All about Kenya

A friend of mine came to volunteer in kenya and was stranded for a week not knowing where to go what to see,or how to get toanywhere etc etc.This most of the time is a dillemna especially if you are new to a country,and most volunteer organizations do not help with the excursions(which is unfortunate),so i have taken it upon myself to tell you about places you can visit in Kenya and if you want to join us on any day trip of this you can book our immersion safari which comes all inclusive of volunteer placement excursions and safaris!!!!on facebook Bigfoot immersion holidays or on twitter on @BigfootIA.
Lets start with Nairobi
Christened the "place of cool waters"from the masai words enkare nyirobi,Nairobi is a city of contrasts also know as the city in the sun.Formerly a railway depot Nairobi has grown extensively over the years,so what can you do if you are visiting Nairobi for the first time?

• Giraffe Center

Feed,Kiss and learn all there is to know about  Girrafes for ksh 700 for adults and ksh 250 for kids
(picture was taken on sight )

• Daphne Sheldrick 

 Adopt learn all you can about elephants that has been hived of the Nairobi National park,for the care and protection of young elephants and rhino,for only ksh 500

• Uhuru Park  

Peter 'Bigfoot 'doing the tour

Uhuru" which means freedom is where our long journey as a country started this walk through history,(we call it the Bigfoot special because no one else in Africa does it)will take you through the different points in the park full of monuments the nyayo stature,the nyayo philosophy stature

" that have rich stories of our history told to you by urs truly,the 98' bomb last monument ,parliament,the Kenyatta mausoleum

• K.I.C.C

UK has the London eye Kenya has
the Kenya international conference center once the tallest building in Nairobi it is the absolute place to get an Aerial view of the whole of Nairobi for only ksh 800- ksh 1000 it is a site to behold .

• The Kenya Museum 

The Museum aims to interpret Kenya's rich heritage and offers a one stop for visitors to sample the country's rich heritage both for education and leisure,stamping Kenya's authority  as the cradle of man a trip/excursion to Nairobi is incomplete without a visit to the national museum for a paltry ksh 1000-1200 you get to also visit the snake park .

other places of interest 

• Railway Museum 

If you are a train enthusiast then you will have the time of your life here as you learn of the scrabble for Africa,the man eaters of Tsavo,drinking tales and pictures of to be american presidents etc plus a yard full of this legendary steam engines christened the "lunatic express".

• Carnivore Restaurant 

Part of the tamarind chain of restaurants it was voted one the best in the world and top 25 in Africa,Carnivore offers i dining experience next to none with a selection of game meat as part of the offering try them out !!!.

• Nairobi National Park 

 a unique ecosystem by being the only protected area in the world within a city if you can spare 4hrs of your time it's an amazing place to visit with regular sightings of lions, buffalo's,girrafes,rhinos etc its makes for a unique break from all the work.

• Karen blixen museum 

Karen Blixen Museum was once the center piece of a farm at the foot of the Ngong Hills owned by Danish Author Karen and her Swedish Husband, Baron Bror von Blixen Fincke. Located 10km from the city centre, the Museum belongs to a different time period in the history of Kenya. The farm house gained international fame with the release of the movie ‘Out of Africa’ an Oscar winning film based on Karen’s an autobiography by the same title.

The Museum is open to the Public every day (9.30 am to 6pm) including weekends and public holidays. Visitors are encouraged to be at the Museum by 5.30.  Guided tours are offered continuously.

• Kitengela Glass  http://www.kitengela-glass.com/
• Kazuri Beads  http://www.kazuri.com/

Both are unique art  making places that help and support the community around them something Bigfoot is all about .

Well all in all that is a few places you can visit while flying through Nairobi, volunteering or during an immersion,and of course as an extension to your holiday or safari.

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Its The Little Things Matter

When most people think of going on a mission  trip ,the first thing they do is fundraise ,everyone wants to come to Africa with a buck load of money ,to help the community they are going to live in ,uum that’s great economic sustenance is necessary  for Africa !!!!

But what most people  tend to forget is , by flying the thousands of mile to be here, smile ,give hugs and cry together with the Kids in Kibera ,Embul-bul,Mukuru kwa njega,is that by just doing all that and showing they care, is more than enough. A famous African writer once said “a person in the rain is reluctant to go back “, the problem with most African households is that we are not good with the heart to heart stuff, we don’t know how to be compassionate.

St fintans came visiting a while back in 2009 ,(and are due back this year to Kenya), and we had journeyed to this forsaken place in the middle of Oloolua forest where there is this school that  educates the most destitute of children with the kind support that you offer.

As soon as we got off the bus, the kids were all over us little angels smiling at you and holding your hand, makes you feel like a “rock star” and we took a tour of this institution in Nkaimurunya, before the fun and games started ,singing games back and forth .

As we left Nkaimurunya I couldn’t help but feel the tears, sense of satisfaction on the faces of this Irish group for the great work they had just achieved, they never came with money to build a school or lavish things, the much they had in material wealth, they gave whole heartedly, but this day they had given this 220+ kids the greatest gift of all ‘LOVE” and surpasses all else.

Sign Bigfoot

NOTHING GOING ON NGO'S

Non governmental organizations were the new phenomenal that hit kenya in the early 80's ,with the promise of bridging the gap left by the goverment where it came to providing for the communities ,

and so they came and came and billions of shillings solicited from good hearted and hard working people from all over the world started pouring in, but as the good organizations kept coming the only thing most of them did is setup test groups that they could get to show their donors of how successful their projects are and the rest of the cash was tabulated as administrative cost ,this orgs pay so well in terms of salaries that it is every ones dream to be employed by one of them .

It is so amaizing at times how this institutions are disconnected from the people they purport to serve that some can be seen hosting lunch or events at the hilton to talk about the problems facing people at the slum or even throw a capacity building & training  seminar and charge ksh 5000,for it ,how dare you charge 5000/- and this people you represent live on less than $1 dollar a day.

Last week alot of people insulted Tray Songz (an american artist) for twitting how he is thanking the Lord for being so blessed not to go through what the people in Kibera are going through,the same tweet was picked by cess and makbul on capital fm and it is beyond ridiculous how many people  bashed tray songs on air and yet have never been in there to see what the clamour about the biggest slum in Africa is all about ,mind you this is a slum with over 15 000 know NGO's puRpotedly helping communities in there and handling over ksh 6.7 billion a year,and nothing has changed in there for the last two decades apart from the increase in population "shame on you" no wonder your acronyn stands for "NOTHING GOING ON".

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THE BUNDU BASHER: Immersion safari

THE BUNDU BASHER: Immersion safari: "'are we going to be attacked in kibera?' is the question that is common with many guests that we have on our trips to Africa's largest ..."

mine

Immersion safari

"are we going to be attacked in kibera?" is the question that is common with many guests that we have on our trips to Africa's largest slum and "no and i will be with you all the way "is my answer to help calm those nerves that are looking to walk into an area,that has a population of 1million people all living on less than $1 a day .

"kindly carry your camera and leave what you dont need in the bus and whenever you want to take a picture with someone ask if its OK." is always my advice before we start the walk down hill from the C.B.S(Christian brothers society) Mary Rice center i always see the look in their eyes  a mixture of fear and curiosity, not knowing what it is like down there,and 20 mins into our walk in kibera and they get to "hop skip and jump "on the filth running through the slum and squeeze into small paths in between houses made of mud and iron sheets that reality starts to sink in ,how privileged they are to have loving parents,friends,a wife ,a husband who cares for them.The few that are able to finish the 1 hr walk always come back with heavy hearts and tears in there eyes,and the hardest thing for me is to tell them its okay ,when they have seen people living without any sanitary facilities  (flying toilets) not sure where todays "meal" will come from and they are still smiling and shouting "how are you" every time they pass by.

All said and done its putting that felling of seeing how blessed you ,and making you fully appreciate life that i do this everyday and woudnt do anything else because one day i was like them and someone game a chance.

SPA SAFARI

SPA TOURISM …………………..DEMYSTYFYING HEALTH

When everyone hears of spas, the first thing that comes to mind especially for most Kenyans is an expensive place where people go to get pampered and is utmost unnecessary, well that’s what I also thought before I started working in the travel industry !!!!!!

  .As a matter of fact as back as ten years ago spas and health clubs were a niche product set inside high end hotels for international business travelers and tourist ,but today the pampering business is emerging as  a sector in its own right with each month marking the opening of new health resorts and centers targeted firmly at the domestic market and rising middle class.

awareness of health issues ,rising obesity ,diabetes and more stressful lifestyles for the expanding middle class ,for many of the new stand –alone facilities ,the emphasis has been on tapping into as many slices of the market  as possible ,with stratified pricing strategies offering multiple ,parallel services, with the most used being the one stop shop model of business that aims to dram in both long term and walk in clientele ,as compared to saloons ,spas  offer holistic health services ,so which are some of this establishments in Kenya.

TAIYANA GARDEN SPA

Set in an expansive flower farm near the Windsor country club, offers facilities for women to spend the day being pampered for around ksh 8 000 or so, being massaged, manicured, pedicure deep heat treatments and top class food.

AROMATICS SPA

Having opened its doors in 2006 in lavington this establishment boasts of hair cuts from iron lady herself Margret Thatcher’s hair dresser, Alan Jon besides state of the art stress busting and beauty treatments, mo than 300 people have apparently used its oxygen steam bar.

 

THE RED FITNESS PARLOUR

Established in 2009 as a commercial venture of the Kenya Red Cross, this facility is aptly located, in south c for people seeking a club on the way to or from work in the city s central district  

 LAKE BOGORIA SPA

 Boasting of the first naturally heated stem bath this facility situated in an area rich for its hot springs,situated in the one of the lakes in the rift valley lake bogoria offers some of the most majestic sights in the world and one can get to savour this with a massage under the starlit sky on order.

LEAOPARD BEACH HOTEL AND SPA

Uzuri Spa & Fitness Forest is the name of the spa at this resort.,

Set in 6 acres of indigenous forest, the Uzuri Spa features a swimming pool, beauty salon and a fully equipped fitness room with both sauna and steam room facilities. You can even take a nature walk through the tropical gardens, here your senses are taken for a trip if the menu on offer is anything to go by with prices ranging from eyebrow tint for ksh 250 to 5 Day Detoxifying and Restoration Package and 5 Day Anti Ageing & Skin Nourishing Package  each for ksh 58 000.

DIANI BEACH HOTEL

Aptly named the wellness spa, this resort at Wellness at Diani beach hotel in Kenya takes the shape of "Maya", one of the finest Spas in the country; it promises to takes an uncompromising approach to your health, well-being and beauty. All the therapies being offered at Maya Spa offers wellness therapies which have been carefully chosen to create the perfect environment in combating stress, pollution & discomforts caused by urban life. 

                Maya spa at Diani reef resort in Kenya a unique destination rather than just any other spa - a tranquil balance of nature soothing stress & easing strain

 

NOMADS IN THE SUN

Boasting of being the first boutique hotel in the coast this exclusive spa offers the best of both worlds(the comfort of a 5 star hotel and a health club)without making you break the bank for it, here treatments and massages rage from a facial massage worth ksh 1500 to a sport massage worth ksh 2 500.

 

 

RUSINGA ISLAND LODGE  

Cited as the hidden jewel of Kenya this high end lodge in heart of lake Victoria boasts of a very unique spa treatment that includes and not limited to using coffee husks to remove toxins from your skin they cal it touch therapy al treatments are from With  exotic scents and herbs with well-reputed healing properties, Kenya’s organic fruits and shrubs provide the ultimate panacea for natural beauty, relaxation and rejuvenation.

Nurture your body & soul with these indulgent treatments. Which range from services called the African awakening to the Kenyan Caress

LION IN THE SUN

Owned by Flavio Briatore an investor in the lucrative formula one motor industry, or better known as the man who used to date Naomi Campbell and also the proud owner of a $22 million yatch which is a converted ice breaker with 12 suite and an onboard Turkish bath, this establishment tucked in an exclusive part of Malindi, last month won the title of world best spa a distinction bequeathed by tattler magazine which is the equivalent of the Oscar awards in the spa industry.

This facility is often rented by A list superstars in need of private getaways in sunny, little known spots, of among other things the spa boasts of a world class detoxifying treatment , that involves special food that minimizes the supply of toxins while at the same time special treatments are implemented in order to help the patient expel the most toxins.

The lion in the sand is an expensive affair with the simplest of treatments starting at ksh 8 000, cost for some services can soar to over ksh 300 000.

Accommodation at lion in te sun facility inclusive of the bio treatment and diet  would cost ksh 260 000 per person .

Others spas that are on offer are shaanti holistic  in Ukunda that offers yoga based treatments with a night plus inclusive food, accommodation and treatment costing ksh 9 000 ,cloud nine located within Almanara Luxury Resort, Cloud Nine offers a variety of treatments including reflexology, aromatherapy, relaxing massage, manicure and pedicure, among many others. Enjoy one of these treatments in the spa, or on the verandah of your Executive Villa. Fancy a touch more privacy; why not book a massage at sunset on your private rooftop terrace. Or maybe enjoy a manicure down by the beach. Our expert therapist is prepared for every scenario of serenity,

While most hotels in Kenya would have the health facilities, the prospect of travelling healthy fused with some adventure or for just relaxing in the back drop of wild Kenya would make the perfect holiday.

NB: Ask your travel agent for this option anytime you want to travel or

Call us on +254 0726 870 379  /+254 020 23400 36

email:peter.mutahi@bigfootimmersionsafrica.com

facebook: bigfootimmersionholidays@groups.facebook.com

SERVICE IMMERSIONS

Immersions are life-altering experiences that teach our students what it truly means to live faithfully and act justly. By going on immersions, students stretch beyond their “comfort zones” and discover how fulfilling it is to serve those in need. Their firsthand experiences stay with them throughout their lives, and for some, inspires future careers. Students who are juniors and seniors are eligible to apply.

Moreover, people without special skills, professional qualifications, academic knowledge or previous experience can volunteer in some of our programs in Kenya. Our programs are not designed only for university students on vacations, anybody from any profession or non professional background are accepted to volunteer with us so far as they have the motivation, charisma, initiative, drive and the compassion to assist the underprivileged overcome their challenges and their struggles for dignity.

Participants stay with carefully selected, respectable host families in a home stay setting. There are also other forms of accommodation available such as high school dormitories during high school vacation time. All meals, purified/mineral bottled water and accommodation are provided. Period of participation period is for short medium and long term basis, 1 to 26 weeks.

Our work promotes international co-operation, friendship, cross-cultural exposure, cultural immersion, peace, understanding, solidarity and breaks new grounds for sustainable social-economic development through voluntary work and volunteering-internships programs in Kenya. We therefore welcome you to participate in our programs and we will be honored by your participation. Please pass on our information to your friends and other prospective and potential volunteers follow us as we take you on a journey with some of our participants