Bitings from the Bush

By Lara Palmer

Serian can offer breakfast and lunch in camp, where one can enjoy delicious meals whilst watching hippos by the river and giraffe, buffalo and elephant on the escarpment, or can arrange for a tasty picnic to have whilst out on your game drive. It can also be possible to enjoy a luxury set breakfast in the bush or along the Mara River.


Evening meals can be enjoyed in good company within camp or under the stars, or set up as a private meal on your decking or in the bush. After a hard day of observing lounging lions, sprawled leopards, playful calf elephants or leaping gazelle an evening at Serian can start with morish bitings around a camp fire as the sun sets. In the past I have viewed meals times as just a necessity to refuel but here every meal feels like a celebration, an occasion to swap stories of the days happening and learn more about each guest’s home country. I have chosen to give you an example of some succulent delights you might find if you joined Serian for an evening.




Some of our delicious recipes for you all to recreate at home.

Vegetable Samosas

Pastry Ingredients
2 cups of flour
1 cup of warm water
2/3 table spoons of oil
Pinch of salt

Mix all pastry ingredients together until it becomes a firm dough. Then roll out the dough into a very thin layer and cut into a circle the size you want. Layer the dough circles on top of each other put oil between each one.
Put the layered dough into an oven and turn every 10 seconds. Remove from oven when the layered dough separates from each other and become transparent.


Vegetable filling ingredients
1 tablespoon oil
1 box of mushrooms
2 onions
3 leaks
1 green pepper
2 Courgettes
2/3 chillies

Fry all above ingredients for about 15 minuets on a medium heat.

Fold pastry around vegetable mix and deep fry until golden brown.

Stuffed Peppers
6 peppers
3 onions
6 tomatoes
Drop of oil
Handful of grated cheddar cheese

Cut the top of the pepper and scup out the inside including seeds etc. Place in oven and bake until soft. Chop the onions and tomatoes and fry with oil until tender.

White sauce ingredients
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup of milk
Pinch of salt
2 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon cold water

Melt the butter in a pan and pour in the milk to boil. Mix the four with cold water and then add this to the milk and butter string constantly until the mix becomes thick.

Combine the white sauce to the fried tomatoes and onions and add the grated cheddar. Spoon this mix into each pepper and bake until brown.


Come and join us at "Serian". Http://www.serian.net

Ballooning in the Mara - By Lara Palmer

My first balloon experience - a mix of emotions,
by Lara Palmer - Serian Volunteer

In a sleepy state of excitement we set off at 4.30am for my first ever balloon experience, we didn’t get far before we came across a pair of lions asleep just outside the camp. Both Lion and Lioness showed little bother and refused to move from the middle of the track, making us drive around them.

On arrival we were not allowed to set foot in the balloon until were had cleared our security check, which I was quite surprised at as I didn’t realise anyone was thinking of hijacking the balloon, but if so thankfully it had been prevented!

As the balloon came alive we jumped in ready for our adventure over land. Due to my fear of heights I felt very nervous looking over the edge, as we glided higher with ease. I found the burst of flames above my head quite unsettling as an irrational thought set in that I might be set alight by it. But after about five minutes I started to relax and found the floating motion quite amazing.

We glided at first low over the tree tops and above the antelope and zebra running underneath. I loved seeing all the tracks below crisscrossed over the plains, the regularly warn down paths of different sized animals showing the movement patterns across the Mara.

As the sun lifted itself awake before us, our balloon soared higher to gain breath taking views of the Mara plains. The whole river then came into view and stretched out before us for miles, I felt like in was in a BBC documentary when they show the Nile in an aerial shot. You suddenly get a great understanding of how vast the area is, with its never ending horizon. The balloon then lowered once again to find giraffe, elephant and buffalo underneath, all going about their morning business.

Our hour trip literally flew by and to my disappointment we were ready for landing. Our landing I will never forget, most passengers experience a gentle touchdown as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Whereas for us, we were suddenly told to “brace ourselves” as this was not to be a smooth landing, as we hit the ground we were pushed onto our backs and then dragged along the floor hitting three termite mounds along the way. The basket was in floods of laughter as we eventually came to a halt.

Our captain was saluted for his efforts and we were shown to our Champagne breakfast which was set amongst the stragglers of wildebeest still crossing into Tanzania. My balloon experience left me with a feel of wanting more, I will definately be doing another one, one day.

October in the Serengeti

OCTOBER IN KOGATENDE

Just recently the wind has swept away the rain but until now we have had unseasonal heavy rain more consistent with the grass rains of late October and November. As far as the wildebeest are concerned the large burns from earlier in the year greened up and the korongos and luggas have filled to the brim. Large herds moved southwards early in the month and a month later we hear of them closing in on Seronera in central Serengeti.

On the eastern side of the park large herds of zebra have made their way to lobo and further south towards Piaya. However a lot actually crossed heading north towards the darker storms of the Masai Mara and our Serian camp in the Mara North Conservancy. On any given day through October you could watch two or three herds cross in opposite directions. Herds numbering two to three thousand, heading north to through the lamai and into the Mara triangle. In the same day reports from the Mara told us of massive herds heading south towards us.

Rhino seemed to be the focus through out the month with daily sightings reported by all the guides operating in the area. Which luckily for us is still relatively a tight knit community of really very good guides. On a really busy day one might bump into 10 other cars but given that everyone is focused on watching the crossings unfold we were alone for most days. I saw 4 rhino on one day alone, something I have yet to do in the Mara and more and more unlikely given that the Mara rhino seem to be more commonly seen in the Northern Serengeti now.

Lion have been a lot easier to see the grass having been knocked back to the nub. Studies show that seasonally heavy grazing promotes growth and increased nutrients in the grasslands. The secret of the migration is that the herds move on and with a little help from the tons of concentrated droppings the grass grows quickly again.


The crocodile continue to provide a little action and make for great fireside tales as the stories become a little more elaborate each time. Limericks to the fore courtesy of a number of individuals perhaps spurred on by our Aardvark tale!

There once was a Hippo called Daisy,
We all thought she was fat and lazy,
The gnu crossing the river,
Put her all in a dither,
She jumped up and ran around like crazy!

New Managers at "SERIAN" - Karibu Sana

NEW MANAGERS AT SERIAN

With the recent departure of Mark Gilks, we have great pleasure to introduce you all to our new “Serian” management team, Adrian Allen and Roisin Perrett. They will join our experienced front and back of house crew Kyembeni, Isaac and Sawa. Capable, reliable, bush personalities we know that they will all provide our clients with the personal service that is the essence of “Serian”.

ADRIAN ALLEN

Adrian was born and raised on a farm in Kenya. He was educated here and then went onto Michaelhouse in South-Africa to complete his higher education.

Finishing school Adrian stayed on in South Africa, to complete a professional guiding course (FGASA Level 1 & 2) and lodge management course, as well as advanced rifle handling. He also did some guiding work in Madikwe Game Reserve before returning home.

Back in Kenya Adrian started working at Sabuk lodge in Laikipia, hosting & guiding camel & walking safaris. These safaris would be anything from one night to two weeks long.

“Walking with dangerous game is a great way to experience wildlife. When you are on foot and approach elephants, it makes you realise the size and strength of the animal compared to when you have the safety of a vehicle”.

After Sabuk he joined Offbeat Safari's, where he built, managed, hosted and guided their luxury tented camp in Meru National Park. He stayed there for over three and half years, before leaving to do some relief guiding and managing work for some of the top lodges in Kenya, including Shompole, Loisaba, & Sosian.

ROISIN PERRETT

Roisin is third generation Kenyan, and was educated both in Kenya and South Africa.

Her grandfather, Japper Evans, a local legend, set up the family business doing “old style” camel safari's, walking across the sahara in his mid seventies. Roisin’s parents took over, expanding these adventurous walking safari’s to locations well off the beaten track and as far north as Lake Turkana, journeying through the Matthews range, where vehicles struggle to go.

Helping on these safaris with the kitchen logistics and camping under the stars gave

her the experience that led her to her Uncle’s lodge “Sabuk” in Laikipia.

Roisin believes she will bring a new perspective to the camps as well as vibrant energy. She is a creative individual, interested in wildlife and camp management and looks forward to showing off the camps.

Both Roisin and Adrian have worked together a lot in the past, most recently within the Offbeat Camp in Meru.

Serian, brings a sense of spirited style and distinctive flexibility, our characteristic trait!

With over 80 staff, a dedicated open-top safari vehicle, your own driver guide and spotter this is no idle boast: with nothing but nature and personal desire provide our flexible focus.

Pleas note the following email and contact numbers for Alex Walkers Serian

General Information and bookings – safaris@serian.net

PR and Marketing – awspr@serian.net

Serian Camp (Masai Mara) – serian@serian.net

Online availability - click here

Telephone Contacts

Booking office – New African Territories –020 3598871/ 2663397/8

Serian, Ngare Serian, Nkorombo Camp (Masai Mara) – +254 773 809273

News from Alex in the Serengeti

"SERIAN" SERENGETI NEWS

After an incredibly successful five months, and ahead of the November rains, Alex is relocating the camp down to the southern end of the Serengeti. Kakessio is located close to the Laetoli footprints an archelogical site of some renown. An hours drive south of Lake Ndutu and the all weather strip used by the scheduled charters and 3 hours from the Manyara strip.

This area is positioned ideally to witness the remarkable Wildebeeste Migration birthing season. "Serian" becomes the base from which you have exclusive access to hundreds of thousands of acres of acacia clad woodland filled with huge abundance of wildlife

Being able to get up close to these animals and their young, is a photographers heaven as well as walking opportunities from our Adventure Fly Camp.

Decorated in classic Safari style with large beds and opulent rugs, the 8 lavish Meru-style tents are deeply romantic. Swathes of cotton soften the luxuriant bedroom furniture, whilst plush velvet curtains lead to plumbed bathrooms and wild flower filled vases conjure up idyllic Africa.

We look forward to welcoming you to "Serian" very soon.