Sentrim 680

In the heart of Nairobi, you will find an International standard hotel, combined with Kenyan hospitality. The 680 Hotel offers you quality budget accommodation in the World Safari Capital, Nairobi. Kenya’s capital is cosmopolitan, lively, interesting and pleasantly landscaped. Its central business district is handily compact and it’s a great place to tune into modern urban African life.

The site of modern Nairobi was a watering hole for Maasai pastoralists until 1899, when British engineers building a railway from Mombasa to Uganda chose it as a supply depot. Nairobi’s relatively cool climate and abundant game made it a favorite of hunters and British travelers.

The settlement became a colonial capital and the manufacturing and commercial center of East Africa.

The Hotel offers you 340 standard and Deluxe rooms with satellite TV, digital safes and Telkom direct dial telephone system. The 10th floor is reserved for our non – smoking guest. There are 3 type of  rooms (standard, deluxe and suite) each with private bathroom, telephone, television, room service and one day dry cleaning service, ideal to suit business and leisure travelers.

Located in the Central Business District, the hotel is close to a wide variety of amenities including shopping malls, Nairobi National Park, hospitals and The Kenyatta International Conference & Exhibition Centre.

From its spacious terraces, you will look down upon the frantically busy streets of the central business district. The Six eighty Hotel is a secure oasis of friendliness and efficiently, backed by 30 years of world class experience.

ETT– Kenya Safaris Desk

Etton Travel and Tours

 

‘Fly’ Camping – Experience nature at its best

“Fly” is the name of the upper sheet of a tent. A simple mobile camp is even today called a fly camp. Facilities at a fly camp are a bucket shower, a pit toilet tent, and a double tent with safari beds. Dining is under the stars.

It’s a rare opportunity to spend a night with basic comforts and in very close quarters with nature, fly camping favours those who choose light-weight camping.

Fly camps are the ideal end to a day’s walking safari or game drive, with many unexpected comforts – a canvas washbasin with hot water, fresh towels, hurricane lamps and delicious food cooked on the fire.

Fly camping is fast becoming the most popular option for luxury safari guests who want to experience the freedom and adventure of camping in the African bush without the encumbrances camping often entails.

Often while on fly camping, during day time you embark on hikes through the bush with private guides whereby you get the chance to see wild animals in close range, learn how to trek animals by using their footsteps and the finest thing is that your camp is set up each evening in a new locale.

Currently only a few game parks and reserves are offering this wild experience of african bush which is what makes Tanzania’s Selous Game Reserve the climax of Tanzania safaris.

ETT– Kenya Safaris Desk

Etton Travel and Tours

Tortoise – survivors on the land

Tortoises are a family of land-dwelling reptiles of the order of turtles. Like their marine cousins, the sea turtles, tortoises are shielded from predators by a shell. The top part of the shell is the carapace, the underside is the plastron, and the two are connected by the bridge. The tortoise has both an endoskeleton and an exoskeleton. Tortoises can vary in size from a few centimeters to two meters.

Tortoises are usually diurnal animals with tendencies to be crepuscular depending on the ambient temperatures. They are generally reclusive animals.

Tortoises generally have lifespans comparable with those of human beings, and some individuals are known to have lived longer than 150 to 225years. Because of this, they symbolize longevity in some cultures, such as China.

Most land based tortoises are herbivores, feeding on grazing grasses, weeds, leafy greens, flowers, and some fruits although there are some omnivorous species in this family. Pet tortoises typically require a diet based on wild grasses, weeds and certain flowers. Certain species consume worms or insects and carrion in their normal habitat. Too much protein is detrimental in herbiverous species and has been associated with shell deformities and other medical problems. Cat or dog foods should not be fed to tortoises, as these do not contain the proper balance of nutrients for a reptile. Additionally, it should not be assumed that all captive tortoises can be fed on the same diet. As different tortoise species vary greatly in their nutritional requirements it is essential to thoroughly research the dietary needs of your individual tortoise.

The best approach to determining the proper diet is to consult a qualified veterinarian specialising in chelonian care. In Kenya thse creatures can be seen at the Nairobi Museum and some in the various national parks in Kenya.

ETT – Kenya Safaris Desk

Etton Travel and Tours

 

The Bat Eared fox

It is one of Kenya’s most endearing creatures.  Its shape and appearance looks like it was crafted by a magician.

They have large, wide ears, a short narrow mouth and long jackal like legs.

It has enormous ears which provide acutely tuned antenna for picking up location of insects such as termites and grasshoppers which enable its survival. They also feed on small animals, wild eggs among other things.

This sensitive listening system also acts as defense. The bat eared fox which is nocturnal- active at night- spends the day drowsing outside its burrow, yet ever alert, its ears twitching. When it senses danger it flattens its ears against the side of its face.

The Bat eared fox mates for life and females usually give birth to one to five cubs after five months and both male and female rear the cubs, it’s the only one of the seven foxes found in Kenya.

They live for about six years in captivity but in the wild they don’t live that long.

These wonderful creatures are not in danger of extinction but they are hunted for their pelts.

ETT– Kenya Safaris Desk

Etton Travel and Tours

Offficial annual Wildbeest Migration

Its June and its official the annual wildebeest migration has started in the Serengeti and the wildebeests are moving to the masai mara game reserve in Kenya. The view is stuning and its for this reason this  movement of the wildebeest is an eighth wonder of the world.

You can be among the ones who will have the chance to experience this migration in one of the luxurious camps in the masai mara in Kenya for some of the best prices. At Etton Travel and Tours we will organize for you all that, here is an itinerary for you:

Two nights fly package you get a third night for free.

Included in the package:

• Masai welcome dance upon arrival at the Ngerende lodge
• Return flights to Wilson airport in Nairobi ,Kenya
• Full board accommodation
• Full day game drives in the park
• Refreshments while on game drives
• Sundowners
• Guided bush walks
• A visit to the masai village
• Half hour complimentary massage per day
• Bush breakfast/lunch/dinner if the weather permits

Excluded are :

• Conservancy fees (mandatory) at 60 usd per person per night
• Anything not mentioned above.

ETT– Kenya Safaris Desk

Etton Travel and Tours

Kenya and its Lamu Archipelago

Lamu Island is a part of the Lamu Archipelago of Kenya. Lamu Old Town, the principal inhabited part of the island, is one of the oldest and best-preserved Swahili settlements in East Africa. Built in coral stone and mangrove timber, the town is characterized by the simplicity of structural forms enriched by such features as inner courtyards, verandas, and elaborately curved wooden doors.

Lamu has hosted major Muslim religious festivals since the 19th century, and has become a significant center for the study of Islamic and Swahili cultures. The island is linked by boat to Mokowe on the mainland and to Manda Island, where there is an airport.

There are no roads on the island, just alleyways and footpaths, and therefore, there are few motorized vehicles on the island. Residents move about on foot or by boat, and donkeys are used to transport goods and materials.

Manda is also an island of the Lamu Archipelago of Kenya, known for the prosperous 9th century ports of Takwa and Manda town. The island is now linked by ferry to Lamu and is home to Manda Airport, while Manda Toto island lies to its west. The island is separated from the mainland by the narrow Mkanda channel.

Manda town and Takwa were probably abandoned due to lack of water in the first half of the 19th century. In the 1960s the Kenya Department of Agriculture recommended building several concrete catchments called jabias to capture rain water on the island. Two jabias were built and many families moved onto the island, farming maize, cassava, simsim and cotton.

Pate island is located close to the northern coast of Kenya, to which it belongs. It is the largest island in the Lamu Archipelago, which lie between the towns of Lamu and Kiunga, close to the border with Somalia.

From the seventh century, Pate Island was an early site of Arabic colonisation. It long vied as a Swahili port with Lamu and with Takwa on Manda Island and came to prominence around the fourteenth century, but was subjugated by Lamu in the nineteenth century.

 

Kiwayu is a small island in the eastern part of the Lamu Archipelago, situated in the Kiunga Marine National Reserve. The main economic activity is fishing, and there is one school, no clinic and one well on the island. The main attractions for tourists on Kiwayu are the tidal pools and snorkeling/diving pools located on the eastern side of the island.

The nearest hospital is on Lamu Island outside of Lamu town. To get to Kiwayu from Lamu, you must take a dhow (7 hour trip) or a motor boat (2 hour trip).

The archipelago contains several archaeological/historical sites of great significance, such as Takwa and Manda Town -both on Manda Island-and Shanga -on Pate Island-. Some have been partially excavated in later years, shedding important new light on Swahili history and culture. Etton travel and tours organizes safaris to all these islands any time of the year.

ETT– Kenya Safaris Desk

Etton Travel and Tours

Yellow Baboons – Equiped for fighting

They cover up to 18 kilometres a day in search of food, shoots, roots, seeds, bushes, flowers and also insects. And they also occasionally kill. They do prey on timid mammals- hares and young gazelles- whose defense mechanism is to ‘freeze’ on the ground also they do snatch up fledging birds. They are the Yellow baboons.

Yellow Baboons normally use trees to only sleep in and also to escape danger. They never walk upright but normally walk on all four legs. They are extremely social, their well organizes groups are known as troops and average between 40 and 80 animals.

Each troop is permanent and is organized and ruled by a dominant male which assumed authority by force, when the dominant male becomes senile a younger leader usurps power through a vicious battle.

Yellow Baboons are fierce fighters and predators regard them with respect. When an enemy is sighted the leader gives an alarm to the others, barking until the females and the young are surrounded by mature escorts. They are well equipped for fighting with acute hearing and eyesight allied to extremely effective teeth. They often inflict severe sometimes fatal wounds on their enemy.

Females becomes sexually receptive about one week in every four. They do mate indiscriminately and frequently, first with the meeker males and then the less dominant ones. Young ones are born black with red faces, the first days they are carried under the belly then after a few months on the back

The first months are very important for the young since it is during this period they learn the intricate rituals and behaviors. In Kenya these baboons can be seen at the Sweet Waters game Sanctuary-one of the best destinations in Kenya where most of the big five can be seen. also you can have a chance to see the antelopes and zebras as they graze while you enjoy your dinner or lunch at the Sweet Waters tented camps or see the leopard while sleeping in your tents- while on your safari in Kenya.

ETT– Kenya Safaris Desk

Etton Travel and Tours

Greetings of the World

1. In Asia, never touch any part of someone else’s body with your foot, which is considered the “lowest” part of the body. If you accidentally do this, apologize by touching your hand to the person’s arm and then touching your own head. Do not point at objects or people with your feet, do not prop your feet on chairs or tables while sitting.

2. Also in Asia, refrain from touching people on the head or ruffling their hair. The head is spiritually the “highest” part of the body. Don’t sit on pillows meant as headrests, as it is a variant on this taboo

3. Shaking hands was introduced to Fiji in the 19th Century by way of Tonga, and quickly became the established custom. An affectionate handshake can be very long, and may even last throughout an entire conversation.

4. In Nepal, it is bad manners to step over someone’s outstretched legs, so avoid doing that, and move your own legs when someone wants to pass. Also do not step over or sit on a monk’s cushions in or near a temple, even if no one is sitting on them. Always walk around stupas and chortens (Tibetan-style stupas) in a clockwise direction.

5. In Japanese baths, called onsen, always wash first before entering the water. The water is considered fouled if someone does not do this, kind of like the American equivalent of peeing in a pool. Also, use a wash cloth to cover your private bits.

 6. The people of Italy are emotionally demonstrative, so expect to see lots of cheek kissing among acquaintances, embraces between men who are good friends and lingering handshakes. Italian men and women may walk arm-in-arm. Pushing and shoving in busy places is not considered rude, so do not be offended by it. Try to hold your ground.

7. Shaking hands across a threshold is considered unlucky in Russia, thus some pizza delivery guys will refuse to conduct a transaction across a threshold. You either have to go out to the hall or invite them just inside the door.

8. In India it is possible to pay a tremendous compliment with body language alone. When somebody approaches a person with their tongue between their teeth and gathers the air around the person’s head with their hands to draw it into their own personal space, it means they find the person either unbearably beautiful or extraordinarily intelligent

9. Do not stick your index finger and middle finger up with the palm of your hand facing towards you in the United Kingdom; it is the equivalent of giving someone the finger. Tip: Do not order two beers in this fashion in UK bars. Doing it palm facing out – the piece sign – is OK.

10. Moroccan greetings can last up to 10 minutes. Shake with your right hand then touch your hand to your heart, to indicate that you are taking the meeting to heart. Good friends may tack on up to four air kisses, accompanied by a stream of well wishes: “How are you? Everything’s good with you? I hope your parents are well? Baraka (blessings) upon them!”

ETT– Kenya Safaris Desk

Etton Travel and Tours

 

The wildest wheelbarrow race on earth

A total of Sh7 million was raised during last year’s Hell’s Gate on a Wheelbarrow event in Naivasha. The fun filled and exciting sports-cum- fundraising event which began 2009, provides an avenue for engagement between Kenya Wildlife Service,other stakeholders and the surrounding communities. This year it is being held at the same spot on June 12 and the requirements are; be in pairs and have a wheelbarrow.

Funds raised during this event goes towards construction of a fully equipped conservation education centre which will be used to mobilize and educate members of the surrounding communities in conservation matters.

Every year Kenya Wildlife Services spends Sh100 million in reaching out to communities through education and information centres which run various programs to promote and create awareness of conservation and the need to conserve wildlife,

Through the rough and dusty route, participants in pairs struggled to push each other their partner in a wheelbarrow across a tough terrain that included pools of muddy water, rocky and dusty trenches over a distance of 5.5 km each hoping to cross the finishing line as winners.

This year we expect participants go a notch higher in terms of innovation with ‘pimped-up’ wheelbarrows being entered in the race. Some even are expected to have shock absorbers, motorbike wheels and exceedingly comfortable seats for a wheelbarrow.

All those involved in the event are later hosted to a bush party in the park with revelers being treated to World Cup matches screened live on big screen at the site.

The Hell’s Gate on a Wheelbarrow race is part of a wider national initiative by Kenya Wildlife Services which aims at providing every park with a unique event that would increase community participation in conservation efforts.

Hell’s Gate National Park which lies South of Lake Naivasha, habours a wide variety of wildlife including lions, leopards, and cheetahs. The park is also host to over 100 species of birds, including vultures, Verreaux’s Eagles, augur buzzard, and swifts. The African buffalo, zebra, eland, hartebeest, Thomson’s gazelle, and baboons are also a common sight in the park.

It also offers day-trip activities including horse riding, cycling, rock climbing and corporate team building exercises.

ETT– Kenya Safaris Desk

Etton Travel and Tours

Ants

Ants can live almost anywhere in the world, There are several different types of ants. Some of the better-known varieties are the army ants, driver ants, honeypot ants, weaver ants, leafcutter ants, fire ants, silver ants, and bulldog ants. All ant colonies are comprised of three types of ants, namely the worker ants, the soldier ants, and the single queen ant.The behavior of ants may vary according to their type.

There are special ants found deep underground, literally imprisoned by their huge abdomens, swollen to the size of grapes. They are so valued in times of little food and water that occasionally raiders from other colonies, knowing of these living storehouses, will attempt to steal these ants because of their high nutritional value and water content. These ants are also known to change colors. Some common colors are green, red, orange, yellow, and blue. They are the honeypot ants

Honeypot ants, also called honey ants or repletes, are ants which are gorged with food by workers, to the point that their abdomens swell enormously, a condition called plerergate. Other ants then extract nourishment from them. They function essentially as living larders. Honeypot ants belong to any of five genera, including Myrmecocystus.

Many insects notably honey bees and some wasps collect and store liquid for use at a later date. However, these insects store their food within their nest or in combs. Honey ants are unique in using their own bodies as living storage, but they have more function than just storing food. Some store liquids, body fat, and water from insect prey brought to them by worker ants. They can later serve as a food source for their fellow ants when food is otherwise scarce. In certain places like in Kenya, they are eaten by people as sweets and are considered a delicacy.

ETT– Kenya safari Desk

Etton Travel and Tours