Celebrity Sightings in Kenya

Celebrities get tired of being followed around and are usually trying to get to places where they can enjoy some relative anonymity.� Kenya is a popular destination for celebrities, with the following places on their list of must-stay places.

1. Mt. Kenya Safari Club.�� William Holden and Ray Ryan were instrumental in founding this place in 1859 with the help of Carl Hirschman among others.� It has an impressive roster of celebrities, millionaires and royalty on its who-slept-here list.� You never know who you will bump into here.� The stars' privacy is protected and they have an opportunity to relax with their peers.� Stephanie Powers often frequents this club and is the director.

2. Shompole Lodge.� Where did Bill Gates choose to stay during his recent visit to Africa?� Shompole Lodge, a luxury eco-tourism lodge that overlooks the Rift Valley, is a place he has been to before.� The lodge provides employment for the Maasai tribe that lives in the area.� Situated near the salt lake, Lake Magadi, celebrities can catch a glimpse of the flamingoes that breed on its shores.� They can also catch a glimpse of the bat-eared fox.

3. Alfajiri Villas� Located on the south coast of Kenya, Alfajiri is a very secure, luxurious collection of villas set on the cliffs overlooking the Indian Ocean.� It has been featured in Conde Nast, USA Today and the New York Times and hailed as one of the best resorts in the world.� Celebrities love the�discreet service from the staff and the security.� The activities include golf, a destination spa, snorkeling, tennis and squash, to name a few.��

4. Treetops� Queen Elizabeth was on vacation here when she learned that her father had passed away and she was now Queen.� This luxury treehouse overlooks two watering holes and has great views of Mt. Kenya.� The meals are eaten in the restaurant where you can watch the animals hunt, especially in the evenings or early morning when the sun is not so hot.

5. Lewa Downs� Prince William traveled to Kenya for a little vacation and decided to make Lewa his stop of choice.� This luxury eco-tourist spot promotes wildelife conservation and the economic development of the region.� It has been featured in Tatler Interiors, Harpers and Queen, The Times, and on BBC.�� Marie Claire, France, also did two of its photo shoots there.

6. Sweetwaters�Jane Goodall stayed here while studying primates.� There is a chimpanzee sanctuary here which primarily houses abused or orphaned chimps.� The watering hole is floodlit at night and celebrities get a chance to meet the local Maasai people.

7. Masai Mara�� Vanessa Williams and Rick Fox �visited Masai Mara and took in the�sights at this picturesque lodge nestled in the great Rift Valley.� It is famous for its lions, and the show Big Cat Diaryon the BBC is filmed at this location.

8. Campi ya Kanzi Ed Norton Jr. visited this place and was inspired enough to team up with Cartier to provide support for their Simba project, a project to reimburse the local people for losses caused by lions and thereby save the lions. Celebrities indulge in walking tours, enjoy meals in the fresh air, enjoy the large varieties of birds, and sleep in tents guarded by Maasai warriors. John Grisham, Naomi Watts and Isabel Allende have also visited and provided support for the projects.

9. Lion in the Sun.� Naomi Campbell loves to go to this resort in the quiet town of Malindi, on the south coast of Kenya. Owned by her ex-boyfriend, Flavio Briattore, it is an exclusive location right on the beach.�

Other celebrities that have been seen on vacation in Kenya are Angelina Jolie (spotted in Malindi), Robert Redford, Meryl Streep, Jimmy Carter, Kenny Rogers (Spotted in Samburu.� His trip inspired him to take pictures and put them together in a book), Kim Basinger, Danny DeVito, Salma Hayek, Gillian Anderson (she got married in Lamu's Shela Island on the coast of Kenya), Rachel Weisz (she shot the movie The Constant Gardner here and has built a school), and Jessica Simpson.� Many of them have been inspired to make a difference in the communities that they visited.��

If you are so inspired, you can always vacation at one of these places and see if you could sign a guestbook that a celebrity signed.� You might also bump into one of them and get some really unique vacation pictures.