Wednesday, February 22, 2012

You are @  Travel EventsReading Kenya
 

Reading

Six books prepare readers for a stunning literary safari across Kenya. Read of colonial coffee plantations and mysterious NGO's, the Mau Mau Rebellion and the extraordinary drama of elephant life. Your Kenyan book package crosses a wide range of subjects in fiction and memoir and lays a great foundation for a facinating adventure!
 

Out of Africa - Karen Blixen

From the moment Karen Blixen arrived in Kenya in 1914 to manage a coffee plantation, her heart belonged to Africa. Drawn to the intense colours and ravishing landscapes, Karen Blixen spent her happiest years on the farm and her experiences and friendships with the people around her are vividly recalled in these memoirs. Out of Africa is the story of a remarkable and unconventional woman and of a way of life that has vanished for ever.

 
The In-between World of Vikram Lall - M.G. Vassanji

Double Giller Prize winner M.G. Vassanji’s The In-Between World of Vikram Lall is a haunting novel of corruption and regret that brings to life the complexity and turbulence of Kenyan society in the last five decades. Rich in sensuous detail and historical insight, this is a powerful story of passionate betrayals and political violence, racial tension and the strictures of tradition, told in elegant, assured prose.
 

One Day I Will Write About This Place - Binyavanga Wainaina

Binyavanga Wainaina tumbled through his middle-class Kenyan childhood out of kilter with the world around him. This world came to him as a chaos of loud and colorful sounds: the hair dryers at his mother’s beauty parlor, black mamba bicycle bells, mechanics in Nairobi, the music of Michael Jackson—all punctuated by the infectious laughter of his brother and sister, Jimmy and Ciru. He could fall in with their patterns, but it would take him a while to carve out his own.

In this vivid and compelling debut memoir, the Kenyan landscape always claims his main attention, but he also evokes the shifting political scene that unsettles his views on family, tribe, and nationhood.

 
Elephant Memories - Cynthia Moss

Cynthia Moss has studied the elephants in Kenya's Amboseli National Park for over twenty-seven years. Her long-term research has revealed much of what we now know about these complex and intelligent animals. Here she chronicles the lives of the members of five families led by matriarchs Teresia, Slit Ear, Torn Ear, Tania, and Tuskless. With a new afterword catching up on the families and covering current conservation issues, Moss's story continues to fascinate animal lovers.
 

Petals of Blood - Ngugi wa Thiong’o

The puzzling murder of three African directors of a foreign-owned brewery sets the scene for this fervent, hard-hitting novel about disillusionment in independent Kenya. A deceptively simple tale, Petals of Blood is on the surface a suspenseful investigation of a spectacular triple murder in upcountry Kenya. Yet as the intertwined stories of the four suspects unfold, a devastating picture emerges of a modern third-world nation whose frustrated people feel their leaders have failed them time after time.

 
Nairobi Heat - Mukoma Wa Ngugi

When a young girl is found murdered in Madison, Wisconsin local police Detective Ishmael gets a mysterious phone call: “If you want the truth, you must come to Nairobi.” It’s the beginning of a journey that will take Ishmael to a place where NGO money rules and where the local cops shoot first and ask questions later. And although it’s the land of his ancestors, it becomes a disorienting and terrifying quest through a place where knowing the truth about history can get you killed.

Mukoma Wa Ngugi is the son of Kenyan novelist Ngugi wa Thiong'o.

 

Your host
  BEN WALSH

Ben Walsh is a bookseller at Nicholas Hoare in Toronto where his first literary tour launched in 2009. Since then, readers from across Canada have been joining these original book club tours and celebrating this adventure as it continues across the globe.

Reading

Six books prepare readers for a stunning literary safari across Kenya. Read of colonial coffee plantations and mysterious NGO's, the Mau Mau Rebellion and the extraordinary drama of elephant life. Your Kenyan book package crosses a wide range of subjects in fiction and memoir and lays a great foundation for a facinating adventure!
 

Out of Africa - Karen Blixen

From the moment Karen Blixen arrived in Kenya in 1914 to manage a coffee plantation, her heart belonged to Africa. Drawn to the intense colours and ravishing landscapes, Karen Blixen spent her happiest years on the farm and her experiences and friendships with the people around her are vividly recalled in these memoirs. Out of Africa is the story of a remarkable and unconventional woman and of a way of life that has vanished for ever.

 
The In-between World of Vikram Lall - M.G. Vassanji

Double Giller Prize winner M.G. Vassanji’s The In-Between World of Vikram Lall is a haunting novel of corruption and regret that brings to life the complexity and turbulence of Kenyan society in the last five decades. Rich in sensuous detail and historical insight, this is a powerful story of passionate betrayals and political violence, racial tension and the strictures of tradition, told in elegant, assured prose.
 

One Day I Will Write About This Place - Binyavanga Wainaina

Binyavanga Wainaina tumbled through his middle-class Kenyan childhood out of kilter with the world around him. This world came to him as a chaos of loud and colorful sounds: the hair dryers at his mother’s beauty parlor, black mamba bicycle bells, mechanics in Nairobi, the music of Michael Jackson—all punctuated by the infectious laughter of his brother and sister, Jimmy and Ciru. He could fall in with their patterns, but it would take him a while to carve out his own.

In this vivid and compelling debut memoir, the Kenyan landscape always claims his main attention, but he also evokes the shifting political scene that unsettles his views on family, tribe, and nationhood.

 
Elephant Memories - Cynthia Moss

Cynthia Moss has studied the elephants in Kenya's Amboseli National Park for over twenty-seven years. Her long-term research has revealed much of what we now know about these complex and intelligent animals. Here she chronicles the lives of the members of five families led by matriarchs Teresia, Slit Ear, Torn Ear, Tania, and Tuskless. With a new afterword catching up on the families and covering current conservation issues, Moss's story continues to fascinate animal lovers.
 

Petals of Blood - Ngugi wa Thiong’o

The puzzling murder of three African directors of a foreign-owned brewery sets the scene for this fervent, hard-hitting novel about disillusionment in independent Kenya. A deceptively simple tale, Petals of Blood is on the surface a suspenseful investigation of a spectacular triple murder in upcountry Kenya. Yet as the intertwined stories of the four suspects unfold, a devastating picture emerges of a modern third-world nation whose frustrated people feel their leaders have failed them time after time.

 
Nairobi Heat - Mukoma Wa Ngugi

When a young girl is found murdered in Madison, Wisconsin local police Detective Ishmael gets a mysterious phone call: “If you want the truth, you must come to Nairobi.” It’s the beginning of a journey that will take Ishmael to a place where NGO money rules and where the local cops shoot first and ask questions later. And although it’s the land of his ancestors, it becomes a disorienting and terrifying quest through a place where knowing the truth about history can get you killed.

Mukoma Wa Ngugi is the son of Kenyan novelist Ngugi wa Thiong'o.

 

Your host
  BEN WALSH

Ben Walsh is a bookseller at Nicholas Hoare in Toronto where his first literary tour launched in 2009. Since then, readers from across Canada have been joining these original book club tours and celebrating this adventure as it continues across the globe.

 
Reading Kenya
     
6 great books inspire an original literary tour of Kenya
Witness the world's greatest wildlife migration
Visit the home of Kenyan memoirst Karen Blixen
Track lions in the Maasai Mara, elephants at Amboseli
Extend your adventure with a Tanzania get-a-way!
     

Out of Africa
a memoir by Karen Blixen

  Discussion:
Monday, May 14, 2012
In-between World of Vikram Lall
a novel by M G Vassanji
 

Discussion:
Monday, June 4, 2012

One Day I Will Write About This Place
a memoir by Binyavanga Wainaina
 

Discussion:
Monday, June 25, 2012

Elephant Memories
a study by Cynthia Ross
 

Discussion:
Monday, July 16, 2012

Petals of Blood
a novel by Wa Thiongo Ngugi
 

Discussion:
Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Nairobi Heat
a novel by Mukoma Wa Ngugi
  Discussion:
While in Nairobi
     
Tour Begins:
  Saturday, August 11, 2012
Tour Ends:
  Friday, August 24, 2012
     
Price
  $7050.00 Canadian
Single Supplement
  $1605.00 Canadian

  *Prices are subject to change
International Air   Quote available upon request
     
Group Size   Minimum 10 - Maximum 15
    Group will travel only if minimum
number of particpants is reached.

 

 

 
Reading Kenya
     
6 great books inspire an original literary tour of Kenya
Witness the world's greatest wildlife migration
Visit the home of Kenyan memoirst Karen Blixen
Track lions in the Maasai Mara, elephants at Amboseli
Extend your adventure with a Tanzania get-a-way!
     

Out of Africa
a memoir by Karen Blixen

  Discussion:
Monday, May 14, 2012
In-between World of Vikram Lall
a novel by M G Vassanji
 

Discussion:
Monday, June 4, 2012

One Day I Will Write About This Place
a memoir by Binyavanga Wainaina
 

Discussion:
Monday, June 25, 2012

Elephant Memories
a study by Cynthia Ross
 

Discussion:
Monday, July 16, 2012

Petals of Blood
a novel by Wa Thiongo Ngugi
 

Discussion:
Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Nairobi Heat
a novel by Mukoma Wa Ngugi
  Discussion:
While in Nairobi
     
Tour Begins:
  Saturday, August 11, 2012
Tour Ends:
  Friday, August 24, 2012
     
Price
  $7050.00 Canadian
Single Supplement
  $1605.00 Canadian

  *Prices are subject to change
International Air   Quote available upon request
     
Group Size   Minimum 10 - Maximum 15
    Group will travel only if minimum
number of particpants is reached.

 

 

   Minimize

 

Itinerary

Day 01 Arrive Nairobi

On the eastern edge of the Rift Valley lies Nairobi, a young and vibrant capital buzzing with the life of East Africa's largest city. In Kenya, all stories - just as all roads - lead to Nairobi, which makes it the perfect place to begin your literary adventure. On arrival, transfer to The Stanley Hotel, a historic 5-star in the city centre where your fellow travellers await.
Accommodation: The Stanley Hotel (or similar)

Day 02 Nairobi

From busy markets to the cradle of mankind, enjoy a day divided between Nairobi's Maasai markets  - street food, crafts, and people - and the Nairobi National Museum. (B)
Accommodation: The Stanley Hotel (or similar)

Day 03 Nairobi

A full day excursion in Nairobi includes the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust where orphaned elephants and rhinos prepare to re-enter the wild and the farmhouse setting of Out of Africa, Karen Blixen's celebrated account of life in colonial Kenya. (B,D)
Accommodation: The Stanley Hotel (or similar)

Day 04 Nairobi - Samburu

This morning travel by road from busy Nairobi to a place of dust-red plains and palm-fringed rivers. Rugged and remote, Samburu National Reserve lies to the east of Mt. Kenya on the fringes of the vast and arid desert once known as the Northern Frontier District. Luxury tented accommodation for 3 nights overlooks wildlife-rich riverbanks where elephants water and crocodiles sun. (B,L,D)
Accommodation: Samburu Intrepids Camp (or similar)

Day 05 - 06 Samburu

Over the next two days enjoy a range of guided activities. As the blue-legged ostrich, Grevy's zebra, beisa oryx, reticulated giraffe, Waller's gazelle, elephant, lion, and leopard all rightly claim Samburu as native habitat, experienced guides will lead tracking expeditions across this rugged plain. Join a village walk to learn about the life of the Samburu people and follow the resident naturalist for a guided trek in the bush. (B,L,D)
Accommodation: Samburu Intrepids Camp (or similar)

Day 07 Samburu - Ol Pejeta

Today travel south along the flanks of Mount Kenya to enter Ol Pejeta, a conservancy of rolling grasslands and acacia trees. White rhinos share this landscape with a variety of mammals including the very rare black rhino but it is a small chimpanzee sanctuary within Ol Pejeta, which attracts the most attention from visitors and where you will spend the afternoon. Each well-appointed tent at Sweetwaters has excellent views of Mount Kenya. (B,L,D)
Accommodation: Sweetwaters Tented Camp (or similar)

Day 08 Ol Pejeta - Thompson's Falls - Lake Nakuru
 
During a morning drive to Lake Nakuru stop at Thompson's Falls where fine mist endlessly feeds a dense forest below. Carry on southwards arriving at shallow Lake Nakuru where thousands of flamingos gather to create one of the world's most impressive natural sights. (B,L,D)
Accommodation: Lake Nakuru Lodge (or similar)

Day 09 Lake Nakuru - Masai Mara

As the annual wildebeest migration reaches its height, arrive at the Masai Mara, Kenya’s most famous wildlife reserve. Following lunch at the Mara Safari Club, join an afternoon game drive. Extraordinary experiences await. Tonight relax on your private veranda overlooking the Mara River where wild animals come down to drink. (B,L,D)
Accommodation: Fairmont Mara Safari Club (or similar)

Day 10 - 11 Masai Mara

Each morning and afternoon join an experienced guide as you track an astounding array of animals including zebras, cheetahs, wildebeests, gazelles and of course the “Big Five” - lion, African elephant, cape buffalo, leopard, and rhinoceros. Visit a local Maasai village and view the traditional customs of local residents. (B,L,D)
Accommodation: Fairmont Mara Safari Club (or similar)

Day 12 Masai Mara - Amboseli

Today travel overland through the Rift Valley arriving at Amboseli late in the afternoon. Towered over by magnificent Mount Kilimanjaro, Amboseli is synonymous with elephant country. Tonight unwind on your private veranda or join your fellow travellers for sundowners at the lodge. (B,L,D)
Accommodation: Amboseli Serena Lodge (or similar)

Day 13 Amboseli

Amboseli is a photographer’s dream. Spend the day capturing the stunning spectacle during morning and afternoon game activities. Witness large herds of big-tusked elephants as they cross this "Place of Dust" from emerald swamps to hidden watering holes. Tonight join your fellow travellers for a farewell dinner at the lodge. (B,L,D)
Accommodation: Amboseli Serena Lodge (or similar)

Day 14 Amboseli - Nairobi

This morning, depart Amboseli and return to Nairobi for your departure or extend your stay with an onward journey to Tanzania. (B)

     
AND DON'T FORGET!     

The following items are included in tour pricing

 

All books and Kenya travel journal

4 to 5 Star accommodation

Professional English-speaking local guides

Sightseeing and admissions as per the itinerary
All land transportation as per itinerary

Meals as indicated on itinerary (B-Breakfast,

L-Lunch, D-Dinner)

Going Places Together host throughout

 


The following is not included in tour pricing 

 

Arrival transfer
Meals and beverages not listed in itinerary

Porters and tipping

Travel Insurance

Passport or visa processing

Items of a personal nature

 

 

 

Itinerary

Day 01 Arrive Nairobi

On the eastern edge of the Rift Valley lies Nairobi, a young and vibrant capital buzzing with the life of East Africa's largest city. In Kenya, all stories - just as all roads - lead to Nairobi, which makes it the perfect place to begin your literary adventure. On arrival, transfer to The Stanley Hotel, a historic 5-star in the city centre where your fellow travellers await.
Accommodation: The Stanley Hotel (or similar)

Day 02 Nairobi

From busy markets to the cradle of mankind, enjoy a day divided between Nairobi's Maasai markets  - street food, crafts, and people - and the Nairobi National Museum. (B)
Accommodation: The Stanley Hotel (or similar)

Day 03 Nairobi

A full day excursion in Nairobi includes the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust where orphaned elephants and rhinos prepare to re-enter the wild and the farmhouse setting of Out of Africa, Karen Blixen's celebrated account of life in colonial Kenya. (B,D)
Accommodation: The Stanley Hotel (or similar)

Day 04 Nairobi - Samburu

This morning travel by road from busy Nairobi to a place of dust-red plains and palm-fringed rivers. Rugged and remote, Samburu National Reserve lies to the east of Mt. Kenya on the fringes of the vast and arid desert once known as the Northern Frontier District. Luxury tented accommodation for 3 nights overlooks wildlife-rich riverbanks where elephants water and crocodiles sun. (B,L,D)
Accommodation: Samburu Intrepids Camp (or similar)

Day 05 - 06 Samburu

Over the next two days enjoy a range of guided activities. As the blue-legged ostrich, Grevy's zebra, beisa oryx, reticulated giraffe, Waller's gazelle, elephant, lion, and leopard all rightly claim Samburu as native habitat, experienced guides will lead tracking expeditions across this rugged plain. Join a village walk to learn about the life of the Samburu people and follow the resident naturalist for a guided trek in the bush. (B,L,D)
Accommodation: Samburu Intrepids Camp (or similar)

Day 07 Samburu - Ol Pejeta

Today travel south along the flanks of Mount Kenya to enter Ol Pejeta, a conservancy of rolling grasslands and acacia trees. White rhinos share this landscape with a variety of mammals including the very rare black rhino but it is a small chimpanzee sanctuary within Ol Pejeta, which attracts the most attention from visitors and where you will spend the afternoon. Each well-appointed tent at Sweetwaters has excellent views of Mount Kenya. (B,L,D)
Accommodation: Sweetwaters Tented Camp (or similar)

Day 08 Ol Pejeta - Thompson's Falls - Lake Nakuru
 
During a morning drive to Lake Nakuru stop at Thompson's Falls where fine mist endlessly feeds a dense forest below. Carry on southwards arriving at shallow Lake Nakuru where thousands of flamingos gather to create one of the world's most impressive natural sights. (B,L,D)
Accommodation: Lake Nakuru Lodge (or similar)

Day 09 Lake Nakuru - Masai Mara

As the annual wildebeest migration reaches its height, arrive at the Masai Mara, Kenya’s most famous wildlife reserve. Following lunch at the Mara Safari Club, join an afternoon game drive. Extraordinary experiences await. Tonight relax on your private veranda overlooking the Mara River where wild animals come down to drink. (B,L,D)
Accommodation: Fairmont Mara Safari Club (or similar)

Day 10 - 11 Masai Mara

Each morning and afternoon join an experienced guide as you track an astounding array of animals including zebras, cheetahs, wildebeests, gazelles and of course the “Big Five” - lion, African elephant, cape buffalo, leopard, and rhinoceros. Visit a local Maasai village and view the traditional customs of local residents. (B,L,D)
Accommodation: Fairmont Mara Safari Club (or similar)

Day 12 Masai Mara - Amboseli

Today travel overland through the Rift Valley arriving at Amboseli late in the afternoon. Towered over by magnificent Mount Kilimanjaro, Amboseli is synonymous with elephant country. Tonight unwind on your private veranda or join your fellow travellers for sundowners at the lodge. (B,L,D)
Accommodation: Amboseli Serena Lodge (or similar)

Day 13 Amboseli

Amboseli is a photographer’s dream. Spend the day capturing the stunning spectacle during morning and afternoon game activities. Witness large herds of big-tusked elephants as they cross this "Place of Dust" from emerald swamps to hidden watering holes. Tonight join your fellow travellers for a farewell dinner at the lodge. (B,L,D)
Accommodation: Amboseli Serena Lodge (or similar)

Day 14 Amboseli - Nairobi

This morning, depart Amboseli and return to Nairobi for your departure or extend your stay with an onward journey to Tanzania. (B)

     
AND DON'T FORGET!     

The following items are included in tour pricing

 

All books and Kenya travel journal

4 to 5 Star accommodation

Professional English-speaking local guides

Sightseeing and admissions as per the itinerary
All land transportation as per itinerary

Meals as indicated on itinerary (B-Breakfast,

L-Lunch, D-Dinner)

Going Places Together host throughout

 


The following is not included in tour pricing 

 

Arrival transfer
Meals and beverages not listed in itinerary

Porters and tipping

Travel Insurance

Passport or visa processing

Items of a personal nature

 

 

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Nicholas Hoare | 45 Front Street East | Toronto, Ontario | Canada | M5E 1B3 | 416-777-2665 | toronto@nicholashoare.ca
Going Places Together | 134 Delamere Avenue | Stratford, Ontario | Canada | N5A 4Z5 | 519-271-6037 | nancy@goingplacestogether.com
Creative Travel and Tours Inc. | 301 Fruitland Road | Unit 7 | Stoney Creek, Ontario | L8E 5M1 | 905-643-4848 | denise@carlsoncreativetravel.com


50006797

 

Nicholas Hoare | 45 Front Street East | Toronto, Ontario | Canada | M5E 1B3 | 416-777-2665 | toronto@nicholashoare.ca
Going Places Together | 134 Delamere Avenue | Stratford, Ontario | Canada | N5A 4Z5 | 519-271-6037 | nancy@goingplacestogether.com
Creative Travel and Tours Inc. | 301 Fruitland Road | Unit 7 | Stoney Creek, Ontario | L8E 5M1 | 905-643-4848 | denise@carlsoncreativetravel.com


50006797

Copyright (c) 2012 by Going Places Together