Introducing Segera Retreat - A new age of Tourism in Kenya

When we first heard of Segera Retreat, we read of it in the Financial Times. And as we may all know, a Retreat featured in the Financial Times must have something unique that most retreats in Kenya do not have.  

First and foremost, Segera Retreat is owned by German entrepreneur Jochen Zeitz, who was appointed as chief executive of Puma aged 30, he is now the director of luxury goods group Kering (whose brands include Gucci, Stella McCartney and Balenciaga). He is also the chairman of its sustainable development committee. A three-time winner of the Financial Times’s Strategist of the Year award, he also sits on the board of Harley-Davidson and, with a Benedictine monk, wrote The Manager and the Monk, a discourse on responsible and sustainable business, which has so far been translated into 15 languages!

It is said that he bought Segera in 2006, and hopes to spend three to four months of the year there, but has just opened it to the public. There are eight guest cottages; rates are between $880 and $1,280 per person per night.

Location:

Segera is the central wildlife sanctuary in Laikipia, situated in the wooded savannah and grasslands of the Laikipia Plateau at an altitude of 1 700 – 1 800 m (5 577 – 5 906 ft) and immediately north of the equator. Home to a vast array of animal, bird and plant life, Segera provides an important corridor for the migration of elephant and other wide ranging species.

Segera’s central location and expansive 20 000 hectares (50 000 acres) at the very heart of Laikipia ensures that it is essential to effective wildlife and habitat management for the Ewaso ecosystem as a whole, forming part of a vital migratory corridor and providing a permanent home to many endangered species.

The Retereat:

Six timber and thatch villas are raised above a profusion of botanical life in the Segera “Oasis” with its sculpture garden; their elevated wooden platforms look out onto the surrounding savannah, swing beds below providing the perfect shaded midday relaxation as well as for a night out under the stars, surrounded by the sounds of Africa.

The gracious Segera House and perfectly positioned Villa Segera boast similarly spectacular views and even greater privacy and luxury. Run on solar energy and water being sustainably harvested and recycled, the villas gaze out over the Laikipia Plateau towards the spectacular Mount Kenya.
Within the privacy of the villas, a large bedroom and en-suite bathroom fill the upstairs space under timber trusses. 

A private sun deck in the garden offers comfortable sun loungers for soaking up the African sun, while a Jacuzzi bath, sunk into the deck outside the bedroom, offers a unique vantage point. Each villa includes in its décor original, individually selected paintings and other art from a range of Africa’s most inspiring artists.

Why they stand out from the rest? 

Segera aims to achieve sustainability through a holistic balance of the 4Cs, operating a tourism retreat and integrated land-use enterprise whilst fostering community development, cultural stewardship and biodiversity conservation. As a founding member and flagship Long Run Destination, Segera is setting a new standard for sustainable tourism and is a driving force in promoting and developing sustainable thinking and practise. 

Segera Ranch is sustainability in action. It allows guests to ‘4C the future,’ catching a glimpse of a positive and sustainable future for all and providing inspiration and practises for guests to take home and adopt in their own lives.

In essence, by sharing the 4Cs concept and the philosophy of acting today for a better tomorrow, we are confident that our guests will reconnect with nature and embrace a new way of viewing their relationship with the natural world and other cultures.

 The 4C's

1. CONSERVATION
True to its belief that biodiversity is life, Segera is committed to biodiversity conservation and the sustainable use of natural resources, safeguarding the integrity of the ecosystem of Laikipia.

2. COMMUNITY
People matter to Segera, as evidenced by its extensive efforts to contribute to and enhance the livelihood and wellbeing of its neighbouring communities and those throughout Laikipia.

3. CULTURE
At Segera we understand that our world is culturally diverse and therefore promoting intercultural respect and understanding is essential to safeguarding cultural heritage.

4. COMMERCE
Commercial sustainability represents the central elements of creating long-lasting change and sustainability.

 How to book them? Call us or drop us an email and we will book them for you!

Content borrowed from Financial Times and www.segera.com

Lake Turkana Festival

The Lake Turkana Festival will take place for the 6th consecutive year in Loyangalani town; on the shores of the awe-inspiring Jade Sea this May 2013. It is here where the 10 ethnic groups of the Lake Turkana region; El Molo, Rendille, Samburu, Turkana, Dassanach, Ghabra, Borana, Konso, Wata and Burji demonstrate through song and dance their unique differences and traditions.

In this remote and forgotten region; we are also made aware of the challenges faced by these minority tribes which include drought, environmental challenges, poor infrastructure and wrangling amongst each other. Thus whilst we awe at their impressive dress and ornaments and study their artifacts and way of life in the dramatic landscape that makes up the north of Kenya; the underlying goal remains and continues to be the promotion of peace and furthermore the appreciation of these fascinating tribes.

We are offering an exciting, adventurous and informative cultural tour on the shores of the Jade Sea (Lake Turkana)!

The tour also visits the Samburu Game reserve which is a fascinating park to visit with its peculiar mix of savanna and semi-arid landscape where the Ewaso Nyiro River forms the life line for the parks animals which include lions, numerous elephants, gerenuk, Grevys Zebra and various other species.

Happy Earth Day!

Earth Day is an annual day on which events are held worldwide to demonstrate support for environmental protection. Earth Day is observed on April 22 each year. The April 22 date was designated as International Mother Earth Day by a consensus resolution adopted by the United Nations in 2009. Earth Day is now coordinated globally by the Earth Day Network, and is celebrated in more than 192 countries every year.

How to make this day count?
It is the simple things that show you care about the Earth and it's environment. There many conservancies and Environmental bodies that have competitions and "donate" programmes that you could contribute to, such as UNEP,WWF and many more!

You could also just plant a tree, clean up by picking up litter in you area or simply send and E-card with a special Earth day message!

We have been Nominated.....we need your votes!

Yes!!! We made it to the big list!! This year, Uniglobe Lets Go Travel has been named as one of the nominee, under the category of best co-operate blog! We are very much excited but mostly very much humbled.

Kindly we request that you vote for us, and we promise to keep giving you the best from our blogs and more so, promise to uphold being your favourite travel agent this side of the sahara!

Thank you and God Bless!

And the Easter bunny is back......

Days seem to be moving faster than you anticipated and it seems like just the other day you were celebrating love on Valentine’s Day, then came the elections (if you are in Kenya) and now there’s a bunny and eggs in every mall, shop or street you happen to pass by! You must be thinking to yourself, “Is it Easter time already?” 

Easter is a period where you recollect your faith as a Christian and embark on your religious journey; however it is also time to spend with your loved ones as you enjoy the festivities and indulge yourselves to the tasty food treats! But more importantly...it is time to take a break and relax.

However, to enjoy the break and get involved in the relaxing, it means you could choose to stay home and enjoy peace and quiet in your own serenity or it’s a great excuse to dial up your favourite travel agent (us) and take a short trip to one of the many destinations that we can offer!

Of course you must be thinking ... “Now they want me to break a bank?!” but the truth is, we work within your budget, so no need to stress yourself about the finances, plus we currently know the places that are already fully booked and places that still have availability, thus saving you time and energy and that annoying response from travel/tour co-ordinators “I am sorry sir, the hotel is fully booked..”

So try not to get caught up in the last minute Easter travel rush and book as early as yesterday, and give your loved ones that worthwhile, pocket friendly holiday that they have been dying to go for ever since the year took off.

Remember we have a list of over 600 hotels and lodges, plusover 300 safari itineraries and lots of specials that you could choose from! Take advantage now! And smile back at the Easter Bunny as he says hello, while you sip your cocktails by that resort’s pool or while on that trek in that much deserved safari.

Climbing Mt. Longonot

Every year the Uniglobe Let's Go Travel team organises a "team trip" which is meant to be an activity kind of safari. This year, we decided to challenge ourselves and climb Mt. Longonot. Truth be told....i think some of us underestimated how tough it could be but we also underestimated how strong our bodies are!

It was all set...

And here we go....

And the climb....

By the time we were getting half way Monica our chief accountant and I (Angela) - barely  3 months after baby delivery needed to catch our breath...haha

After 2 hours of tough climbing, we finally got to the peak

After getting to the peak, there those who felt they had the strength to circumnavigate the mountain and others who felt their bodies had had enough..lol

And if you thought coming down the mountain was a simple task..think again! 

So what exactly do you need to take up climbing Mt. Longonot besides being physically and mentally fit ?

• Good pair of walking boots (broken-in) 

•  A Hat

• Walking stick. An adjustable sprung loaded stick is best

• Camera, sun cream, plus your sweater that will be removed during the climb

• All of this hike is over rough ground and has all the hazards of hiking up steep inclines

• Don't under estimate dehydration. Drink water at the end of each section, and as required.

• Rucksack. Large enough to carry 2 x ½ litter of water plus few sandwiches to eat at the top

• The ranger's advice on all matters including your rate of progress should always be listened to

•Animals. There are numerous animals in the area; the most commonly seen is the giraffe or dik-dik.

• The crater can be circumnavigated, this takes another 4 hours via a narrow path. 

Do you think you and your friends and loved ones would be interested in taking up this challenge? If we did it...the you should  definitely do it, a happy-go spirit is all you need!

 

Giving back to the community in a simple way

We Uniglobe Let’s Go Travel love giving back to the community. We feel that it is right to share with the less fortunate and especially at this period (Christmas time), as it is a time to show and spread love.

Our staff arrive at the center and donate food stuff ....

Over the years we have always put aside USD 30 from the safaris we structure and sell to you and with each safari, we build a kitty that funds raised are given to a project that we identify is beneficial to our communities.

In the past we have built toilets for rural schools, as well as donated computers and also donated food stuffs and clothes to charity homes among others.

This year, our staff visited the Body of Christ Home, where they got to interact with the elderly and the children who stay there. Below is an open letter to the home’s director Pat Dixson from our staff who took time out of their schedule to spend time with these lovely people and children.
 

 

Dear Pat,

We want to thank you for the wonderful and inspiring work you are doing for the elderly and the orphaned children.

Orphaned children at the center perform on stage for our staff...:)

It was truly fulfilling helping to distribute the food to the elderly as they sang enjoyable songs and where they got their share of food donated through you. We were really amazed by the way all the people got each and every bit of what was given without any shortages, i.e., matches, cooking fat, ugali floor, paraffin, bread, money, etc

We were moved and touched by those little children at ‘’Body of Christ’’ who welcomed us, danced for us and the touching poems about them being orphans....and they were really thankful to Pastor Mbugua for providing them with shelter, food and education. They brought sunshine to the day in spite of the rain!

Next time, we hope to bring beddings such as blankets and clothes.

You truly are an inspiration to us and God bless you. We thank God for giving you so much strength to do this and pray that you continue with the same spirit.

Our best regards,

Catherine, Rosina, Susan, James and Paula

Uniglobe Lets Go Travel Staff