Sports Tourism in Africa

 (Kenya Sporting Tours, East Africa Sports Tourism, Sporting Safaris in Kenya, White Water Rafting, Boating on Lake Victoria, Camel Derby in Maralal, International Marathon Nairobi, Horse Back Riding in Kenya, Athletics in East Africa, Bull Fighting in Kenya, Water Sports in the Indian Ocean)

East Africa is known for its sports activities starting from athletics, deep sea fishing, golfing, football, cricket, hockey, basketball and others Safaris undertakes transport, tours and safaris, pre and post sports activities. These we undertake from Nairobi, Eldoret and Kisumu Airport. We Provide tailor made arrangements for athletes who want to sample training in Eldoret - Kipchoge Keino athletics training centre and the Nandi Hills
which produce the Kenyan world athletes.

Victoria Safaris arranges for the bull fighting ceremony in Kakamega in conjunction with the tours of Kakamega forest. We also arrange for fishing sports in Lake Victoria, not to mention boat rowing contests in Lake Victoria. Nyanza club in Kisumu has a fantastic golf course in Western Kenya at the bank of Lake Victoria one kilometre from the Kisumu airport. We are participants in the world HIV AIDS marathon which is being conducted in Kisumu in December 2006 by Richard M. Brodsky Foundation.

Golfing

Kenya has a number of beautifully scenic golf courses at various altitudes from Sea Level right up to the nine-hole Molo course at 2740m (8989ft). Windsor Golf and Country club is one of the attractions and The Railway golf club in the centre of Nairobi city. The most recent is the Great Rift Valley Lodge and Golf Resort in Naivasha which apart from golf also offer a variety of activities for adventurous guests, including Game and Bird walks with our resident guides, Fishing and Boating on Lake Naivasha. The oldest is the Royal Nairobi Golf Club. The "Royal" title was bestowed on the Nairobi Golf Club in 1935 by King George V. Other golf courses include the Muthaiga and Karen Golf Clubs each with championship courses .While in Lake Victoria region, we will organise your golfing sports at the Nyanza Golf club. In Mombasa, Golf enthusiasts will be at home at the Mombasa, Nyali and the Leisure Golf Club.   

Boating and Boat Rowing contest on Lake Victoria

This is a very exciting event which is organised annually as a sports event on Lake Victoria Beaches. It brings together other awareness programs as the HIV / Aids awareness along the beaches. Victoria Safaris organises these events to suit an occasion when our clients require and when it is necessary for us to offer Eco - tourism awareness in the Lake Victoria beaches.

White Water Rafting in Kenya

This is a popular event in Kenya and Uganda. While in Kenya, we organise this event on River Tana at Sagana. We will organise to pick your group from Nairobi in the morning and drive you to River Tana where this sporting activity takes place in Kenya. We will supervise the occasion and pick you after the event back to Nairobi.

White Water Rafting in Uganda

This popular event takes place at the source of the River Nile at Jinja in Uganda. Victoria safaris will organise this event both from Kenya and Uganda. From Kenya we will Fly you to Kisumu or alternatively drive to Kisumu from Nairobi and combine this trip with our normal safaris which go to western Kenya then from Kisumu drive to Busia border and transfer into Uganda. We will then drive to Jinja 120 km from Busia border. While in Jinja, we organise and book this popular sports event for the days our client will require. After this event we will drive you to Entebbe for outbound flight or back to Kenya for other tours or Departure.

Horseback Riding Events in Kenya

Our horseback riding safaris in Kenya are without a doubt the most exciting and adventuresome of all the Victoria Safaris rides. Strong riders, confident at all paces on broken terrain riding athletic horses will be in their element here. The opportunity to see big game and interact with wild animals on splendid horses is thrilling. Sometimes in the Masai Mara huge herds of wildebeest and zebra extend as far as the eye can reach. The opportunity to see picturesque native tribesmen whose culture is dramatically different from ours in remote areas unspoiled by frequent tourist visits is fascinating.

 The Laikipia rides around the snow capped peak of Mt. Kenya traverses several large ranches (up to 100,000 acres) which were carved out of the wilderness a century ago by white settlers. There are many similarities to the cattle ranches of the Rocky Mountain West. The wild game has been well preserved on these huge ranches although there are sometimes difficult interactions between game and cattle.

Athletics Events in Kenya

Kenya is known worldwide as the athlete country of the world. Victoria Safaris organises trips to various athletic events in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. The most renowned athletic event in Kenya is the annual Standard Chartered Marathon which attracts marathoners from all over the world. The other tours which we organise is the visits to athlete centres which include:- the Kipchoge Keino training centre in Eldoret and participation of the physically impaired individuals in the world special selection Olympic games which are held annually at Moi international sports Centre - Kasarani In the year 2007 we will participate in the IAAF athletic event in Mombasa. We are also participants in the HIV/AIDS marathon in Kisumu organised by Richard M. Brodsky Foundation.

Bull Fighting Events in Kakamega

These are a recent tourist attraction in western Kenya. It pulls tourists to western Kenya as an event of its own nature in Kenya and East Africa as a whole. Victoria Safaris organises the participation of these events among other tour itineraries to western Kenya and Kakamega forest. This event is usually done in the early morning before mid-day since the event is performed before mid-day.

We include this tour with the tour of Kakamega forest and the crying stone within the area

Men and Women Football & Volley Ball Tournaments

 Kenya has two main international sports centres namely: - Moi International Sports Centre - Kasarani and Nyayo National Stadium. From these sports centres, international events take place annually. They also house swimming pools and gym activities.

Football is a renowned sport worldwide. Currently, women football tournaments are gaining ground as the most exciting and thrilling in the tourism industry. Victoria Safaris takes tourists to both events and also organises village or rural football events by engaging the youth busy and not doing other irrelevant activities which would be detrimental to their health and well-being e.g. HIV AIDS. We also organise HIV awareness football tournaments which make the youth in the rural areas/ villages aware of the epidemic. We urge our clients during the tours to donate balls for football, boots and uniforms, not to mention the trophies.

Deep sea fishing, Scuba diving & snorkeling, yachting, water surfing in Indian Ocean and Lake Victoria

The East African Coast is a paradise for beach sports which include; deep sea fishing and water surfing in Indian Ocean. The Kenya coast harbors the best hotels which undertake the activities of scuba diving and snorkeling. Victoria Safaris undertakes the arrangements and bookings for these activities in Mombasa, Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar. Lake Victoria is another place for water surfing and deep sea fishing which is done from the Lake Victoria islands namely: - Mfangano, Takawiri and Rusinga Islands. Victoria Safaris has arrangements with the management of these Islands, lodges and hotels and has contract rates for the same activities.

International Marathon Events

This is the latest tourist attraction in Kenya. The most famous is the Standard chartered Marathon which is conducted by the Standard Bank annually. The race usually starts in Nairobi and it incorporates every individual both physically impaired, the blind, the normal office executive and lately the tourists from foreign countries. The race is categorised as follows:-

• The International athletes,
• The marathon runners,
• The escorted blind runners,
• The wheel chair physically impaired and
•  The office executive.

All these participate in the marathon and everybody who finishes is a winner in his or her own kind. Trophies are given to all finishers of the event.

The Maralal International Camel Derby

This is an annual international event held mid-year just outside of Maralal town; The World famous Maralal International Camel Derby was inaugurated in 1990 as a sporting event, with the added advantage of sensitising the pastoral communities of the camel as a key environmental tool in combating the degradation of the environment. It is Africa's best known and most prestigious camel race, attracting both local and international competitors. The event is a major draw for spectators as well as racers, and the competition is fierce. With its growing popularity and addition of cycle races which have U.C.I. (Geneva) recognition, this exciting event draws a wide attendance including a cross section of farming communities, ranchers, national and international press, television crews, would be participants and spectators from overseas, school groups and adventure lovers from all over Kenya and beyond. The proceeds go to the Samburu Handicap Education and Rehabilitation Programme (SHERP). This project addresses the problem of education and rehabilitation of the handicapped children in Samburu District. Currently the Programme offers assistance to 112 disabled children but has no visible source of financial assistance and relies on the help of NGO’s, self-help groups, Government of Kenya and private contribution to encourage the empowerment of persons with disabilities.

Special Olympics Events in Kenya

This takes place at the Moi International Sports Centre - Kasarani annually. It is a special Olympic event in that all the disabled persons are given a chance to exercise their sports skills and are awarded by being selected from this event to represent Kenya in the International special Olympic competitions. The sports include: - football for both men and women who are physically impaired, netball, volleyball, swimming, tennis, handball, hockey and others. The whole country converges annually to select the best that represent Kenya internationally in the Special Olympics.

Swimming Contests

Swimming is so popular in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania to an extent that most schools have incorporated swimming classes. The under 15 and the under 10 in lower primary sections have swimming classes on a weekly basis. Swimming is gaining momentum as a tourist sport and many foreigners participate in this sport every year. Contests are held in Nairobi, Kampala and Dar es Salaam mostly.

Bicycle riding competition & Boda Boda Riding contests in Kenya

Bicycle riding competition is so popular in western Kenya and in Mombasa. The famous Boda Boda riding contest is conducted along the Lake Victoria villages and beaches to create awareness in HIV/AIDS which has embedded the health in these areas. The most important events are conducted by the health NGO's and the Ramogi Oginga Odinga Foundation mainly in Kakamega and Kang’o Kajaramogi during the annual festival at the home of the late Ramogi Oginga Odinga.

 Victoria Safaris undertakes the arrangements for travels, organisation and bookings for the above events as per the requirements of the clients.

 For cost and information send your enquiries to: info@victoriasafaris.com