The Flavor of new Africa

Sankara Nairobi combines international five-star standards with personal service and the authentic flavor of the new Africa.

The tranquility of our spacious rooms, stunning rooftop pool and world-class spa create the ideal environment for guests to relax and unwind… while our tempting choice of dining areas and carefully designed meeting spaces puts us at the centre of Nairobi’s vibrant social and business life.

Sankara combines contemporary style with signature regional references. Genuine works of modern East African art can be found throughout our hotel. Designed to create a genuine sense of place it offers our guests an emotional connection to our culture and is certain to delight.

Sankara is all about  five star service: well thought out, proactive service that you might not even notice. Sankara Nairobi, a luxury hotel that our guests consider uniquely their own.

Rooms

Sankara Nairobi rooms: somewhere to sleep; somewhere to dream; somewhere to work and somewhere to enjoy.

Sankara rooms are amongst the most spacious in Nairobi. Bathed in natural light Sankara rooms are modern, designed to provide the highest levels of comfort. Whichever room you choose you will be able to enjoy a flat screen TV with surround sound and a ‘Plug and Play’ panel that allows for the seamless connection of your technological devices. Your audiovisual experience can be controlled from the comfort of your king-sized bed where your head will rest on a pillow you’ve chosen from a menu of options.

Your marble bathroom is fitted with a walk-in rain shower and separate bath. And to help take the stress out of business, you’ll also find an ergonomic desk chair and complimentary high-speed internet access.

JNK- kenya mission safaris

Hope Mission Safaris

The African Desert Runner

The Southern Marsupial Mole (Notoryctes typhlops) ‘blind southern digger ‘as western desert people calls it is not a mole, it is a small, unusual, pale golden marsupial with no visible eyes or ears, a horny shield protecting its nose and stubby leathery tail and ways about 40-70g.

The claws on its front feet are enlarged and make effective spades. When digging, it moves them up and down in a chopping action, pushing the sand back with its hind feet. This amazing little creature then inches along like a caterpillar, using a pad in front of its tail to lever itself forward. Their tubular body, cone shaped head and short strong limbs enable them to "swim through the sand" about 20 cm beneath the surface.

The Southern Marsupial Mole lives in the desert rivers and sand country and sparsely distributed across the Australian deserts in dune fields and river flats.The Southern Marsupial Mole resembles the Namib Desert Golden MoleIt is classified as endangered as very few animals have been recorded in the last 50 years compared with earlier last century.

We know very little about its way of life as they have never survived in captivity for very long.They feed on Juicy beetle larvae are the Southern Marsupial Mole's favourite food, along with leaf scale insects, mulga seeds, ant eggs and the occasional gecko.The Southern Marsupial Mole lives in deep burrows up to 2 metres deep. After rain the Marsupial Mole may be spotted travelling on top of the sand. When it does this it leaves a very distinctive track: three parallel grooves in the sand, the deep centre one being made by the stubby tail.

JNK- kenya safaris

The Savannah Icon

Such a successful hunt is by no means certain for cheetah. This, the fastest of the world's animals, is the least imposing of Africa's large predators and sits at the bottom of the predator hierarchy. Though displaying great speed and fitness in making kills, it is often robbed of its meals by scavenging lions or hyenas. Even a large mob of hungry vultures can drive a cheetah from its meal.

Reliably clocked at 105 kilometers per hour, the cheetah is the fastest land mammal, easily outpacing the bred-for-speed domestic greyhound. With its narrow waist it is often said to be built more like a dog than a cat, but this is a true feline even though it may have blunt non-retractable claws.

Whereas all other cats - large and small - rely on a "stalk and pounce" approach to capturing prey, the cheetah relies on speed. The non-retractable claws are an evolutionary trade off - they act like runner's spiked soles when on the move, but are not as adept at pinning down prey. Of course, it is not possible to sprint at high speed in the dark, so the cheetah hunts by day and this is convenient in the sense that most other predators are primarily nocturnal.

Cheetah thrives where the habitat is open and suitable prey - small to medium-sized antelope - abounds. They do even better when lion and spotted hyena are not present, and this explains why they have proliferated over much of Namibia (farmers have eliminated the more powerful predators) and soon expand in number when reintroduced to small reserves lacking larger predators.

Family Life

Female cheetah are solitary and - under ideal conditions - raise litters of two to four cubs every second year. It is no easy task for the mother to provide alone for her family, and there is usually a high mortality of cubs in their first year. Unlike leopards, female cheetah do not have territories, and wander over an extensive area, perhaps remaining in one place for a few weeks and then moving on. Male cheetah are territorial and typically form coalitions of two or more and attempt to gain ownership of an area in which they enjoy mating opportunities with a number of females.

It has been seen that the larger the coalition and the longer the members stick together, the more stable their tenure in an area. Cheetah actively avoid lions and will vacate an area in which a pride takes up residence. On average, cubs gain independence from their mother at around 18 months, by which time they are adept hunters able to fend for themselves.

Genetic Scare

In the 1980s, work by geneticists revealed that all of the continent's cheetahs were perilously similar in terms of their genetic material. It was suggested that the species must have declined to an extremely low number in the past, such that all the survivors are still closely related. So close were the tested animals in genetic diversity that skin grafts were accepted by individuals which were from completely different parts of Africa - something you would expect only in laboratory-bred mice!

The fears from a survival point of view were that the species would not have enough genetic diversity to be able to adapt to changing environmental conditions, that birth defects would appear, and that a single disease might eliminate entire populations.

The processes of nature often work at an imperceptibly slow pace and nobody is sure whether the limited genetic material does indeed represent a real threat to cheetah. In the twenty odd years since the information came to light, there has been no dramatic loss of cheetah anywhere on the continent. They continue to survive in most of the larger protected areas containing open savanna, and birth defects in captivity as well as in the wild are extremely rare.

Today, there are thought to be some 12 000 cheetah in Africa¹s wild places. They are most threatened in the northern parts of their African range and are all but extinct in south-west Asia.

 JNK-Kenya safaris

Hope Mission Tours

The Savannah Icon

Such a successful hunt is by no means certain for cheetah. This, the fastest of the world's animals, is the least imposing of Africa's large predators and sits at the bottom of the predator hierarchy. Though displaying great speed and fitness in making kills, it is often robbed of its meals by scavenging lions or hyenas. Even a large mob of hungry vultures can drive a cheetah from its meal.

Reliably clocked at 105 kilometers per hour, the cheetah is the fastest land mammal, easily outpacing the bred-for-speed domestic greyhound. With its narrow waist it is often said to be built more like a dog than a cat, but this is a true feline even though it may have blunt non-retractable claws.

Whereas all other cats - large and small - rely on a "stalk and pounce" approach to capturing prey, the cheetah relies on speed. The non-retractable claws are an evolutionary trade off - they act like runner's spiked soles when on the move, but are not as adept at pinning down prey. Of course, it is not possible to sprint at high speed in the dark, so the cheetah hunts by day and this is convenient in the sense that most other predators are primarily nocturnal.

Cheetah thrives where the habitat is open and suitable prey - small to medium-sized antelope - abounds. They do even better when lion and spotted hyena are not present, and this explains why they have proliferated over much of Namibia (farmers have eliminated the more powerful predators) and soon expand in number when reintroduced to small reserves lacking larger predators.

Family Life

Female cheetah are solitary and - under ideal conditions - raise litters of two to four cubs every second year. It is no easy task for the mother to provide alone for her family, and there is usually a high mortality of cubs in their first year. Unlike leopards, female cheetah do not have territories, and wander over an extensive area, perhaps remaining in one place for a few weeks and then moving on. Male cheetah are territorial and typically form coalitions of two or more and attempt to gain ownership of an area in which they enjoy mating opportunities with a number of females.

It has been seen that the larger the coalition and the longer the members stick together, the more stable their tenure in an area. Cheetah actively avoid lions and will vacate an area in which a pride takes up residence. On average, cubs gain independence from their mother at around 18 months, by which time they are adept hunters able to fend for themselves.

Genetic Scare

In the 1980s, work by geneticists revealed that all of the continent's cheetahs were perilously similar in terms of their genetic material. It was suggested that the species must have declined to an extremely low number in the past, such that all the survivors are still closely related. So close were the tested animals in genetic diversity that skin grafts were accepted by individuals which were from completely different parts of Africa - something you would expect only in laboratory-bred mice!

The fears from a survival point of view were that the species would not have enough genetic diversity to be able to adapt to changing environmental conditions, that birth defects would appear, and that a single disease might eliminate entire populations.

The processes of nature often work at an imperceptibly slow pace and nobody is sure whether the limited genetic material does indeed represent a real threat to cheetah. In the twenty odd years since the information came to light, there has been no dramatic loss of cheetah anywhere on the continent. They continue to survive in most of the larger protected areas containing open savanna, and birth defects in captivity as well as in the wild are extremely rare.

Today, there are thought to be some 12 000 cheetah in Africa¹s wild places. They are most threatened in the northern parts of their African range and are all but extinct in south-west Asia.

 JNK-Kenya safaris

Hope Mission Tours

The black beauty of the savannah

The Black Rhinoceros or Hook-lipped Rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis).Kifaru in Swahili,is a swinish, cross-grained, ill-favoured, wallowing brute, with a hide like a rasp, an impudent cock of the chin, a roguish leer from out the corner of his eye, a mud begrimed exterior and a necklace of ticks and horse-flies.
The Black Rhinoceros has a hooked, prehensile nose, carrying its head high on its shoulders, as opposed to the low-hanging head and hump-shoulders of its relative, the grazing White Rhino. Predominantly a browser of short woody trees and shrubs, the Black Rhinoceros uses its pointed upper lip to grasp leaves and twigs, employing its double horns to dig roots or break branches too far out of reach. Its grey, wrinkled skin varies in colour due to the mud and dust in which it frequently wallows to cool down and protect against flies and sun. The two species of African rhino are similar in height, averaging about 1.6m at the shoulder, but the Black Rhinoceros has roughly half the mass of a White Rhinoceros, weighing in at a demure 1000 kg.

Rhinoceros live in established territories but are tolerant of neighbours and share overlapping ranges and watering holes with few confrontations. Their preferred habitat is found along the edges of thickets and areas of low woody growth. Since Black Rhinoceros sweat to reduce their body temperature, their ranges do not tend to extend beyond 25 km from a daily supply of water. Home ranges are criss-crossed by frequently used trails, marked by both sexes with dung middens. Dunging is a social behaviour, and serves as a form of communication as well as means of personal declaration. The animals will defecate, frequently spreading the deposits or wiping their hind legs through the accumulated dung pile as a means of spreading their scent.

Males also tend to mark their territory with urine, using their recurved penis to spray grass, stumps and rocks. Several males may peaceably share territory, although there is usually a dominance hierarchy. Confrontation between Black Rhinos generally occurs between males competing over cows in oestrus, or when a nomadic animal enters an already populated area.

Black Rhinoceros males tend to be solitary while females typically are found with their current offspring. Or, if there are no young, cows may develop attachments with other sub-adult rhinos. The maternal bond is only broken when the cow is ready to give birth to a new calf, and the young adult is driven off to make its own way in the world. Births are about two to four years apart and occur at all times of the year with gestation lasting anywhere from 446-478 days (15 months). Lion and Spotted Hyena are known to prey on the calves, and individuals with deformed tails or ears bear evidence of close encounters in the past.

Males only associate closely with females while they are in oestrus. Courtship is very businesslike, with the bull making pseudo-aggressive postures towards the female, with typical foot scraping and urine spraying. The male circles the female, curling his upper lip, and nudging her flanks with this horn. He then mounts the female from behind. Copulation may last up to half an hour, and is repeated at intervals over several days.

Poaching and loss of habitat have decimated the Black Rhinoceros population, leaving only small populations in protected areas of Namibia, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Tanzania and South Africa. The existence of these endangered pachyderms in Mozambique, Angola and parts of West Africa is unconfirmed. Use of the horns, which consist of keratin (the same substance in human fingernails), in traditional Eastern rituals and ceremonies has led to massive demand for an ever increasing commodity. From an estimated population of 60,000 in 1970, their numbers crashed to less than 2,000 in 1997. Careful management and protection provide the best chances for the species' survival.

JNK- Kenya mission safaris

Hope Mission Tours

A place of man eaters

The park is located on south eastern Kenya, 240km from Nairobi along the western side of Mombasa-Nairobi highway. The savannah ecosystem comprises of open grasslands, scrublands, and Acacia woodlands, belts of riverine vegetation and rocky ridges.

Major wildlife attractions include elephant, rhino, Hippos, lions, cheetah, leopards, Buffalos, diverse plant and bird species including the threatened corncrake and near threatened Basra Reed Warbler. 
 

ACCESS

• Distance: 240 km from Nairobi, 250km from Mombasa (Mtito Andei Gate).
• By air There are 3 airstrips in the park
• Gates: Tsavo, Lake Jipe, Mtito Andei (Kamboyo HQ), Chyulu, Maktau and Ziwani.
• Roads: The main access routes are through Chyulu Gate from Amboseli and Mtito Andei Gate from Nairobi.
• Visitors from Mombasa also use Tsavo Gate near Manyani.
• The Park can also be reached via Taveta –Voi road through Maktau, Ziwani and Jipe Gates.
• Airstrips: Kamboyo, Kilaguni, Tsavo Gate, Jipe, Kasigau,Finch Hottons, Ziwani, and Maktau airstrips are in good.

SIZE / LOCATION

• 9065 Km2.
• South Eastern Kenya, Inland from Mombasa

CLIMATE

• Temperature ranges from 20-30 c and rainfall from 200mm – 700 mm.
• Two rain seasons: Long rains – March & April & short rains – Nov/ December.

MAJOR ATTRACTIONS

• Recent Volcanoes, lava flows and caves with potential for geological and cave exploration and hiking. Mzima Springs & underwater hippo and fish watching,

WILDLIFE

• Leopard, Cheetah, Wild dogs, Buffalo, Rhino, Elephant, Giraffe, Zebra, Lion,Crocodile, Mongoose, Hyrax, Dik- dik, Lesser Kudu, and Nocturnal Porcupine. Prolific birdlife features 600 species.

WHERE TO STAY

• In- Park Accommodation
• Ngulia Safari Lodge
• Kilaguni  Safari Serena Lodge
• Kitani Severin Safari Camp/ Lodge
• Finch Hatton’s Tented Lodge
• Voyager Safari Camp
• Self – Catering Accomodation:
• Kamboyo Guest House: Former Warden’s House; 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, and a caretaker
• Lake Jipe Bandas: 3 self-catering Bandas.
• Camping
• 3 public campsites (offering water and latrines only) as follows; Kamboyo campsite (8 km from Mtito Andei Gate), Chyulu Campsite (1 km from Chyulu Gate) and Lake Jipe Campsite (on the lake shore)
• A wide variety of ‘special campsite’ (no facilities) exist and must be booked in advance through the wawrden or KWS HQs

ACTIVITY OPTIONS

• Game viewing
• Camping
• Cave exploration
• Underwater Hippo and fish watching
• Caving at the Shetani caves

BEST TIME TO VISIT

• All year round

WHAT TO TAKE WITH YOU

• Drinking water, picnic items and camping equipment if you intend to stay overnight. Also useful are: binoculars, camera, hat, sunscreen, sunglasses and guidebooks

 JNK-Kenya  safaris

Hope Mission Tours

A place of man eaters

The park is located on south eastern Kenya, 240km from Nairobi along the western side of Mombasa-Nairobi highway. The savannah ecosystem comprises of open grasslands, scrublands, and Acacia woodlands, belts of riverine vegetation and rocky ridges.

Major wildlife attractions include elephant, rhino, Hippos, lions, cheetah, leopards, Buffalos, diverse plant and bird species including the threatened corncrake and near threatened Basra Reed Warbler. 
 

ACCESS

• Distance: 240 km from Nairobi, 250km from Mombasa (Mtito Andei Gate).
• By air There are 3 airstrips in the park
• Gates: Tsavo, Lake Jipe, Mtito Andei (Kamboyo HQ), Chyulu, Maktau and Ziwani.
• Roads: The main access routes are through Chyulu Gate from Amboseli and Mtito Andei Gate from Nairobi.
• Visitors from Mombasa also use Tsavo Gate near Manyani.
• The Park can also be reached via Taveta –Voi road through Maktau, Ziwani and Jipe Gates.
• Airstrips: Kamboyo, Kilaguni, Tsavo Gate, Jipe, Kasigau,Finch Hottons, Ziwani, and Maktau airstrips are in good.

SIZE / LOCATION

• 9065 Km2.
• South Eastern Kenya, Inland from Mombasa

CLIMATE

• Temperature ranges from 20-30 c and rainfall from 200mm – 700 mm.
• Two rain seasons: Long rains – March & April & short rains – Nov/ December.

MAJOR ATTRACTIONS

• Recent Volcanoes, lava flows and caves with potential for geological and cave exploration and hiking. Mzima Springs & underwater hippo and fish watching,

WILDLIFE

• Leopard, Cheetah, Wild dogs, Buffalo, Rhino, Elephant, Giraffe, Zebra, Lion,Crocodile, Mongoose, Hyrax, Dik- dik, Lesser Kudu, and Nocturnal Porcupine. Prolific birdlife features 600 species.

WHERE TO STAY

• In- Park Accommodation
• Ngulia Safari Lodge
• Kilaguni  Safari Serena Lodge
• Kitani Severin Safari Camp/ Lodge
• Finch Hatton’s Tented Lodge
• Voyager Safari Camp
• Self – Catering Accomodation:
• Kamboyo Guest House: Former Warden’s House; 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, and a caretaker
• Lake Jipe Bandas: 3 self-catering Bandas.
• Camping
• 3 public campsites (offering water and latrines only) as follows; Kamboyo campsite (8 km from Mtito Andei Gate), Chyulu Campsite (1 km from Chyulu Gate) and Lake Jipe Campsite (on the lake shore)
• A wide variety of ‘special campsite’ (no facilities) exist and must be booked in advance through the wawrden or KWS HQs

ACTIVITY OPTIONS

• Game viewing
• Camping
• Cave exploration
• Underwater Hippo and fish watching
• Caving at the Shetani caves

BEST TIME TO VISIT

• All year round

WHAT TO TAKE WITH YOU

• Drinking water, picnic items and camping equipment if you intend to stay overnight. Also useful are: binoculars, camera, hat, sunscreen, sunglasses and guidebooks

 JNK-Kenya  safaris

Hope Mission Tours

The unforgettable celebrity

The Maasai Mara is the undisputed leading game reserve in Kenya. It has rapidly gained global recognition, owing to the bewildering and show-stopping phenomenon of the splendid wildebeest migration, now a world wonder. The exodus of millions of wildebeests, searching for greener pastures from the neighboring Serengeti national park in Tanzania, is a showcase of intrigue and nature at its best. In the natural display of the Darwinian sense of survival, big carnivores trail the wildebeests in pursuit of a hearty meal. Commonly seen animals are lions, cheetahs, and leopards, herds of elephants, schools of hippos, zebras and cokes of hartebeests. Being a game reserve, visitors are permitted to shoot down aggressive animals in case of an attack. The downy tender grass makes game viewing exhorting. There are 57 bird species preying on smaller animals in the open field displaying the finest wildlife sanctuary in Kenya. 

The Maasai Mara was established in the early 1960s, and is undeniably Africa’s great Kenya Vacations wildlife reserve covering a gigantic area of 2510km2 and 200 square miles of open plains, woodlands and riverine forests dearly connecting it to the Serengeti national park. Elephants and buffalos trample the extensive Musiara swamp while crocodiles and hippos throng the Mara and Talek rivers, a true Kenya Vacation simony of a miracle in action.The best season to Visit Maasai Mara is between the months of June to August when the great migration takes place. However, regardless of the time of travel, a visit to Mara will always be exciting.

 JNK- Kenya safaris

Hope Mission Tours