Gone are the days when you were preparing to go on a vacation, your main focus was on what you’d wear.
These days you have to think about what shots you will get, shall you carry a drone? Is your phone’s camera good enough? That’s why I’ll be the first to admit as I thought of this article, I went back and forth not really sure what angle to take. Then I got some great advice to write what I know, and thats film and more importantly in cinematic settings and moments, therefore I went back to the drawing board and decided I wouldn’t bombard you with millions of ideas for places but would rather focus on places that offer the roaming cowboy/cowgirl looking for not just a vacation but a place that lends itself to the aesthetic and to the lens. The key thing I was looking for is places where as a creative you go to either restart your creative engine or just look for inspiration, a great location is one where the shots just come to you when you are there.
Marafa, Malindi.
In this regard, when you think of the great wild west, (don’t worry I don’t mean the dreadful Will Smith Movie) you think of vast lands with no constructions as far as the eye can see, sceneraries like this have been cemented in iconic cowboy films like ”True Grit” . To this end the first place that jumped into my mind is a place you’ve probably seen online but you’ve never actually been there, I’m talking about Malindi’s Marafa Canyons . These gorgeous colorful canyons lend themselves to the cowboy experience, speaking to the core of the Lone Ranger’s need to roam the great outdoors.
A trip to the Marafa also known as Hell’s Kitchen or Nyari is a specific and unique opportunity, it looks like a location from a Denis Villanelle’s Dune . This almost overwhelmingly cinematic location though popular online is actually known for having low tourist numbers which means, you would have all the privacy to shoot amazing content during your cowboycation, as one guest once quipped ”The layer-cake colors of the sandstone reveal whites, pinks, oranges, and deep crimsons, making the gorge particularly striking at sundown, when tones of the ribbed sandstone gullies are highlighted and mirrored by those of the setting sun.”
Kiambethu Tea Farm
The next place is almost at the other end of the spectrum and that’s Kiambethu Farm, Limuru. This breathtaking ranch in tea country is surrounded by Tea Farms as well as horse trails and hiking trails. While on one hand when we think of a cowboycation we almost always think of the being under the hot sun and using our hats as safety,
this location offers a slightly cozy experience but stunning think Samuel L Jackson in ”The Hateful Eight”, nice and cozy with a strong coffee brew in hand, as you cuddle up to your loved one and listen to classic country music planning your shots for the next day.
Chyulu hills
Last but certainly not least is a place that I have visited a few times while scouting for a shoot. Chyulu Hills that stretches from Tsavo West to Amboseli, is not just filled with all kinds of animals but offers a very unique cowboy experience, when it comes to what travel content one gets. From Chyulu Hills, a cowboy/cowgirl traveler has an almost perfect view of Mount Kilimanjaro, the historic lava tubes of Kisula Cave Complex,
a few former active volcanic craters and for those who really want to be at one with all things nature has to offer, it is a perfect place to bird watching or get photos of some of Kenya’s most beautiful birds or the perfect golden hour shot over the hills that surround you, not to mention the beautiful resorts around it.
Before you go,
you’re probably wondering how much would it cost if you wanted to shoot more than just a few social media posts, not to worry we got you covered. Licensing in Kenya is broken down into two National permit & county permits, the former being fees paid to the Kenya Film Classification Board commonly referred to simply as KFCB, these are the mandatory permits. To obtain these permits, you must either be a registered producer/ production company ( referred to as a film agent by the board) with KFCB or go through a licensed producer/Production company. To become registered as a film agent will cost $120 and an annual renewal fee the same. As for the licenses that would cost you $50 for Documentaries, short dramas and short features as for Full-length feature film; TV Series that will cost you $150 and finally you will pay a separate $10 for a daily filming fee.
The second type of licenses are the county one in this case Malindi, Limuru & Makueni, this vary from $10 to $50 per day, however most areas outiside of Nairobi are always open to allowing you to shoot for free, as long as it helps promote the country’s tourism agenda.
Lastly, in a time when content is king/queen, these places are just the tip of the iceberg to the kind of aesthetically appealing places one can explore during their cowboycation. Therefore, what are you waiting for? Go to your closet, get that drone that you have all the way at the back, those over-priced lenses for your phone you’ve never used and book your next staycation now.
