Covid, Longer Stays and the Evolution of Safari

First and foremost, Happy New Year. We hope and trust that this year will be a stark improvement for all of us. Covid has taken many lives and cost much of the world in grief and stress. Many changes we have made to our behavior because of the disease, will likely endure and if there is a light at the end of the Aardvark tunnel, then maybe some of those changes are for the better.

As we survey our own safaris and the trips we have run during covid, we have witnessed an adaptation toward longer stays. This was occasioned by guests who wanted to reduce travel and the additional chance of contracting the disease. The resulting safaris though, have been among our most celebrated. Let there be light. For those of us who live in the bush, immersed in the bird sounds and changing seasons, how this change manifested itself was of no great surprise. Immersion is everything in life and with time, there comes the reward of one's own discoveries. Safari is no exception. Longer stays allow our visitors to make those discoveries, to get into the tempo of the natural systems we visit and to begin to feel a part of it. Our mobile walking safaris have always combined well with stays at Tumaren Camp but also our teams have moved with traditional canvas tents and Landcruisers to nearby parks such as Meru, Shaba, Samburu, and the Aberdares.

With only one team our guests have been able to have many experiences in many different kinds of country and habitats while reducing human contact and increasing wilderness time and friendships within the team. For friends and guests who want to try an extended stay at our camp and our mobile walking or gamedrive trips, we can accommodate them with high speed internet, space to create and communicate and discounted rates for longer stays. With their parents, more and more kids are hitting the road too and learning as they travel through cultures, geology and habitats. Tumaren is an ideal stop for the family ready to go nomadic. Here below is a link to a week long Tumaren Camp itinerary: Lost at Tumaren (https://www.karisia.com/tumaren-week-long-stay) Why not consider a longer stay with Karisia and Tumaren? While aware that it sounds very hippyish, Immersion travel is not just about ticking off wildlife species but rather also it is about self discovery, growth and mental health. As karma has it though, mental clarity, tempo and harmony are always major wildlife attractants and we always manage to have spectacular wildlife encounters when we are on their schedule.

Best wishes for 2021! James Christian and Kerry Glen