“What strikes you most about the Masai Mara, a massive game reserve in Kenya, is the amount of wildlife roaming its grassy plains,” wrote Leigh Murray in a recent travel article for the Chicago Sun-Times. There you can see lions, cheetahs, giraffes and the wildebeest, which make their annual migration through the park.

I spent many a fun weekend with my family there, so it warms the cockles of my heart to discover that the Kenyan Government and the National Environmental Management Authority in Kenya has put a moratorium on construction in Masai Mara until a review and new management plan for the game reserve has been agreed upon.

Both conservationists and stakeholders in the hospitality industry favor the action. According to The East African Standard, “there has been haphazard development of lodges, camps and mushrooming of settlements outside the park gates” over the last 15 years. “More than sixty lodges and camps have been developed without impact assessment being done, exerting pressure on the fragile ecosystem.”

The Mara river has suffered serious pollution due to effluent being discharged into the water from establishments along its shores. This river is an important the source of clean water for both human and wild game.

For more information:
allafrica.com/stories/200607240651.html

The former Nile Hotel has been renovated and reopened as the Kampala Serena Hotel, luxury, five-star hotel.

“This is just the type of investment that Uganda needs to spur its burgeoning tourism sector and attract other investors,” said Uganda’s Minister of State for Privatisation Prof. Peter Kasenene.

The opening of the hotel not only helps tourism, it also adds value to Uganda’s employment sector, as the new facility will employ about 350 people.

The Serena Group owns properties in Kenya and Tanzania, as well, and is considered one of the leading hospitality providers in East Africa.

“The objective from the outset was to create the finest facility in the region,” Serena Hotel sales and marketing director Peter Mhogua told travel agents and journalists touring the facility. It took nearly 18 months for the reconstruction and renovation to be completed on this property.

Amenities available at the Kampala Serena include 152 rooms and suites, the Pearl of Africa restaurant, The Mists cocktail bar, the Explorers Bistro, the Lakes’ restaurant, Maisha Health Club and a state-of-the-art conference center.

Prince Amyn Aga Khan, Chairman of the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development (AKFED), the principal shareholders of the Serena Group, hopes that the new hotel will help the Serena Group expand it safari and leisure circuit in East Africa.

For more information, visit www.serenahotels.com/uganda/kampala/home.asp

The National Wildlife Federation (NWF) offers a unique travel service with its Expeditions Travel Program. Each trip selected emphasizes the unique wildlife of the area, and all tours include a strong educational component.

Two of their upcoming trips will be to East African countries.

September 11, 2006 - September 23, 2006
Tanzania Adventure Safari
Rate: $4,990 per person including airfare from New York
This safari is designed for travelers seeking something more intimate, more organic, more unique from a trip. It includes several nights of real camping

March 9, 2007 - March 20, 2007
Journey of Discovery to Kenya
Rate: $3,295 per person
Ten days of exploration with naturalists and native guides.

Most tours for 2006 sold out, and the 2007 Expeditions are expected to do the same, so check on these soon, if you’re interested in participating.

NWF promises an intimate and secure expedition, as the groups are kept small — most tours are limited to 15-20 participants in order to maximize wildlife-viewing opportunities. “Travelers share their adventures with like-minded travelers who are sensitive to the fragile environments visited,” NWF said in a press release.

For more information on NWF Expeditions, including the itinerary for each trip, visit the NWF web site at www.nwf.org/expeditions or call 1-800-606-9563.