Rekindling the Spirit in Kenya With David Baum & Kathy Karn
October 16-25 | Optional 3 day safari October 24-28, 2010.
If you've always wanted to go to Africa, or have been and want more, this is truly the trip of a lifetime. Our hosts, Free the Children and Me to We Trips, have been bringing westerners to Africa for many years and this trip promises the best way we know to fully experience all that Africa offers. They will make our trip impeccable in every detail for what promises be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
We will live in the ancestral land of the Masai people on a millennium old migration route that is home to the largest and most spectacular wildlife migration in the world. Our time will be spent in three primary ways: connecting with Spirit, experiencing the natural world of the Masai Mara and in service to community.
Program Components include
- A one-on-one “walk about” with a Masai warrior
- Hands on community work in a traditional village
- Deep conversation focusing on spirit and authentic living
- The chance to sit with elders and traditional women of a completely different culture
- Feed a baby elephant at the David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage
- Optional 3 day safari at the 5* Fairmont Mara Safari Club
This will be an unforgettable, life changing experience that will alter your commitment to your life and this world for many years to come.
The Setting
Located at a beautiful eco-retreat center in the Masai Mara, and operated by Me to We Trips, we will explore the beauty and inspiration that is Africa. Rustic yet luxurious, Bogani Cottages boast all the comforts of home in a uniquely African design. The comfortable accommodations will be perfect for our inner work as we sit on African soil, meet Masai warriors, see wandering herds of zebra and elephants and settle into the rhythms of the African landscape. (Photo by Sharpminds Photography)
The Facilitators
David is a sought-after consultant and author in personal and organizational change principles. His work projects have included conflict mediation in Belfast, Northern Ireland, facilitating President Clinton's "Summit for America's Future" and post-conflict change in Bosnia. David holds a doctorate in organizational psychology and a second in divinity. His clients include Fortune 50 companies, non-profits and Nobel Prize winning organizations. He teaches at The University of Pennsylvania, The University of Western Ontario and Cambridge University.
Kathy is a psychotherapist and consultant in private practice. She earned her M.Ed. in counseling psychology. She has extensive training in a variety of therapeutic interventions. Kathy is often sought after as a therapist and group facilitator because of her ability to blend traditional clinical practice with creativity, myth, story, and indigenous wisdom. She has organized and delivered workshops on personal development and creativity in Canada and the USA for the past 23 years.
The Program
One of the most profound aspects of our trip in Kenya is the opportunity to volunteer with Free the Children, Me to We’s charitable partner and meet local children and families. We will also spend a few days in the local communities, helping build a school or water project, learning of the work of Free The Children and offering our skills in anyway helpful.
Detailed Trip Itinerary | Rekindling the Spirit in Kenya
October 16-25, 2010 Optional 3-day Safari Oct. 24 - 28, 2010
Day 1 Oct. 16 · Depart from North America
Day 2 Oct. 17 · Arrive at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in the evening
Check-in at Karen Blixen Coffee Garden . Built in 1908, this house was the home of the coffee farm manager for the Blixen Coffee Plantation. The home has been fully restored to its original historic glory and now serves as a luxurious resort for guests. A full English breakfast is served in the resort’s lush gardens.
Day 3 Oct. 18 · Begin to build our community
Our first day in Nairobi is about acclimatization and building our community. You are preparing for your journey onward! Highlights include: a visit to the David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage for a private baby elephant feeding. This is a unique opportunity, as our group will have a close encounter with baby elephants and rhinos. We’ll end our day with an opening dinner at L’Amour Restaurant, an old colonial home moved brick-by-brick to Karen Blixen from downtown Nairobi as it faced demolition.
Day 4 Oct. 19 · Depart from Wilson Airport
Fly by plane over the Masai Mara to Bogani cottages.
Highlights include: Flight over the Mara and our first walk together on African land. You’ll be greeted with traditional song, and settle into your new African home. You’ll meet the Bogani staff, and hear about their work in nearby villages. As you drift off to sleep in your luxury cottage or tent, you might hear roaring lions, howling hyenas or the rumbling of a nearby elephant herd.
Days 4 - 10 Oct. 19-24 · Retreat
We will work in earnest to build our special community. Highlights include: Volunteer service in nearby villages, meetings with Masai elders and women leaders, visits to the Mara river and local schools to experience daily life and a one-on-one walk with a Masai warrior on their ancestral land. Activities will be blended with David & Kathy’s unique facilitation and a rich conversation will be woven throughout your time.
Day 11 Oct. 24 · Fly back to Nairobi (see final day at the end of the itinerary) or Come with us on a 3 Day Safari!
Day 11 - 13 Oct. 24 - 25 - 26 · Optional 3 Day Safari
Finally, there is an optional three-day safari at the end of our retreat, at the beautiful 5 Star Fairmont tented camp. Here it is possible to observe the big five (leopard, rhino, water buffalo, lion and elephant), as well as many birds and other species.
Depart from Bogani for a short trip to the Fairmont Mara Safari Club
Surrounded on three sides by the Mara River, the Fairmont is the epitome of tented luxury. With four-poster, pillow-top beds and a veranda overlooking the hippo and crocodile-filled river, each tent is superbly furnished. The location is home to an astounding array of animals including zebras, cheetahs, wildebeests, gazelles and of course the “Big Five”. Highlights include: Morning and evening drives to look for giraffes, lions, elephants, hippos and buffalos! Each day promises extraordinary wildlife opportunities and our nights by a campfire, will be spent toasting our good fortune and sharing our stories. (Photo by Sharpminds Photography)
Day 14 Oct. 27 · Fly back to Nairobi (Same plan if you leave on Day 11 Oct 24th)
Rest up at the House of Waine Hotel. Highlights include souvenir shopping at the local markets and dinner at the Carnivore Restaurant. Voted twice as one of the top 50 restaurants in the world you will enjoy a meal of virtually every kind of meat available in Kenya. As long as the paper flag on your table is flying, the waiters will keep bringing you food! Travel home from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
Day 12 Oct. 25th · Arrival Home (without safari)
Day 15 Oct. 28th · Arrival Home (after safari)
Registration & Fees Fee for the trip is $4600 USD per person plus airfare.
We suggest you use Lou Hogan at Me to We Trips for your travel needs. She will obtain the best fares, and answer any questions you might have about the facility or optional safari and coordinate all your travel needs. Contact her at lou@metowe.com. You can also call her at 416.964.8942 ext. 450. We urge you to register early to assure a place on this unique experience.
Optional 3-day Safari: $1295 USD per person.