Lions Bluff Lodge - Taita Hills, Kenya

 Lumo Community Wildlife Sanctuary - Taita Hills, Kenya

An ecological oasis
An exclusive eco-lodge, conceived, built and run by the local Taita community, Lions Bluff Lodge stands high on a rocky bluff looking towards the North Pare Mountains, Kilimanjaro, the West Usambara Mountains and the Taita Hills.
The 125,000-acre community-owned Lumo Community Wildlife Sanctuary lies at the heart of the Tsavo eco system, surrounded by Tsavo East and West National parks and the Taita Game Sanctuary. It is composed of three group ranches (Lualenyi, Mramba and Oza), all of whom have elected to pool their natural resources in the interests of sustaining this unique wilderness area.
The area is a vital wildlife corridor for the animals of Tsavo East and west, it is also an ancient elephant migratory route and important breeding sites for lion.
Kenya hotels and accommodation
Amongst the wide range of Kenya hotels, some make the ideal Kenya safari destination. Choose a safari lodge, safari hotel, bush camp, luxury lodge, safari camp, tented camp or bush lodge. National park accommodation usually takes the form of a traditional safari lodge or tented camp, but numerous other options exist on the park boundaries. Luxury lodges and luxury camp options are also offered in the private wildlife conservancies.

Location
Immediately adjacent to Tsavo West, the Lodge also serves as a gateway to both Lake Jipe and Lake Challa as well as to the Shetani Lava Flows, Mizima Springs Hippo Pools, and rhinoceros sanctuary of Tsavo West.
How to get there
From Voi, take the Taveta road for 48 kms. Turn left at the Lumo Community Wildlife Sanctuary signboard. The sanctuary gate is 1km from the main road. Lions Bluff is 5km from the gate.
The Background
The picturesquely verdant Taita Hills lie to the south and west of Voi town and rise abruptly above the plains of Tsavo West National park. The highest point in the Taitas is Vuria (2,209m), from which there are stunning views of Kasigau, Mawenzi, Kibo, Ngulia and the Chyulus.

Wundanyi is the Taita district capital where you can also see one of the many ancestor shrines of the Taita, The cave of skulls . This cave, just outside the town, shelters the exhumed skulls of 32 Taita ancestors and remains a traditional advice and guidance centre wherein the Taita people may consult with their dead.

The forgotten world of the Taitas
Because the forests that cap the Taita Hills have been isolated from the other Kenyan forests for many centuries, they shelter unusually high levels of endemic species. Bird species include the Taita Thrush, the Taita White-eye and the Taita Apalis. The Taitas also host a unique rear-fanged snake, Amblyodipsas teitana, an endemic toad, Bufo Teitensis, and three butterflies, the Taita Glider, Taita Charaxes and Taita Swallowtail found only in the Taitas. At least nine plant species are found nowhere else on earth whilst the African violet (extensively sold as a pot plant in Europe and America) grows well on their moist slopes.
Beautiful birds
Highlights of the birdlife include extremes such as ostrich and golden pipit, while perhaps the most conspicuous are the white-headed buffalo weaver and the brilliantly plumaged golden-breasted starling. Raucous hornbill are also prevalent as are such hole-nesting birds as parrot, barbet and roller.
Wildlife highlights:
Coke's hartebeest, bush, duiker, klipspringer, suni, Bohor reedbuck, impala, Grant's gazelle, fringe-eared oryx, bush buck, lesser kudu, eland, steenbok, Kirk's dik-dik, waterbuck, vervet and Syke's monkey, yellow baboon, golden, black-backed and side-striped jackal, mongoose, squirrel, cheetah, caracal, serval, African wild cat, lion, leopard, African civet, elephant, Burchells zebra, buffalo, Maasai giraffe, African hare, ant bear, aardwolf, bush baby, bat-eared fox, porcupine, genet, zorilla, honey badger, tortoise, hedgehogs, hyrax, spotted and striped hyena, otter, terrapin and monitor lizard.
Accommodation
Surrounded by the smoke-grey peaks of the Pare Mountains, with views of the snows of Kilimanjaro, the ensuite rooms have little need of decoration. The twelve Rondavel-styled rooms are simplicity incarnate; featuring hand-made four-poster beds, crisp white linen and locally-made wildwood furniture. Each room is ensuite and features a viewing deck and wildwood bridge leading from the bluff.
Dining and bars
The central dining room has open sides, allowing for long views across the plains. An integral part of the surrounding community, the professionally-trained chef sources all his produce from the local farmers, many of whom are shareholders in the conservancy. International and local buffet selections are offered.

Child-friendly
The lodge welcomes children and can provide; children's menus, mealtimes, baby-sitting, guided nature walks, and family game drives.
Other facilities
Simply built from sustainable timber, the lodge features a panoramic bar, viewing terrace and community handicrafts boutique.

What to see and do
A traditional breeding ground for the legendary lions of Tsavo, Lions Bluff has its own waterhole, which attracts great herds of elephants, buffalos and plains game.
Day and night game drives.
Unlike the national parks, the Lumo Community Wildlife Sanctuary permits both day and night game drives.
‘Sun-downer' cocktails, bush suppers, picnic lunches, guided nature walks and ornithological tours are also offered.
A key arena of war in the East African campaign of World War I, the lodge also hosts a series of utterly unique ‘battle field tours'; which rediscover the battle lines, infantry trenches and discarded shell cases left behind by one of the most bizarre military encounters between the German and British colonialists.

Lions Bluff Lodge - Taita Hills • Exclusive Safari Lodge • Kenya Hotels, Safari Lodges, Tented Camps
To enquire about booking this Kenya safari hotel, please Contact Us!

We Care We Contribute

As a company, “We care”. It’s a commitment! There is great need in Africa. We at AfricaImpressive.com support a number of worthy causes helping both people and wildlife in Africa. For every client who visits Africa with us, we donate $10 to one of the following non-profit programs:

Since 1969, the animal orphanage at the Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy continues to be home to countless animals that were orphaned, injured or needed special care. Many are successfully returned to the wild.

For more information visit the website of Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy

Madagascar Wildlife Conservation (MWC) aims to preserve biodiversity in key areas by promoting a long-term conservation process that integrates development, environmental education and research.

MWC is an international non-profit organisation working in Madagaskar. The goal of our projects is to preserve the unique nature on and around Lac Alaotra and at the same time to respect the needs of the local people of the region.

For more information visit the website of Madagascar Wildlife Conservation

We Care! AfricaImpressive.com and Paeonia Rubra donate $10 to a worthy cause in Africa for every client who travels with us!

SERENGETI SAFARI

Showcasing the very essence of the Serengeti and its surrounding areas, this compact 5-day road safari begins on the shores of beautiful Lake Manyara National Park before moving into the grandeur of the Serengeti, where traditional lodge accommodation is provided for two nights. Leaving the Serengeti, the tour includes a fascinating visit to 01 Duvai Gorge, the legendary ‘Cradle of Mankind’, before entering the world-famous Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area, where a half-day crater tour is included. All accommodation is provided in traditional safari lodges.
Wildlife Highlights: lion, elephant, buffalo, leopard, cheetah, hippos, crocodiles, wildebeest, zebra, antelope, gazelle, impala, waterbuck, topi, eland, plains game, giraffe, black and white rhino.

Serengeti Safari Itinerary

Day 1: Arusha to Lake Manyara
Arrive at Kilimanjaro International Airport where you will be met by your vehicle and driver. After lunch in Arusha town, drive to the Lake Manyara Wildlife Lodge, which is the only lodge to lie within the boundaries of the Lake Manyara National Park. Lying in the heart of the park, it offers stunning views of the towering escarpment of the Great Rift Valley, while its exclusive position allows for extensive safari game drives in the southern section of the park, which is dominated by its soda lake, often home to thousands of greater flamingos and lesser flamingos. Lunch and dinner at the lodge.
Distance/drive time: 130 km / 2 hours
Day 2: Lake Manyara to the Serengeti
After breakfast, take a game-drive around Lake Manyara National Park, which is famous for its tree climbing lions. After lunch, drive to the Serengeti National Park and enjoy an afternoon’s game drive before checking into the Seronera Wildlife Lodge. Sensitively constructed around a rocky outcrop, known as a kopje, the lodge blends perfectly into the savannah. Surrounded by waterholes that attract wildlife both day and night, it is ideally located for game drives, balloon safaris and guided walks. Dinner at the lodge.
Distance/drive time: 205 km / 4 hours
Day 3: On safari in the Serengeti
Enjoy a full day’s game driving around the vast and sensational Serengeti, which covers 14,763 sq km of endlessly rolling savannah plains and is Tanzania’s most famous park wherein tens of thousands of hoofed animals roam in a constant and unremitting search for the fresh grasslands upon which their survival depends. The million-plus wildebeest are the predominant herbivore and also the main prey of a huge cast of large carnivores, principally lion and hyena. Whilst the annual migration is the Serengeti’s most famous attraction, the Park is also renowned for its lion, many of which have been fitted with radio-transmitter collars so that their movements may be tracked, and additionally for its wealth of cheetah, zebra, giraffe, Thomson’s and Grant’s gazelle, eland, impala, klipspringer, hippo and warthog. All meals at the lodge.
The Migration
Twice a year, propelled by the rains, 1.3 million wildebeest, 200,000 zebra and 300,000 Thomson’s gazelle gather in the Serengeti to undertake an 800 km trek to new grazing lands. The precise timing of the migration varies but generally the herbivores congregate and move out at the end of May, sometimes over a period of weeks, sometimes over a period of as little as three or four days. They then head west on the first leg of a roughly triangular 800-km circuit that takes approximately 3-4 months and ends in the Masai Mara National Reserve of Kenya. When the grazing here is exhausted the tide of herbivores turns and reverses its progress returning to the short grass plains of Tanzania.
Day 4: Serengeti to the Ngorongoro Crater
Leave the Serengeti and drive to the Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area via Olduvai Gorge the ‘cradle of mankind’, and site of one of the most important and controversial Palaeolithic finds in recent history. Continue into the crater for an afternoon tour and picnic lunch. Often referred to as ‘the eighth wonder of the world’ the Ngorongoro Crater is one of Africa’s best-known wildlife arenas. A World Heritage Site, it is also one of the largest volcanic craters in the world (almost 20 kilometres wide, 610-760 metres deep and covering a total area of 264 square kilometres). An utterly unique biosphere, the Crater harbours grasslands, swamps, forests, saltpans, a fresh water lake and a glorious variety of birdlife, all enclosed within its towering walls. In the late afternoon, ascend to the rim of the crater and check-in to the Ngorongoro Wildlife Lodge, which offers one of the finest locations of all the crater-rim lodges, lying on its southern rim directly above the yellow fever trees of the Lerai Forest. Dinner at the lodge.
Distance/drive time: 145 km / 3 hours
Day 4: Lunch in Arusha
After breakfast, drive to Arusha arriving in time for lunch at a local restaurant. After lunch transfer to Kilimanjaro International Airport for your onward flights.
Distance/drive time: 190 km / 3.5 hours

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Mount Kilimanjaro Machame Route

Once championed as the discerning wilderness route for climbers, Machame is gaining on Marangu in terms of popularity. It is also the second-most accessible trailhead of the non-steep routes making it attractive to clients. Its reputation as one of the most scenic routes is entirely justified, with the sweeping views across the Masai Steppe to Meru and the impressive Barranco Valley praised by all who climb it. Gains in popularity, however, are inevitably at the expense of total exclusivity but as the descent route is different from the ascent, climbers are only aware of the popularity when they reach camp; it is still infinitely quieter than the Marangu Route.
Machame Route Climbing Schedule
Day 1: Arrival
Upon arrival at Kilimanjaro airport you will be met by our representative. After checking that you have all your luggage and belongings he will take you to one of our vehicles and transfer you to your hotel for a briefing on the following day’s climb. Overnight at Keys Hotel in Moshi.
Day 2: Machame Camp
Pick up from your lodge after breakfast and transfer to Machame gate where you will register before you start your climb. From the park entrance gate (Machame), you will trek for about two to three hours through a dense forest of fig and rubber trees, begonia flowers, and other tropical vegetation. A stop for a hot lunch will be made halfway to the campsite. As you continue your ascent, you will find that the tropical forest has given way to tall grasses and giant heather. You will be walking on a ridge, to the left of which is the Semira stream, and on the right, the Weru Weru. Depending on the pace of the climbers, arrival at Machame Camp is usually between 5pm and 6pm. This initial stage of the climb is tranquil and relatively easy. There is no point in rushing to get to the camp, as there is little to do there. Guides tend to recommend a slow ascent, even at this point, for gradual acclimatization.
Do not try to keep up with your porters, who will usually bound ahead. Instead, take time to admire the beauty of the rainforest. If you are interested in botany, you should carry a small reference book.
Day 3: Shira Camp
On this and subsequent mornings, wake-up call is at around 6am and is accompanied by hot tea or coffee and typically a fabulous view of Uhuru peak.
Today’s trek takes you up a steep track through a savannah of tall grasses, volcanic rock, and bearded heather. You will encounter giant groundsels as you hike through a ghostly landscape of volcanic lava, caves, and foamy streams.
Lunch will be taken just below the Shira Plateau, about three to four hours from Shira Camp. The hike to the next campsite takes approximately six hours and you should arrive between 2pm and 3pm. Most climbers tend to pace themselves, walking slowly and resting about every half-hour. Many will feel lethargic and have headaches by the time they reach camp. Guides advise those with symptoms of altitude sickness to drink tea and sleep a lot. Dinner and overnight at Shira Camp.
Day 4: Barranco
After breakfast you will start crossing the Bastains stream and commence the descent to Barranco Camp along the immense Grand Barranco canyon. Along the way, you will see numerous waterfalls, which are fed, by streams coming from the mountain, converging here to form the Umbwe River. Your camp is set at almost the same altitude as the night before. Today’s trek lasts for about six hours and arrival at camp is between 4.30 and 5.30pm. Dinner and overnight at Barranco Camp.
Day 5: Barafu
The scenic climb to Barafu is mostly on a moraine with a view of Mawenzi Peak towering majestically to the right, and overhead, Kibo Peak seemingly just out of reach. The alpine desert terrain encountered at this point is mostly a mineral environment with few lichens and mosses. Lunch will be taken halfway. All climbers are advised to go to bed very early this night, as the next day is the longest one. Dinner and overnight at Barafu Camp
Day 6: Summit
You will be awakened at midnight and after a light breakfast, start climbing at around 3am. At this stage, the climb becomes much more difficult. Here, very few will not be suffering from altitude sickness in some form or another; and climbers should carry as little as possible on this portion of the climb. Temperatures will range from -4° to 5° Fahrenheit. Making your way up a path that is flanked by the Ratzel and Rebman glaciers, you will climb for about six hours before reaching the edge of the crater, between Stella and Hans Meyer points. Another hour of climbing brings you to the summit. Uhuru stands at 19,340 feet and is the highest point on the continent of Africa. The track around the edge of the crater is rocky and icy. Concentrate on your feet, and follow your guide very closely for this portion of the journey.
The descent is now easier than the ascent. You will reach Barafu Camp after about three hours at around 11.30am. Arriving into camp at around 5pm you will have trekked a total of thirteen hours today. Dinner and overnight at MwekaCamp.

Day 7: Descent
After breakfast continue down to Mweka gate where you sign your name and details in a register. This is also where successful climbers receive their summit certificates. Those climbers who reached Stella Point are issued with green certificates and those who reached Uhuru Peak receive gold certificates. Met by a driver guide and drive to your hotel in Moshi.
Day 8
After breakfast transfer to the airport for your home bound flights.
Optional Extra day at Karanga Camp:
An extra day is offered at Karanga to acclimatize to the higher altitude. Karanga Camp. It will be spent hiking to Karanga Camp, which is on the same altitude as Barranco Camp. You will encounter a bit of a climb at Barranco Cliff and spend the rest of the trek climbing up and down the slopes of the mountain most of the way to camp. The climbing is not considered difficult and you should arrive in time for lunch (approximately 1pm) having trekked for about four hours. In the afternoon you have the opportunity to hike in the Karanga Valley where giant senecios and lobelia grow; however, you are well advised to rest as much as you possibly can to prepare you for the climb ahead. Dinner and overnight at Karanga Camp.

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TANZANIA DELUXE

This luxury road and air safari showcases the undiscovered wilderness of Tarangire National Park, the possibility of seeing the famous tree-climbing lions of Lake Manyara, the glory of the ‘eighth wonder of the world’ the magnificent Ngorongoro Crater, 01 Duvai Gorge Paleolithic site and the magnificent Serengeti. Covering optimum distances in minimum time, this unique safari also offers both traditional safari lodge and luxury tented camp accommodation.
Wildlife Highlights: lion, elephant, buffalo, leopard, cheetah, hippos, crocodiles, wildebeest, zebra, antelope, gazelle, impala, waterbuck, topi, eland, plains game, giraffe and rhino.
Tanzania Deluxe Safari Schedule
Day 1: Arrive in Arusha
On arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport, you will be met by your driver/guide and escorted to the charming Serena Mountain Village, Arusha, which stands on the shores of Lake Duluti with views of Mount Meru. Dinner at the lodge.
Day 2: To Tarangire National Park
After breakfast, drive to Tarangire National Park in time for lunch at Kikoti Camp. Kikoti, in the Maasai language, means “the place where life began”, and is the name given by the local Maasai to an ancient pre-Jurassic kopje in the Tarangire eco-system, which lies adjacent to the camp. A luxury tented camp, Kikoti echoes the luxury of the traditional safari camps of a bygone era, defined by superior service and campfire hospitality rather than modern conveniences and an anonymous welcome. Kikoti’s proximity to Tarangire National Park also allows the guests to enjoy a wide choice of exploratory game-drives through the classic African savannah and acacia parkland of this undiscovered wilderness.
Moreover, its position in the migratory corridor just outside the park provides a range of activities that are forbidden elsewhere in the game lands of Northern Tanzania. These include; nature walks, foot safaris and extended bush trekking with rangers, all of which offer unique opportunities to revisit nature in her primeval state. Located on a community conservation area, a portion of all accommodation rates goes to the local community, who use it for community-chosen development projects such as schools, water boreholes, roads and dispensaries. After lunch enjoy a game drive in Tarangire before arriving back in camp in time for sundowners and dinner.
Distance/drive time: 165km / 2 hours
Day 3: On Safari in Tarangire
Spend a full day on safari in Tarangire National Park with morning and afternoon game drives. Second only to the Ngorongoro Crater as a dry-season (June/July) sanctuary for vast herds of migratory creatures, the park’s wildlife tend to follow clearly defined seasonal patterns. First to move north-east, often as far as Lake Natron, are the zebras and wildebeests, which begin their trek in October. After them, trek the gazelles, buffaloes, elands, oryxes and hartebeests. Finally, the elephants move out. The Defassa waterbucks, impalas, giraffes, lesser kudus, Kirk’s dik and warthogs, meanwhile, remain resident. The return of the park’s migratory species begins in June and July; firstly with the oryxes and elands, then the elephants; and finally, the zebras and wildebeest. Breakfast, lunch and dinner at the camp.
Day 4: To Lake Manyara National Park
After breakfast drive to Lake Manyara National Park arriving at Kirurumu Tented Lodge in time for lunch. Kirurumu Tented Lodge is set high on the edge of the Great Rift Valley, enjoying a marvellous, panoramic view eastward over Lake Manyara, the Rift floor and Mt. Losimingori. Lying in a shallow depression at the base of the western wall of the eastern arm of the Rift Valley, Lake Manyara typically shimmers in a lilac and gold heat haze, sometimes streaked pink with thousands of flamingos. Backed by a narrow band of forest, it rises to the dramatically sheer red and brown cliffs of the Mto wa Mbu Escarpment.
Behind Kirurumu, the Ngorongoro Highlands rise in green and fertile splendour and form the gateway to Ngorongoro Crater and, finally, Olduvai Gorge and the Serengeti. After lunch, enjoy an afternoon game drive in the park.
Distance/drive time: 150km / 2 hours
Day 5: To the Ngorongoro Crater
After breakfast, drive to the Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area and ascend the edge of the crater. On the rim of the crater is the Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge, where you will have the afternoon at leisure and dinner. Should you wish, you can take a nature walk in the grounds or on the crater rim. One of Africa’s best-known wildlife arenas and a World Heritage Site, the crater is one of the largest volcanic craters in the world (almost 20 kilometres wide, 610-760 metres deep and covering a total area of 264 square kilometres). An utterly unique biosphere, it harbours grasslands, swamps, forests, saltpans, a fresh water lake and a glorious variety of birdlife, all enclosed within its towering walls. Due to its high concentration of wildlife, close-range viewing opportunities and striking scenery it is also Tanzania’s most visited destination.
Distance/drive time: 66kms /1 hour
Day 6: Explore the crater
After breakfast descend into the crater for a half day tour returning to the lodge for lunch. In the afternoon either take a guided nature walk or enjoy views of the crater from your private stone-built verandah. Dinner at the lodge.

Day 7: To the Serengeti
After breakfast, drive to 01 Duvai Gorge, one of the world’s most important Paleolithic sites. Arrive in the Serengeti National Park
in time for lunch at the Bilila Kempinski, then enjoy an afternoon’s game drive. Dinner and overnight at the lodge.
A luxury lodge with 77 rooms, the lodge offers an infinity pool with sundeck, a safari cocktail lounge, safari spa, two restaurants, a wine cellar, two bars, a Tanzania safari library, cigar lounge, Art of Tanzania Gallery, safari gift shop and dedicated helipad.
Covering 14,763 sq km of endlessly rolling savannah plains, the Serengeti is Tanzania’s first-established, largest and most famous park wherein tens of thousands of hoofed animals roam in a constant and unremitting search for the fresh grasslands upon which their survival depends. The million-plus wildebeest are the predominant herbivore and also the main prey of a huge cast of large carnivores, principally lion and hyena. Whilst the annual migration is the Serengeti’s most famous attraction, the Park is also renowned for its lion, many of which have been fitted with radio-transmitter collars so that their movements may be tracked, and additionally for its wealth of cheetah, zebra, giraffe, Thomson’s and Grant’s gazelle, eland, impala, klipspringer, hippo and warthog.
Distance/drive time: 200km / 2 % hours
Day 8: On safari in the Serengeti
A full day on safari in the vast and sensational Serengeti. Breakfast, lunch and dinner at the lodge.
Day 9: Depart via Arusha
After breakfast, transfer to the airstrip for your internal flight to Arusha airport. Transfer either to a city hotel or to the Kilimanjaro International Airport.

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