African Safaris » Tana Delta Safari

Kenya’s Tana Delta is flat and low, criss crossed with tidal channels, savannah grass lands, stands of doum palms, swamp and thick forest. Some of the numerous and divergent tidal waterways are navigable for as far as 15 kilometres (nine miles) inland, ember by small canoes through narrow channels or more slowly by larger dhow on the main waterway.

Guests are collected from Malindi and driven a couple of hours north along a rutted in track to a village on the river. From here dhow African Queen travels at a leisurely woven knots down the Tana River on a four hour journey to the camp.

Sitting on a deckchair on the 11-metre 36-foot) long, high-decked, diesel-powboat, one travels through channels the colour of cafe au lait with dense jungle on side. Where the banks slope gently to water’s edge, herds boys of the Ormaakin to the more famous Maasai, bring cattle down to drink. Elsewhere, Pokomo women wash cooking pots or clothes as their children wade in the shallows in spite of the crocodiles which claim at least one victim per week.

Hippos wallow in deep pools on the river bends, snorting and blowing bubbles before submerging again. In grass clearings reed-buck, topi, buffalo and sometimes the rare bushbuck or a lone bull elephant roam.

The Tana River is most famous for its prolific birdlife, featuring the exotic, the spectacular and the merely odd. There are huge flocks of egrets, pelicans, ibis and storks on every sandbank. Beautifully coloured bee-eaters, hombills, kingfishers and many other birds area constant delight.

By sunset, the African Queen arrives at the small tented camp, which lies at the foot of a giant, white sand dune. There are no roads or other camps in this remote area. The tents are roomy, insect proof and secure with a large attached verandah in front of each and a private shower and toilet near by.

The ideal safari lasts four days. This gives you time to explore and birdwatch in the vast floodplain, either by boat or on foot.