Life on the open tented camp was always guaranteed to be exciting as animals had a right of way through the camp. During the day time we were treated to viewing of small animals, butterflies and birds and at night as the sun set and…Read More

Life on the open tented camp was always guaranteed to be exciting as animals had a right of way through the camp. During the day time we were treated to viewing of small animals, butterflies and birds and at night as the sun set and the moon had risen things started to happen on camp.......

But let me first recall the day time activities. Although we had three drives a day there was still time to sit and relax and take in the wildlife sights. We soon had spotted a small veranda overlooking the river and for the most part the four of us were the only humans sitting there. But we were never alone. As we sat there was endless bird sightings, but the most memorable was the elegant Malachite Kingfisher that sat patiently on a nearby tree whilst I changed lens and finally focussed on the beautiful plumage of this stunning bird and its impressive red beak. It seemed happy to present its best profile to the camera and I happily obliged with a few paparazzi shots.

Of course this wasn’t the only bird that showed up although many of the others seemed more camera shy and it required greater patience to capture them on film. However, as I practiced to be a "great hunter", creeping through the bushes close to the river I came across a whole host of butterflies. They all seemed to be attracted to this particular bush and not only were there loads of them flapping from flower to flower, but there were many varieties. Now if I thought the challenge of catching birds on film was great the photography of butterflies seemed supremely difficult. Just as I got a decent focus they’d flap off to another flower leaving me with a perfectly focused leaf! Still I wasn’t to be distracted and waited patiently for another to settle before pressing the shutter.

Now I don’t claim that they’re the best ever photographs of butterflies but I was pretty chuffed with the end product especially one where I captured two different species almost side by side. I paused momentarily to watch an elephant pick its way down the steep slope to the water’s edge and marveled at how such a large beast could move so gratefully. However, as it crashed its way through the undergrowth a group of three water birds clearly believed it was time to vacate their section of the water and with a certain amount of grace opened their impressive wings and took off down-stream.

Returning to MY butterflies (I was the only person seemingly to have "discovered" them) I now seemed to have mastered the photographic art and as I clambered up the steep slope from the water’s edge I spotted a bird balancing precariously on a thin branch of a tree. This was to be my next photographic target, but a slight stumble and some appropriately muttered profanities ensured that the bird escaped my camera lens. My camera and I escaped damage and I vowed to be a little more careful as I climbed the few remaining paces to the flatter ground. I made a dramatic exit from the undergrowth as I tripped on an exposed root – so much for my added care- and there in the middle of the camp were a group of mongoose. These were the dwarf mongoose and were scurrying around the open ground and pushing their way through the fallen leaves in search of food.

They appeared to be fairly at ease in this open environment but as soon as I took a step forward they scattered to the safety of the nearby bushes. Having learnt patience from my recent "butterfly experience" I sat patiently close to the open grass area and slowly but surely the mongooses (not mongeese as some people seem to prefer) emerged and were soon busy seeking for insects or small lizards. Capturing them on film was easy and one had the audacity to approach me closely staring down the camera lens. I moved to get up and, as if by magic, the grass which had been host to several mongooses was again devoid of wildlife.

But not so the nearby trees these were playing host to several species of small birds sporting many different colours: bright orange breasts, vibrant canary yellow, subtle shades of green. Even the birds with a pure matt black plumage looked more exotic than the black crows that I used to seeing back home in the UK. I managed several photographs but unfortunately I’m not too good on bird recognition so all their identities will remain unknown to me. Finally I completed my "circuit of discovery" to return to my wife and friends. I’d been gone, they explained, for quite some time and they claimed that they were beginning to wonder where I’d got to. Not that this concern was evident as they’d almost finished a cafetiere of coffee and were enjoying yet another glass of wine!

One evening, as we drank our evening nightcap we heard a great deal of noise at the watering hole. I finally focused on an elephants at the water’s edge and pointed it out to my friend. We were mesmerized by the elephant and in turn pointed it out to our respective wives who surprisingly were unimpressed. We were somewhat surprised at their lack of enthusiasm and returned to our observation of the elephant. After a time we heard a considerable amount of noise to our left and saw a group of hippos grazing on the grass just inside our camp. They were only a matter of yards away from us and the guards appeared with their flashlights to herd them away from us. It was at that point, as the lights shone down to the water’s edge that I saw "my stationary elephant". He wasn’t moving at all which I guess is unsurprising as this animal turned out to be a rock and a wizened tree. Just shows the tricks the light can play on you! The hippos had moved on a little and soon there was a group of visitors standing behind the ever vigilant guards enjoying the sight of a group of grazing hippos.

Life is never dull on safari and even when we were "off duty" there was plenty of wildlife to see.
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On this, our first full day on Safari, we had plans to visit a Masai Mara village in the afternoon and enjoy a ride around the dusty roads of Amboseli checking out the wild life. It was destined to be a great day...As we drove…Read More

On this, our first full day on Safari, we had plans to visit a Masai Mara village in the afternoon and enjoy a ride around the dusty roads of Amboseli checking out the wild life. It was destined to be a great day...

As we drove out of camp the sun was slowly rising and a lone hyena sauntered out of the semi darkness to slump down only a few metres away from the van. They’re not an attractive animal and our guide told us that the story goes that when God created animals there were some bits left over and, rather than waste then he assembled them together to create this scavenger. Looking at them I can understand how this story came about!

A monkey was sitting nonchalantly on a dead branch of a tree, wild turkeys pecked away at the scrubland in their endless search for food plucked and then we stopped close by a family of hyenas. There were a number of cubs and although they were much more handsome than their parents they didn’t have that endearing quality that it usually associated with children of a species. Still they were fun to watch as they frolicked around, oblivious to their newly acquired audience.

We set off in search of a new sight and within a few rolls of the wheels our driver was again applying the brakes. Sat in the middle of the plains, within camera shot was a beautiful Eagle its plumage glistening in the dawn sun. It looked a fine creature and it’s the closest that I’ve ever been to such a fine looking bird.

Soon were off again and I’m surprised at how devoid the plains seem to be. All the zebras, antelopes and elephants that we’d seen yesterday seem to have vanished from Amboseli and I was singularly unimpressed when our guide told us that there was a lone Hippo in the distance. I couldn’t see a thing and even my vivid imagination wouldn’t let me think that I could see it. We drove a little further and then in the near distance I saw what I had thought to be a rock. I was in fact a Hippo and although this was the first Hippo in the wild I have to confess that it was not overly exciting. Still it was early in the Safari so I was convinced that there would be more.

Our guide, who had been babbling away on his phone, suddenly changed direction and headed off back the way we’d come. The eagle had flown off, the hyenas still at play and in the distance we saw a number of elephants. Initially we thought that’s where we were heading but our guide said that he hoped we be happy with the next "spot". Another van load of tourists passed us going in the other direction and our guide signalled the thumbs up before stopping near a clump of trees. "Lion" he exclaimed in hushed tones and pointed towards the trees. I desperately tried to focus but failed dismally to spot anything. After a time I thought I’d seen a Lion’s mane poking up, but it was too far away to be certain. We must have looked disappointed because our guide stated to edge forward and drove towards the stone like mound.

Behind us a family group of elephants walked across the middle distance. It was a bit like a scene from Jungle Book with Colonel Hathi parading his family and I wouldn’t have been too surprised if they’d burst into song! They continued to plod onwards and so did we. I turned my head forward and now we were so close to the previously spotted lion. Our guide was right. We were more than happy with this "spot". The lion looked disdainfully at us as we all started snapping our lens at him. We didn’t need to hurry or panic – he wasn’t going anywhere – but he did turn his head for a nice profile picture opportunity. Perhaps he was showing his best side. Our attention was firmly fixed on this fine beast when our guide started to drive away from the creature. Our disappointment was soon replaced with excitement as we were now looking at the lion’s "other half". Almost hidden by the vegetation was the lioness. But wait. In front of her was the second female member of the pride. We thanked our guide for finding this group of lions as he explained that we must move back to the main track as it’s not really permitted to go off piste.

We were well chuffed and buzzing with excitement as we settled down behind a group of elephants that were monopolising the dusty track. They didn’t seem to in the least bit affected by our presence and we certainly weren’t in a position to hurry them. Finally as we nosed forward the two adults and three children headed off – not a care in the world. Soon we were in danger of over-dosing on elephants, but the scurrying form of a couple of warthogs provided us with a change of species. They were extremely skittish and didn’t seem to like the disturbance that a van load of tourists brought. Soon they were in the far distance and only now were they risking a look back at us.

A herd of Wildebeests were less concerned about our arrival and they just seemed content to get on with their normal activity. We were a bit surprised to see so many of them at Amboseli as we’d always understood that the grand migration took place in April to May. Our guide explained that the ones that we were looking at didn’t migrate anywhere – they’d happily made Amboseli home throughout the year.

It was now approaching lunch time and as we made our way back to the lodge we passed gazelles and more elephants and a beautiful bird that happily posed on the tree whilst we "fired off numerous frames" onto the camera’s memory card.

After lunch we’d be taking in another safari and visiting a Masai Mara Village (see separate review).   Close

This early morning Safari was to be our last trip out at Governor’s Camp before heading off for some R&R at an all inclusive hotel in Mombasa. We started off with low expectations because we reckoned we must have seen almost everything that the area…Read More

This early morning Safari was to be our last trip out at Governor’s Camp before heading off for some R&R at an all inclusive hotel in Mombasa. We started off with low expectations because we reckoned we must have seen almost everything that the area around Governors Camp had to show us. At the point we left the camp the sun was not visible and our guide made sure that he got us into a great position to watch the sunrise. I have to say that I’ve seen many an unimpressive sunrise so once again I wasn’t holding my breath. But when expectations are low the reality will often exceed and it was certainly true of this sunrise. As the sun began to rise the horizon upwards became bright orange and the plains leading up to the horizon seemed almost black. This fantastic image didn’t last for long and as the sun got higher in the sky so the orange hue lessened and subtle shades of blue and grey took over. And then it was light! Now that was another new and surprising experience.

In a tree was the white-headed vulture. Not the prettiest of birds it has to be said and it was clear that this one was on the lookout for some tasty morsels to scavenge. It certainly had a great vantage point and it looked very casual as its head scoured the surrounding plain for its breakfast. Suddenly the silence was interrupted by the unique sound of a hot air balloon as it hovered over a row of bushes in the distance. We’d seen the details of this trip and although I was a little tempted the other three were not too keen on the idea of the early morning start. Although in truth I think they were more concerned about the height the balloon might rise to!

The balloon distracted only for a little while as a small pack of hyenas purposefully headed across plain. I guess they’d seen something that the vulture hadn’t spotted, but as I glanced back I saw that the vulture too was on the move. I wonder if there was enough for the hyenas and the vulture or if there wasn’t which got there first. I’ll never really know but I suspect that the vulture had the real advantage and was tucking in to its breakfast well before the hyenas arrived for the "second sitting".

We paused to look once more at a group of Topis, affectionately known as Blue Jeans because of the distinctive bluish hue to the top of their legs. Over in the distance we saw a Masai Mara women strolling through the yellow grasses and as she saw us she beckoned for us to come closer. We were doing just that when our guide stopped suddenly. "I don’t like it" he said "something’s not right". He then veered away and approached the woman from another direction and she turned and walked towards us, once again beckoning us.

This cat and mouse game was played out for several minutes and whilst driving or guide was on the telephone speaking to colleagues. Within 15 minutes of first spotting this woman there were 5 jeeps "surrounding her" and one finally broke rank to make "voice contact" with her. There was an intense debate going on and finally the woman got into the jeep and they drove off. It turned out that our guide had been concerned about the bags that the woman was carrying and I guess his concerns were exacerbated by the fact that in 2012 there were very real concerns about Somalian terrorist group threatening bomb attacks in Kenya. However, the truth was even stranger insofar as this woman had been wandering round the plains all night and was now totally disorientated and didn’t know where her home was. "She is a real lucky lady" our guide said "as there’s a fair bit of wildlife out here that could have attacked and killed her." He made particular reference to the "lean lions" that we’d seen yesterday and we too agreed she was "a lucky lady".

Almost as a confirmation of her lucky escape was the sighting of the group of lions that we’d seen yesterday. They’d obviously managed a kill as they looked much sprightlier and less bony than they’d been previously.

It now seemed as if our guide wanted to reacquaint us with animals that we’d seen on previous trips as we drove past zebras, elephants, gazelle, impala, wildebeest and elephants. He knew of our fascination with the hippo and we went to one of their watering holes to watch their antics and after a quiet few minutes in the company of this marvellous animal we headed away from the watering hole.

Suddenly the jeep lurched to a stop and our guide pointed excitedly towards a tree stump. But it was not all it seemed because it was in fact the home of an African Rock Python and despite its huge dimensions it moved pretty quickly when we stopped to get a closer look. Mind you it didn’t move quite as quickly as my wife who almost shot out the other-side of the jeep. We did accuse her of frightening the poor creature but I’m afraid she didn’t share our concerns for its welfare! At 30 feet in length the African Rock Python is the third largest in the world and I was surprised that this mighty snake was apparently so shy. Apparently it’s not averse to taking on a crocodile or a gazelle and if it feeds well it can go up to a year before its next feed. Now that’s a phenomenal thought.

We moved close to a group of zebras in the shade of some trees and rather than racing away from us these seemed quite happy for us to drive slowly alongside them. This felt like a real privilege because other encounters with these animals had resulted in them kicking their hind legs and racing off. Within a few yards of the zebra was a small of elephants and then the black faces of the velvet monkey. As always you can guarantee that monkeys will entertain and as if on cue they started their antics occasionally looking back at us almost as if they were wanting our recognition and applause. A regular theatre troop.

As we were enjoying the "free show" a couple of Masai Mara Villagers appeared from nowhere and started to produce their craftwork. Our guide was not amused and quickly moved them on. And now it was our turn to be moving on as we needed to eat before packing our bags and saying a final goodbye to Governors Camp and the Masai Mara. A Hartebeest looked like he was standing attention on the top of a small hillock and as a finale a lone Bull Elephant trundles across the dust track that led back to the Camp. A smiling salute from the camp’s entrance guard and we were in Governors for the last time.

We’d thoroughly enjoyed our last safari and once again our guide had managed to find us some new experiences to go alongside the familiar sights of the Masai Mara.

Brilliant, I reckon that I could manage another Safari sometime in the future.
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We were pleased that we had the same guide throughout our stay at Governor’s Camp and it was an added bonus that the four of us had him to ourselves. Each of our Safaris was totally different and Governor’s, different to most other camps, manages…Read More

We were pleased that we had the same guide throughout our stay at Governor’s Camp and it was an added bonus that the four of us had him to ourselves. Each of our Safaris was totally different and Governor’s, different to most other camps, manages to fit three in to a day (one early morning before breakfast, post breakfast up to lunch and then mid afternoon to sunset).

This morning Safari was destined to be something special......

We’d seen four of the Big Five (Lion, Buffalo, Elephant, Leopard and Rhino) on previous outings and we, semi jokingly said to our guide that we just needed to see the Leopard to complete the set. He nodded solemnly and indicated that he’d "try his best" but animals didn’t just present themselves on request. We nodded that we’d understood but weren’t really sure that he’d got her sense of humour.

The term "big five" goes back to the time when affluent hunters went in search of big game and it is really a reference to the difficulty in hunting these large animals. The "big five" were notoriously dangerous when cornered and could inflict serious damage to the hunting party even after they’d been shot. Of course nowadays we’re hunting with our cameras but the rule still applies and safari guides are especially careful in not surprising the animals or intruding too much into their personal space. Naturally that attitude goes for most animals and we were impressed as to how respectful the guides were towards the animal’s welfare.

Off we set, saluting to the smiling guard at the entrance to the camp. He had perhaps the most boring job around but every time we passed the gatehouse he would open up the gate, stand to attention, give us the broadest of smiles and then smartly salute us. In recognition of him we would smile back and give him a cheery wave and a salute. He seemed to appreciate the attention.

As we left the camp in the scrub land close by we spotted the bright bulbous eyes of the Dik-Dik and as we edged tentatively forward I realised it wasn’t one Dik-Dik but two. They momentarily appeared to be frozen and then they scampered off further into the dense undergrowth.

We hadn’t moved far before we saw a group of elephants in the distance and one who seemed a little more inquisitive getting a little closer to the van. Our guide must have felt that this was a little unusual as he decided to start moving and later explained that he thought that this young male, whose ears with fanned out, had become detached from the herd and we were directly on his path back to join them. Better safe than sorry we thought as we paused to watch the fantastic antics of the gazelles as they raced across our path. The power of the hind legs of this lean animal are almost magical to watch as it jumps high into the air and speeds off kicking its rear legs behind it. The turn of speed was amazing and its antics a pleasure to photograph.

There was a crackle on the radio and soon our guide was in an animated discussion with another guide. He looked back and gave us a broad smile. "We’re off in search of a Leopard" he explained "but we need to get there quick. So hang on to your seats because it could be a bumpy ride. Is that OK?" Well of course it was as this would be our first sighting of a Leopard and the 2nd of today’s attempt to see all big five in one trip.
He wasn’t exaggerating when he’d said that the journey would be bumpy but despite being thrown around the jeep and feeling the bumps all through our bodies we were determined not to complain. The journey was certainly exhilarating and when we saw a couple of other jeeps we guessed we were getting close.

Wow, there in front of us prowling through a clump of bushes was a magnificent lone leopard. There was a hush around as all the three jeeps had turned off their engines and the captive tourists were agog. There was a ripple of disappointment when the leopard disappeared, but our guide, ever quick off the mark started up the engine and circle around the bushes to another spot. We were the only 5 people there when the leopard walked past the front of our jeep, paused and then headed back off into the undergrowth. We were chuffed and yet our guide wasn’t finished yet and our guide again headed off and amazingly had yet again anticipated the leopard’s route. This time we weren’t on our own, but we weren’t too upset as we’d shared an exclusive moment with this beautiful creature only minutes before. Once again it disappeared and once again our guide started the motor and headed off to the anticipated route. This time we weren’t so lucky – we’d lost the trail. It didn’t matter we’d seen and spent some time with an animal that is said to be really difficult to see. We felt real special.

Our guide was on a roll as he sped off once again claiming that he’d see the tail of a lion. I was sceptical, thinking that he was just trying to keep us interested. We drove for a fair distance seeing no animals close up and then we stopped and our guide looked and smiled. "Over there" he said "there’s a group of lions. They look really lean and must need a kill." I could see nothing. But then again some of the grasses seemed to be moving and then, as if by magic, a group of six lions were walking towards us. I started to fire off a few frames and then paused. Our guide had said that they needed a kill and here we were "tinned food" right in their path. They wandered up right to the side of the jeep and then formed a circle as if they were discussing a strategy before walking on past us. We could now understand what our guide had meant by "lean". We would have said skinny! "They’ll be OK when they’ve eaten" we were told "and I know that they’ll make a good kill tonight. They really need it!"

That was number three out of the big five and we were now beginning to think that the big 5 might be a possibility. We were on the move again and closely passed a striped fox with its large erect ears – he didn’t even give us a second glance but were excited to see another new species. There was a crackle of the radio and after another exchange of words our guide once again "hit the gas". We were rocked and rolled in the jeep as we "hung on for grim death" but it was soon to be worth our pain as there, in the distance was the clear unmistaken profile on a rhino, That’s number 4 chalked up and now we knew for certain that our guide was intent on showing us the big five.

We had a clear view of this horned beast and perfectly understood when our guide turned off his engine a fair distance away from the weighty beast. Weighing in at well over 3000 kg we could just imagine what damaged this animal could reek if it reached its top speed of 40 miles per hour. Speculation over we had now chalked up number 4 and noticed our guide smiling happily to himself. He headed back in the direction of the camp only pausing to look at a family of hyenas and a frisky group of warthog before stopping next to some lazy buffalos. They seemed to be really relaxed and so were we. The big 5 in one morning and we hadn’t even had breakfast!

What would the rest of the day hold for us? Surely this drive could never be topped....
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After a decent lunch and a "full analysis of the morning’s safari" we set off on our final Safari at Amboseli. In contrast to earlier the zebra and gazelle are out in force, although it still remains a mystery as to where they were hiding…Read More

After a decent lunch and a "full analysis of the morning’s safari" we set off on our final Safari at Amboseli. In contrast to earlier the zebra and gazelle are out in force, although it still remains a mystery as to where they were hiding on our earlier Safari.

For the first section of this trip we’re going to visit a local Masai Mara village and we’ll have to pay a "gratuity" to the headman to be allowed in. We know that what we’re going to see will be a little contrived but at least we’ll see the local tribesmen up close and be able to take photographs of them all. Our guide assures us that the clothes that they are wearing are their normal day to day wear and tells us that they will put on a traditional welcoming dance for our benefit.

I reckon they heard our vehicle arriving because there was a group of them waiting for as the mud fronted entrance to their village and within seconds of the van stopping more of the villagers arrived. There was a colourful array assembling in front of us and soon we were handing over cash to the "main man" and then all of them stretched out into a long line for the formal welcome.

Men and women formed the line and soon they burst in to song. Now it wasn’t a song that I could recognise and if I was to be entirely disrespectful I’d suggest that it was more like wailing rather than close harmony. But as it progressed l became more accepting of the discord and enjoyed it for what it was. Suddenly the men started to jump high in the air, each taking it in turns to show that they could jump higher than their predecessor. It was a dance that I was familiar with as most documentaries on the Masai Mara will show the "jumping dance" or "Adumu" in the native tongue. It’s a dance that is performed by the men of the village who jump as high as they can to show their strength and stamina as tribal warriors. It’s not just for fun, but also for asserting your position in the tribe and of course the higher you jump the better you’re viewed. So for young suitors it’s a away to impress the single girls! We were then encouraged to have a go, but I’m not sure that we impressed anyone!

Just as our wives thought they’d got away with it the singing started up again and the females started to jump in the air. Not as competitively as the men and much more delicate in approach. Even so our wives were invited to try and with some reluctance they participated.

Having passed this initiation test we were allowed in to the village and shown in to a "typical" mud-hut. I’m not convinced that this was occupied but I guess it gave us a flavour about how things were for the Masai Mara. Inside it took us some time to adapt to the low light and when we did it was extremely Spartan with animal hides strewn across the floor in the sleeping area, minimal cooking items and signs that the construction was purely of twigs, mud and animal hides. No natural light and certainly no obvious signs of comfort. But that’s from the perspective of a Westerner!

Once we’d checked out the village and taken a few photographs we were led out to the market area which consisted of two rows of traders displaying their handicrafts made specifically for the tourists. Nowadays I often take a local mask back as a souvenir, but I felt their prices were extremely expensive and they were not prepared to negotiate very much. They tried the hard sell but the ruthless streak in me said that I wasn’t playing ball. We left with no souvenir and a muttering Masai Mara!

Overall I was fascinated by their traditional garb, the women’s costume jewellery, the "giant ear lobes" and the village smells. I was pleased that we’d made the effort to visit a local village, but can’t pretend that it’s the most stunning cultural visit that I ever made.

Back in the van we headed off back to the plains passing newborn wildebeest tottering around their mother’s knees, herds of zebra and were once again fascinated by the elephants. We were heading towards Noomtio a hill that was formed during the Pleistocene Period through the volcanic action of Mount Kilimanjaro. It was a bit of a haul to the top and in the distance we saw a Hippo grazing the grounds near to the river. Disappointingly it was a fair way off so we didn’t get the best of views but this was my first proper sighting of a Hippo.

However, one chap had decided to "go it alone" & he'd set off to get a closer look at the lone hippo. We saw him strolling out along the plain with his camera in hand ignoring the shouts of the park wardens. We guessed he hadn't heard the stories about how angry a hippo can get if you cross its path. Thankfully he had a reasonable telephoto lens so he captured the photo and made it back to the transport. I didn't hear what our guide said to him but the body language said it all and he was very quiet for the rest of our trip!

This was to be our second walk away from the Safari Truck and once back in the jeep we passed Ostriches, more Elephants and then in the middle distance a Giraffe. What excitement and it was to get better as we drove cautiously towards them. In all honesty they didn’t seem in the least bit concerned about us and we were able to get real close and appreciate the gracefulness of this clumsy looking animal.

As we headed back to the Lodge after our busy afternoon our guide suddenly stopped the vehicle and pointed to the undergrowth. What? I could see nothing to begin with and then spotted a pair of huge eyes staring out at us. "It’s a Dik-Dik" whispered our guide "they’re very shy and we’re lucky to get so close to one". We edged a little closer and then the small creature looked straight at us before scampering off in to the undergrowth.

Nightfall was now not far off and a herd of wildebeest looked stunningly in the yellow hue of the setting sun. Just as we were admiring them our guide swung off the road and indicated that we could get out and walk in this area. We were in the middle of wildebeest and zebra and what with the combination of dust from the dry ground and the setting sun this was clearly an opportunity for some "Kodak moments". For 15 minutes or so we walked the plains just enjoying the beautiful sunset, the closeness of the animals and the pounding of their feet as they scampered away from us. Not quite a stampede but the dust against the yellow hue created what can only be described as a classic African feel.

We’d had a great day and some perfect sightings on our two days in Amboseli. Would Governor’s Camp compete? We would soon find out....

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If I were asked what my favourite part of the Safari was I would firstly say "all of it", but if pushed I say that I thoroughly enjoyed viewing the Hippopotamus. The Hippopotamus Amphibious (to give it its full scientific name) or, as it’s…Read More

If I were asked what my favourite part of the Safari was I would firstly say "all of it", but if pushed I say that I thoroughly enjoyed viewing the Hippopotamus. The Hippopotamus Amphibious (to give it its full scientific name) or, as it’s more affectionately known, the Hippo is the third largest land mammal and can weigh up to 3.5 tons. Indeed with that weight and its formidable body (13 feet long and 5 feet tall) it is almost free of predators. Occasionally there are reports of crocodiles killing the Hippo (or River Horse) but often they live side by side and show each other reasonable respect and of course a hungry lion will be prepared to "have a go". Although it is fair to say that the Lion will usually avoid the Hippo and opt for an easier prey.

The Hippo (known in the native tongue as Kiboko) is almost comedic in appearance and its stumpy little legs with four toed webbed feet manage to support its massive body without too much difficulty. Despite its ponderous strolling on terra firma it is reported that the Hippo can reach speeds between 30 – 40 Kilometres per hour but not surprisingly they can’t maintain that speed for long. In water they have a much more leisurely paddling speed of 8 kilometres an hour.

Our first sighting of a hippo had been, at a distance, back in Amboseli and this had been a few semi submerged animals and a single hippo munching the grass. I was extremely disappointed. But sightings here in the Masai Mara were to be much more spectacular.

On our first outing we saw a small waterhole covered in dense water foliage. All we could see were the top of their heads with their small ears and tiny eyes. They seemed fairly content and although this vision of them was fascinating I was still left wanting! However, to see these semi-submerged animals slowly disappear in front of our eyes and then not re-appear for ages required some explanation. Our guide explained that that the adult could remain totally submerged for up to six minutes and had been known to sleep under water rising automatically to the surface to take in air before returning to the depths for the continuation of its nap.

Our second day out on Safari gave me exactly what I was looking for - the sight of hippos wallowing in the water and then walking in the shallower places. There was a large group of them and these hefty beasts remained on view. Our guide took a good look round and then said we could get out of the open air truck to take photos. There was a steep drop in front of us and so we were safe from the hippos. Some were semi submerged whilst others strolled in the shallower water and all was peaceful until a couple decided to have a dispute over territory. There was much bellowing and displays of aggression until one decided that he would withdraw. The successful hippo almost seemed to shrug as it settled down in the deep water for a much needed rest!

It was here that our guide told us about the way the hippo was created. "Initially", he explained "the hippo was a land animal, but, finding it too hot on dry land it asked if it could be adapted to spend time in the water" The story continued that after some discussion with his creator a compromised and agreed that the hippo could be adapted for life on land and in the water on one condition and that was that it would never eat flesh.

The hippo readily agreed but its maker was not finished in laying down conditions! "I want to be able to evidence that you’re not breaking the rules" their maker said "and so I’ll want to check out your mouth for flesh or fish bones". That seemed a reasonable condition to the Hippo so it agreed that it would regularly open its mouth for inspection. That wasn’t all as the Hippo’s maker wanted to be able to check the digested food for evidence and although the Hippo was less convinced about this one he finally agreed. "So that’s why the hippo’s mouth opens really wide" said our guide "and why it sprays its excreta around. He’s saying look no bones there!" That was a great tale and worthy of a couple of chortles from us!

The following morning we saw a group of hippos returning to their watery retreat. They’d been out overnight to graze on the grass and many will have consumed up to 150 pounds in weight. Apparently they have a set routine and after clambering up the banks of the river they take their nocturnal wandering, normally, our guide explained, on a two or three mile circuit. These creatures of habit munch away through the night and their intake of nutrient sets them up for their day time activity of slumber and swimming.

We made it to their lake before the small group and were able to see them settle down into their daily routine. It surprised me how these huge animals fair trotted down a fairly steep slope before settling down with the rest of their group close to the water’s edge. "A spot of sunbathing" exclaimed our guide "but they have to be careful or they get burnt". And then he pointed out an animal with what did indeed look like over exposed skin.

What was clear, from the scene in front of us, was that many of them carried battle scars. Probably they were caused by internal arguments with other hippos. As if to emphasise that possibility a couple of hippos went into attack mode – it was short lived but the vanquished limped out of the water to the security of the sandy bank. As if to emphasise his contempt he sprayed the ground around him (need I say more!) He cautiously joined the group slumbering on the water’s edge – not too close but I suspect close enough for security if his aggressor decided to have another go at him.

Life watching the hippos is certainly not dull and we’d seen them in many of their different habitats and modes – semi-submerged, grazing, fighting and relaxing. My hippo experience was complete.

Many thanks to our guide at Governors.
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We had left our Nairobi hotel bright and early (well perhaps not too much of the "bright") and weaved our way across town to Nairobi Wilson Safari Link. The traffic was pretty busy and it soon became obvious why we had to leave so early…Read More

We had left our Nairobi hotel bright and early (well perhaps not too much of the "bright") and weaved our way across town to Nairobi Wilson Safari Link. The traffic was pretty busy and it soon became obvious why we had to leave so early for our 10.00 am flight from Nairobi. We saw queues of workers waiting for their transport to work and of course the "obligatory" vendor waiting at traffic lights for them to go to red so they could hassle drivers and their passengers. We sat back and enjoyed the journey.

Having arrived at the airport of Nairobi Wilson (it’s the largest civil airport in Kenya and about 18 kilometres west of the international airport of Jomo Kenyatta) our guide strongly suggested that we leave our hand luggage in the vehicle and we proceeded to the check-in desk / main office 7 administration centre of this two runway airport. Our luggage was weighed in and although our international allowance was 30 kilos we’d been advised to carry only 15 kilos per person for these small airlines. We travel light so it wasn’t a problem but I now knew why we’d been advised to leave our hand luggage in the van. It was, of course, to help tourists who weigh heavy as they set off for their Safari holiday. Having checked in we headed back to collect our hand luggage and then went to the tiny waiting room until the plane was ready to load.

My wife, who is not real keen about flying and although she is now fairly confident on a big plane she still seems to get a little unsettled when we have to get into a small plane. I reminded her that the one we were about to board was far bigger than the one we’d flown in to see the Nazca Line, and with that thought in mind she grimaced and headed for the plane. It was, compared to the aforementioned, huge and I was soon settling in just behind the pilot, next to a window and looking forward to getting the odd photo or two as we headed off towards Amboseli close to the Kenya / Tanzanian boarder and in sight of Mount Kilimanjaro.

Certainly as we chugged down the runway I was conscious of my wife gripping my arm but after a time, just before the circulation was cut off to my fingers, she relaxed. We were air bourn and the outskirts of Nairobi were in our sight. Soon we’d left habitation behind us and below us was barren land and the remnants of an old river, then the barren land was behind us and a healthy meandering river could be seen. For a time I was mesmerised by the river but then a buzz went around the plane as almost at eye level we could now see the top of a mighty mountain. This was the summit of Kilimanjaro which at over 19,300 feet is the highest mountain in Africa and the highest "free-standing mountain" in the world. It is composed of three distinct volcanic cones and although two of them are declared extinct Kibo, the highest, is classed as dormant and gas is still emitted from its sides.

I’d first heard of Kilimanjaro from the evocatively named short story by Ernest Hemingway, the Snows of Kilimanjaro. Indeed the site of this superb natural structure has made me determined to re-read this 1930’s classic story.

The ground now looked lusher and soon we started on the descent to Amboseli and now in front of us were elephants. Now I’ve seen elephants before but never from above and never on their own territory. Our Safari had started and now it seemed that we had grounds to be excited. The single runway of Amboseli was in front of us and after a fairly bumpy ride it was evident that the tiny airport in front of us made Wilson look huge! It took a couple of minutes for the plane to come to a stop and within 5 minutes of the wheels touching the runway we were clambering out of the plane and on to the tarmac to be greeted by our guide taking us to the Lodge.

A fact board just off the runway told us that the area had been listed as a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO on 19th April 1991 and that the 390 square kilometres rose to a height of 1150 metres above sea level. Beneath the notice was a pile of skulls - a reminder that the food chain operates for reality at Amboseli. There’s no intervention by man and "only the strong survive"!

Before I could philosophise for too long we were getting in to the Safari Truck and heading past Buffalo, Wildebeest, antelope, zebra and the odd monkey or two. We’d seen all that lot and we were only travelling to the Lodge. What a great start and now I know that my fear of not seeing wild-life was not about to be realised.

I think I’ll be happy with the next few days’ experiences. Roll on the first Safari!
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During our safari we were able to experience four of Kenya's more well known game parks: Maasai Mara, Lake Nakuru, Amboseli and Tsavo West. Each was very different from the others, and even within a single park, there were significant differences in the…Read More

During our safari we were able to experience four of Kenya's more well known game parks: Maasai Mara, Lake Nakuru, Amboseli and Tsavo West. Each was very different from the others, and even within a single park, there were significant differences in the landscape, flora and fauna. Each was special in its own way and worthy of a visit irrespective of time spent at any of the other parks.

Lake Nakuru and Tsavo West were the other two game parks that we visited during our Kenyan safari. For me, both were a disappointment, largely due to issues with our tour operator.

Lake Nakuru National Park is known for their resident pink flamingos. If you've seen the movie "Out of Africa" you may recall the scene where Denis Finch Hatton is flying over the lake with Karen Blixen, as the sea of pink is beneath them. That was filmed at Lake Nakuru.

Today, there are not nearly that many birds living at the lake and those that are there are too far away to really get decent photographs. Our driver had to drive "off road" to get even remotely close, and even then, my photos were rather poor. In addition to the pink flamingo, we also saw pink backed pelicans which were more plentiful and accessible for photos.

Lake Nakuru is also known for two other residents, unique to this park: the while rhinoceros (which is actually more grey than white) and the Rothschild Giraffe, a subspecies that is endangered and quite rare. We did see both during our visit, both near dusk and at a bit of distance from the road.

Another sighting that we had was a female lion that had just killed a cape buffalo. When we approached her, she was just a few yards from the road and resting after the exertion of the hunt and kill.

Due to a scheduling error by our tour company, we only had one game drive at Lake Nakuru and that was late on the afternoon of our arrival. Given this is a dense forest area; little daylight was making its way to the area where animals were sighted. This contributed to very poor conditions for photography hence my disappointment here.

After our time in Tanzania, our safari adventure returned to Kenya for the final night at Tsavo West National Park. Yet another scheduling problem led to frustrating circumstances within our group which necessitated a scramble to fix the problem with our final day in Kenya. The end result was eliminating the game drive on Saturday morning which was essentially the only real opportunity for wildlife viewing in this park. Sure the evening before two of us ventured out with our driver for a couple of hours, but given the vastness of this park, we were only able to get about 45 minutes away from camp before having to head back . . . and on the very same road taken out of camp.

We did see several giraffes on this little drive, but beyond that, it was really a waste of effort. This was most unfortunate, in my opinion, given all that is to be seen in Tsavo West.

As I said, we cut the game drive out of the Saturday morning schedule out of deference to the others traveling in my group given their exhaustion and frustration with the driving and road conditions. Therefore, the Saturday "drive" was limited to getting out of the park, with a side trip to the Mzima Springs that was on the way out. This cut our drive time from approximately five hours to just two and a half, and again, really just on the main road "out" of the park.

Tsavo West National Park is one of the locations where poaching is prevalent with orphans often being taken to the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. During our limited time in the park, we never saw any elephants, so I know we didn't get very far into the park in terms of viewing time. Tsavo is also known for their "man-eating lions" back during the building of the rail between Nairobi and Mombasa. We didn't see any of them either.
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During our safari we were able to experience four of Kenya's more well known game parks: Maasai Mara, Lake Nakuru, Amboseli and Tsavo West. Each was very different from the others, and even within a single park, there were significant differences in the…Read More

During our safari we were able to experience four of Kenya's more well known game parks: Maasai Mara, Lake Nakuru, Amboseli and Tsavo West. Each was very different from the others, and even within a single park, there were significant differences in the landscape, flora and fauna. Each was special in its own way and worthy of a visit irrespective of time spent at any of the other parks.

We spent two nights at Amboseli National Park, providing us with plenty of game viewing drive time. Amboseli is most known as an elephant sanctuary with a research base here to study them. Our lodging provided direct viewing access as well, right from our front porch! In terms of being "part of the park" this was my favorite lodging location during our safari.

Amboseli was remarkably dry and arid in many areas and yet, was rich was marshy wetlands where the resident elephants were often found chest deep keeping cool while grazing on the grasses found in the water. That said, we also observed some elephants "eating" who knows what in the dirt. Digging up clumps of what appeared to be dead grass; they would shake out the dirt with their trunks and then eat the brown straw like grass.

This park left us, the inside of the safari vehicle and all of my camera equipment covered with a thin layer of fine dirt. Off on the horizon, dirt devils (small dirt tornados) could be seen in what looked to be a foggy haze created by the dirt being kicked up by the passing vehicles.

As part of the Kenyan National Park Service, the roads in the park were well marked and easily navigated by those choosing to self-drive. Given our visit started on the weekend, it did appear that there were a lot of people opting for the self-drive method of viewing.

While a small park in comparison with say the Maasai Mara, there is plenty to see and experience during a visit here. In addition to the elephants this park is known for, we also saw lions, cape buffalo, hyena, giraffe, hippos, zebra, wildebeest and other smaller grazing animals.
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During our safari we were able to experience four of Kenya's more well known game parks: Maasai Mara, Lake Nakuru, Amboseli and Tsavo West. Each was very different from the others, and even within a single park, there were significant differences in the…Read More

During our safari we were able to experience four of Kenya's more well known game parks: Maasai Mara, Lake Nakuru, Amboseli and Tsavo West. Each was very different from the others, and even within a single park, there were significant differences in the landscape, flora and fauna. Each was special in its own way and worthy of a visit irrespective of time spent at any of the other parks.

The Maasai Mara National Reserve is known as home of the Greatest Show on Earth - the migration of wildebeest from Tanzania to Kenya to include the crossing of the world famous, croc invested Mara River. We started our safari adventure here with three nights . . . allowing for two full days of exploration of this great park.

Home to all of the "big five" (elephant, lion, leopard, cape buffalo and rhino), we were fortunate to see all but the leopard here. Unfortunately, the leopard is a bit on the shy side and given the number of vehicles in this park, they tend to stay in very remote areas often inaccessible to even the most rugged safari trucks.

We did see a lot of wildlife in the Mara however. The wildebeest, along with zebra and impala were seen several times often moving from one area to another in search of the best grazing conditions. Given the recent rains in the area, the grasses and underbrush seemed to be in very good condition for feeding. We also learned that with the feasting of the grazing animals come outstanding feeding opportunities for everyone else in the food chain from the large predators such as the lions and cheetahs, to the scavengers like hyenas, vultures and jackals. We witnessed this several times throughout the Mara.

The Maasai Mara is home to a pride of lions that is comprised of two large males, two lionesses and 12 cubs from probably three (or more) litters ranging in age from those born earlier this year to perhaps three years old. This 16 member pride was seen by our group twice, once lounging around in the hot afternoon under the shade across a wide area of the savannah . . . the second feasting at breakfast time over a wildebeest. The lions, including cubs, were laying across the hillside when we approached, as the two males were dining on what was left of the remains.

We also saw cheetahs several times throughout our game drives in the Mara. They were mostly seen resting under the shade, although one late afternoon we did see a group of six sitting tall at the ridge of a hill overlooking the valley below (and beyond our vision). We could only assume they were looking for their next meal as it was nearing dusk which would be prime hunting time for them.

Elephants and giraffe were plentiful throughout the park, as were hippos in the Mara River. Speaking of the Mara River, it was unfortunate that we did not get to see the migration with the crossing of the Mara River. There was a large herd of wildebeest and zebras across the way from where we were perched in hopes of seeing this spectacle, but alas, some dump tourist "self driving" on safari drove between the herd and the river, sending thousands of animals away from the river. This may have been my greatest personal disappointment over the entire two weeks!

Other animals seen during our time in the Mara include ostrich, crocodiles, baboons, gazelles, impalas, dikdiks, waterbuck, warthogs, heartbeast and topi.

In addition to the wildlife seen, we were fortunate to experience a wonderful sunset and sunrise over the Mara. All in all, this is one of the best game viewing parks in Kenya and did not disappoint on any level.
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