “Jambo!” [hello] and alternately run away laughing or grab my hand like I’m their best friend. One boy in particular has taken quite a liking to me and grabs my hand and looks up to me as if saying, “So where to now?”

Where to? Walking the alleyways and corridors of Lamu is like walking a labyrinth. The lanes twist, the gutters are on one side of the path now, then cross over to follow along the other side. Buildings are white and made of stone or coral and built close together. It can feel slightly claustrophobic but it smartly shields the pedestrian from the harsh sun as Lamu is close to the equator. Passageways are sometimes covered and when night falls navigation is challenging to say the least. The women in black robes flit through the alleys like shadows and disappear into the night no sooner than they have passed me. The men are kind here and even the sternest old men will greet me with a “Jambo” and a smile whenever I pass.

Crime is almost unheard of as it’s a very small town and the thief could rest assured that someone knows his mother and she will surely kill him for any disgrace he brings on the family. Lamu is a fantastically safe place for a traveler and one only has to be concerned about the boat boys who try to sell dhow rides. It seems that everyone is a captain here and they can be persistent. However, it is no more than any other beach town and they back down quickly, more interested in hanging out with each other and watching the day pass than making me uncomfortable with inquiries — but the interactions can make me hungry.

Fortunately, the food in Lamu is divine! Fresh fish, monster crab, lobster, massive prawns, all of this is available for around $10. When it’s covered in coconut tamarind Swahili sauce I found myself wooing the seafood before eating it. Talking to it, thanking the fish for it’s sacrifice, maybe even giving it a little kiss before it goes into my mouth. It’s just that good — and so are the drinks. The juices are fantastic! Since alcohol is a no-no, Muslims go nuts with their juices. Every morning I woke up thinking of which restaurants I wanted to try that day and went to bed with my thoughts swimming in juice and Swahili sauce.

In the morning, the call to prayer wakes me. It echoes throughout the day bouncing back and forth off the buildings and it seems the imams duel for their flock’s attention as one imam starts a bit early and one starts a bit late. It’s a nice soundtrack to the day and evening and soon the morning call doesn’t wake me at all — I don’t quite know how I manage this as I’m staying right next to a mosque. Thank Allah for the Zzzz’s, I haven’t slept this well in years.

Tin Wornom is an avid traveler and funds her adventures by dressing people and shopping for clothes for commercials. She enjoys markets, exotic food, and kicking butt (she’s a krav maga enthusiast). She’s a backpacker but also enjoys the finer things (but only if they accept credit cards). Her goal is to go to every country and territory in the world, conquering one place at a time.

Photos by MysteryBee and Tin Wornom

I was setting up my tent behind the park office in Amboseli NP and didn’t notice a local teenager approaching. His earlobes hung down to his shoulders weighed down by special little copper-colored weights, the rest of the earlobe wrapped in beaded tubes. On his right hip was a sheathed knife, and on his left was a cellphone. “Do you maybe want to visit a Maasai village?” he asked.

Many Maasai are still living within the national parks, and their cows graze the same fields as zebras, white rhinos, and antelope. Maasai shepherds walk for miles where tourists are not even allowed to step out of the car because there are lions around. Some years ago, a friend of mine, while on a zoological expedition to Kenya, asked an old Maasai moran (warrior) why is it believed that lions are afraid of the Maasai and thus don’t harm their herds. The old man laughed and replied “the lions are afraid of Maasai because Maasai are not afraid of them.”

Watching Maasai in Kenya by Sarit Reizin

Born in Ukraine, raised in Israel, and acquiring her higher education in the US, Sarit Reizin is proud to call herself a citizen of the world. However, to stay worthy of the title, she felt a nomadic lifestyle was in order, and in November 2005 left the comforts of the first world with no desire of coming back any time soon. http://HopStopTravel.com

It finally happened. I got there first. I’m never first. Not when it comes to mountain peaks. No, I’ll make it, to this day I only have one “white whale” and it stands above six thousand meters high in Bolivia. On the bright side, I now know the limits of my body when facing elevation sickness.

I’ve decided to climb Mount Kenya as independently as possible. Just with a guide, no porters, and carrying food and all my stuff by myself. The twist was that I only had three days instead of the four that the hike usually takes, because I was supposed to meet with a friend in Ethiopia in a few days. The hike was easy enough, but after more than six month of African safari game drives (excluding Madagascar because there all I did was hike) it was a bit of a challenge. Pacing myself on the way up to avoid altitude sickness, I did only nine km the first day, twelve on the second day, but on the third day I got up at two in the morning with the rest of the hopefuls, drooled over their all-inclusive breakfasts while gobbling down some instant noodles, and set off to the top. Another 12km – a steep climb over volcanic rock in the dark.

I had a group of Stanford grads on my tail, but I wasn’t going to let them pass me. Yesterday, the scenery was distracting enough for me to arrive to the high camp last. Giant cabbage-like lobelia plants were at my feet at the start of the day and Syke’s monkeys hung from mossy trees; then the lobelias moved on to grow on thick stems and were joined by more of their sort that looked like giant candles of ostrich feathers. Finally, the peak itself loomed on the horizon. Far, but there. Now, however, hiking up in the dark to meet the sunrise, carefully stepping on frozen puddles and gasping a bit for air – feeling the five thousand meter mark approaching, I only wanted to be the first. Just this one time.

“Aha, ha-ha!” I yelled down to the rest when I was finally on top, but the hikers below did not share my enthusiasm.

After the sunrise, I left the peak to overflow with climbers and headed all the way down. I ended up walking over fifteen hours that day, and my sore feet somehow drowned my little victory, but this is what we have memories for. Climbing mountains for the sake of getting there, turning around, and getting back down, is (at least for me) only fun in retrospect.

Location: Mt. Kenya, Kenya
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Born in Ukraine, raised in Israel, and acquiring her higher education in the US, Sarit Reizin is proud to call herself a citizen of the world. However, to stay worthy of the title, she felt a nomadic lifestyle was in order, and in November 2005 left the comforts of the first world with no desire of coming back any time soon. http://HopStopTravel.com

It hailed on the way from Lake Nakuru to Masai Mara. Tiny, but vicious hailstones bombarded the pavement, bounced of it, and lived, if only for a few seconds, to make their mark. Can one really forget hail on the African Equator?!

Later, the sky cleared in a most heavenly way, with sun rays piercing fluffy but angry-looking clouds. It looked like maybe the messiah read the address wrong, and will be beamed down any moment now, only to be charged ninety dollars for a two-hour game drive, be forced to purchase “original tribal handcrafts”, and abandon the mission to redeem humanity.

The animal migration through the Masai Mara and Tanzania’s Serengeti must be a magnificent sight which I hope to see one day. But even when the zebra and wildebeest are not crossing the border by the millions, it’s still a splendid national park sporting a seemingly endless grassy savannah with its lazy lions and hopeful tourists peering out of pop-top minivans. To my surprise and enjoinment, nobody cared when I sat on the roof of my car for a better angle of a hyena den, and photographed half a dozen young pups playing till the sun went down.

Masai Mara, Kenya

Born in Ukraine, raised in Israel, and acquiring her higher education in the US, Sarit Reizin is proud to call herself a citizen of the world. However, to stay worthy of the title, she felt a nomadic lifestyle was in order, and in November 2005 left the comforts of the first world with no desire of coming back any time soon. http://HopStopTravel.com

I thought it was a beginning of a tornado, but then another one appeared, and another. Pillars of copper sand twisted and grew with every spin, rising high into the sky. Some were as big in diameter as a decent sized hut, and as one of the twisters approached a village I almost jumped out of the car screaming for the villagers to take cover. But the villagers saw it coming, and as they seemed to be unbothered, I too calmed down and watched the twisting column sweep by, gaining speed and strength until the sand and wind had no more to give, and then gradually wilting away – dissolving into the dusty landscape ready to feed the next dust devil.

The dirt twisters are inseparable part of the Amboseli National Park landscape; even the name of the park comes from Maasai word emposeli which, according to some sources, means “dirt devil”. However, the star attraction of Amboseli are the swamps fed by Mt’ Kilimanjaro’s glaciers filled to the brim with elephants, wildebeests, hyenas, lions, and hundreds of different water birds – all with majestic Kili as the backdrop to set the mood.

Location: Amboseli, Kenya

Born in Ukraine, raised in Israel, and acquiring her higher education in the US, Sarit Reizin is proud to call herself a citizen of the world. However, to stay worthy of the title, she felt a nomadic lifestyle was in order, and in November 2005 left the comforts of the first world with no desire of coming back any time soon. http://HopStopTravel.com

Africa might not seem like a spontaneous travel destination, but rest assured that in certain parts of this continent, Kenya for example, is, even the last minute no-plans-whatsoever visitors, a place of adventure.

Coming out the gates of Nairobi airport is like coming out to a dying down protest where nobody got what they wanted but still refuse to leave until they saw those who they protested for/against come out of the building. Endless banners held low in hand or propped high on sticks, people and tour company names on them. Make a mistake of scanning the rows out of curiosity but not actually looking for your name scribbled down a piece of cardboard box, and you’ll have a riot on your hands. “Sharon Levi?” “Janica Kvech?” “Mahmud Abdaru?” No? Sure you are not this person? Would you like to be? A quick exit is impossible, nor is a quiet moment to contemplate your next step. It doesn’t matter if you are standing there with your guidebook, in deep conversation with your travel mate, or already walking to your next destination. The determined helpers of Nairobi airport will not abandon you in a foreign country, minutes after you’ve landed.

All this might seem agitating and even aggravating at first, but it is much more productive, healthy, and fun to see it as a buyers market: It is a market day, every day, and everybody here is looking to buy or sell adventure for a bargain.

Born in Ukraine, raised in Israel, and acquiring her higher education in the US, Sarit Reizin is proud to call herself a citizen of the world. However, to stay worthy of the title, she felt a nomadic lifestyle was in order, and in November 2005 left the comforts of the first world with no desire of coming back any time soon. http://HopStopTravel.com

Location: Nairobi, Kenya

I would love to say I have something important to say here, but I don’t. Okay, so I haven’t been there. However, I recently caught up with Jennifer Jacobson of the Kenyan Tourism Board (who has been there a number of times) to learn about the variety of safaris and some of the reason why travelers from the US should check out Kenya.

We are also on iTunes, Youtube, Current TV, and Google video. And be sure to scroll all the way down to see the video.