Magical encounters of many kinds

In the words of poet Ernest Hemingway: 'I never knew of a morning in Africa when I woke up that I was not happy.'

If you need a break from the madding crowd, there’s no better place to unwind than Kenya.

The clear skies, pure air, an amazing night sky, the sound of silence of the open expanses, the twittering of the birds, the chorus of the frogs, the grunts of the hippos and the smell of mother earth as the skies open up and drench the land is liberating. And priceless.

Here, you can bury your toes – and your troubles – in the picture-perfect sands of Watamu and Diani, marvel as the golden globe sinks behind the snow-capped Mt Kilimanjaro before it disappears into the night, or watch the sun rise from your tented five-star room in Caldessa as you drink in the sight of hippos lazing in the river that runs alongside the camp, or perhaps swim with the dolphins in Wasini Island, take a wildlife safari in Masai Mara, Ambocelli or Tvos (take your pick or do it all) or simply take to the sky and watch a kill from the comfort of your basket in a hot-air balloon.

A MYRIAD OPTIONS

Kenya has it all. You decide the pace, place, price and space and do whatever your little heart desires. Just be yourself.

For a relatively small country of less than 600,000 sq km, this magical place offers a mind-boggling range of options for tourists. It used be safaris. While it’s still a top draw, Kenya has much, much more to offer. From water sports and marine parks to conservancies, swimming with dolphins, museums, kite-surfing bird-watching and even a once-in-a lifetime whale shark safari.

Kenya also features the richest pre-historic fossil heritage dating back to over 100 million years. The pre-historic sites include Kariandusi, which was unearthed by Louis Leakey in the 1920s and contains pre-historic tools made by early humans between 1.4 million and 200,000 years ago.

Its rich diversity is reflected in the fact that it is home to half a dozen unique World Heritage Sites identified by the UNESCO. They include Lamu Old Town, Fort Jesus, Kenya’s Lake Systems, the Lake Turkana national park, Mt Kenya national park and Mijikenda Kaya forests.

SELLING THE PACKAGE

Kenya needs to sell the whole package. And the Kenya Tourism Board is doing just that with more than a little help from the government, stakeholders and Kenya Airways.

'We are determined to push Kenya as a destination to the next level and keep the magic alive. There will be a new focus on our incredible coastal region offerings and all kinds of travellers, from business and high-end to the adventurous budget traveller will be able to enjoy the country and what it has to offer,' Muriithi Ndegwa, managing director of the Kenya Tourism Board, tells TTN in an interview in Diani.

The country has now adopted an innovative and strategic approach to promote destination offerings to the most important tourism export markets in the world.

'We are confident Kenya will once again get its rightful place on the global tourist map and will climb to great heights,' he tells TTN.

'With Lufthansa back in Kenya after a long lapse and Southern China Airline’s direct flights into Nairobi, and with the support of Kenya Airways, the pride of Africa, we are looking at more long haul flight tourists dropping by. And with the opening of the airways sector in Africa by 2017, the tourism flow into Kenya will blossom,' he says.

'We look towards achieving this goal with the active partnership of all organisations, government departments and private sector companies working together to enhance the tourism experience.'

'The Gulf market,' adds Ndegwa, 'is very important for us and we are looking at doubling or tripling our numbers. Our awareness campaign there is an on-going process and will gather pace as we move forward,' he says.

So when 170 tour operators from 35 countries converge on a beachfront hotel after spending five days discovering and experiencing the best a country has to offer, tourism cannot but get a much-needed massive shot in the arm.

And that’s what Kenya will experience in the coming months as new ideas and approaches are sold to visitors across the globe.

DIVERSIFYING THE PORTFOLIO

While the lure of wildlife will always be there, it cannot be just that. 'Only 22 per cent actually repeat wildlife safaris, which means we need to reinvent and rejuvenate the Kenya offering,' says Ben Kelliher of Tribe Watersport in Watamu.

'The average age of travellers currently visiting Kenya is 51 and this is growing on average by one year each year. That means it’s the same people coming back year on year. Which is why we are targeting a younger market. It is this that will ensure sustainability of tourism in Kenya.'

The average age of adventure travellers is around 36. This is good news for a generation of younger tourists looking at interacting with nature, experiencing culture or partaking in sporting activities.

'We are targeting people in this age range as we believe it’s this group of travellers who will help rejuvenate Kenya and costal tourism. Early thirties, in particular, are of interest to us as it’s around the age where, stereotypically speaking, they have settled into jobs and have a disposable income,' says Kelliher.

SUSTAINABLE TOURISM

One trend that’s catching on is sustainable adventure tourism that returns to nature and the community – what it is has given in abundance.

Sustainable tourism helps preserve the environment for future generations, saves costs and improves profitability and adds an extra dimension to tourism. This is a key product that needs to be marketed well as it has the potential to generate very high returns.

The Northern Rangelands Trust (NRT) is one such group that believes in this. Its 44,000 sq km offers a wide diversity of landscapes, cultures, wildlife and activities, which would suit a wide variety of interests and budgets.

'But the most important distinction about all of the 33 NRT conservancies is that they are fully community owned and visitors to the area can not only engage with the cultures of the region, they can also have confidence that the revenues from their stay are going back into the local economy and are helping the people of the region protect their environment and make sustainable development decisions for their future,' Tarn Breedveld, tourism development director of NRT tells TTN.

'For travellers from the Gulf, we have a variety of luxury accommodation available. Saruni, Sarara, Sasaab, Tassia and Kitich are just a few of the top end properties as well as the high-end options available at Lewa, Borana and Ol Pejeta.'

Depending individuals interest, guests can engage with activities including quad biking, horse riding, camel safaris, hiking, cultural visits, and of course wildlife viewing.

If guests are more inclined to enjoy some relaxation time then the lodges offer some stunning scenery to sit back and enjoy including everything from mountain forests to quite flowing rivers.

MARKETING APPROACH

So how do they plan on selling Kenya’s new innovative approach to visitors from around the globe? The duo plan on using a combination of traditional marketing tools, while also embracing social media and other newer forms of reaching out to guests.

The impact of this approach is already being felt. 'Adventure activities – besides just wildlife safaris – are something that the millennial market is very interested in. We are starting to see a number of them coming to enjoy the vast array of activities we have on offer. This is both people living in the country, particularly the expat market, and people traveling from abroad,' says Kelliher.

'Price-wise, we have a number of things on offer starting with stand-up paddle board rental from $20 per hour all the way up to three-day courses for kitesurfing at $330. Adventure activities are something that the millennial market is very interested in so our product works very well when targeting them,' he adds.

Indeed, a holiday in this country of 45 million people is an experience not to be missed. Having hosted millions of tourists over the years, Kenya is one of the most tourist-friendly places in the world where your holiday packages, travel and other plans are executed with clockwork precision.

So, whether you are a mountain lover, an adventure seeker, a backpacker or a flashpacker, Kenya has something for everyone and every budget.

Start planning, get packing and have the time of your life. 

By Patrick Michael