3/20/2014
New video about Wild Routes of Kenya-Subukia Bandas
New video about Wild Routes of Kenya-Subukia Bandas made par Nicolas Falquet , a videographer and friend who came at Muringa Farm in December 2013-January 2014:
3/16/2011
Angèle and Rosa tell about their eco-volunteering experience at Muringa Farm (October 2010):
Angèle (31) and Rosa (33):
For a long time we have always wanted to go for such a journey...
We came across Muringa farm via the site www.eco-volontaire.com. We immediately took contact with Astrid and Erick who gave us additional information before our arrival on Kenyan territory.
Korir welcomed us at the airport and took us to Subukia where we received a warm welcome at Muringa Farm and what did we discover?
A magnificent place in the middle of nature, a truly unique area away from the disturbances of the city where you feel quiet and serene.
The programme established by Astrid allowed us to experience unforgettable moments like the contact with local people and their different cultures, the discovery of flora and fauna as well as the warm relations with the staff.
Kenyans are very touching because of their kindness, their smiles and their welcoming motto of “HAKUNA MATATA”.
The knowledge of Korir, Benjamin, and Samuel allowed us to discover several medicinal values and daily uses of some plants.
In fact every flower, plant or tree serves purpose in treating malaria and other body ailments, in the manufacturing of tools and materials used for construction (hammer handles, nails......)
On the same note we also left traces of our passage by making writings of the names of the main trees found in Muringa Farm.
With Samwael we equally pruned the Bougainvilleas so that they could flower the surrounding of the bandas. Muringa has a good number of domestic animals i.e. Mwitu the cat, 5 dogs, 2 donkeys, 4 horses, Lolita the goat, geese, ducks, guinea fowls, turkeys, pigs, cows and a big bull.
With the help of Vincent, Benjamin, Samwael, Peter and Erick we assisted them in taking care of the animal(removal of parasites, spraying, washing, feeding ....)
Vincent and Benjamin equally accompanied us for the long horse rides to the exterior of the property as well as for work in the round pen.
Situated at the heart of nature, Muringa Farm, home of Mama Daktari also provides the opportunity of discovering numerous wild animals.
Korir, our super guide, showed us a diverse variety of birds with conspicuous colours and their songs which were not always that melodious (search on youtube the sound of the hadada ibis!)
He initiated us into the observation of two species of monkeys living in the property (colobus and blue monkeys), and we took part in their behaviour study.
Among the activities proposed we had equally the opportunity to help Astrid and Erick with the orphans at Lillian’s Children’s home and at the refugee camp of Subukia (bringing them food, buying shoes for the children).
We had the opportunity to meet a lot of merchants of Subukia with whom it was very easy to socialize.
We took advantage of this to get the African style by braiding our hair!
We also gave our contribution by donating clothes, stationery materials etc.
The diversity and the flexibility of the proposed programme made our first experience of eco-volunteering enriching and pleasurable because of the contact with the nature as well as Kenyans.
It is good to know that every morning Charles and Godfrey made sumptuous pancakes daily and served them with a smile and a sense of humour.Rest assured all other meals were excellent too.
While leaving the restaurant which is situated at the shore of the lake you could see the magnificent smile of Sally who takes good care of the bandas.
During the day you will have the opportunity of seeing the discrete smile of Peter and Erick (Michael Jackson like like Rosa said) who guard the animals.
If you love walking then try to follow Samuel up to the different viewpoints of Subukia!
On your return tired from trekking, when you find yourself in a deep sleep to the point you start snoring and making noise more than the rocky hyraxes, rest assured that the Askaris John and Hassan are going to keep an eye on your sleep.
In the course of the different sport activities you are going to enjoy the humour and philosophy of Benjamin as well as the soft laughter of Vincent.
What a luck to share diverse enriching moments and socialize with Korir, the best tour guide in Kenya.
He will surprise you in how he can differentiate with the naked eye the posterior of a rhino from a rock at a distance of one kilometre or even by showing you a lioness’ ear that is 500m away whereas your eyes can only see trees. Thank you Korir you are so strong!
If you have a chance of visiting the Masai Mara then you will meet Kennedy, Charles, Joel and Tira the staff of the Mara Kima Camp.
We hope you will be able visit the Masai village where they will reserve for you a traditional and authentic welcoming.
All this wouldn’t be as fulfilling and pleasant without Astrid, Erick and the staff.
If your relationship with this small world is as warm as it was for us, be ready to cry on the day of departure…!
Sincerely from the bottom of our heart a big THANK YOU, hoping that our humour and our friendliness will rest in your memories and that “funny Lolita” becomes a symbol of our passage at Muringa Farm.
angele_michel@yahoo.fr
alves_rosa@hotmail.com
For a long time we have always wanted to go for such a journey...We came across Muringa farm via the site www.eco-volontaire.com. We immediately took contact with Astrid and Erick who gave us additional information before our arrival on Kenyan territory.
Korir welcomed us at the airport and took us to Subukia where we received a warm welcome at Muringa Farm and what did we discover?
A magnificent place in the middle of nature, a truly unique area away from the disturbances of the city where you feel quiet and serene. The programme established by Astrid allowed us to experience unforgettable moments like the contact with local people and their different cultures, the discovery of flora and fauna as well as the warm relations with the staff.
Kenyans are very touching because of their kindness, their smiles and their welcoming motto of “HAKUNA MATATA”.
The knowledge of Korir, Benjamin, and Samuel allowed us to discover several medicinal values and daily uses of some plants.
In fact every flower, plant or tree serves purpose in treating malaria and other body ailments, in the manufacturing of tools and materials used for construction (hammer handles, nails......)
On the same note we also left traces of our passage by making writings of the names of the main trees found in Muringa Farm.
With Samwael we equally pruned the Bougainvilleas so that they could flower the surrounding of the bandas. Muringa has a good number of domestic animals i.e. Mwitu the cat, 5 dogs, 2 donkeys, 4 horses, Lolita the goat, geese, ducks, guinea fowls, turkeys, pigs, cows and a big bull.
With the help of Vincent, Benjamin, Samwael, Peter and Erick we assisted them in taking care of the animal(removal of parasites, spraying, washing, feeding ....)
Vincent and Benjamin equally accompanied us for the long horse rides to the exterior of the property as well as for work in the round pen.
Situated at the heart of nature, Muringa Farm, home of Mama Daktari also provides the opportunity of discovering numerous wild animals.Korir, our super guide, showed us a diverse variety of birds with conspicuous colours and their songs which were not always that melodious (search on youtube the sound of the hadada ibis!)
He initiated us into the observation of two species of monkeys living in the property (colobus and blue monkeys), and we took part in their behaviour study.
Among the activities proposed we had equally the opportunity to help Astrid and Erick with the orphans at Lillian’s Children’s home and at the refugee camp of Subukia (bringing them food, buying shoes for the children).
We had the opportunity to meet a lot of merchants of Subukia with whom it was very easy to socialize.
We took advantage of this to get the African style by braiding our hair!
We also gave our contribution by donating clothes, stationery materials etc.The diversity and the flexibility of the proposed programme made our first experience of eco-volunteering enriching and pleasurable because of the contact with the nature as well as Kenyans.
It is good to know that every morning Charles and Godfrey made sumptuous pancakes daily and served them with a smile and a sense of humour.Rest assured all other meals were excellent too.
While leaving the restaurant which is situated at the shore of the lake you could see the magnificent smile of Sally who takes good care of the bandas. During the day you will have the opportunity of seeing the discrete smile of Peter and Erick (Michael Jackson like like Rosa said) who guard the animals.
If you love walking then try to follow Samuel up to the different viewpoints of Subukia!
On your return tired from trekking, when you find yourself in a deep sleep to the point you start snoring and making noise more than the rocky hyraxes, rest assured that the Askaris John and Hassan are going to keep an eye on your sleep.In the course of the different sport activities you are going to enjoy the humour and philosophy of Benjamin as well as the soft laughter of Vincent.
What a luck to share diverse enriching moments and socialize with Korir, the best tour guide in Kenya.
He will surprise you in how he can differentiate with the naked eye the posterior of a rhino from a rock at a distance of one kilometre or even by showing you a lioness’ ear that is 500m away whereas your eyes can only see trees. Thank you Korir you are so strong!
If you have a chance of visiting the Masai Mara then you will meet Kennedy, Charles, Joel and Tira the staff of the Mara Kima Camp.
We hope you will be able visit the Masai village where they will reserve for you a traditional and authentic welcoming.
All this wouldn’t be as fulfilling and pleasant without Astrid, Erick and the staff.
If your relationship with this small world is as warm as it was for us, be ready to cry on the day of departure…!
Sincerely from the bottom of our heart a big THANK YOU, hoping that our humour and our friendliness will rest in your memories and that “funny Lolita” becomes a symbol of our passage at Muringa Farm.
angele_michel@yahoo.fr
alves_rosa@hotmail.com
Eva and Céline, eco-volunteers at Muringa Farm (August-September 2010) comment on their stay:
Eva, 22 years old:
I think I can summarise my stay here with just one word: exceptional!
I would love to urge all of you people who love animals, nature and want to know about the local people.
The bandas, the restaurant at the shores of the lake, the multicoloured birds, and the monkeys make Muringa farm a magnificent place where you feel most welcomed.
All the persons of the staff are very kind. Each moment passed with them was very enriching and I hope to experience it another day.
There is no standard day, the activities start at 9:00 am and end at about 6:00pm.
The programme proposed by Astrid and Erick suist everyone’s needs.
According to your wishes, you can observe the behaviour of the monkeys (blue monkeys and colobus), take care of the animals of the farm, interact with the locals or learn the medicinal use of the plants from Korir.
As far as I am concerned, my program was a mixture of a lot of activities.
The moments I passed with local people (the visit at the children’s home, the school of the refugees and the meal at Samuel’splace) and the animals at the farm (Laini, Adabu, Justice...) will rest dearly in my heart.
According to the length of your stay they will offer you to go on safari. As I was staying for 3 weeks, I went on a safari to Masai Mara and Nakuru.
The two places were magical. Mara with its typical savannah and Nakuru with its lake full of pink flamingoes.
At the Mara I had the opportunity of witnessing a memorable scenery: 3 cheetahs walking next to our car and stopping to drink water on one of the potholes, that was fantastic.
Finally I would like to thank Astrid and Erick for being welcoming and kind. I wish all the next eco-volunteers to live such a beautiful experience!.
eva.lartigau@hotmail.fr
Céline, 26 years old:
What a happiness! Typical wonderful bandas which according to me are very comfortable.The restaurant at the shores of the lake was a tranquil place. We could observe the magnificent birds and sometimes the colobus monkeys a little bit shy or even the blue monkeys jumping from tree to tree.
Really, there l looked at all that my eyes could see and it filled my heart.
Thanks to Astrid and Erick for welcoming us to this wonderful place.
Thank you for the life you gave to this place. I will miss all the animals that we took care of (Laini, Adabu and Mwitu and especially Santos), the staff also.
The cooks prepare a variety of good food with the local products. I am going to miss the pancakes that I had for breakfast!.
They were all very nice, sharing their culture and interests with us. A permanent exchange that has enriched me a lot.
Our guide Korir was exceptional! He is a goldmine of information for all that concerns birds, animals and plants.
I very much loved the way they could take plants and look for their medicinal values.
I adored the horse rides with Benjamin and Vincent.
Erick and Astrid make a programme that suits everyone’s needs. For my part it’s especially the plants and the contact with the population which interested me most but I loved discovering other things and notably observing the monkeys, the birds and taking care of the animals of the farm.
The Kenyans are very welcoming. At the beginning we went for a walk in the city, the impression was an attractive one. All the children came to say hi with the phrase “how are you”. Then I quickly got adapted to their warm smiles.
Samuel and his Family welcomed us into his small house and served us with one of the local delicacies. Those were strong emotional moments.
I am going to remember this place and the inhabitants for a long time!
I am going to finish with one typical African activity for us tourists: the safaris.
Astrid and Erick gave us the opportunity to go to their camp in Mara and to Nakuru. I am not going to make any other comment than this: MAGICAL!!!
To all those who desire to live such a rich experience as the one I had, I advise you without hesitation (if you hesitate…!) to visit Muringa Farm.
cvenot584@hotmail.com
I think I can summarise my stay here with just one word: exceptional!
I would love to urge all of you people who love animals, nature and want to know about the local people.
The bandas, the restaurant at the shores of the lake, the multicoloured birds, and the monkeys make Muringa farm a magnificent place where you feel most welcomed.
All the persons of the staff are very kind. Each moment passed with them was very enriching and I hope to experience it another day.
There is no standard day, the activities start at 9:00 am and end at about 6:00pm.
The programme proposed by Astrid and Erick suist everyone’s needs.
According to your wishes, you can observe the behaviour of the monkeys (blue monkeys and colobus), take care of the animals of the farm, interact with the locals or learn the medicinal use of the plants from Korir.
As far as I am concerned, my program was a mixture of a lot of activities.
The moments I passed with local people (the visit at the children’s home, the school of the refugees and the meal at Samuel’splace) and the animals at the farm (Laini, Adabu, Justice...) will rest dearly in my heart.
According to the length of your stay they will offer you to go on safari. As I was staying for 3 weeks, I went on a safari to Masai Mara and Nakuru.
The two places were magical. Mara with its typical savannah and Nakuru with its lake full of pink flamingoes.
At the Mara I had the opportunity of witnessing a memorable scenery: 3 cheetahs walking next to our car and stopping to drink water on one of the potholes, that was fantastic.
Finally I would like to thank Astrid and Erick for being welcoming and kind. I wish all the next eco-volunteers to live such a beautiful experience!.
eva.lartigau@hotmail.fr
Céline, 26 years old:
What a happiness! Typical wonderful bandas which according to me are very comfortable.The restaurant at the shores of the lake was a tranquil place. We could observe the magnificent birds and sometimes the colobus monkeys a little bit shy or even the blue monkeys jumping from tree to tree.
Really, there l looked at all that my eyes could see and it filled my heart.
Thanks to Astrid and Erick for welcoming us to this wonderful place.
Thank you for the life you gave to this place. I will miss all the animals that we took care of (Laini, Adabu and Mwitu and especially Santos), the staff also.
The cooks prepare a variety of good food with the local products. I am going to miss the pancakes that I had for breakfast!.
They were all very nice, sharing their culture and interests with us. A permanent exchange that has enriched me a lot.
Our guide Korir was exceptional! He is a goldmine of information for all that concerns birds, animals and plants.
I very much loved the way they could take plants and look for their medicinal values.
I adored the horse rides with Benjamin and Vincent.
Erick and Astrid make a programme that suits everyone’s needs. For my part it’s especially the plants and the contact with the population which interested me most but I loved discovering other things and notably observing the monkeys, the birds and taking care of the animals of the farm.
The Kenyans are very welcoming. At the beginning we went for a walk in the city, the impression was an attractive one. All the children came to say hi with the phrase “how are you”. Then I quickly got adapted to their warm smiles.
Samuel and his Family welcomed us into his small house and served us with one of the local delicacies. Those were strong emotional moments.
I am going to remember this place and the inhabitants for a long time!
I am going to finish with one typical African activity for us tourists: the safaris.
Astrid and Erick gave us the opportunity to go to their camp in Mara and to Nakuru. I am not going to make any other comment than this: MAGICAL!!!
To all those who desire to live such a rich experience as the one I had, I advise you without hesitation (if you hesitate…!) to visit Muringa Farm.
cvenot584@hotmail.com
7/15/2010
Ecovolunteer in Muringa farm: Anne Sophie's comment
Anne Sophie, 29 years old:The program: perfect, adapted to anybody’s skills, combines love for nature, animals and people, that are all connected. It is varied, days are fulfilled, all of it in a very beautiful scenery.
Muringa Farm: property of 10 hectares at 5 minutes of Subukia’s small village.
Everything is there: farm animals, domestic animals, wild animals, an incredible number of plants and flowers, all this in a historical scenery, as it is Mama Daktari’s former farm. Eric and Astrid kept the character of the house and its visit is a real museum!! The bandas, built on the local model are simple but charming, with electricity (solar panels) and warm water …
The restaurant is situated at the edge of a small lake. The food, prepared by Charles and Godfrey, with simple and local food, is good and varied.Subukia: the discovery of Subukia and her inhabitants is fabulous! Sensitive souls have to refrain: to go and have a cup of tea with the locals, to bring food to the refugees, to visit the orphanage, to see catholic missions working with disabled people and victims of AIDS and take kids on horse-back, animals some of them had never seen before, are moments that could make you feel like crying (and I know what I am talking about!;-D)
Horses: longstanding horse-rider, the horse-riding aspect attracted me from the beginning and I was not disappointed. 4 small horses, 2 very kind bay ones and 2 a little bit more difficult black ones, in brief there is one for every level. And their story is so moving!
The rides in the surroundings of Subukia are beautiful and varied and the initiation to ethological horse-riding is very instructive, especially for a classical rider like me. In short, we have fun, we learn a lot, and we have crushes (isn’t it Typhoon???).
The staff: from the warden to the safari guide, everybody is smiling, kind and reliable. On the sports side, Benjamin and Vincent are passionated persons, a little bit shy at the beginning, they really start to speak after some days. On the kitchen side, Charles and Godfrey are up to it, I rarely left an empty plate and pancakes for breakfast are perfect to wake up! Korir, the safari guide, is stunning, always smiling, always quiet, full of knowledge, he can spot a lion in the bush at a distance of 1km (it is almost disgusting when we still confuse stones and buffaloes!). Samweal introduces people to donkeys good treatments, he is shy but very efficient!!! The wardens, cow (and cat!!) keepers and Sally are more discreet but are always on form!
Safaris: a real pleasure! The lake Nakuru at 1 hour from Subukia can be visited in one day and abounds in animals in a magnificent scenery! The Maasai Mara, farer, but Eric and Astrid have a great small camp there, is one of the most famous parks in the country and if you spend a few days there, you understand why!
We saw all the animals(except cheetahs, so we wll have to come back!) in a 3-day safari, and with Korir as a guide, we couldn’t dream better.
In conclusion: a journey that met all my expectations and even more. The positive points: the scenery, the horses, the discovery of the population and the camp of Mara. Less positive: small problems with the car and the fact we couldn’t go swimming (but ok, it is not really negative, as we knew it before coming, but as Eric talked to us about a project of natural swimming pool, I am putting pression!). In brief, the last word is " I will come back!!! "asgremeau@hotmail.com
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