Mbokishi

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Price $3100 14 Days
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Mbokishi

$3100 per person

Mbokishi is one of Africa’s newest conservation areas, established in Kenya’s Mara North reserve in November 2021. It is in urgent need of help to establish itself as a community enterprise, serving its people and the wildlife which thrives around them. And it is keen to welcome visitors like you who are willing to offer practical help in achieving their dreams.

Unfenced Expeditions is inviting you to join a two-week trip to Mbokishi. There you will work alongside Masai people in a direct and meaningful way. The community have requested help in writing their management plan. A ranger post needs constructing. An important dam requires immediate repair. Access roads need fixing. A campsite has to be established. And to help preserve the delicate balance between humans and wildlife, the population of lions and other animals must be monitored.

Every skill that you bring will help the leaders to write their management plan, from proofreading english or conducting interviews, to mapping, strategizing and designing. In a unique element of the Unfenced Experience, a member of the Mbokishi community will work alongside you as a partner, who gets paid by you. This ensures that the project not only provides employment and gets the job done, but also takes into account real needs. Along the way, you have the chance to gain a deep insight into the local Masai community, to create genuine connections and lasting friendships.

This expedition will be led by Patrick Simkin, who has over 25 years’ experience in running conservation projects in Africa and guiding visitors to the hidden treasures of Kenya where he lives.

You and your group of like-minded visitors will be camping in a vast unfenced area of Africa where wildlife abounds. As well as lion, you can expect to see at close quarters, giraffe, eland, baboons, and zebra. Guided by local Masai, you will learn to recognise the sights, sounds and smells of the African bush – with guards and an armed ranger always on alert if needed. Back at base, you can practice camping and cooking skills.

Around the campfire at the end of the day, local people will share with you their dreams for their conservation project and their community at large.

You too will have stories to tell. How you were able to combine the thrills of life in the wild with learning new skills. How you were able to help local people share directly in the benefits of your visit. How you helped conservation where it counts – in the African bush itself.

Come along, and Make a Difference!

14 Days
18+ Age
Working Safaris
  • Destination
  • Departure
    Please arrive by 9:15 AM for a prompt departure at 9:30 AM.
  • Departure Time
    Approximately 8:30 PM.
  • Dress Code
    Casual. Comfortable athletic clothing, hiking shoes, hat and warm jacket.
  • Included
    Transport Nairobi to Baringo Return
  • Not Included
    All meals on kayak trip
    Bar Bills and food on the road trip
    Camping Chair
    Camping Matress
    Camping Tent
    Flights and visas
    Fun
    Guide
    Kayak (single and double)
    Kayak deck cover and paddles
    Kayak lifejacket
    Medical Insurance
    Sleeping Bag

From Our Gallery

Be our gest and see it for your self

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1
Day 1(Saturday): Departure
Depart from your home and arrive in Nairobi, Kenya
2
Day 2(Sunday): Adventure Beggins
(Arrive in Nairobi). Meet tour guide at the airport. Last minute shopping check. Drive down the Rift Valley to Lake Naivasha (3hrs). Options to visit Hells Gate National Park and Lake Naivasha boat rides. Camp overnight at Carnelly’s Camp site.
3
Day 3(Monday):
Depart Naivasha and drive to the Mara (3.5hrs) – Mbokishi. Set up camp – home for the next few days.
4
Day 4 (Tuesday): Historical Tour
Meet community workers. Continue to set up camp – clear water reservoirs and lay piping for running water. Build latrines. Clear access road. Collect firewood. Start of Lion Monitoring (2 people each evening)
5
Day 5(Wednesday):
Continue to set up camp. Discussions with the community on where you can best contribute.
6
Day 6(Thursday):
Clearing game viewing road up to dam site
7
Day 7(Friday):
Road clear + dam renovation and re-excavation (extremely important for water retention and hippo habitat). Hire an excavator for half a day.
8
Day 8(Saturday)
Dam renovation / assist with management plan
9
Day 9(Sunday):
Rest day (swimming in streams, walks and relaxing)
10
Day 10(Monday)
Dam renovation
11
Day 11(Tuesday):
Visit and work alongside a local youth group setting up an organic agricultural project.
12
Day 12(Wednesday):
Agricultural project. Farewell celebrations.
13
Day 13 (Thursday):
Pack up camp – Drive to Game lodge and game drive in the Mara Game Reserve
14
Day 14 (Friday):
Game lodge and game drive
15
Day 15(Saturday): Departure
Drive to Nairobi – Shopping for gifts or enjoying Nairobi (options to visit giraffe manor and elephant orphanage) – flyout (evening or early morning)
16
Day 16(Sunday):
Arrive back home
A standard day. Breakfast will start from 7am and we will set out for work / tasks from 8am. There may be up to a one hour walk to get to the work site, through beautiful scenery teaming with wildlife. Tasks will be carried out collectively or in smaller groups. Each participant will work beside a local community member to complete their tasks. This will allow for a deep connection with the Masai people but will also ensure that the task is completed without overexertion from you. Lunch will be a picnic in the shade of a tree, before continuing with the task in the early afternoon. By 4pm we will be heading back to camp, to wash and prepare the evening meals. During dinner around the campfire, members of the local community will be invited to give talks and hold discussions about their community and the conservation effort of Mbokishi. The opportunity for an authentic insight and understanding of the deeper issues is unparalleled. Specific tasks to complete at Mbokishi during this trip. Employment and materials – Each participant in this expedition will come with $400 in cash. About half of this will be used for building materials and tools needed for the tasks set by the conservation area. Some will be used to employ a member of the local community to work alongside you. This will ensure that the tasks are completed in the time we have and that you will have an insight into the Masai culture, will make strong connections and will enjoy yourself. The remainder of the funds will be used for National Park Entrance Fees for two days at the end of your trip ($60 per person per day). Management Plan – An essential document which the community has requested help in developing. Interviews need to be held to understand expectations, plans need to be drawn up and implemented, animals counted, photos taken, websites developed, texts proofread and many more. They are depending on you to bring in these skills. Set up camp – This is not only for our use, but also for the community to be able to invite tourists to the area. The location of the campsite has already been chosen by the community. It is unfenced, at the edge of a forest, close to a waterhole and open to the wildlife to pass through. Our task will be to clear sites for tents and to set up our tents. To dig and build a latrine. To open the access road. To clear a water reservoir (which has become overgrown near a spring) and to lay a water pipe down to the campsite. Game viewing road – An existing road which needs some simple repairs and a lot of clearing of bushes and branches. For the conservation area to attract visitors, it needs a road network. Currently no visitors come to the area due to the poor roads, your work will change this. Participants will be taught how to use pangas (bush knives) in a safe and effective way and will help put in proper drainage to avoid soil erosion and the long life of the road itself. Dam Renovation – The dam (20m x 20m) has become full of silt and no longer retains enough water. Even the hippos have had to move out. With your help and the local community’s, the task will be to excavate this dam to ensure that it properly catches the water for all animals to drink and for the hippos to be able to expand their range. Landscaping around the dam. With the funds you have brought, an excavator will be hired for half a day, to carry out the heaviest work. Agricultural Youth Group – Some of the local young men have formed a small farm, with the intention to sell organic salads and vegetables to the tourist lodges in the area. Coming from a nomadic and herding background, their expertise is not in farming. They have asked that we assist them for a day or two, to share whatever knowledge we may have or to simply assist with the work at hand. Lion Monitoring – As part of the greater Masai Mara conservation area, it is important to monitor the big predators. An ongoing lion monitoring program is inviting you (two participants at a time) to join their evening lion monitoring schedule of tracking the lion prides in the area, noting location and health. Lions are common in the area and are a source of conflict with the domesticated animals. Lion kills on cattle are a weekly occurrence. These too need to be monitored and recorded. Patrol with Rangers – Each early morning and evening, two participants will join the community rangers on their foot patrols, looking for signs of poachers, recent predator kills and a general wildlife survey. Bush skills and wildlife – At all times, you will be accompanied by knowledgeable people who will help you to interpret the surrounding nature. The local Masai know every sound, and Patrick, the expedition leader has over 25 years of experience as a wildlife guide in Africa. The sights, sounds and smells of the African bush will be revealed to you, and how best to handle them. Mbokishi has a high intensity in the numbers of wildlife, allowing for some fantastic game viewing. An armed ranger will be present for your safety.
Additional info
This expedition will be traveling on an overland truck, which will remain with us for the entire trip. It has ample seating and storage, individual safes as well as a power system for fridges and the re-charging of personal items. We partner with Green Rangers Safaris for transport. Duration – 14 days from your home back to home. Season – Hot and dry (27oC), cool at nights (13o C). Group size (between 8 and 16 people). Aged between 21 and 60 years. Like minded people. Meals – will be freshly prepared on site, there will be a cook with the team, but participants in the expedition are expected to assist with meal preparation. Please advise of any dietary requirements or preferences. Health – The Mara is malaria free. The expedition will have a large Firstaid kit, but please also bring your own for minor scratches. Fitness – participants need to be active, in good health and reasonably fit.
LIST OF ITEMS TO BRING
  • Sleeping bag and liner
  • Torch
  • 2Lt water bottle
  • Penknife
  • Sun hat, sun cream, after sun
  • Rehydration salts
  • Simple first-aid kit (Plasters, disinfectant, paracetamol, insect repellent, vitamin pills)
  • All personal medication
  • Walking boots and sandals
  • Raincoat
  • Working gloves
  • Towel and hand towel
  • Rucksack and daypack
  • Camera and binoculars
Optional extras Old books to give to schools Solar charger for electronics (power can also be provided through the truck) Hammock
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CONTACT US

location: Nairobi. Kenya
Email: info@unfencedexpeditions.com
Mobile: (+254) 702 961 918