Rising up out of the desert the dramatic Mathews
Range in Kenyan's Northern Frontier region stretches for 150km and are covered
in a 300km2 dense indigenous forest interspersed with giant cedars and a rare
species of ancient cycad, one of the oldest plant types on the planet, endemic
to the Mathews forests. Its forest has been dubbed a ‘biological bonanza’ by
the BBC run from the Samburu area in the south, around 200km up to the
wild lands of South Horr and Lake Turkana in the North.
Here you will find gazelle, oryx, ostrich and
Grevy's zebra grazing by river Ewaso Ng'iro and seasonal streams that cut
through the mountains. There is also a healthy number of elephant here, buffalo
and leopard are also common, but the region is primarily a wilderness
area and not a big game destination; walking here is superb. A series of steep
gullies and winding paths snake through the Matthews Range with the Ngeng River
home to a couple of large rock pools that are perfect for swimming. There is
also Over 200 bird species have been counted in the area, together with more
than 150 species of butterflies, representing more than twice the amount of
butterfly species found in the UK.
The higher
altitude means the Range is a rain catchment area and the valleys here are
thick with forests; meaning the vistas you might expect are often covered
by the thick vegetation. Scientists call this mountain forest a ‘sky island’,
which rises up out of the surrounding sea of arid lowlands, to an altitude of
2200 metres. This ancient mountain forest is a stronghold for a wide range of
plant and wildlife species, such as Melanistic leopard, also known as the black
panther, lion, forest elephant and antelopes, buffalo, the rare De Brazza
monkey, Colobus monkey, greater kudu, waterbuck, giant forest hog as well as
Africa’s endangered wild dog. Leopard sightings are also common
The real attraction here is the
remote location, its striking beauty and the opportunity to explore the forest
on foot in complete privacy as well as to experience unique social interactions
with the local Samburu and Ndorobo people, also the days spent exploring the
area on game walks, birdwatching. It's a destination for the old and
young safari enthusiasts or for people wanting to explore a region little
visited by others.
To the
south of the Mathews mountains lie the Sarara Plains, approximately 75,000
hectares, home to the Samburu tribes people, a group of semi-nomadic
pastoralists who have for long shown tolerance for the wildlife that co-exists
alongside their cattle.
Spending time in this amazing region will not be
forgotten as you can do anything from day and night drives to guided forest
walks and swimming in the beautiful Ewaso Ng'iro River.Accommodation choices
Although
it is possible to camp in the area, skilled guides are needed and the
possibility of meeting big game on foot is very real. There are two places that
are recommended in Mathews range and they are: Kitich Camp,
meaning "place of happiness" in Samburu which is a six roomed bush
camp with long drop toilets and canvas bag showers. It is a great little
camp with good guides and a range of activities as well as a reputation for
slight eccentricity but good food due to its Italian owners influence.
Sarara
on the other hand is one of Kenya’s greatest success stories as it is run
entirely by the local Samburu with the help of the Lewa Conservancy in return
for protection of the area's wildlife. It has been remarkably successful
and with only five rooms is slightly more luxurious than Kitich. Mathews Range
offers African adventure unparalleled by no other.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.