TRAVEL AND HOLIDAY: SWEETWATER NATIONAL PARK AND MT KENYA SAFARI CLUB NANYUKI, KENYA

SWEETWATER NATIONAL PARK- NANYUKI KENYA- GAME DRIVE

From Treetops and the Baden Powell Centre we drove on to Sweetwater National Park for a half day game drive. I was especially interested in Rhinos as I had just a fleeting glimpse of them at Treetops, that too at 2 AM past midnight.

I was really lucky to feast my eyes on wild rhinos both white and black, plus a host of gazelles and wild bucks. Running short of time and having seen most of the other “Big Five” during my stay so far, I was more than joyful at the rhino sightings and ready to move. However we could not visit the chimpanzee breeding centre being closed that day.

Sweetwater is host to all the members of the ‘Big Five' (elephant, rhino, lion, buffalo and leopard), the conservancy has a higher wildlife-to-area ratio than any Kenyan national park and is one of only four private game conservancies to have been founded in Kenya. At the forefront of the Kenyan conservancy program, the conservancy boasts the largest black rhino sanctuary in East Africa, hosts the only chimpanzee sanctuary in Kenya, and shelters large numbers of rare and endangered species.

MOUNT KENYA SAFARI CLUB-NANYUKI KENYA

Mount Kenya Safari Club is situated on the foothills of Mt. Kenya, bordering the Mt. Kenya National Park, 10 km's from Nanyuki Town. A pleasant 2 hour drive from Sweetwater took us to the Mt Kenya Safari club for a sumptuous lunch and a lovely 2 day stay.

Mount Kenya Safari Club is located near the high slopes of Africa's second highest mountain, Mt Kenya straddling the equator. It has luxurious cottages and elegant buildings set amid manicured lawns and decorative ponds.
With magnificent views of majestic Mount Kenya, the Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club Resort's 120 luxuriously appointed hotel rooms, set in over 100 acres of landscaped gardens, offer a unique blend of comfort, relaxation and adventure (for civilians) as an Army Man I really don't consider these foibles of the rich as adventures. However I must say that that where ever I stayed in Kenya at such luxoury Resorts, I was pampered to the full :). Undoubtly this was one of the best resorts I had ever stayed at in Africa, Tanzania and Zanzibar included.

Originally the retreat of movie star and Club founder, William Holden, the Club's illustrious former members have included Winston Churchill and Bing Crosby.
For those who wish to spend time relaxing at the Mount Kenya Safari Club, there are many recreational activities available: horseback riding, golf, croquet, a bowling green, table tennis, swimming, a beauty salon, an animal orphanage and much more.

My daughter Anupama and son in law Sandeep had insisted that we celebrate, our I think 37^th Marriage Anniversary in style (hic Colonial style) at this magnificent club. I must admit we enjoyed ourselves thoroughly. I loved the walks just "Amazing". Though sometimes I do feel guilty of having made my daughter spend so heavily or agreed for her to do so, but daughters are daughters, bless them.

I do not really think I require to talk much about our wonderful stay here, the pictures speak for themselves J .

The slide show begins 2 minutes on opening this page, so also it has some classical Indian music to soothe the ears.