Nashipae is a common name among regular visitors to Kenya’s most famous and visited game reserve, the Maasai mara game reserve. Nashipae is a mother cheetah who has become famous not only among tour guides & drivers who frequent the Maasai mara plains but also among international tourists, photographers and wildlife enthusiasts around the globe.
Snake Tours & Other Forms of Adventure Tourism.
It is surely a great way to disconnect from technology an everyday stress of life and reconnect with nature
- June 8, 2024
- 10:30 am
Kenya, as a tourism destination is endowed with various travel destinations and attractions which offers satisfaction and answer to almost every need of a traveler.
Adventure tourism is one type of niche tourism in Kenya that involves exploration or travel to remote areas, where the traveler should expect the unexpected. It may include the performance of acts that require significant effort or some degree of risk. This appeals to travelers who seek to experience nature and wilderness in a more immersive and adventurous way.
Snake tours: Snake tours in Kenya and some other forms of adventure tours can be done solo or in small groups and can be tailored to different skill levels, engagement and interests. It is surely a great way to disconnect from technology an everyday stress of life and reconnect with nature and ultimately fulfill adventure thrills of performing actions which lead to adrenaline rush and fantasy thrill.
My snake tour experience started with an unexpected request from a tourist who wanted to see unusual animals in Kenya. Having been a tour guide for more than a decade, my list of unusual animals turned out to be a common list to him because he has traveled to all the countries in the world and has seen almost all species of wildlife in this world.
Surprised by this, the only suggestion left for me to suggest to him was a snake safari in Kenya. Kenya being a tropical climate country has a variety of venomous and non-venomous snake species ranging from the coastal regions to the tropical rain forest of Kakamega and to the arid Northern frontier districts.
Having settled on this tour, I did my research and linked up with snake experts from EAST AFRICAN REPTILES in Watamu Kenya and set up a three-day itinerary for our snake tour.
Fast forward. All logistics taken care of, we loaded our snake tour equipment and left in a hard top Landcruiser. The equipment included snake tongs, snake hooks, snake helmet, gloves and a snake bag for bagging some species for future study. This being my maiden snake tour, I did not understand what some of this equipment was used for. I forgot to mention that we carried packed lunches. In the hot and humid coastal weather, we were bound to get hungry quickly.
First location was Lake Baricho.
Here we caught our first snake which was a link-marked sand snake. This is one of the fastest moving snakes with mild venom. My first experience touching and holding still a snake was not an easy affair. My hands were visibly shaking and scary though flashing in my mind. I grew up knowing that all snakes are venomous and hence dangerous and an avid enemy of mankind.
Green mamba, boomslang, Battersby green snake and a puff adder are other snakes that we caught on our first day of the snake tour.
Our snake guides and snake catchers however, could not let us hold the venomous snakes because of accidents that could occur during such an exercise. Boomslang (Dispholidus typus) is the most venomous snake in Africa in terms of venom potency. When we caught this snake, I could not believe my eyes that I was close to one of the most venomous snakes in the world.
The snake experts and guides who were leading us on this trip bagged the two venomous snakes that we caught that day (the green mamba and the boomslang).
DAY 2.
On our second day of the tour, we went to a different location in Kilifi County, a place called Takaungu. Here we were never short of luck. On this day, our first catch was a savanna monitor (Varanus exanthematicus). The discovery that amazed me about this reptile is the fact that they are among few creatures which are Hemipines. Meaning that they possess two penises. The moment this reptile was caught, the first defense was to erect the pair of penises and pass urine and secrete poop. This was fascinating to me as I had never seen an animal do that before.
As we were nearing the end of our snake hunt, one of the spotters spotted a black mamba high up a tree and I couldn’t fathom how the hell he could spot that serpent from that high. Without hesitation, he grabbed the tong and a hook and climbed up the tree. Black mamba is Africa’s deadliest snake and fastest arboreal snake. The snake catcher managed to grab the snake and descend the tree carefully with the help of a colleague. Once the snake was on the ground, we measured the snake and to my amazement, the snake measured 3 meters.
As I learned more about snakes, I became used to them and wanted to do more such safaris. My interest in snakes and other reptiles have never dwindled and after the initial snake tour, I have done three more snake safaris and looking forward to doing more with tourists who are also snake enthusiasts.
Special thanks to Bio-ken snake farm in Watamu Kenya for taking me and my guests on my maiden snake tour .
Latest News
Adventure tourism is one type of niche tourism in Kenya that involves exploration or travel to remote areas, where the traveler should expect the unexpected. It may include the performance of acts that require significant effort or some degree of risk. This appeals to travelers who seek to experience nature and wilderness in a more immersive and adventurous way.
Namunyak Conservancy, nestled in the heart of Kenya, is a shining example of ecotourism where conservation meets success. My journey began with detailed directions to this pristine sanctuary, where the Samburu community and wildlife thrive in harmony. Known as a "place of peace" in the Samburu language, Namunyak protects threatened elephant populations and supports sustainable pastoralist practices.