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DISCOVER EXPLORE EXPERIENCE<br />
ISSUE 17| FREE COPY<br />
ZANZIBAR<br />
THE SPICE ISLAND<br />
TALES OF<br />
STONE TOWN<br />
UNDERWATER<br />
PHOTOGRAPHY<br />
A FAMILY HITS<br />
THE ROAD
2 DISCOVER EXPLORE EXPERIENCE
NOMAD MAGAZINE APRIL/MAY <strong>2019</strong> 1
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DISCOVER EXPLORE EXPERIENCE<br />
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NOMAD MAGAZINE APRIL/MAY <strong>2019</strong> 3
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4 DISCOVER EXPLORE EXPERIENCE<br />
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6 DISCOVER EXPLORE EXPERIENCE
ED’S NOTE<br />
The monkey that stole my Ethiopian coffee beans<br />
When I was six years old, I asked my dad to<br />
bring me some snow on a trip back from<br />
London.<br />
“How am I going to carry that back<br />
here?” he asked, chuckling in bemusement.<br />
Gee...perhaps get a tiny little portable freezer just so as to<br />
please your only daughter? Needless to say, the only thing he<br />
brought me from that trip was several pretty dresses.<br />
I remember my parents, my mom especially, always being<br />
collectors. She had this large tin that was packed with coins<br />
brought back from her travels, the fridge was always dotted<br />
magnets from exotic places and don’t even get me started on<br />
her collection of Indian fabrics. As I go on more trips myself,<br />
I am realizing that I’m slowly plunging into this same sunken<br />
place, never mind that I’m actually a bit of a minimalist<br />
especially with spaces like my apartment.<br />
It’s not always the most practical souvenirs either. I never<br />
think, “I actually need a wine cork, and this hand carved one<br />
from Ubud will be just perfect.” Oh no no no. I am drawn<br />
to that heavy beaded dinosaur stuffed with ashes from an<br />
indigenous tree, blessed by the ancestors of that land and<br />
said to cure things like overthinking, lactose intolerance and<br />
maybe even infertility. Never mind that it’s probably going to<br />
be way above my weight limit at the airport, and the “ashes”<br />
might be flagged as some illegal substance that gets me<br />
locked up in the next country.<br />
I have prized souvenirs, too, like an antique, bohemian,<br />
Morocan coffee set that I snagged from the owner of some<br />
hole-in-the-wall restaurant that I convinced to sell to me. My<br />
box of Ethiopian coffee beans was stolen from the table in<br />
my hotel room by a colobus monkey who proceeded to jeer<br />
at me from the top of a baobab tree all afternoon. I recently<br />
got spiced tea combos from a <strong>Zanzibar</strong>i spice farm, mixes<br />
like cardamom-mango-and-lemongrass. All these purchases<br />
consciously made by me yet I don’t even like tea or coffee.<br />
Food can make for great souvenirs too, and some of my<br />
favourites to receive have been Swiss chocolates, Turkish<br />
baklava and dates from Oman. Ever notice, though, how<br />
much easier it is to splurge on overpriced goods when you’re<br />
paying in foreign currency?<br />
My most-recent purchase comes from the streets of Stone<br />
Town which we traveled to for this issue. I spotted various<br />
gentlemen playing a heated game of Bao on the streets and<br />
bought a set that’s been sitting on my coffee table for three<br />
weeks now - I am yet to even Google how to play it. For you,<br />
however, souvenirs come by way of all the exciting stories<br />
and photographs shared in this issue.<br />
wattaonthego<br />
Wendy Watta<br />
NOMAD ISSUE. 17 · APRIL/MAY <strong>2019</strong> · PUBLISHED BY WEBSIMBA LIMITED, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.<br />
MANAGING DIRECTOR MIKUL SHAH EDITOR WENDY WATTA DESIGN BRIAN SIAMBI SALES VANESSA WANJIKU<br />
CONTRIBUTORS SIMON MARSH, LEROY BULIRO, ANYIKO OWOKO, JACK WOOD, SAMANTHA DU TOIT, FRANCES WOODHAMS, FAITH KANJA<br />
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS BRIAN SIAMBI, SAM VOX, NICK DALE, SUSAN MOLLOY<br />
DIGITAL, MARKETING & OPERATIONS DANIEL MUTHIANI, LEROY BULIRO, JANE NAITORE, FRED MWITHIGA, ANGELA OMONDI<br />
SALES ENQUIRIES CALL NOMAD 0711 22 22 22 EMAIL EDITOR@NOMADMAGAZINE.CO<br />
<strong>Nomad</strong>MagazineAfrica @<strong>Nomad</strong>MagAfrica @<strong>Nomad</strong>MagazineAfrica<br />
NOMAD MAGAZINE APRIL/MAY <strong>2019</strong> 7
COVER IMAGE:<br />
STONE TOWN, ZANZIBAR<br />
SHOT BY BRIAN SIAMBI<br />
APR<br />
MAY<br />
<strong>2019</strong><br />
12<br />
12. TOP SHOTS<br />
This month’s featured photographers capture a striking sunset in<br />
the wild and a charismatic gentleman in Lamu’s Old Town.<br />
18. NEWS<br />
Africa’s largest ferris wheel is launched at Two Rivers mall, an<br />
Ethiopian Airlines flight crashes shortly after take off and a<br />
wildfire rages through Mt Kenya.<br />
25<br />
20. WHATS ON<br />
From a wine extravaganza to this year’s Rhino Charge, find a<br />
round-up of must-attend events this season.<br />
9. GET TO KNOW: NAI NAMI<br />
Who better to show one the streets of downtown Nairobi than<br />
the kids who used to live in those very streets and had to have<br />
their smarts about them to survive?<br />
22. GLOBETROTTERS<br />
Underwater photographer Jahawi Bertolii talks about his<br />
time spent diving into the depths of the ocean in Sri Lanka to<br />
document marine life with the aim of shedding a light on their<br />
conservation.<br />
22<br />
54. WHAT I PACK FOR MY TRAVELS<br />
Biko Adema is a renowned rugby sevens player who’s traveled<br />
the world and stolen the hearts of numerous sports fans in the<br />
process. Take a peek inside his carry-on bag for items he likes to<br />
bring on trips.<br />
8 DISCOVER EXPLORE EXPERIENCE
CONTENTS<br />
FEATURES<br />
30-42<br />
30. TALES OF STONE TOWN<br />
Get lost with us in the maze-like streets of this charming historic<br />
town. Find everything you need to plan for your visit, from<br />
insights from our recent trip to secret insider know-how.<br />
36. ISLAND IDYLL<br />
Said to be <strong>Zanzibar</strong>’s most-popular beach, Nungwi is always<br />
abuzz, understandably so. In between its beach strip with the<br />
array of hotels, read all about a favourite find, Kilindi <strong>Zanzibar</strong>,<br />
coupled with a parasailing adventure crowned by swimming with<br />
turtles.<br />
40. WHERE TO STAY<br />
From North to South and East to West, a round-up of places to<br />
stay whatever the beach you’re looking to explore.<br />
46. SPOTLIGHT ON: FLIP FLOPI<br />
The Flipflopi dhow sets off on a highly anticipated overseas<br />
expedition sailing from Lamu to <strong>Zanzibar</strong> with a bid to create a<br />
plastic revolution.<br />
48. ROAD TRIPS: A FAMILY HITS THE ROAD<br />
Exploring ideas of where to go, Simon Marsh decides that a road<br />
trip up North, well beyond the usual tourist trail, might be a fun<br />
and unique way to spend a couple of weeks with his family.<br />
52. SPOTLIGHT: KIMANA HOUSE<br />
Wandering around the beautiful, now-renovated four rooms of<br />
Kimana House, it is hard to believe that at the turn of 2018, it<br />
was still a dark and dreary space with ghastly tinted windows<br />
and a questionable choice of paint.<br />
REGULARS<br />
52<br />
25. KENYAN TRAVELER<br />
Impressed by the mukeke, drums and jogging in Burundi, Anyiko<br />
Owoko writes that this has been her first time traveling to a place<br />
whose culture challenged her to learn more about her own.<br />
28. NOTES FROM THE BUSH<br />
When a little warthog is discovered along a river, and with no<br />
mother in sight, Samantha Du Toit and her kids quickly take her<br />
in, but the joy this piglet brings might just be short lived.<br />
50. BUDGET PICK: ROCKY ECO LODGE<br />
Most travel-loving Nairobians are no strangers to Naivasha, a<br />
place which, at the very least, has served as a pit-stop as you<br />
leave or drive back to the capital. In this town, Leroy Buliro finds<br />
a spot perfect for anyone traveling on a tight budget.<br />
56. LAST WORD:WALKING TOUR<br />
Hamid takes visitors on a four hour walking tour of Stone Town,<br />
but will they really brave the heat for that long?<br />
NOMAD MAGAZINE APRIL/MAY <strong>2019</strong> 9
10 DISCOVER EXPLORE EXPERIENCE
CONTRIBUTORS<br />
WE ASK OUR CONTRIBUTORS WHAT THEIR BEST OUT-OF-TOWN FOOD SPOTS ARE...<br />
SAMANTHA DU TOIT<br />
Notes from the bush, Page 26<br />
As a child my family loved picnics, and I can<br />
name many a shady tree where we stopped<br />
en route to a safari destination to have our<br />
egg sandwiches and coffee. But when asked<br />
to name a favourite non-picnic spot it would<br />
have to be the balcony of Nautilus Restaurant<br />
on Kilifi Creek. Set up on stilts, not much<br />
can surpass eating fresh tuna carpaccio with<br />
a cold glass of white wine while watching<br />
dhows sail by.<br />
LEROY BULIRO<br />
Globetotters, Page 22<br />
Nothing beats digging into some really<br />
good food while in a serene atmosphere that<br />
truly calms the mind. We had just finished<br />
exploring the amazing Tsavo East National<br />
Park and while driving along the coast,<br />
made a stop at Osteria Restaurant, right by<br />
the ocean’s shores in Malindi. That warm<br />
ocean breeze accompanied by a classic<br />
cheesy Italian pizza was hands down the<br />
highlight of the journey.<br />
SIMON MARSH<br />
A family hits the road, Page 48<br />
I always look forward to visiting Kobe<br />
in Watamu; it has a unique mixture of<br />
great ocean views, a laid back vibe and<br />
outstanding cuisine with a seafood focus.<br />
Large prawns with garlic are cooked to<br />
perfection and accompanied by tender<br />
calamari and the catch of the day, which just<br />
melts onto the fork. I like to combine with a<br />
glass of chilled pinot grigio and some finely<br />
chopped chillies, and the result is euphoric!<br />
GET TO KNOW: NAI NAMI<br />
in the CBD. After the usual pleasantries were<br />
exchanged, we set off for Nairobi Railway<br />
Station, a place known to many as a bus stop<br />
with matatus heading to different parts of the<br />
city. Kissmart led the way with one guest while<br />
the other guest, our editor, walked behind with<br />
Mrembe. The other two guides then trailed<br />
behind, possibly for security.<br />
The concept of Nai Nami (Swahili for<br />
‘Nairobi with me’) is rather genius: who<br />
better to show one the streets of downtown<br />
Nairobi than the kids who used to live in<br />
those very streets and had to have their<br />
smarts about them to survive? The company<br />
currently employs seven guides, all former<br />
street kids, and using strengths such as<br />
storytelling and entertaining which they have<br />
honed naturally over the years, gives them an<br />
opportunity to make a better living.<br />
Their walking tours have so far been well<br />
received, with over 2,000 guests from over<br />
75 countries having signed up within one<br />
year. When the <strong>Nomad</strong> team got an invite to<br />
check out the city from co-founder Gianmarco<br />
Marinello, we simply could not pass up the<br />
chance to get reacquainted with certain parts<br />
of Nairobi that we don’t get to visit as often<br />
as we’d like.<br />
We had been linked up with four guides;<br />
Mrembe, Kissmart, Cheddar and Donga,<br />
and on the said day, met up right outside<br />
the Hilton Nairobi, a pretty central location<br />
Mrembe launched into his life story, talking<br />
about how he ended up on the unforgiving<br />
streets of Nairobi as a child and had to<br />
raise himself by doing odd jobs such as<br />
collecting plastic from rubbish heaps. When<br />
he hit puberty, this soon gave way to theft,<br />
a decision that led to his best friend being<br />
gunned down at Bus Station. He himself was<br />
almost beaten to death by an angry mob<br />
when he was caught stealing. Their stories are<br />
much more complex than this space would<br />
allow, but we were so engrossed in them that<br />
we didn’t notice the two hours pass by, or<br />
how much distance we had covered walking<br />
to OTC, Riverside, Kariokor market where we<br />
got some souvenirs, down to Ngara and back<br />
up to Moi Avenue where we finally stopped<br />
for a hearty lunch at a kibanda.<br />
A suggestion is to ask for the itinerary<br />
beforehand, read up on the places then kick<br />
back and get immersed in the stories.<br />
www.nai-nami.com<br />
NOMAD MAGAZINE APRIL/MAY <strong>2019</strong> 11
NICK DALE<br />
Instagram: @nickdalephotography<br />
There was a beautiful sunset and I took<br />
this shot using the settings: ISO 280,<br />
f/16 and 1/500.<br />
The most important factor for me when<br />
shooting this was the aperture as I<br />
wanted both the silhouette and sun to<br />
be sharp. I used a Nikon D850 and<br />
an 800mm lens perched on top of the<br />
bonnet of a safari truck!<br />
TIP: When taking this type of shot, it is<br />
important to keep the horizon very low<br />
in the frame.<br />
12 DISCOVER EXPLORE EXPERIENCE
TOP SHOTS<br />
NOMAD MAGAZINE APRIL/MAY <strong>2019</strong> 13
TOP SHOTS<br />
SUSAN MOLLOY<br />
Instagram: @whatsusansees<br />
As I walked through Lamu Town’s<br />
maze of alleyways and artistic<br />
doorways, meeting this charismatic<br />
gentlemen was one of my favourite<br />
moments. He welcomed me to chat<br />
with him in the shade for a while.<br />
Realistically, it was mostly us laughing<br />
at my terrible Swahili before I asked<br />
if I could take a few portraits. For me,<br />
this shot represents the beauty of an<br />
unhurried life lived in this friendly,<br />
coastal community.<br />
I took this shot with a Canon 5d Mark<br />
III and a Canon 24-70 mm F/2.8 lens.<br />
14 DISCOVER EXPLORE EXPERIENCE
www.maasai.com<br />
NOMAD MAGAZINE APRIL/MAY <strong>2019</strong> 15
TOP SHOTS<br />
16 DISCOVER EXPLORE EXPERIENCE
BRIAN SIAMBI<br />
Instagram: @brian.siambi<br />
There was a beautiful morning light as we were<br />
driving out of Kimana Sanctuary at 7:00am. It was<br />
the clearest day to see Mt. Kilimanjaro so I got out<br />
of the car and started capturing it. A few metres<br />
away, we saw some commotion and dust in the<br />
air, and driving a little further on, encountered a<br />
herd of elephants. This curious female stood and<br />
looked straight at us and I quickly grabbed my<br />
camera and got it in frame with the mountain in the<br />
background. The birds were a lucky occurence in<br />
the shot<br />
Shot with the Sony A7 and 70-200mm<br />
at F7.1, ISO 160, and 1/320.<br />
TIP: Always have your camera on standby when<br />
in the wild. Nature is quick and you won’t always<br />
have a second chance to capture an image.<br />
NOMAD MAGAZINE APRIL/MAY <strong>2019</strong> 17
NEWS<br />
AFRICA’S LARGEST FERRIS WHEEL<br />
LAUNCHED AT TWO RIVERS MALL<br />
This observation wheel dubbed “Eye of Kenya” is set to give<br />
one brilliant panoramic views of Nairobi’s expansive skyline.<br />
It is located at Two Rivers Mall along Limuru Road and boasts<br />
40 air-conditioned cabins that have a seat capacity of six<br />
passengers each. The Eye of Kenya is the tallest ferris wheel<br />
in Africa at 60m above ground, surpassing the Cape Wheel<br />
in South Africa which stands at 40m. Get to enjoy this iconic<br />
addition to the city’s attractions by paying Ksh 500 per person.<br />
The wheel does two revolutions which take a total of 14 minutes.<br />
ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES PLANE<br />
CRASHES SHORTLY AFTER<br />
TAKE OFF<br />
This devastating crash happened six minutes after<br />
take off, leaving no survivors when the Ethiopian<br />
Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 plane crashed while<br />
on its way from Bole International Airport in<br />
Ethiopia to Kenya’s Capital, Nairobi. Investigations<br />
into the cause of the accident are still on-going as<br />
several countries suspend the Boeing 737 MAX 8<br />
planes. The aircraft was carrying 149 passengers<br />
from at least 35 nationalities as well as eight<br />
crew members. Another plane of the same model<br />
was involved in a crash less than five months ago<br />
when a Lion Air flight crashed into the sea near<br />
Indonesia with nearly 190 people on board.<br />
WILDFIRE DEVASTATION IN MT. KENYA<br />
A multi-agency team successfully managed to put out a<br />
fire in Mt Kenya Forest. The week-long wildfire destroyed<br />
approximately 120,000 hectares of vegetation and killed<br />
wildlife. Mt Kenya region is an important water catchment<br />
area for Kenya and also hosts national parks and various<br />
conservancies. The inferno that reportedly started near Lake<br />
Ellis in Tharaka-Nithi County spread to parts of Embu, Laikipia<br />
and Kirinyaga counties. The Kenya Forest Service boss said<br />
investigations were underway to establish the cause of the fire<br />
but they were not ruling out poachers, illegal honey harvesters<br />
and bhang farmers as some of the possible causes. A big thank<br />
you to the environment and forests ministries, Kenya Defence<br />
Forces, British Army Training Unit, Tropic Air, Mt Kenya Trust,<br />
Kisima Farm, Lewa Conservancy, Sheldrick Wildlife Trust and<br />
the Rhino Ark for battling and successfully putting out the huge<br />
wildfires.<br />
18 DISCOVER EXPLORE EXPERIENCE
NOMAD MAGAZINE APRIL/MAY <strong>2019</strong> 19
WHAT’S ON<br />
SOKOKE FOREST MTB<br />
CHALLENGE<br />
This biking safari initiative is geared towards<br />
conservation of the exotic Arabuko Sokoke Forest<br />
in Watamu, Kilifi County. The race stands to offer a<br />
perfect blend of challenge and thrilling adventure...<br />
the picturesque sights and sounds are just a bonus.<br />
A 70 km challenge will take place on 4th May<br />
while a 15 km fun day will be held on 5th May. A<br />
great deal of cash prizes will be up for grabs. For<br />
more information and registration details, check out<br />
SOKOKE MTB CHALLENGE on Facebook.<br />
RHINO CHARGE <strong>2019</strong><br />
The Rhino Charge is an annual off-road 4×4<br />
competition held in Kenya to raise funds to<br />
support the activities of the Rhino Ark Kenya<br />
Charitable Trust, an NGO which works towards<br />
the conservation and protection of Kenya’s<br />
mountain range ecosystems. This year’s event<br />
takes place from 30th May to 2nd June. Tickets<br />
are only available from the Rhino charge<br />
website ticketing portal (www.rhino-charge.org),<br />
which closes on 24th May. General location<br />
details will be shared by the Clerk of Course<br />
during the pre-event briefing on 4th May <strong>2019</strong>.<br />
The exact location will be revealed to registered<br />
ticket holders the night before the event; the<br />
venue is usually kept a secret.<br />
WINE EXTRAVAGANZA<br />
The second edition of the Wine and Beer<br />
Extravaganza will be held on Saturday April<br />
6, <strong>2019</strong> at the Leleshwa Getaway in Rongai<br />
from 11:00 am till late. The Wine tasting affair<br />
presents you with an opportunity to sample over<br />
50 wines, champagnes and gourmet food while<br />
also undergoing wine training and jamming<br />
to live DJ music. Build your wine knowledge<br />
and enjoy your glass, all while overlooking the<br />
Nairobi National Park. Entry is free. For more<br />
details, contact 0722 528 749.<br />
20 DISCOVER EXPLORE EXPERIENCE
EASTER WEEKEND AT LANTANA GALU BEACH | DIANI BEACH<br />
Offering an array of fun activities for the whole family to enjoy<br />
From 19th to 22nd April <strong>2019</strong><br />
Free Scuba Diving Trials at the pool with Scubaduka<br />
Free Afternoon Activities for Children<br />
Free Kite Surfing Trials with the Kenya Kitesurfing School<br />
NOMAD MAGAZINE APRIL/MAY <strong>2019</strong> 21<br />
+254 714 315 151 | info@lantana-galu-beach.co.ke | www.lantana-galu-beach.co.ke
CAPTURING THE<br />
UNDERWORLD<br />
Kenyan-Italian photographer Jahawi Bertolii talks to <strong>Nomad</strong>’s<br />
Leroy Buliro about his time spent diving into the depths of the<br />
ocean to document marine life with the aim of shedding a light<br />
on their conservation.<br />
How did you get into underwater<br />
photography?<br />
One day while filming a music video, we<br />
needed an underwater shot of someone<br />
jumping into a pool so I went in with a<br />
GoPro and my cousin, the talented director<br />
Phillipa Herrmann, joked that I should<br />
venture into underwater photography as<br />
there was no one doing it in Kenya. A<br />
few months later, I was sitting in my studio<br />
writing music for some beautiful footage<br />
when my frustration at being trapped in<br />
landlocked Nairobi came to its pinnacle. I<br />
decided that I wanted to be out there, within<br />
nature, filming, and not stuck in a studio.<br />
Once that project was completed, I moved<br />
to Thailand and enrolled in an underwater<br />
cinematography course…and that’s how I<br />
got behind a camera.<br />
Which has been your most exciting<br />
assignment yet?<br />
Hunting down photos of blue whales in<br />
Sri Lanka which is an interesting place for<br />
cetaceans because it is one of the few<br />
places that has a resident population of Blue<br />
Whales alongside many other species. The<br />
nutritious upwelling of plankton and krill<br />
at the drop off of the continental shelf in<br />
the south of the island makes it possible to<br />
support these massive creatures year round.<br />
For the best chance of photographing blue<br />
whales, Sri Lanka was the place to go. It is<br />
also a very culturally interesting place with<br />
superb waves for surfing.<br />
When did you finally get to see some blue<br />
whales in Sri Lanka?<br />
On our first day, we were woken up by the<br />
owner of the guest house where we were<br />
staying. “There are huge numbers of whales<br />
being spotted,” she said in excitement. We<br />
hadn’t planned anything for that day given<br />
that it was our first morning. The day was<br />
dark and cloudy and the water an eerie gun<br />
metal grey. The lack of sun meant that the<br />
krill were closer to the surface providing a<br />
huge feast for the whales; this was however<br />
not the best weather for photography. The<br />
whales were close to the coastline and<br />
when we found them, we realised that the<br />
boat was surrounded by at least 15 feasting<br />
blue whales; even with all their years of<br />
experience, the crew had never seen so<br />
many together! We spent some time just<br />
watching them to see their behaviour and<br />
once the captain was convinced it was safe,<br />
I decided to take the plunge.<br />
How was the first dive?<br />
The water was very murky and visibility was<br />
poor. Swimming on, I came across a bubble<br />
trail left by one of the whales that had a 6<br />
metre wide tail. Water visibility was bad and<br />
it was impossible to get a good shot. The<br />
water was 1 km deep and 500 metres long,<br />
cargo ships were moving silently through the<br />
mist... not the best conditions, so we called<br />
it a day and went back to shore deciding to<br />
wait a few more days for better conditions.<br />
This was actually one of the only times I’ve<br />
ever felt really uneasy in the water.<br />
22 DISCOVER EXPLORE EXPERIENCE
GLOBETROTTERS<br />
Did you get another photo opportunity?<br />
Definitely. We spent the next week<br />
exploring the southern part of the island<br />
and when conditions improved, headed<br />
back out to the open ocean again. From<br />
radio chatters, we heard that the whales<br />
were quite far off the coast - about 30<br />
nautical miles - so we motored out into<br />
the blue which took about 3 hours. We<br />
eventually found one as the sun was getting<br />
low. The best way to get a chance to<br />
capture these gentle giants is to get in the<br />
water in front of them and let them swim to<br />
you. There were many unfruitful attempts.<br />
Knowing we had a long trip home, the<br />
captain said there was one more chance<br />
to get underwater. I jumped and swam as<br />
fast as I could to reach where I estimated<br />
the whale was heading only to see a huge<br />
tail disappear into the blue, for a moment<br />
I thought I had missed my opportunity<br />
and then I turned to see another whale<br />
coming straight at me following the first!<br />
The moment passed by in slow motion as<br />
the largest animal ever to have lived on<br />
this planet glided through the water in front<br />
of me before disappearing as quickly as it<br />
had arrived.<br />
What’s another set of memorable shots<br />
that you have ever taken?<br />
We filmed a short documentary in Lamu<br />
for the Lamu Marine Conservation Trust.<br />
A strong part of the narrative was turtle<br />
conservation and we needed a shot of<br />
a newly hatched turtle wading into the<br />
ocean for the first time. For months I went<br />
out to hatchings to try get the shot but<br />
ocean conditions were always either<br />
difficult or visibility was bad. Trying to<br />
follow something so small also proved<br />
impossible. One morning after 6 months,<br />
the sea was calm and visibility was good.<br />
I managed to find and stay with a baby<br />
turtle that had just hatched and filmed a<br />
sequence of its first few moments in the<br />
ocean, and that moment will stay with me<br />
forever.<br />
What lies next for you this year?<br />
I just received great news that a project<br />
I’ve been working on has been approved<br />
for a National Geographic Society grant,<br />
which is amazing and pretty much a<br />
dream come true! This will be part of a<br />
larger project we’re setting up called East<br />
African Ocean Explorers where we want<br />
to inspire a new generation of explorers<br />
who will champion marine conservation<br />
and act as an inspiration to young people<br />
in their communities. We want to provide a<br />
platform for passionate people to be able<br />
to explore and learn more about the ocean<br />
providing workshops, educational films and<br />
funding for young Kenyans from coastal<br />
communities to be able to get in the ocean;<br />
whether that’s learning how to snorkel,<br />
taking a diving course or going on whale<br />
watching trips.<br />
NOMAD MAGAZINE APRIL/MAY <strong>2019</strong> 23
Tel: +254 (0) 723 697 346 || Email: info@mbh.co.ke<br />
www.msambweni-beach-house.com
A KENYAN TRAVELLER<br />
TALES FROM<br />
BUJUMBURA<br />
Impressed by the mukeke, drums and jogging in Burundi while<br />
in the country to attend a traditional wedding, Anyiko Owoko<br />
writes that this has been her first time traveling to a place<br />
whose culture challenged her to learn more about her own.<br />
As I plan my first trip to<br />
Burundi, where I am to attend<br />
a friend’s traditional wedding,<br />
I don’t know what to expect<br />
when I arrive because I<br />
haven’t heard much about<br />
the culture and food, the two<br />
things I’m always drawn to when I travel. I<br />
am however excited and ready to immerse<br />
myself in everything this landlocked country<br />
will have to offer.<br />
It’s a five hour flight from Nairobi and<br />
when we arrive at around 5:00 pm, which<br />
would typically be rush hour in Nairobi, it<br />
is so refreshing to be met by clear roads.<br />
Bujumbura is a small city and most of its<br />
residents don’t own personal cars. I am<br />
immediately drawn to its scenic hills and<br />
mountains, which I have thus far only seen<br />
featured in several popular music videos by<br />
the country’s local artists, an area of interest<br />
to me given that I often work with musicians.<br />
I quickly notice how the residents of<br />
Bujumbura are often out jogging at all times<br />
of the day, running up and down the curved<br />
turns of the city’s winding roads. Burundians<br />
actually have a long history of jogging<br />
tracing back to bleak times when the country<br />
was in war and conflict. For years, citizens<br />
used jogging as a means of expression<br />
against political oppression. Since then,<br />
jogging has been so ingrained into their<br />
culture that today it is a hobby for many<br />
Burundians. In recent years, the country’s<br />
President Pierre Nkurunziza banned jogs<br />
involving thousands of people. To jog in a<br />
large group, you must first join a jogging<br />
club or register with the government, after<br />
which you must pick one of the pre-approved<br />
venues.<br />
The culture and food are also quite<br />
rich and mind blowing. Burundians speak<br />
Kirundi, Swahili and French. Having been<br />
colonized by the French, some of those<br />
influences are still prevalent in their food<br />
and love for good wine. Whether you are<br />
at a five-star hotel or downtown, you must<br />
simply sample Lake Tanganyika’s Sleek lates<br />
fish known locally as mukeke, famed for its<br />
natural delicious flavour and the fact that it<br />
is only found in Lake Tanganyika. For lunch<br />
on our first day, we visit Roca Golf Hotel in<br />
the heart of Bujumbura for the best grilled<br />
Mukeke served in mouth-watering amaranth<br />
leaves locally known as lenga-lenga.<br />
Later in the evening we visit Bwiza area<br />
in downtown Bujumbura where we have<br />
michopo—Senegalese-style grilled goat<br />
meat served with a hot sauce made from<br />
red chillies, lime and spices. Both michopo<br />
and mukeke are often eaten with sticky ugali<br />
made from cassava flour.<br />
The traditional wedding I am attending<br />
at The Atrium, nestled right by the shores of<br />
Lake Tanganyika, is a very cultural affair.<br />
In the first phase, for instance, ladies dress<br />
up in traditional attire called imvutano.<br />
Entertainment is a lively number reminiscent<br />
of the Rwandese traditional dance, where<br />
the dancers raise their hands in regal<br />
postures as though they were royal birds.<br />
Traditional drumming is also so prominent<br />
here that you need to get a permit to be<br />
allowed to have drummers even at a private<br />
function. With a selection of over 25 big<br />
drums accompanied by a talented team of<br />
male drummers at my friend’s wedding, this<br />
is certainly a very prestigious function.<br />
My trip sparks several questions<br />
regarding my own culture and how much<br />
tradition still plays a role in our everyday<br />
lives back in Kenya. Upon returning, I’ve<br />
been curious to find out what people<br />
from my tribe, the Luo, would wear and<br />
do during traditional ceremonies like<br />
weddings. It has been surprising that my<br />
mother doesn’t know much about this<br />
because even during her heydays, she<br />
says ceremonies were pretty basic. This<br />
has been my first time traveling to a place<br />
whose culture challenged me to learn more<br />
about my own.<br />
Do you have a story you would like<br />
featured in this column? Email a detailed<br />
pitch to editor@nomadmagazine.co<br />
NOMAD MAGAZINE APRIL/MAY <strong>2019</strong> 25
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NOTES FROM THE BUSH<br />
SQUEAK THE<br />
WILD PIGLET<br />
When a little warthog is discovered along a river, and with no mother in<br />
sight, Samantha Du Toit and her kids quickly take her in, but the joy this<br />
piglet brings might just be short lived.<br />
It is very hard to reason with a<br />
three-day old warthog.<br />
Despite her tiny size, Squeak<br />
was a fierce and feisty piglet who<br />
definitely knew her own mind from<br />
the minute she arrived in our lives.<br />
One hot afternoon in January,<br />
the children and I were seeking out shade<br />
in their play/classroom tent when Kibai (our<br />
Maasai daytime watchman) came rushing up<br />
to us holding the tiny hog. She was squealing<br />
most indignantly as he hurriedly handed<br />
her over to me. I noticed she still had her<br />
umbilical cord, making her only a few days<br />
old at the most.<br />
Kibai had been walking along the banks<br />
of the river just upstream from camp and had<br />
found the little warthog on the side of the<br />
river amongst a troop of baboons. When<br />
no mother appeared after some time, he<br />
picked her up and brought her to us. The kids<br />
were excited, but we decided she needed<br />
to be given back to her mother as soon as<br />
possible.<br />
Without a moment’s thought we carried<br />
her back to where she had been found, with<br />
her objecting, gnashing her teeth and biting<br />
me at every opportunity. We placed her<br />
on the ground, where she collapsed into a<br />
heap, still squealing. We stepped back and<br />
hoped her mother would come. It was only<br />
then I realised that perhaps I should have<br />
thought this through as I was not sure what<br />
an angry mother warthog might do in such a<br />
situation. Placing the children behind a tree,<br />
we waited. No mother came. My heart was<br />
torn.<br />
What now? I have always believed<br />
that ‘Mother Nature knows best’, and have<br />
refrained from interfering with wild animals<br />
at all costs. Surely there must be some<br />
reason why this little creature is out here,<br />
away from the safety of a burrow? But the<br />
longer we stood there, the more chance it<br />
seemed that she might die alone there, as we<br />
watched. I looked at the children, looking to<br />
me to decide, and knew we could not walk<br />
away. We picked her up and took her back<br />
to camp.<br />
And so, the second ‘what now’ of the<br />
day hit me. How does one raise a new-born<br />
warthog? Many hours of internet searching,<br />
calling patient veterinary friends and family<br />
followed. The children did their best, making<br />
her a small ‘burrow’ in a wine cooler-bag,<br />
trying to decide how to keep her warm and<br />
helping with the feeding from a small syringe<br />
we had in the medical kit.<br />
It turned out that the general consensus<br />
was that goat’s milk was the best option, and<br />
Kibai kindly offered to provide an unlimited<br />
supply from his home every day. She was<br />
soon named ‘Squeak’ by the children, who<br />
worked around the clock to care for her.<br />
Well, the daytime clock at least. I took on the<br />
night time routine of three hourly feeds.<br />
It was a steep learning curve, not least<br />
learning to appreciate that wild animals<br />
are completely different from their domestic<br />
cousins. It should have seemed obvious<br />
perhaps, but Squeak was a very wild animal,<br />
accepting comfort and food only with her tiny<br />
feet firmly on the ground. We learned that,<br />
even in the days that followed where she had<br />
learned we were ‘family’ she still would not<br />
tolerate being picked up. That made sense as<br />
the only time in the wild this would happen is<br />
if she were being carried off in the mouth of a<br />
predator.<br />
Over the five days that followed, Squeak<br />
appeared at first to be doing well. However,<br />
on the morning of the sixth day, she was<br />
listless and weak. By the afternoon it was<br />
clear she was unlikely to make it through<br />
another night. I took her to a quiet place<br />
where she was too weak to object as I held<br />
her close until she slipped away.<br />
We still often talk about Squeak, and<br />
certainly feel we were privileged to have had<br />
her to care for and learn from, but I do hope<br />
that Mother Nature takes care of her own for<br />
the foreseeable future.<br />
Samantha du Toit is a wildlife<br />
conservationist, working with SORALO, a<br />
Maasai land trust. She lives with her husband,<br />
Johann, and their two children at Shompole<br />
Wilderness, a tented camp in the Shompole<br />
Conservancy.<br />
28 DISCOVER EXPLORE EXPERIENCE
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NOMAD MAGAZINE APRIL/MAY <strong>2019</strong> 29
30TH - 31ST MARCH <strong>2019</strong><br />
Great beer, food and company were all the rage at ‘The White Cap Big Brunch’ event which took place in Diani<br />
on the 21st & 22nd March. Restaurant managers, influencers & the White Cap team were all in attendance for<br />
the adventure filled brunch part of the White Cap Big Brunch series, all of which led to the Big Brunch weekend<br />
on the 30th & 31st of March, courtesy of Kenya Breweries Limited and Eatout Kenya.<br />
With some of the best restaurants in Nairobi & Mombasa participating, the weekend was filled with beer, laughs<br />
and brunch. If you missed out, have no fear: More adventures and brunch weekends are coming your way soon!<br />
30 DISCOVER EXPLORE EXPERIENCE
NOMAD MAGAZINE APRIL/MAY <strong>2019</strong> 31
32 DISCOVER EXPLORE EXPERIENCE
NOMAD MAGAZINE APRIL/MAY <strong>2019</strong> 33
34 DISCOVER EXPLORE EXPERIENCE
NOMAD MAGAZINE APRIL/MAY <strong>2019</strong> 35
8 Ways<br />
to do brunch right<br />
Get There Early<br />
there’s nothing worse than going late for brunch<br />
on an empty stomach and finding it packed. be the<br />
smarter one, grab the prettiest table and enjoy your<br />
brunch with no stress<br />
Cab It<br />
the white cap big brunch is probably going to be<br />
a boozy one, so make sure you’ve got your cab apps<br />
ready. drink responsibly<br />
Go In A Group<br />
sure, a romantic brunch could be a thing, but we<br />
believe that brunch is an experience for friends. grab<br />
your crew and make it a special day!<br />
Experiment<br />
yes, we know you have your usual that you pick every.<br />
single. time. but come on, it’s a special weekend! go<br />
outside your Comfort Zone<br />
Let the Sweet & Savoury Combine<br />
the best thing about brunch is how it’s a common<br />
ground for both. relish in it, it’s one of the few times<br />
you can! chicken wings with honey covered<br />
pancakes? yes!<br />
Enjoy Your White Cap<br />
COMPLETE YOUR BRUNCH WITH AN ICE- COLD WHITE<br />
CAP LAGER, PERFECT FOR WASHING DOWN ALL THAT<br />
DELICIOUSNESS.<br />
Leave A Review<br />
your review will definitely help others figure out<br />
where they should go so please, leave a review!<br />
Tip Well<br />
brunch can be a crazy time for servers, so show a<br />
little appreciation and tip well!<br />
36 DISCOVER EXPLORE EXPERIENCE
NOMAD MAGAZINE APRIL/MAY <strong>2019</strong> 37
38 DISCOVER EXPLORE EXPERIENCE
TEXT: WENDY WATTA PHOTOGRAPHS: BRIAN SIAMBI<br />
TALES FROM<br />
STONE TOWN<br />
NOMAD MAGAZINE APRIL/MAY <strong>2019</strong> 39
We are standing outside the Old Fort when Taib, with<br />
suspicious enthusiasm, launches into a colourful story about<br />
an Arab princess called Salme. Suspicious, because how<br />
someone can be so chipper in this heat is beyond me; I can<br />
already feel a migraine start to throb within the crevices of<br />
my brain thanks to the sun mercilessly hammering at it. As<br />
he drones on, pausing ever so slightly to adjust his kofia, I<br />
momentarily halt my frantic self-fanning antics as I am gently<br />
transported to a Stone Town of 1866, when this fort upon whose walls I now<br />
lean would have been used as a garrison and prison. Merchants, I imagine,<br />
would have been haggling about the price of a kilo of cloves, a teenage<br />
slave hopelessly marching behind his brother towards an uncertain tomorrow,<br />
an adventurer setting foot on ‘zinj-bar’ soil for the first time fresh off the boat<br />
from a faraway land, and for Princess Salme, utterly scared of the whispers<br />
in the palace and her brother the Sultan’s reaction to finding out that she was<br />
pregnant by their German neighbour.<br />
Shortly after, she flees this homeland having been rejected by her people<br />
for her choice in a lover. Once in Hamburg, her name is no longer Salme but<br />
Emily Ruete, and while she gets baptised as a christian, she secretly dreads<br />
going to church and adamantly refuses to eat pork. Through this woman’s<br />
story, 19th century Stone Town fascinates me because of how different the<br />
society and culture are from present day. I wonder what life would have<br />
been like for me, an African woman. Despite being born into vast wealth, the<br />
youngest of a Sultan’s thirty children, Salme still has to secretly teach herself<br />
how to write because this skill is not taught to women. Imagine, then, the<br />
policing of friends, fashion, marriage, entertainment, work and the works.<br />
I am drawn out of my reverie by a cat - these lanky felines that slink proudly<br />
along the verandahs, and when you come face to face, it is you that has to<br />
move out of the way. This being my second visit to Stone Town, hiring Taib<br />
to take us on a walking tour was a smart idea. My first visit, I’m afraid, was<br />
wasted, because I mostly wandered around the streets overwhelmed by the<br />
beauty with no real insight into the rich history.<br />
Much like Lamu Old Town, the pathways are narrow and maze-like, lined<br />
with curio shops and art dealers, and after a couple of turns, start to blend into<br />
one another in their similarity. Brightly coloured scooters whizz past. Women<br />
swathed in colourful kangas or beautiful buibuis gracefully sashay along with<br />
handwoven baskets in hand. Gentlemen perched on barazas play a complex<br />
board game of bao, the winner clapping animatedly and talking smack to his<br />
opponent, and I am so intrigued I that I buy a set. Distinguishing between the<br />
beautiful intricately carved Arab and Indian doors, some pastel and others<br />
with shiny golden brass studs, becomes a fun pastime. If a place ever so<br />
deserved to be called charming, it would be this town. I fall in love with its<br />
very essence, African, Arab, Indian, Persian and European influences distinct<br />
in everything from the people to the mosques, churches, bazaars, architecture<br />
and food. Stone Town is picture perfect, the heat notwithstanding.<br />
THE STONE TOWN LOW DOWN<br />
FOR COFFEE: JAW’S CORNER<br />
We were actually lost when we first wandered onto this street where four of<br />
the town’s winding alleys intersect, but we stayed for the people watching. It<br />
is hard to miss, distinguished by a large painting-on-the-wall of the poster of<br />
that classic 1975 Steven Spielberg movie. Here, a mzee brews strong, black,<br />
Arabic-style coffee in steel kettles balanced precariously over a small charcoal<br />
stove. The beverage is cheap and flows almost as freely as the gossip, and<br />
there is a high chance you will be roped into a debate about anything from<br />
football to the weather. Should you wish to call your online lover living<br />
somewhere in Sweden or Thailand, there is a long pole with an old phone and<br />
a cheeky sign announcing “free international calls”.<br />
40 DISCOVER EXPLORE EXPERIENCE
ZANZIBAR<br />
NOMAD MAGAZINE APRIL/MAY <strong>2019</strong> 41
FOR ICE CREAM: TAMU GELATERIA ITALIANA<br />
We may have only been in Stone Town for two nights but we stopped by this spot<br />
so much - at first to find solace from the heat but pretty soon like a pair of hopeless<br />
crackheads in need of a fix - that we were on a first name basis with the waitress. The<br />
walls are decked in photos from around town and the refreshing gelatos are made from<br />
real fruit. Local flavours include coconut, tamarind, hibiscus, passion and baobab. They<br />
were so addictive, in fact, that I walked from my hotel room in pajamas at 10:00pm to<br />
go get a scoop; a pathetic sight, I am certain, but my taste buds were quite pleased.<br />
FOR ZANZIBAR PIZZA: MR MANGO’S STAND AT FORODHANI GARDENS<br />
This is a glorious seafront night market bustling with tourists and locals alike, with<br />
numerous vendors selling local dishes all being cooked on the spot. The seafood is oh so<br />
seductively spread out, but because it’s not always refrigerated, to try these would be to<br />
set a date with food poisoning. You should however definitely try <strong>Zanzibar</strong> pizza, and<br />
Mr Mango’s stand is the place to go. To be honest, his signature mango-nutella combo<br />
is more like a crepe than a pizza, but it sure is downright delicious. To his left, a vendor<br />
sells freshly squeezed sugar cane juice to wash down your food with, and if you’re still<br />
hungry, because you’re a glutton, a lady to his right sells a spicy <strong>Zanzibar</strong> mix also<br />
known as urojo. We were told that this market is a tourist trap since the same food is<br />
much cheaper at Darajani, but I liked the vibe so much I didn’t mind the snare. If you’re<br />
here before sunset, entertainment will be by way of local boys diving from the perimeter<br />
wall into the sea below.<br />
FOR COCKTAILS: THE BEACH HOUSE<br />
This modern upscale bar and restaurant is said to have some of the best sunset views,<br />
but both times I’ve been there have unfortunately been after dark. It has a multicultural<br />
millennial staff and the menu offers an array of excellent gin-based cocktails infused with<br />
<strong>Zanzibar</strong>’s popular spices. On this visit, we sat on the outdoor terrace - the best spot in<br />
the house - where there was remix to the Game of Thrones theme song playing. Some<br />
local guys were playing a lively game of football on the sand below and after two ginpassion-and-saffron<br />
cocktails, I had to be held back to stop me from joining.<br />
FOR SPICES: JAMBO SPICE FARM<br />
Herbs and spices were initially introduced to <strong>Zanzibar</strong> by Portuguese traders from their<br />
colonies in India and South America in the 16th century. During the Omani rule, cloves<br />
were actually more valuable than their weight in gold. We drove for a little over 10km<br />
from the town center to an organic farm where we learnt how the spices got to the island,<br />
how they are grown as well as their uses, some of which we had never considered<br />
before. We were smelling, tasting and collecting spices like cloves, lemongrass, garlic,<br />
ginger, cinnamon, turmeric, vanilla, pepper, cardamom and more. I love using spices in<br />
my kitchen...cooking without any is like hosting a party with no music. I have only ever<br />
seen some of them ground, which made the tour all the more interesting. Fresh whole<br />
nutmeg for instance opens up like a jewellery box and the seed sits inside like an exotic<br />
ring, and I was just about to say yes to this unexpected marriage proposal until our guide<br />
told us that the spice is actually “like a viagra for women”, at which I very slowly backed<br />
away. It was only 10:00am for heaven’s sake. At the end of the tour we came to a stand<br />
selling packaged spices and soaps as well as interesting spiced tea combinations. We<br />
loaded up by the kilos.<br />
42 DISCOVER EXPLORE EXPERIENCE
ZANZIBAR<br />
PHOTOGRAPHS: SAM VOX<br />
LOCAL KNOW-HOW<br />
What makes Stone Town a photographer’s<br />
paradise?<br />
It is naturally a very photogenic place, with<br />
its beautiful heritage buildings, the narrow<br />
streets and the beach (Forodhani). To me it’s<br />
a place of identity. I love the Swahili Arab<br />
culture which is my ethnic background. Here,<br />
I can learn more about my history and have<br />
a deeper understanding of our traditions and<br />
the people.<br />
What’s your go-to spot for lunch?<br />
Ma Shaa Allah Cafe or Lukmaan Restaurant<br />
which offer every day authentic <strong>Zanzibar</strong>i<br />
dishes using an array of local spices.<br />
What are some hidden gems in Stone Town?<br />
Mrembo Spa is my little sanctuary when I<br />
need to rejuvenate and recharge. They use<br />
traditional remedies and natural product. My<br />
favourite masseuse is Asha who is legally<br />
blind but is amazing at what she does.<br />
There are also so many talented <strong>Zanzibar</strong>i<br />
carpenters in town that create amazing<br />
woodwork but are often overlooked in the<br />
midst of all the imported souvenir stores. My<br />
favourites are Suleiman and his team inside<br />
the Old Fort.<br />
What are your go-to foodie spots around<br />
town?<br />
For breakfast, Foro Cafe at Forodhani<br />
Gardens because it’s inexpensive and<br />
the food is really good. Secret Garden at<br />
Emerson Spice is a great spot for lunch- the<br />
ambiance really transports you back in time.<br />
My favourite dish there is the<br />
coconut seafood curry. At Ma Shaa Allah<br />
Cafe, the prices are affordable and I love<br />
their Indian twist to Swahili food.<br />
What’s your go-to beach when you need a<br />
break from Stone Town?<br />
I like Kendwa beach because its picturesque<br />
although it can get very busy. I would go for<br />
Michamvi, Matemwe and Bwejuu. While the<br />
sea is tidal on the East Coast, it tends to be<br />
less crowded than the north coast.<br />
Any tips for first time visitors?<br />
Unless you’ve done considerable research<br />
beforehand, do a guided Stone Town tour<br />
with a registered company. It will give you a<br />
sense of direction and better understanding<br />
of the history and culture of <strong>Zanzibar</strong>. Spend<br />
at least two nights immersing yourself in the<br />
food and culture here before heading off to<br />
explore the rest of the archipelago.<br />
What’s your go-to beach when you need a<br />
break from Stone Town?<br />
A favorite is a hidden beach in<br />
Mwangapwani. It’s only there for a short<br />
period of time depending on the day and<br />
tide. The waters are beautiful and clear, and<br />
it’s a perfect spot for cliff jumping.<br />
Any insider tip you would like to share with<br />
someone visiting <strong>Zanzibar</strong><br />
for the first time?<br />
Get lost, wander around and be present. If<br />
possible, get a local guide. Stone Town is<br />
one of those places with a deep history and<br />
culture and you could easily walk by vital<br />
landmarks without knowing their significance<br />
to the island. A local will help you<br />
understand the everyday life of the people.<br />
What’s your favourite place to photograph<br />
in Stone Town?<br />
I can never tire of Forodhani beach. To<br />
me, it’s the one place that brings the Island<br />
together, especially on weekends. I love<br />
seeing families come out in their beautiful<br />
matching clothes having traveled from<br />
nearby villages for a day out at the beach.<br />
Occasions like this are what makes this<br />
island special and I like being here to<br />
document it all.<br />
SAM VOX,<br />
Photographer<br />
HAFSA MBAMBA<br />
Owner, Grassroots Traveller<br />
(They set up our tours around Stone Town)<br />
NOMAD MAGAZINE APRIL/MAY <strong>2019</strong> 43
ISLAND<br />
IDYLL<br />
Said to be <strong>Zanzibar</strong>’s most-popular beach,<br />
Nungwi is always abuzz, understandably so.<br />
In between its beach strip which stretches<br />
into Kendwa, amidst the array of hotels both<br />
grand and cheerfully cheap, Kilindi <strong>Zanzibar</strong><br />
redefines luxury in this quaint fishing village.<br />
TEXT: WENDY WATTA PHOTOGRAPHS: BRIAN SIAMBI<br />
I“You can dance, you can jiiiive, having the time of your<br />
life...diggin’ the dancing queen!”<br />
mooch about the grand villa which is far too spacious<br />
for just me, singing embarrassingly off-key at the top<br />
of my lungs, certain no one will hear me because of<br />
how spread apart the 15 villas at Kilindi <strong>Zanzibar</strong><br />
are. Carried away, I imagine I am Meryl Streep in<br />
Mamma Mia and jump onto the four poster bed<br />
with childlike glee then spring up as though on a<br />
trampoline, but quickly remember that I can’t do a split<br />
mid-air and this bed might break under my weight, in<br />
which case, it wouldn’t matter how understanding the<br />
people here are - I would have to pay. I have been playing<br />
Abba’s Dancing Queen in a loop ever since finding out that<br />
Kilindi <strong>Zanzibar</strong> was built as a private home for one of the<br />
bandmates before being converted into a resort. It is now<br />
under the management of Elewana Collection, and for that I<br />
am glad.<br />
Bosomed within the forested folds of Nungwi, it is hard not to<br />
love this property. The slatted door of my palatial bedroom<br />
opens up to a full-moon plunge pool which overlooks an<br />
indigenous forest that stretches out to waters docked by<br />
various traditional double-outrigger canoes called ngalawa.<br />
44 DISCOVER EXPLORE EXPERIENCE
ZANZIBAR<br />
NOMAD MAGAZINE APRIL/MAY <strong>2019</strong> 45
46 DISCOVER EXPLORE EXPERIENCE<br />
Here, you can<br />
wear a bikini and<br />
laze by the beach<br />
all day and yet<br />
a monkey might<br />
swing by your<br />
room from the<br />
bush to say hello,<br />
and I like that<br />
juxtaposition.
ZANZIBAR<br />
Here, you can wear a bikini and laze by the beach all day and<br />
yet a monkey might swing by your room from the bush to say hello,<br />
and I like that juxtaposition. The white-washed pavilions are very<br />
European; Scandinavian minimalism meets the curved roofs of<br />
Santorini’s domes complete with bougainvillea flowers in full bloom<br />
along the pathways.<br />
The bathroom housed in its own building comes with a rainshower<br />
and sink-with-a-view, and is big enough to host a small conference.<br />
As I potter between this and my room, clothes quickly become<br />
burdensome. Keen to seek refuge from the heat after every trip from<br />
the beach, my only predicament is whether to use the fan or let trade<br />
winds do the cooling.<br />
Guests are assigned their very own butler and we get Victoria<br />
who comes with heaps of the renowned Swahili hospitality and a<br />
side of wit. Dinner on the first night is right by the T-shaped pool, and<br />
just when we thought things couldn’t possibly get better than that,<br />
on the second night, we get our own secluded spot by the beach.<br />
The meals here are absolutely divine. Ugali is elevated way above<br />
its pay grade in an amuse bouche that mashes in potatoes and tops<br />
that off with a flavour-packed beetroot puree. The seafood is fresh<br />
and whispery with local spices, and Victoria always seems to appear<br />
with a drink as soon as you think about one (she does this throughout<br />
our stay, and I am completely convinced that she’s a mind reader).<br />
After dinner, a guard pushes the pan with the log fire even<br />
closer to the water and Victoria brings out bean bags to snuggle<br />
in. Looking out at the stars and the sea glimmering in the shadows,<br />
if an experience ever so deserved to be called magical, this would<br />
be it. Conversation wanes as we drift in and out of slumber before<br />
everyone retreats to their villas at 1:00pm. If we had no activities<br />
planned for the following day, we would have been content to sleep<br />
on this beach till the morning. In fact, I have now decided that Kilindi<br />
is where I will be coming for my honeymoon. I suppose I still need to<br />
meet the guy first, but let’s not get caught up on the minor details.<br />
Along with Kendwa, the fishing village of Nungwi is said to be<br />
<strong>Zanzibar</strong>’s most-popular beach, understandably so. The water is such<br />
a saturated turquoise that should you only see it in a postcard, you<br />
would think it were fake. It is also perfect for swimming in whatever<br />
the time; there are no tides. The sunsets are spectacular enough to<br />
turn even the most articulate poet into a baby-talking goop. The<br />
shoreline is always docked by dhows and if you visit in the morning,<br />
you can always chat up the fishermen for tales from the sea. It is<br />
idyllic living, and we were warned that it would be crowded, if only<br />
because numerous hotels occupy the same stretch of beach from<br />
Nungwi to Kendwa. The only place where we saw a lot of people<br />
was however at the latter beach which has gained a reputation as<br />
the home of epic full moon parties.<br />
PARASAILING<br />
<strong>Zanzibar</strong> Parasailing run by Johann, a South African who<br />
retired from the corporate world to open this busy water sport/<br />
accommodation/ party central combo, is set in Kendwa which<br />
is only a five minute walk from Kilindi <strong>Zanzibar</strong>. After cheerful<br />
pleasantries are exchanged, we hop onto a small raft which takes<br />
us to the parasailing boat. I am then harnessed and tethered to a<br />
bright red parachute and from the back deck of the boat, the rope<br />
is released and I take flight into the sky like a bird. Gliding gently<br />
behind the boat to a height of about 250m, wind against my face<br />
and with curious swimmers and sunbathers gazing up at me in the<br />
distance, I can’t help but think that this is exactly what my drone<br />
would be recording if I launched it up these northern shores. “I’m<br />
flying, Jack!” Literally. No previous experience is necessary and a<br />
flight lasts about 10 minutes which, when you’re cruising mid-air,<br />
feels like an hour. It costs about $90 for a tandem flight and $130<br />
for a solo flight. Visit www.zanzibarparasailing.com to find out what<br />
other water sports are offered here. The vibe back at their dive<br />
center is so lively that I could have hung out with this community for<br />
the rest of the afternoon, but that cold hibiscus cocktail at Kilindi<br />
wasn’t going to drink itself.<br />
CONSERVATION: SWIMMING WITH TURTLES<br />
I have been so eager to swim with these turtles all afternoon, but<br />
now, finally face to face with them while crouching at the entrance<br />
to this tidal pond watching them paddle hard in a race to reach the<br />
food which has just been thrown in by one of the attendants, I am<br />
unexpectedly timid. First of all, their number is overwhelming. I can<br />
spot at least 15 of all sizes and ages. After a little coaxing from<br />
<strong>Nomad</strong>’s photographer Brian, who has himself settled on paying<br />
only the $7 required to simply watch and feed them (it costs $10 to<br />
swim with them), I decide to take a deep breath and walk into the<br />
cold water.<br />
Eager to feed on the seagrass which has just been thrown in and<br />
perhaps a little keen to play as well, the turtles come rushing towards<br />
me and I can suddenly feel their flippers and shells rubbing against<br />
my skin under the water as they swim about. I find their touch ticklish<br />
and can’t help but laugh and squeal every time they brush against<br />
me. Once I get comfortable, however, there is no getting me out.<br />
Looking at these gentle creatures, it is hard to imagine them being<br />
caught in fishermen’s nets which is how a lot of them often die, or<br />
being hunted for their meat. Places like Baraka Natural Aquarium<br />
exist to provide a refuge for rescued turtles and are often involved in<br />
research, conservation and re-release into the sea. We are the only<br />
guests at the pond and I would thereby suggest visiting later in the<br />
day after the crowds have wandered off.<br />
NOMAD MAGAZINE APRIL/MAY <strong>2019</strong> 47
WHERE TO STAY<br />
NORTH COAST<br />
Photography: Brian Siambi and Respective Properties<br />
ZURI ZANZIBAR<br />
Choose from 55 west-facing bungalows,<br />
suites and villas overlooking the beach and<br />
close to the mesmerising azure waters of<br />
the sea. Designed to provide the ultimate<br />
in coziness, equipped with a mixture of<br />
contemporary and local furniture and<br />
decorated with African artwork, they come<br />
with an option of outdoor showers, jacuzzi,<br />
a private stretch of beach and more, a<br />
unique experience of indoor/outdoor living.<br />
Zuri <strong>Zanzibar</strong> offer a fusion of European,<br />
African, Arabic and Indian cuisine, creating<br />
a rainbow of sensational flavours at their<br />
three restaurants and four bars. Everything<br />
from yoga, wellness, a swimming pool and<br />
beach to spice gardens, an indoor and<br />
outdoor “wild fitness” gym area and a<br />
library are at your disposal. Rates on request.<br />
www.zurizanzibar.com<br />
FLAME TREE COTTAGES<br />
This small, independent, family-run<br />
beachfront hotel lies on the beautiful<br />
turquoise coastline of Nungwi. It is ideally<br />
situated for swimming, snorkeling and diving.<br />
Mnemba Atoll, just a short boat trip away, is<br />
one of the best diving spots in the world. If<br />
you fancy some dynamic hatha and vinyasa<br />
flow yoga, head to the rooftop for a sunrise<br />
or sunset session- the sunsets here are some<br />
of the most spectacular on the island, and<br />
you can also settle for taking it all in from<br />
the cozy beach bar. The hotel lies within a<br />
beautiful private tropical garden and has a<br />
range of rooms and cottages to choose from.<br />
Low season offers start at $160 for direct<br />
bookings only. www.flametreecottages.com<br />
MAKUTI ROOF ON THE BEACH<br />
A room high up on stilts under a traditional<br />
Makuti roof and right on Kendwa Beach in<br />
front of <strong>Zanzibar</strong> Parasailing Clubhouse with<br />
great views over the Kendwa bay. It is an<br />
open air room with coconut wooden walls to<br />
protect your privacy, and has a double bed,<br />
sofa, table and locker. The front side is open<br />
which looks directly to the sea. The room<br />
is part of a watersports centre which has<br />
a bar and kitchen facilities and bathrooms<br />
are communal, shared with clients of the<br />
watersports centre, and are situated towards<br />
the back of the clubhouse away from the<br />
room. An unobstructed view of the sunsets<br />
and beach is the main attraction here. Rates<br />
from $30. Bookings only via airbnb.<br />
48 DISCOVER EXPLORE EXPERIENCE
ZANZIBAR<br />
STONE TOWN<br />
ZANZIBAR SERENA HOTEL<br />
The hotel is comprised of two historic<br />
buildings designed in traditional Swahili<br />
style, a lavish retreat that captures the<br />
elegance of a grander era since passed. An<br />
ambience of relaxed sophistication has been<br />
created in each of the 51 rooms and suites,<br />
with wood-framed louver doors opening onto<br />
private balconies with unobstructed views of<br />
the ocean. Cool white walls, high-ceilings<br />
and crisp royal blues and whites give a sense<br />
of <strong>Zanzibar</strong>’s coastal serenity and charm.<br />
The rooftop Terrace Seafood Restaurant offers<br />
freshly-caught seafood and extraordinary<br />
views of the bay while weekly authentic<br />
Swahili banquets can be enjoyed by the pool<br />
at Baharia Restaurant. Masahani Bar, on the<br />
other hand, offers signature cocktails and live<br />
performances by local Taarab bands.<br />
www.serenahotels.com<br />
EMERSON SPICE<br />
This boutique hotel consists of three adjoining<br />
World Heritage site buildings in the exotic<br />
Kasbah of <strong>Zanzibar</strong>’s Stonetown. Two of<br />
the facades face a quaint square at the<br />
end of historic Tharia Street, a principal<br />
thoroughfare for walking tours of the city.<br />
The third façade looks toward the Anglican<br />
Cathedral and the slave market. Nestled<br />
among the rear facades is a squared<br />
private courtyard containing an ancient<br />
well. Dubbed the soul of <strong>Zanzibar</strong>. The<br />
main building, an inspired and lovingly<br />
restored merchant’s house has eleven stylishly<br />
furnished rooms structured around an airy<br />
central courtyard. The rooftop ‘Tea House’<br />
hosts one of Stonetown’s most renowned<br />
restaurants offering a stylish ambiance amidst<br />
the sound of the calls to prayer from the<br />
town’s numerous mosques. Book via<br />
www.emersonspice.com<br />
PARK HYATT ZANZIBAR<br />
The hotel has a new and old building, the<br />
latter being dubbed the Mambo Msiige<br />
mansion which dates back to 1847 when it<br />
was built for a wealthy Omani tradesman.<br />
A good example of a traditional <strong>Zanzibar</strong><br />
mansion, it had various functions in the<br />
following years before being transformed into<br />
the luxury hotel it is today. The new building,<br />
also known as Zamani Residence houses<br />
the rooms and restaurant characterized<br />
by towering ceilings with wooden beams,<br />
skylights and golden brass chandeliers. The<br />
owner is an avid art lover and collector and<br />
the hotel is therefore dotted with several<br />
unique pieces. For dining, the outdoor patio<br />
is the best place to enjoy the buffets while<br />
taking in all the boats and dhows in the sea.<br />
www.hyatt.com<br />
NOMAD MAGAZINE APRIL/MAY <strong>2019</strong> 49
ZANZIBAR<br />
EAST COAST<br />
ZANZIBAR WHITE SAND<br />
LUXURY VILLAS & SPA<br />
This is a luxury boutique hotel located on<br />
the pristine sands of Paje beach. The large<br />
property has only 11 villas to ensure maximum<br />
privacy for each guest. A stay here is as<br />
much about enjoying a cocktail on the rooftop<br />
champagne bar as it is about kitesurfing in<br />
the sunset or indulging in a massage at the<br />
spa after a day of sunbathing. They apply<br />
sustainable policies within the resort including<br />
recycling and growing organic fruits and<br />
vegetables in their plantation, which are<br />
used in our restaurant for a controlled quality.<br />
Whether you are looking for a romantic<br />
getaway or family holiday, the mission here<br />
is to ensure memorable stays and the utmost<br />
comfort in a serene and stunning setting. Rates<br />
available on request.<br />
www.whitesandvillas.com.<br />
TULIA ZANZIBAR<br />
Opened in 2015, this independent resort<br />
is tucked away in the quiet and pristine<br />
Pongwe beach and to ensure the utmost<br />
privacy, the property has only 16 villas. The<br />
wish of the Czech owners was to incorporate<br />
traditional <strong>Zanzibar</strong>i pavilions with chic,<br />
modern elements. Choose from seafront luxury<br />
villas, royal villas with a jacuzzi or a garden<br />
bungalow with a partial sea view, all bathed<br />
in soft, natural light. Cobia Restaurant offers<br />
delicious meals crafted around international<br />
cuisine with the added magic of coastal<br />
ingredients, all done by Executive Chef Mgeni<br />
Mzima. Staying at Tulia <strong>Zanzibar</strong> with its lush<br />
botanical garden is not just about relaxation<br />
but unique experiences and never-ending<br />
adventure, all dictated by you. Rates available<br />
on request through<br />
www.tuliazanzibar.com<br />
ZANZIBAR BANDAS<br />
With unrivalled views of the Matemwe<br />
lagoon, these five all-natural, thatched beach<br />
bungalows are spacious and built using<br />
traditional, eco-friendly materials. They feature<br />
beautifully finished, hand-crafted furniture<br />
including four poster beds and safari chairs.<br />
Meals are prepared by local chefs Hashim,<br />
Heri and Finiko and can be enjoyed on your<br />
veranda or candle-lit dinner by the beach.<br />
Built on stilts and on a platform using only the<br />
ancient building materials of palm frond and<br />
coco wood, these remote and eco-friendly<br />
beach bandas offer a truly exceptional<br />
experience on the island of <strong>Zanzibar</strong>. You can<br />
walk along the majestic palmed-lined beach<br />
for miles in both directions, only occasionally<br />
coming across other people. Rates average<br />
$100, to be confirmed on enquiry<br />
www.zanzibarbandas.com<br />
50 DISCOVER EXPLORE EXPERIENCE
@serenahotels<br />
Spice up your life … Experience <strong>Zanzibar</strong> Serena Hotel<br />
P.O. Box 4151, <strong>Zanzibar</strong><br />
Telephone: +255 24 22 33 051/ +255 77 44 40 010/ +255 77 44 40 011 / +255 24 22 33 587<br />
Email address: zanzibar@serena.co.tz<br />
NOMAD MAGAZINE APRIL/MAY <strong>2019</strong> 51
ZANZIBAR<br />
SOUTH COAST<br />
THE RESIDENCE ZANZIBAR<br />
This resort lies in Kizimkazi within a lush,<br />
forested 32-hectare estate where five-star<br />
luxuries sit harmoniously alongside nature’s<br />
untouched beauty. Feel your spirits soar amid<br />
extensive tropical gardens that meet with<br />
powder-soft white sand lapped by the crystal<br />
clear waters of the Indian Ocean. Inspired<br />
by the island’s eclectic cultures, it blends<br />
modern comforts with Swahili, Omani,<br />
British and Indian influences. Indulge in the<br />
privacy of the spacious villas, attended on if<br />
you wish by your own butler. Enjoy carefree<br />
days relaxing by your private pool, on the<br />
beach or exploring the gardens on foot or by<br />
bicycle. Savour the taste of the Spice Island’s<br />
unique blend of cultures and cuisines, and<br />
the pleasure of sensational spa treatments.<br />
Rates available on enquiry via<br />
www.cenizaro.com<br />
AYA BEACH BUNGALOWS<br />
The resort has 12 rooms and is located<br />
on the southwest coast of the island in<br />
Kizimkazi. It has small makuti bandas, all<br />
rooms face the sea and are nestled within<br />
a garden with plenty of coconut trees and<br />
shrubs. It sits in the historical district, only<br />
2.8km from Kizimkazi Dimbani Mosque.<br />
Kizimkazi is a fishing village and the catch<br />
ranges from kingfish and octopus to tuna,<br />
lobster and crab. Fresh fish is therefore<br />
readily available and is prepared daily at<br />
the restaurant along with an array of local<br />
dishes. The restaurant is perched on the<br />
edge of a small cliff overlooking the ocean,<br />
and has a laid back atmosphere, a perfect<br />
vantage point from which to enjoy incredible<br />
sunsets. Rates from $70.<br />
www.ayabeach.com.<br />
UJAMAA BEACH RESORT<br />
Set in Makunduchi, this relatively new<br />
resort was built by an NGO that works<br />
with international cooperation to help<br />
local communities in developing countries.<br />
Ujamaa translates to extended family,<br />
and this name was chosen because it<br />
represents the organisation’s wish to create<br />
opportunities for economic training and<br />
social development based on the principles<br />
of integration, respect and sharing. The<br />
place is quiet, overlooks the beach and is<br />
embraced by a wonderful tropical garden. It<br />
has eight bungalows and is great for families<br />
and large groups. The bar-restaurant, with<br />
its unique ocean view, offers an exquisite<br />
local and international cuisine and directly<br />
overlooks the pool and private beach. The<br />
cosy wellness centre offers moments of<br />
relaxation and also overlooks the sea.<br />
www.ujamaabeachresort.com<br />
52 DISCOVER EXPLORE EXPERIENCE
The Emakoko || Telephone 0724156044 || emandant@emakoko.com<br />
www.emakoko.com
CONSERVATION<br />
SAILING<br />
THE<br />
SEAS<br />
Made from 100% recycled<br />
waste, the Flipflopi dhow sets<br />
off on a highly anticipated<br />
inaugural overseas<br />
expedition, an adventurous<br />
trip from Lamu to <strong>Zanzibar</strong><br />
with a bid to create a plastic<br />
revolution. By Jack Wood<br />
T<br />
he buzz felt in Lamu on<br />
the day before the launch<br />
was palpable: there were<br />
community events, football<br />
matches, speeches, beach<br />
clean ups and my favourite<br />
– a children’s sailing race<br />
with dhows made from plastic bottles - all<br />
because a team of boat builders in Lamu had<br />
been crazy enough to create a world’s first, the<br />
Flipflopi, and sail it from their home in Kenya to<br />
neighbouring Tanzania – to engage people in<br />
an African borne ‘plastic revolution’<br />
As the team gathered on the night before<br />
setting sail, the air was tense with anticipation,<br />
nervousness and downright excitement: we<br />
were a crew of 12 people from six nations<br />
ranging from Kenya to South Africa and<br />
beyond. Some of us had only just met and<br />
yet we were about to set off on a challenging<br />
500km journey from Lamu to <strong>Zanzibar</strong> aboard<br />
a vessel made from takataka. All concerns<br />
however dissipated when we all heaved up<br />
the mast for the first time, those of us with<br />
‘sedentary computer hands’ already feeling the<br />
burn; we had just hit the open seas!<br />
We headed right for Malindi, covering 130<br />
km over 14 hours. The constant enthusiasm<br />
from Captain Ali alleviated our fears around<br />
his recycled plastic creation. The sea carried a<br />
constant 8 foot swell and force 4-5 winds, but<br />
thankfully, Flipflopi sailed brilliantly. The first of<br />
many enthusiastic welcomes was on the beach<br />
at our first port of call, Che Shale, where we<br />
were greeted by many well-wishers and fellow<br />
plastic revolutionaries: the combination of this<br />
and the sense of achievement unified the team<br />
and set the tone for the entire expedition, one<br />
of shared values, determination and adventure.<br />
Flipflopi, so called because of the 30,000<br />
flip flops that festoon its hull, was created as<br />
a symbol of why single use plastic makes no<br />
sense. She was built as a vehicle to draw<br />
curiosity and smiles in order to engage people<br />
and show them that there are numerous<br />
ways to recycle plastic. To do that, we ran<br />
an ambitious schedule: hosting seven jampacked<br />
events in partnership with 50 local<br />
conservationists and recycling partners. At<br />
each stop we conducted practical recycling<br />
workshops, gave lessons to schoolchildren,<br />
engaged businesses and policy makers in<br />
presentations and talks, and held community<br />
networking events – it was key for us to ensure<br />
we were stimulating practical solutions in the<br />
region.<br />
We were astounded by the total of 5,000<br />
people, from school children to business<br />
owners and local officials, that came and<br />
joined us in celebration and discussion at the<br />
events. By the time we reached our destination<br />
in Stone Town, <strong>Zanzibar</strong>, the impact of the<br />
expedition became clear: the world’s first<br />
plastic boat had captured the hearts and minds<br />
of an international audience, led to pledges<br />
by Kenyan and <strong>Zanzibar</strong>i governments to help<br />
stem the tide of plastic, led to 39 businesses<br />
banning single use plastic on the Kenyan coast,<br />
and even the closing down of the largest dump<br />
site in Mombasa!<br />
These are all incredible examples of local<br />
progress in the global fight against plastic<br />
pollution. However, the key now is to build<br />
more momentum in the region and beyond –<br />
whilst both Kenya and <strong>Zanzibar</strong> have already<br />
made progress to ban plastic bags, there is<br />
still much to do to implement these policies,<br />
and we hope that the region will take further<br />
measures to ban all single-use plastic.<br />
As for Flipflopi, we will keep on sailing, and<br />
plans are now being made to build her ‘big<br />
sister’ so that we can sail the message around<br />
the world - hopefully inspiring more people to<br />
join the “plastic revolution”.<br />
Jack Wood was the security advisor on<br />
board the Flipflopi as it sailed from Lamu to<br />
<strong>Zanzibar</strong> in Jan-Feb <strong>2019</strong>. To become part of<br />
this ambitious project, visit theflipflopi.com.<br />
54 DISCOVER EXPLORE EXPERIENCE
Bar Culture Night<br />
Join us every Wednesday night and<br />
experience craft cocktails. DJ Paps on the<br />
decks from 7.00pm.<br />
For Reservations Call 0726 303030<br />
Excessive consumption of alcohol is harmful to your health. Strictly not to be sold to persons under 18 years<br />
NOMAD MAGAZINE APRIL/MAY <strong>2019</strong> 55
ROAD TRIP<br />
Nairobi-Shaba-Chalbi-Turkana<br />
A FAMILY<br />
HITS THE<br />
ROAD<br />
56 DISCOVER EXPLORE EXPERIENCE
ROAD TRIP<br />
Exploring ideas of where<br />
to go, Simon Marsh decides<br />
that a road trip up North,<br />
well beyond the usual<br />
tourist trail, might be a fun<br />
and unique way to spend<br />
a couple of weeks with his<br />
family and friends.<br />
Our trip was to take us<br />
from Nairobi up to<br />
Shaba National Reserve,<br />
which is contiguous with<br />
the considerably more<br />
famous Samburu and<br />
Buffalo Springs National<br />
Reserves, before heading off to the eastern<br />
side of Lake Turkana and crossing over into<br />
the Chalbi desert, all while revelling in the<br />
places in between.<br />
We had spent a lot of time seeking out<br />
individuals with knowledge of the more<br />
remote areas and bombarding them with<br />
questions. The given answers provided<br />
more questions than answers; we would<br />
need to carry between one and sixty litres<br />
of spare fuel, might get no punctures or<br />
upwards of twenty, water might be available<br />
or we might need to filter our own...the<br />
only certainty was that there were many<br />
uncertainties.<br />
Our first stop was Shaba, previously<br />
home to Joy Adamson. Shaba has a tropical<br />
feel to it thanks to the Ewaso Nyiro river<br />
dissecting it. We pitched camp at the<br />
Funan campsite. As expected, there were<br />
no facilities but it did offer shade under<br />
sprawling Acacia trees, with plenty of water<br />
from the spring and a small stream. The kids<br />
and I mucked in with a will and soon a small<br />
hamlet emerged. With the long drop dug<br />
and the mess tent set up, the priority was to<br />
get the fire prepared. At any African camp<br />
the fire is both the oven and the social hub<br />
and will generally be kept going all the time.<br />
With plenty of firewood, this was relatively<br />
easy and the next priority was to open the<br />
fridge for cold drinks all round.<br />
The next couple of days were spent<br />
pottering around, watching elephants and<br />
gerenuk, looking for crocodiles in the swiftly<br />
flowing river water and paying a visit to<br />
the Save the Elephant Research Camp in<br />
neighbouring Samburu reserve to learn<br />
about their critical work before cooling off in<br />
the refreshing natural spring pool in Buffalo<br />
Springs. The children also discovered the<br />
delights of wallowing in the marsh and<br />
seeing how much mud it was possible to<br />
accumulate upon themselves.<br />
At any African camp<br />
the fire is both<br />
the oven and the<br />
social hub and will<br />
generally be kept<br />
going at all times.<br />
Soon it was time to completely leave the<br />
tarmac so we stopped to squeeze a bit more<br />
fuel into the tanks then hit the dust. There<br />
was very little traffic now, a sporadic truck or<br />
two and the occasional motorbike taxi, but<br />
not much else. After about three hours we<br />
arrived in the sprawling village of Ngurunit<br />
which mainly consists of the Samburu style<br />
rondavel type houses. We had tentatively<br />
booked in at the campsite at the edge of<br />
the village but decided we would prefer<br />
something slightly more detached. Together<br />
with Mbeko, our local liaison, we set off a<br />
short way along the very rocky road until we<br />
identified a nice shaded spot by the river.<br />
Ngurunit has a little known secret which<br />
is the river that comes down from the Ndoto<br />
Mountains and forms a number of crystal<br />
clear pools and some really awesome<br />
natural waterslides. Just a 20 minute<br />
saunter away, we had little in the way of<br />
expectations but it took the two children all<br />
of thirty seconds to work out the dynamics<br />
before hurling themselves fearlessly over the<br />
edge, followed pretty swiftly by the adults.<br />
We spent the rest of the evening trying to<br />
find new ways to hurl ourselves down the<br />
rocks with the aim being to catch the mighty<br />
take off and land neatly in the pool at the<br />
bottom.<br />
The next day after breaking camp and<br />
cleaning up the site it was time to head<br />
up to Turkana, something we were all<br />
excited about. Stopping in South Horr, we<br />
managed to find the well hidden petrol<br />
station and headed through the dramatic<br />
mountain scenery. Once again, our plans<br />
upon arriving in Loiyangalani were vague...<br />
we found a local guide and headed off<br />
somewhere about 15km along the lake<br />
and found a nice shaded spot overlooking<br />
the jade sea and in view of Poi, then set<br />
ourselves up. The more intrepid decided<br />
that tents were an unnecessary addition and<br />
decided to sleep under the stars braving the<br />
scorpions and legendary Turkana gales.<br />
There was little on the way to the desert<br />
other than camels and the occasional village<br />
until we turned into the sand, and then there<br />
was nothing at all. Chalbi desert was once<br />
upon a time a lake and the fossils of fish<br />
are still to be found along with frequent salt<br />
deposits. These deposits doubled as car<br />
traps and so avoiding them, we pitched<br />
camp alongside a sand ridge in the middle<br />
with views of nothing in every direction.<br />
Throughout the journey the lack of light<br />
pollution had provided the most incredible<br />
night sky but the desert stole the show; a<br />
star gazer’s dream come true!<br />
In this part of Kenya, time has largely<br />
stood still, a landscape devoid of habitation<br />
in a world with so many people, being<br />
outdoors all day, no electric gadgets<br />
to distract us and relying on good old<br />
fashioned principles of conversation, fresh<br />
air, excellent food and more than a couple of<br />
cold beers for the adults.<br />
NOMAD MAGAZINE APRIL/MAY <strong>2019</strong> 57
BUDGET PICK<br />
ROCKY ECO<br />
TEXT & PHOTOGRAPHY LEROY BULIRO<br />
Most travel-loving Nairobians are no<br />
strangers to Naivasha, a place which,<br />
at the very least, has served as a pit-stop<br />
as you leave or drive back to the capital.<br />
It is also home to numerous affordable<br />
accommodation spots and activities,<br />
making it the perfect stop for budget<br />
travelers. Rocky Eco-Lodge is one such<br />
place; its central location makes the rest<br />
of the town accessible, from the bustling<br />
centre to the lakes.<br />
OVERVIEW<br />
This eco-friendly spot is easily<br />
distinguishable by its articulate<br />
incorporation of wood carvings, starting<br />
right from the reception to the walls in<br />
the rooms, all drawing inspiration from<br />
nature. The retro ambiance here is African,<br />
drawing from mud and wood huts, albeit<br />
with a 21st century remake. The wooden<br />
swing chairs, side tables and mirror frames<br />
all stay true to the theme.<br />
The ten-roomed lodge offers<br />
breathtaking unmarred views of Lake<br />
Naivasha with the geological curvature<br />
of the mountains as the perfect backdrop,<br />
each sunrise better than the last.<br />
Perfect for backpackers and<br />
archeological geeks, this four year old<br />
property’s proximity to most of Naivasha’s<br />
key attractions makes it the perfect spot for<br />
those keen to explore. It is only 3 km from<br />
town, Hell’s Gate National Park and Lake<br />
Naivasha lie to its north while Mt Longonot<br />
stands to its West. The massage room<br />
is always open for some much needed<br />
relaxation after a busy day out and about,<br />
and the international cuisine offered at<br />
the restaurant will do just the trick. Matter<br />
of fact, their vegetables are sourced from<br />
Lodge<br />
their very own backyard, ensuring total<br />
freshness for farm to table enthusiasts.<br />
GETTING THERE<br />
From Nairobi, drive 83 km using the<br />
Nakuru- Nairobi highway. Once you make<br />
your turn headed to Naivasha Town, take<br />
the Moi South Lake Road and drive another<br />
3.7 km to arrive at your destination.<br />
Rocky Eco Lodge will be located along the<br />
highway on your left, directly opposite the<br />
junction leading to Hell’s Gate National<br />
Park. The road is tarmaced all the way so<br />
just map out the route and hit the road- any<br />
kind of car will get you there.<br />
PROS<br />
• Easily accessible given its location<br />
right by the road.<br />
• Camping is available.<br />
• Fresh food grown in their own garden.<br />
CONS<br />
• Limited number of rooms available if<br />
you’re coming as a large group. Book<br />
in advance.<br />
• If you need something that is not<br />
available at the lodge, you will have<br />
to drive into town as there are no<br />
shops around.<br />
HOW TO BOOK & COSTS<br />
A nights stay at Rocky Eco Lodge will<br />
cost you Ksh 8,500 for a single room<br />
and Ksh 12,500 for a double room, Full-<br />
Board while half-board will go for Ksh<br />
7,000 single and Ksh 9,500 double. For<br />
camping, call to confirm availability.<br />
For bookings, head to their site at<br />
naivasharockyecolodge.co.ke or email<br />
them directly at rockyresort@yahoo.com<br />
Overall<br />
8/10<br />
ACTIVITIES<br />
From trekking the rough terrain of<br />
Hell’s Gate National Park to uphill and<br />
downhill adventures to the crater of<br />
Mt Longonot, these are just but a few<br />
activities around Naivasha that will<br />
surely quench your nomadic desires<br />
to explore, so dust off those safari<br />
boots and prepare to experience what<br />
Naivasha has to offer. Want to cool<br />
off? Drive down to Lake Naivasha and<br />
enjoy the calm breeze as you unwind<br />
with a boat ride.<br />
HELL’S GATE NATIONAL PARK<br />
Distance From Rocky Eco Lodge:<br />
31 km<br />
Entry Fee: Ksh 300 for citizens & Ksh<br />
600 for residents<br />
A TREK UP MT LONGONOT<br />
Distance From Rocky Eco Lodge:<br />
22 km<br />
Entry Fee: Ksh 300 for citizens & Ksh<br />
600 for residents<br />
CRUISING ON LAKE NAIVASHA<br />
Distance From Rocky Eco Lodge: 9 km
NOMAD MAGAZINE APRIL/MAY <strong>2019</strong> 59
Weekend at<br />
KIMANA HOUSE<br />
TEXT: WENDY WATTA<br />
60 DISCOVER EXPLORE EXPERIENCE
SPOTLIGHT ON<br />
Ibegrudgingly yank myself from the<br />
cozy embrace of the four poster<br />
bed and pad barefoot across the<br />
spacious room towards the large<br />
glass windows through which the<br />
soft morning light has washed<br />
into the space. Taking in the view<br />
for the first time given our late arrival the<br />
previous night, I am met with a startlingly<br />
green, well kempt lawn, and...wait, is that a<br />
herd of zebras grazing further afield?<br />
There is a river a few feet away and its<br />
soothing rushing sound had lulled me to<br />
sleep the previous night. I walk out for a<br />
closer inspection and discover a rock pool<br />
which must have been manually marked out<br />
from the rest of the river by several rocks,<br />
and for a moment, seriously contemplate<br />
belly-flopping in for a quick dip. It is<br />
however cold enough to deter even the most<br />
determined of swimmers, and I am also,<br />
quite frankly, starving.<br />
Being a self-catering spot, there is a chef<br />
for hire at Kimana House, but I am stubborn<br />
about doing our own cooking. If coming<br />
from Nairobi, I would suggest doing all<br />
of your shopping in the city as you might<br />
not find all desired items at Kimana town.<br />
I am quite content to potter around this<br />
very functional kitchen, peering into neatly<br />
organised cupboards and drawers to get<br />
familiar with this new space, and pretty<br />
soon, my beef Burgundy is simmering on the<br />
stove.<br />
Wandering around the four beautiful<br />
rooms of Kimana House, it is hard to<br />
believe that at the turn of 2018, it was<br />
still a dark and dreary space with ghastly<br />
tinted windows, a questionable choice of<br />
paint complete with an overgrown bush<br />
covering the entire front yard. When Big Life<br />
Foundation backed by Sheldrick Wildlife<br />
Trust signed a lease until 2046 from the<br />
local maasai who communally own the land,<br />
one of the first orders of business was to<br />
completely overhaul this house.<br />
With a limited budget, tight deadline<br />
and unexpected rains which went on for<br />
three months, renovations were in high gear;<br />
shiny tiles were replaced with mazeras stone<br />
and the work done on the bathrooms was<br />
nothing short of a miracle, turning what was<br />
once a pastor’s house into a stylish homey<br />
space that can comfortably sleep eight. My<br />
favourite spot would have to be the outdoor<br />
dining area which proved the perfect spot<br />
for long overdue catch ups that spilled late<br />
into the balmy Amboseli evenings.<br />
Kimana Sanctuary is said to be the first<br />
community conservancy in Kenya, presently<br />
owned by 480 local maasai who depend<br />
on tourism for most of their income. It sits at<br />
the very center of a crucial corridor linking<br />
the nearby Amboseli National Park to the<br />
Chyulu Hills and Tsavo, and being a true<br />
elephant lover, our game drive certainly did<br />
not disappoint.<br />
It is a self-drive property, although<br />
car hires can also be arranged with a<br />
third party through the house. We set off<br />
just before sunset with house manager<br />
Joshua acting as our guide; our saloon car<br />
surprisingly handled the terrain quite well,<br />
although I highly suspect that it would be an<br />
altogether different story during the rainy<br />
season. Having been on innumerable game<br />
drives, the wildlife somewhat start blending<br />
into one another, but elephants always stop<br />
me right in my tracks, even if this time it was<br />
simply because we were caught up in a sea<br />
of these curious giants who flanked us all<br />
round showing no signs of budging. As a<br />
few more posed in the shadow of a snowcapped<br />
Mt Kilimanjaro in whose direction the<br />
sun was setting, I had to blink back cathartic<br />
tears brought on by the visual overload from<br />
the sheer beauty all round. It was simply<br />
overwhelming.<br />
RATES<br />
Kimana Sanctuary is open to everyone for<br />
game drives and camping. There are two<br />
campsites with a long-drop toilet and bucket<br />
shower facilities so carry your own food,<br />
water and tents and stay for the awesome<br />
location.<br />
Game drives: Ksh 1,000 per person per<br />
day for residents/citizens, and Ksh 2,500 for<br />
non-residents.<br />
Camping: Ksh 2,000 per person per day<br />
for residents and Ksh 3,500 for non-residents<br />
(includes the entry fee).<br />
Kimana House: Ksh 18,000 per night for<br />
four guests or less, and Ksh 24,000 per night<br />
for 5-8 guests (inclusive of children).<br />
Children between 10-18 years pay 50%<br />
and children under 10 years go free for<br />
camping and game drives.<br />
NOMAD MAGAZINE APRIL/MAY <strong>2019</strong> 61
SANDSTORM<br />
What I pack … for my travels<br />
Athlete Biko Adema is a renowned rugby<br />
sevens player who’s traveled the world and<br />
stolen the hearts of numerous sports fans<br />
in the process. Whenever he hits the road,<br />
these are some of the items you’re likely to<br />
find in his carry-on bag.<br />
Instagram: @ademdiz<br />
Tan Moshi<br />
Ksh15,900<br />
PORTABLE JBL SPEAKER<br />
This has proved to be the<br />
perfect companion on<br />
roadtrips. When on group<br />
getaways with friends at the<br />
beach or on safari, we can<br />
simply play some good music<br />
and hang out. The sound<br />
quality is superb.<br />
LACOSTE COLOGNE<br />
Did you know that the Lacoste<br />
brand was unintentionally started<br />
by French tennis star Lacoste in<br />
1927 when he was promised<br />
a piece of luggage made from<br />
crocodile skin if he won a<br />
particular match? Thereafter, he<br />
emblazoned a small crocodile on<br />
his court apparel after the win,<br />
and pretty soon started producing<br />
this signature shirt for tennis, golf<br />
and sailing. Biko says, “I like<br />
smelling great and have several<br />
perfumes that I use depending on<br />
my mood.”<br />
THE RULES OF<br />
PEOPLE<br />
BY RICHARD<br />
TEMPLAR<br />
I like to bring a<br />
motivational book<br />
to go through whenever I can and this<br />
current read is marketed as a personal<br />
code for getting the best from everyone...<br />
it promises to turn you into a natural<br />
‘people person’, so we’ll see about that.<br />
BLOC SUNGLASSES<br />
I like to whip these out when it gets too<br />
sunny or when I simply want to enjoy<br />
a beautiful view such as an incredible<br />
sunset. They are also just oh so stylish!<br />
G SHOCK WATCH BY CASIO<br />
This is perfect if you’re on the<br />
move a lot as it was designed<br />
for sports and adventurous<br />
outdoor activities. From the<br />
gym to hiking and the beach,<br />
you can literally wear it<br />
anywhere.<br />
A SMALL BIBLE<br />
A quiet moment<br />
of devotion and<br />
meditation is key every<br />
now and then. For my<br />
spiritual nourishment, I’ll<br />
go through this and it calms,<br />
inspires and sharpens my<br />
focus.<br />
62 DISCOVER EXPLORE EXPERIENCE
NAIROBI: The Hub, Junction, Sarit Centre, Village Market, Yaya Centre, Westgate<br />
www.sandstormkenya.com<br />
NOMAD MAGAZINE APRIL/MAY <strong>2019</strong> 63
LAST WORD<br />
Hamid stands brandishing<br />
a red umbrella outside<br />
The Tembo Hotel<br />
wearing a kanzu<br />
robe and prayer cap.<br />
Gathered around him<br />
are a motley bunch<br />
of tourists who have<br />
been foolhardy enough to sign up for an<br />
Old Town tour under the midday sun. Most<br />
are dressed suitably with shoulders and<br />
legs covered in loose fabric, but Cathy has<br />
to rush back for a hat and Mindy, to grab<br />
a bottle of drinking water. David wears<br />
long shorts with an expensive camera slung<br />
around his neck. When everyone is finally<br />
ready, Hamid clears his throat.<br />
“Wakaribishwa,” he says, arms<br />
outstretched. “Karibu Stone Town. Today we<br />
visit a palace, a fort, hidden caves and a<br />
house of wonders. Follow me!”<br />
“Er, how long is the tour?” Asks Cathy,<br />
clearing her throat.<br />
“Just four hours.” Hamid says casually.<br />
The group exchange worried glances.<br />
Mrs Mungai asks if she might be able to<br />
return to the hotel midway through the tour<br />
and Hamid nods in agreement.<br />
“Endelea” Hamid says, heading off<br />
feelings of uncertainty. He takes a bold<br />
step forward, followed by a hasty couple of<br />
sharp steps back as a moped driver, white<br />
Walking<br />
TOUR<br />
By Frances Woodhams<br />
shirt flying, nearly mows him down. Hamid<br />
shakes his fist as the moped disappears<br />
around a tight corner, horn honking.<br />
The group crocodile down narrow streets<br />
lined with tall, whitewashed buildings. Iron<br />
roofs, peeling paint and ramshackle wooden<br />
balconies with power lines and cables that<br />
crisscross overhead. Ornate carved wooden<br />
doorways are flanked by stone seats<br />
positioned for weary travelers seeking refuge<br />
from the sun. Occasionally a door is left<br />
ajar giving a glimpse into a sunlit courtyard<br />
replete with washing line, pot plants and<br />
perhaps a fountain. Hamid explains the<br />
history of the carved doors but the group<br />
turn at the sound of a cat fight taking place<br />
down a side alley, so they move on.<br />
“And this was Freddie Mercury’s House.”<br />
Hamid says with a flourish. “Where he spent<br />
many years of his childhood.”<br />
David says,”Freddie who?” but takes<br />
photographs nonetheless.<br />
“Real name Farrokh Bulsara.” Hamid<br />
continues, undeterred. “He spent his<br />
childhood years right here.”<br />
“Bohemian Rhapsody!” Mindy pipes<br />
up. “My absolute favourite movie, you must<br />
watch it.” She tells Mrs Mungai who is<br />
fanning herself wearily.<br />
On with the tour and shops selling<br />
fabrics, spices and paintings spill their wares<br />
onto the streets over tables or strung up<br />
on walls. Bicycles, mopeds, handcarts are<br />
parked to one side while vendors lounge on<br />
doorsteps calling out to passing customers.<br />
Ladies in full veil with henna-tattooed hands<br />
go about their shopping quietly. The delicious<br />
smell of freshly brewed coffee floats in the air.<br />
Some streets are so narrow that the party has<br />
to walk in a single file. There are brief stops<br />
at the Hamamni Baths and the famous Jaws<br />
Corner intersection where ‘international calls<br />
are free’. Mrs Mungai shows signs of flagging<br />
when the muezzin’s call to prayer starts<br />
ringing out from Stone Town’s 50 mosques<br />
and David suggests the group take a break,<br />
which everyone agrees is a good idea.<br />
“I know just the place.” Hamid says, “Not<br />
far.”<br />
The group magically emerge at the<br />
seafront, signaled by a warm breeze and half<br />
a dozen touts offering boat trips and spice<br />
tours.<br />
“No thank you. Not today,” says Cathy.<br />
“Perfect stop for a soda!” Hamid beams,<br />
crossing the road to the Sunshine Bar and<br />
Grill. The group gratefully pull up plastic<br />
chairs in the shade and, buoyed by sugar and<br />
bubbles, ask what is next on the itinerary. The<br />
Arab Fort and then the House of Wonders.<br />
On with the tour!<br />
Frances Woodhams is author of the blog:<br />
www.africaexpatwivesclub.com<br />
SKETCH: MOVIN WERE<br />
64 DISCOVER EXPLORE EXPERIENCE
ADVERTORIAL<br />
BEACH TO<br />
BUSH<br />
WITH<br />
Why you should fly with Safarilink<br />
Your flight with Safarilink to <strong>Zanzibar</strong> guarantees you;<br />
• The booking process ( Reservations & Call Centre)<br />
• Our state-of-the-art security<br />
• Our friendly check-in<br />
• Our dedicated private lounge<br />
• Direct boarding and in-flight service<br />
Reasons to visit <strong>Zanzibar</strong><br />
• Blissful beach destination<br />
• Unique and vibrant culture and architecture<br />
• Exotic spices<br />
• Rich culture & history<br />
• Diving Mecca and water lover’s paradise<br />
Safarilink<br />
is Kenya’s premier<br />
airline with a network<br />
of connecting domestic scheduled services to all<br />
the best safari destinations within Kenya and<br />
across the border into Tanzania. Based at Wilson<br />
Airport, Nairobi, Safarilink provides daily scheduled<br />
flights to Maasai Mara, Amboseli, Tsavo West,<br />
Naivasha, Nanyuki, Lewa Downs, Samburu, Lamu,<br />
Kilimanjaro, Loisaba, Kitale, Kapese, Lodwar,<br />
Migori, Vipingo, Diani, <strong>Zanzibar</strong> and Kisumu.<br />
Safarilink offers daily seamless inter-connecting<br />
services from safari destinations to our beach<br />
destinations such as <strong>Zanzibar</strong>, Diani, Vipingo and<br />
Lamu. We also provide private charter services if<br />
scheduled services are not convenient.<br />
Through our dedicated check-in lounge, friendly<br />
security checks, free Wi-Fi, free flights through our<br />
safari bonus program and direct boarding, we pride<br />
ourself on being a reliable airline. Over the last year,<br />
we have had numerous expansions on our services;<br />
on 1st July 2018, we increased the frequency of<br />
<strong>Zanzibar</strong> flights from four times a week to daily. On<br />
3rd September 2018, we introduced a new route to<br />
Kisumu. Both services enable passengers to connect<br />
from all our safari destinations, most notably Maasai<br />
Mara and Laikipia, allowing them to arrive at their<br />
destination in daylight hours! The in-bound early<br />
evening return flight from <strong>Zanzibar</strong> enables suitable<br />
connections to international flights.<br />
In line with the extensive expansion of our<br />
services, we have increased our fleet from 11 to 13<br />
aircraft, three of which are Dash-8 (Bombardier)<br />
Safarilink CSR activities are targeted at regions<br />
where we operate and are primarily focused on<br />
preserving nature and improving the lives of local<br />
communities. This ranges from Laikipia where we<br />
support forest restoration with Mt Kenya Trust<br />
to Lewa Wildlife Conservancy with whom we are<br />
partners in wildlife conservation. In Diani, we<br />
engage in conservation of colobus monkeys and<br />
in partnership with Hands Off our Elephants, we<br />
have branded our aircrafts with this vital message.<br />
Further to that, we are also engaged in numerous<br />
acts of goodwill across the country to save nature and<br />
transform lives.<br />
To achieve this, we partner with reputable<br />
organizations operating in the destinations that we<br />
serve. Our efforts have won us many awards and<br />
collaborators. We are recognized as the first airline<br />
to partner with Mt Kenya Trust committing to the<br />
carbon offset program, and as the first airline to be<br />
awarded the Best Eco-Friendly Airline by Ecotourism<br />
Kenya for five consecutive years.<br />
We recently partnered with Mpesa Foundation<br />
Academy to sponsor two students from Turkana<br />
county for a full course of secondary school<br />
education. In the same county early this year, we<br />
sponsored a five-day eye clinic with over two million<br />
shillings with one of our partners, Medical &<br />
Education Aid for Kenya (MEAK) which saw a total<br />
of 818 patients reviewed.<br />
SAFARILINK AVIATION LTD<br />
Phoenix House, Wilson Airport<br />
PO.Box 5616, Nairobi, 0056, Kenya.<br />
Tel: 020 6690000<br />
Mobile: +254 720888111/ 730 888 000<br />
email: res@flysafarilink.com<br />
65 DISCOVER EXPLORE EXPERIENCE<br />
NOMAD MAGAZINE APRIL/MAY <strong>2019</strong> 65
Book a flight to paradise.<br />
Daily flights<br />
<strong>Zanzibar</strong><br />
66 DISCOVER EXPLORE EXPERIENCE<br />
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