Ziwani Chef's Cuisine

Ingredients

v  Balsamic vinegar-1 cup

v  Brown sugar-3 table spoons

v  3 large tomatoes cut in thin slices

v  1 packet of mozzarella cheese cut in thin round slice

v   Fresh Basil leaves 1 packet

v  1 tea spoon salt

v  Pinch black pepper

v  ¼ cup extra virgin Olive oil

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`Directions

• Stir balsamic vinegar and brown sugar in a small sauce pan bring to a high heat.
• Bring to boil reduce heat and simmer over low heat until the vinegar reduces to ¾ cup,approximately 10 mins. Set the balsamic aside to cool
• Arrange alternate slices of tomato and mozzarella cheese decoratively on a serving platter. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper, spread fresh basil leaves over the salad, and drizzle with olive oil and the balsamic reduction.
• Fresh Basil Pesto Recipe

Ingredients

1. 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed (can sub half the basil leaves with baby spinach)
2. 1/2 cup freshly grated  or Parmesan-or grana da tavola cheese
3. 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil.
4. 1/3 cup pine nuts (can sub chopped walnuts)
5. 3 garlic cloves, minced (about 3 teaspoons)

METHOD

1. Pulse basil and pine nuts in a food processor: Place the basil leaves and pine nuts into the bowl of a food processor and pulse a several times.
2. Add the garlic and cheese: Add the garlic and Parmesan or Romano cheese and pulse several times more. Scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula.
3. Stream in the olive oil: While the food processor is running, slowly add the olive oil in a steady small stream. Adding the olive oil slowly, while the processor is running, will help it emulsify and help keep the olive oil from separating. Occasionally stop to scrape down the sides of the food processor.
4. Stir in salt and freshly ground black pepper, add more to taste.

Toss with pasta for a quick sauce, dollop over baked potatoes, or spread onto crackers or toasted slices of bread.

NB-PESTO AND BALSAMIC ARE UNIVERSAL VERSATILE SAUCES CAN ACCOMPANY OTHER DISHES SUCH AS:-

TOMATO BRUSCHETTA

PEAS AND POTATO CURRY WITH BALSAMIC REDUCTION

By Chef Donasian Msangi.

Tsavo West Sightings

The week of 11th July 2016 was interesting and seeing a lot of wildlife coming closer to the camp.This is due to the drought season. Elephants started coming earlier than expected to the river and spend the whole night feeding on reeds. 

The Impalas arrives in the camp as early as 6 pm. Our guests enjoy watching them in between the tents. Impalas decrease their chances of attack when living in herds. They leap and scatter in all directions when being attacked to confuse the predator. The impala is rarely seen on its own. Females and young animals form herds of up to 100 individuals, while males live in a bachelor group of about 60 animals. They occupy a large range and make seasonal migrations from high to lower ground according to the availability of suitable food.

The number of warthog have also increased as per our observations. Mostly, Warthogs sleep and rest in holes, which at times they line with grass, perhaps to make them warmer. Although they can excavate, warthogs normally do not dig holes but use those dug by other animals, preferably aardvarks. They also protect themselves from predators by fleeing or sliding backwards into a hole, thus being in a position to use their formidable tusks in an attack.

Report and pictures by Stephen Lekatoo.

On A Night Game Drive - Giraffe Crossing

The highlight of the night game drive is to see nocturnal animals that you wouldn’t see during the day such as the aardvark, the hares, the owls and others.

On a recent night game drive, not far from the camp we spotted a female wild cat with two kittens. She was training them on how to kill a mouse.

Besides the nocturnal animals, it’s always exciting to come across the regular big game like the elephants. We saw a herd of them including Masai giraffe trying to cross the stream. It took more than ten minutes for the giraffe to get across giving guests ample time to photograph them. 

Heritage Hotels (Kenya) manages one luxury camp on the western edge of Tsavo West National Park - Voyager Ziwani Camp. Located on a private sanctuary on the western edge of Tsavo, the camp sits on a secluded dam on the Sante River – home to turtles, crocodiles and hundreds of basking hippos.   Reports and pictures by Stephen "Chameleon" Lekatoo, Voyager Ziwani Camp ©Heritage Hotels Ltd, Kenya. http://www.heritage-eastafrica.com/

Morning Encounters, Voyager Ziwani, Tsavo

I started the usual morning nature walk with our guests Jennifer and John and headed towards the plains. As we were crossing the airstrip, I heard elephants trumpeting. I thought the elephants were crossing the river into Tsavo West National Park and we rushed to see them. We spotted the herd from a distance and they were feeding on the acacia trees.

Close to the plains, we saw lion spoor. The lion must have walked early morning. Looking at the plains, there were elands, wildebeest and zebras. They seemed nervous and l guessed it must be because of the lions. 

As we turned toward Sante River, I spotted an orphan baby elephant walking alone towards Ziwani Camp. I immediately called the David Sheldrick Trust in Nairobi to report the this because a baby elephant on its own means it must have got separated from the herd and was lost.

On the second day, we left with picnic boxes for the Shetani Lava and Mzima Springs with a game drive en route. We saw a lot of wildlife, mainly plains game, but only the spoor of the cats. After a picnic lunch at Roaring Rocks which has a superb view of the Ngulia valley, we returned to camp late in the evening.

The following day, we started very early in the morning because Jennifer and John were leaving for Europe. It was their last day in Kenya. After crossing the Kitani River, we saw a male leopard walking majestically and growling to announce that this was his territory. “It’s my first time to see a leopard on the ground,” exclaimed John. It was a perfect finish to their holiday in Kenya.

Heritage Hotels (Kenya) manages one luxury camp on the western edge of Tsavo West National Park - Voyager Ziwani Camp. Located on a private sanctuary on the western edge of Tsavo, the camp sits on a secluded dam on the Sante River – home to turtles, crocodiles and hundreds of basking hippos.   Reports and pictures by Stephen "Chameleon" Lekatoo, Voyager Ziwani Camp ©Heritage Hotels Ltd, Kenya. http://www.heritage-eastafrica.com/

Out And About In Ziwani, Tsavo West

MASAI GIRAFFE

Driving to Serengeti plains (not to be confused with Serengeti National Park in northern Tanzania), our guests had one wish – to see the Masai giraffe. They had never seen them in the wild. Luckily near Lake Jipe we spotted a herd after which we returned to the Camp via Slaughter hill and the Sniper Tree – both features of the First World War.

NORTHERN WHITE-CROWNED SHRIKE (Eurocephalus rueppelli)

With up to 200 different species of birds around the Santé River, the Northern White-Crowned shrike is often seen in pairs of 3 or 4. They spend much of the time hunting from exposed perches. They are quite vocal, sometimes producing harsh scolding notes and at other times musical tweets. This picture of the shrike was taken in the Camp.

THE RED BISHOP

A seasonal bird at the Camp, we’ve had great sightings during the rains along Sante River.

SPOTTED HYEANAS

Spotted hyenas are the largest and most powerful of the three species of hyena found in Africa. They are also the most numerous of East Africa’s large predators.

During the day, hyenas often lie in shallow muddy pools to keep cool. We see them often on game drives.

However, we also have the Stripped hyenas in our Sanctuary. They are rare and strictly nocturnal predators. We sometimes see them on our night game drives.

HIPPO HOME DEFENSE

According to African cultural beliefs, (for example the Maasai), the hippopotamus are regarded as very jealous in terms of sharing females in their territory. It doesn’t exist. Male hippos will fight to death to defend their territory.

This is what we witnessed with our guests during the night game drive and lots of thanks to Liz and Wayne Peachey from England for sharing with us with these amazing photographs of the fight.

This huge Hippo was captured while grazing in Sante River after a rest at the restaurant foyer.

AN UNUSUAL ZEBRA

A few months ago, I reported about the Albino zebra on Ziwani plains. A few days ago, we were on a game drive in the Sanctuary, looking out for the three cheetah brothers (i.e. Kazungu, Juma and Patrick) whom we had not seen for a few months.

We headed to Kidong plains since the Sanctuary has been extended that far. Both sides of the road were occupied by large herds of zebras when I spotted the albino zebra in the middle of other zebras. It was good seeing him again – alive.

Heritage Hotels (Kenya) manages one luxury camp on the western edge of Tsavo West National Park - Voyager Ziwani Camp. Located on a private sanctuary on the western edge of Tsavo, the camp sits on a secluded dam on the Sante River – home to turtles, crocodiles and hundreds of basking hippos.   Reports and pictures by Salim Ibrahim & Stephen "Chameleon" Lekatoo, Voyager Ziwani Camp ©Heritage Hotels Ltd, Kenya. http://www.heritage-eastafrica.com/

Wildlife Thrives in Ziwani, Tsavo West

BIRD WALK AROUND SANTE RIVER

Seen during the recent bird walks around Santé River are Knob-billed Ducks (Sarkidiornis m. Melanotos) back from Lake Jipe, Spur-winged Geese (plectropterus g. gambensis) and Egyptian Geese (Alopochen aegyptiacus).

CROCODILE PREDATOR

The Nile monitor (naranus niloticus) is Africa’s largest lizard and a powerful swimmers.

Two years ago, I watched a female crocodile transfer her young ones to shallow waters and as soon as she left, a monitor lizard made haste to feast on some of the new hatchlings.

A few days ago, l watched once again a Nile monitor lizard plunder a crocodile’s nests while the female was away. Our guests were amazed to watch the raid in the wild.

SNAKE EAT SNAKE

Recently, we saw a Sand snake devour a green-coloured water snake. A few days later we saw a Stripped sand snake (Psammophis Subtaniatus Subtaniatus) on a termite mound while on a nature walk.

Lesson: Never sit on abandoned termite hills because they can be occupied by snakes.

On a later nature walk, I spotted an African rock python in the act of swallowing a Hadada Ibis on the River bank. The guests were very excited to see this rare sighting.

HIPPOS BIRTH PEAK

The oncoming rains were the start of the calving season for the hippos as conditions were perfect - plenty of fresh grass to graze on. The hippo cow moves away from the herd when she is ready to calve and gives birth in shallow water or close to the river bank.

We were lucky to see a cow gave birth by the Camp’s fishing platform in full view of our guests during 

breakfast.

We hope our resident hippo population will recover from the drought of 2009, including surviving the crocodiles.

JUMBOS OF LAKE JIPE

A visit to Lake Challa and Lake Jipe revealed lots of elephants in Jipe feeding on the reeds. While photographing them, we noticed a female without tusks. I wonder – could this be a new species coming up?

MAN EATERS OF TSAVO

On a night game drive, action started at the main gate with two bush babies chasing each other, the nocturnal ant-eating aardvark on the grass plains and at Lake Solomon a lion crossing the road.

Heritage Hotels (Kenya) manages one luxury camps on the western edge of Tsavo West National Park - Voyager Ziwani Camp. Located on a private sanctuary on the western edge of Tsavo, the camp sits on a secluded dam on the Sante River – home to turtles, crocodiles and hundreds of basking hippos.   Reports and pictures by Salim Ibrahim & Stephen "Chameleon" Lekatoo, Voyager Ziwani Camp ©Heritage Hotels Ltd, Kenya. http://www.heritage-eastafrica.com/