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Taita Hills Game Lodge
and a Panoramic View of
The Taita Hills Game
Sanctuary |
The Taita Hills
Sanctuary is a privately owned game
ranch which was formerly operated by the Hilton Hotels
International who owned and managed two
game lodges within the sanctuary.
the Lodges are currently under the
Sarova Chi of Hotels. In
relation to its giant neighbor
Tsavo, the sanctuary is tiny, only
11,330 ha, but it is a model
conservation area with its own
warden and rangers and at times has
wildlife in plenty.
Elephant and
lion are resident and buffalo and
cheetah are easily found. It is near
to Lake Jipe which can be approached
from the sanctuary. It is also
possible, from this location, to
visit the Taita Hills. A switchback
tarmac road makes the ascent into a
fertile and very beautiful landscape
and the contrast with the scrubland
below is remarkable.
The hills are
densely populated but small pockets
of isolated forest are retained. The
hills are sufficiently isolated to
develop endemic forms and birders
come from afar to see the Taita
Olive Thrush and the Taita
White-eye. Some of the well-known
house plants - African violets -
have their origins in these hills;
there are twenty species which all
come from the Taita Hills and the Nguru mountains in Tanzania.
Lake Chala, like Lake Jipe shared
with Tanzania, is a gem of a fresh
water lake hidden in its own crater
and whose outstanding beauty is
therefore easily missed, although
only a short distance from the
Taveta to Amboseli road. If you feel
inclined to take a walk give
yourself about four hours to
complete a circuit of the crater.
There are crocodile in the lake. |
