Travel – Kenya – gets under your skin & into your blood

Many Happy Returns

Sunday 24th July 2016

The title of this post can be read in two different contexts -first in the context of our repeated visits to Kenya, every one of them classes as a happy return; but today was my wife, Sandra’s birthday, and where better to spend it than in a country that both of us have fallen in love with, Kenya.

We were awoken this morning at around 4am. Outside it was still dark, but we were not alone. Just beyond the walls of our tent we could hear the sound of foliage crunching underfoot. Looking outside we could make out the shape of an Elephant passing by our tent on the riverbank, browsing as it went.

Birthday or not, the wildlife waits for no one in this slice of paradise, so as usual we were up before dawn and waiting by the vehicle for Daniel. There was a slight delay in setting off as the vehicle wouldn’t start, but the staff literally ran around to ensure that a replacement vehicle was brought to us in double-quick time. Having climbed aboard the replacement we set off to see what wonders Samburu would reveal to us today.

As usual we were not to be disappointed – there were plenty of Elephants about including some family groups with youngsters. The African Elephant, this giant of the natural world, is amazing to observe. For all their size and weight, they are incredibly graceful in their movement and to observe them with their babies is to witness a demonstration of tenderness and motherly love. Elephants tend to move about in extended family herds with an elderly matriarch in chrge of the group, accompanied by any number of younger females, together with the calves. Each adult female, whether it be an aunt or the mother, or even an older sibling, will take care of and look out for the youngsters.

Elephants were not the only mammals out and about his morning with their offspring, as we encountered a Giraffe with her calf, already several feet taller than an adult human!

Driving close to the river, we disturbed a Crocodile that had been lying on the opposite bank absorbing the early morning sun, as it rose into the sky and the day started to heat up. As we got closer the crocodile launched itself from the river bank into the water.

This side of the river was alive with various species of antelope this morning; Gerenuk – the rather odd looking “giraffe antelope” with a long slender neck, out of proprotion to the rest of its body, topped by a small head, again lookin lightly out of proportion. Oryx – with its black and white face and long slender, scimitar like horns. The horns are made of Keratin, the same material that human fingernails are made from. This is also what Rhino Horns are made from, which really does beg the question as to why some humans believe that they have medicinal properties!

Zebras were present in abundance, their herds interspersed with Impala and Waterbuck. The latter are nicknamed the “toilet seat antelope” by the guides, to describe the elliptical ring marking on their rumps, which looks very much like a toilet seat! As we entered a clearing we disturbed a Warthog, which raced away from us, tail erect like an antenna, demostrating by this sudden burst of speed, from a standing start, why the Kenyans nickname them “Kenyan Express”. The Common Warthog is capable of speeds of us to 35 mile an hour!

We returned to camp for lunch and to spend the hottest part of the day in the shade of the palm trees along the river bank, or in the cooling waters of the swimming pool. After lunch we took a walk along the fenceline of the camp, watching the birds on the trees and bushes, and picked up some discraded Porqupine quills lying on the ground. The Porqupine is a nocturnal animal, so we were unlikely to see any, but the discraded quills were evidence of their presence in the area. A pair of Little Bee-eaters were perched on the wire of the fence, one of them with an insect in its beak.

As the afternoon started to cool, we set off on our second game drive of the day, this time Daniel took us to the far side of the river. On our way to the bridge where we would cross, we saw the lodge on the far side of the river, which had been where we stayed on our 2008 and 2011 visits to Samburu. Continuing to the bridge we crossed over on the northern side of the Ewaso Ngiro river into an area that we knew, from our previous visits, was prime Leopard territory. Sadly, today was not to be the day for a Leopard spot, but Daniel did manage to find us a Lioness with her cub, and we were able to witness some beautiful interactions between the mother and her cub.

Monday 25th July 2016

We got off to an early start this morning – the first vehicle out of the camp, and we were heading once more for the bridge across the river, with Daniel determined to try and find us a Leopard today. En-route we saw the sunrise, but very little else. It appeared that we were up even before the wildlife this morning!

Once on the other side of the river it was not long before we came across a line of vehicles parked up by the side of the track. Daniel stopped and spoke to the driver of one of them, and then turned to us and advised us that they had seen a leopard go down into the ditch on the far side of the track. Daniel decided that we would go to the far end of the line and wait to see if the Leopard would reappear. So, having passed all the other vehicles, Daniel switched off the engine and we settled in to wait, trying to keep as quiet as possible.

It was not long before, to our utter amazement and delight, that the Leopard emerged from the ditch, right in front of us! Here we were, the last to arrive at the party, but the ones with the best view of all! It paused on the edge of the track, allowing us time for plenty of photographs, perhaps even posing and asking, “have you got my best side”, before crossing the track and heading off into the bush on the other side. One can only imagine the frustration of the occupants of some of the other vehicles, who had got there before us, and perhaps didn’t get as good a view as us. However, we had had a fantastic Leopard encounter, and possibly the best one so far of all our trips to Kenya.

Samburu Leopard – “Wow! That is pin sharp”

On our return from Kenya we went to Birdfair, at Rutland Water, an annual event where we usually catch-up with Kenyan resident, wildlife photographer and film-maker, Jonathan Scott, a man who knows his way around filming and photographing Kenya’s wildlife. Without fail when we catch-up with him, he asks if we have been back to Kenya recently and we discuss our latest trip. I showed him the photograph (above) of the Leopard we had seen in Samburu and his immediate reaction was , “Wow! That is pin sharp!” That will do for me, coming from a professional wildlife photographer of his calibre!

We had now seen three of the Big Five on this trip and we don’t reach the Masai Mara until tomorrow. The photograph above left demonstrates quite clearly how well camouflaged the Leopard is in the sometimes dense bush of its habitat. Note how the bulk of its body is virtually invisible behind the bushes and foliage. After seeing the Leopard we drove to the river, where we stopped to have our bush breakfast in the shade of the trees along the riverbank.

After breakfast we continued our game drive, spotting a pair of Tawny Eagles and some Elephants, before exiting the reserve and driving into Archer’s Post and along the main road to re-enter the reserve on the other side of the river and drive back to camp for lunch. The Tawny Eagle is a common resident brown eagle, which is quite widespread in many parts of Kenya. However, coming from a country that has few large birds of prey, it is always a thrill to see them, however common they may be.

Once we were back in the reserve we passed a herd of Giraffe and then a huge herd of Oryx as we neared the camp. after lunch, as temperatures climbd to 33 degrees, a cooling swim was the order of the day, before preparing for our afternoon game drive.

The afternoon game drive produced sightings of Giraffes, Zebras and Elephants, with one female Zebra suckling her foal. Antelopes included Oryx and Gerenuk, both unique in their own way and markedly different from one another. The sky produced a sighting of a Martial Eagle, riding the thermals and soaring ever higher – another widespread bird, but again exciting to see.

One of the thrills of safari is witnessing animal behaviour that you might not otherwise see, unless it was in a wildlife programme on the television. While zoos have their place in conservation, as has been proven by the reintroduction of some species bred in captivity, in these captive situations you rarely witness truly natural interaction. A pair of bull Elephants took the measure of one another, each sizing up its rival. With heads raised high, they engaged their tusks and trunk bases – was this the prelude to a challenge ritual, play, or serious fighting between the two. Usually in this behaviour the larger of the two will usually dominate, while equals will often proceed to pushing and trunk-wrestling. In this instance the pair appeared to be merely playing, but nonetheless this was a privilege to witness such behaviour.

As the sun started to sink behind the hills we headed back to camp, for a cold Tusker lager and dinner, before we turned in for the night to dream of the adventures that await us tomorrow.

All Creatures Great and Small

Friday 22nd July 2016

One of the attractions of safari is not knowing what you will see. The wildlife doesn’t come to order, sometimes it will be there for all the world to see (well, at least you and your driver); while at other times you will scour the area, but sadly finding very little. Over the years visiting Kenya we have seen the expected (or hoped for) and the totally unexpected in equal measure, from the tiniest of insects to the largest of elephants.

This morning we were up early and out on the road in time to see the sunrise over the savannah. Today we were making our way to the Rhino Sanctuary. Meru was once abundant with Elephant and Rhino, but poaching, sadly, almost wiped out the population of both in the criminal’s zest for rhino horn and ivory on false promises of riches or good health. Over the years the situation has been reversed and the populations of both these magnificent animals is on the increase. The thick dense scrub the abounds in Meru is testament to the years that the park was bereft of Elephants, prime grazers of scrub; but now the population has returned they are slowly but surely eating their way to reverse that position.

This morning we were making our way to the Rhino Sanctuary that is now home to well over 100 White Rhinos, in a secure and protected environment, watched over by a permanent ranger force 24 hours a day. On arrival at the sanctuary gates we were greeted warmly by the rangers, genuinely pleased to see us. However hard he tried though, Philip appeared disappointed that he only managed to find us a distant view of two adult rhinos and a calf.

Having completed the circuit of the sanctuary, we headed back to the gate and thanking the rangers re-entered the main park again. As we continued our quest we came across Elephants, Zebra, Waterbuck, Crocodiles and Hippos. The bird life was also plentiful with good views of Grey Chanting Goshawk, Cattle Egret and Great White Egret.

Cattle Egret, Grey-headed Kingfisher and Red-billed Hornbill

We drove to the banks of the Rojewero River where Philip found us a shady spot to eat breakfast. As we ate, a Hornbill sat on a nearby branch having its own breakfast. After breakfast we continued our game drive, visiting the Hippo Pool, where we saw several Hippos wallowing in the water. All too soon though, it was time to head back on a slow drive to Elsa’s for lunch.

While sitting outside writing up our safar diary, I was joined by a pair of Hornbills in a tree right by our cottage, truly surrounded by the wildlife in this idyllic spot. Talking to Philip the lodge manager, after lunch, he agreed on Philip’s identification of the African Barred Spotted Owlet yesterday, indicating that this was a possible first for Meru and that Philip our driver, should report it the the Kenya Wildlife Service so that it could be recorded.

Post-safari note: On our return home I submitted the sighting and my photographs to Nature Kenya, the East African Natural History Society, based in Nairobi. Sadly they identified it as a more common Pearl-Spotted Owlet. So sadly not a rarity, but despite this we were very happy to have been so privileged to have seen it. To our guide, Philip “Bird” Mukuhi, asante sana for sharing with us your Meru and for showing us some of its matural treasures and wonders.

Later that afternoon it was time for our evening game drive, on which we covered a fair few miles and managed to see a number of unusual sights. Once again, Kenya produced things we had not seen before – a Pygmy Falcon; a Giraffe sleeping (they only sleep for a few minutes every day and they sleep standing up!); a juvenile Snake Eagle; and a Secretary Bird in flight. I commneted to Philip that we had seen fewer and fewer Vultures over the years. He confirmed that they do appear to becoming rarer, but he took us to a group of trees which the Vultures use as a roost site, and sure enough there were several pairs there.

Pygmy Falcon and a Secretary Bird takes flight

Under a cloudless blue sky, we turned back towards Elsa’s and finding an animal-free spot on the savannah a short distance from camp, we stopped for our sundowners, watching the sun sink slowly behind the hills. On returning to the lodge, once again dinner was served by candlelight on the lawn, but sadly tomorrow we move on from this idyllic spot.

Saturday 23rd July 2016

This mornign was a lie in for both us and for Philip. Following a late breakfast we left Elsa’s saying Kwaheri to this wonderful place and the fantastic people who have looked after us so well.

Philip drove us to the airstrip, taking in as much wildlife as possible on the way, including a terrapin at the swamp! Taking our leave of Philip we boarded our flight to Archer’s Post heading for Samburu. A short flight of only about 20 minutes, landing on the edge of Archer’s Post where we met our driver, Daniel. Leaving the airstrip we drove a short distance before entering the reserve and driving on to Ashnil’s Camp located on the banks of the Ewaso Ngiro river.

On the road from Archer’s Post – Caution Wildlife Crossing!

After checking-in, accompanied by the usual hot towels and cold fruit juice, we were taken to our tent, No.12, located by the river. After dropping our bags in the tent, it was time to take a slow walk back through the camp to lunch.

Our afternoon game drive set out at 4pm with Daniel scouring the reserve to find us the wildlife. Today the big cats seemed to be in hiding, with us not seeing a single one, but such is the luck of safari. Other animals were present including Elephants, Dik Dik, Oryx, Gerenuk, Grant’s Gazelle and Zebra. We also saw plenty of bird life before returning to camp.

As we returned to camp. we paused to watch the sun go down behind the hills. Tomorrow is another day and in true safari style you never know what will turn up!

A Day of New Discoveries

Thursday 21st July 2016

Elsa’s Kopje proved to be a location where we got closer to nature without even leaving camp! During the night I was woken up by the noises of the African night! In the trees that surrounded our cottage, a group of monkeys were getting very agitated and vocal. As I listened I could hear a sawing sound, and my sleep befuddled brain tried to rationalise this against the knowledge that I had built up on Kenya’s wildlife. Could it be… ….a Leopard that was the cause of the cacaophony that the monkeys were now making?

At 5.45 am our room steward was knocking at our door with our early morning call, accompanied by tea and coffee. This was followed by a quick shower before we made our way down to reception to meet Philip. Just after 6.30 am we were out on the road keenly anticipating what the day might bring to us. I mentioned to Philip the noises in the night and he confirmed that there was a Leopard that lived on the top of the kopje. Its route down into the park often took it right past our cottage, so yes it was a Leopard that I had heard in the night!

Meru National Park is one of Kenya’s more remote and least visited parks and you won’t find it on many safari itineraries. For years it was plagued by poaching which almost wiped out the local Elephant population, indeed it was poachers who murdered George Admason, of Elsa the Lioness fame, in 1989. As a result of this lack of pacyderm browsing, the undergrowth was allowed to grow and become quite dense. As a result viewing of animals is slightly more difficult than elsewhere and an experienced driver with good local knowledge is essential. It is not unusual to go all day in this park without seeing another vehicle! Thankfully, in more recent years Elephants have increased in number, but it is still possible to be able to hear them but not see them due to the density of the bushes in between!

The day before I had asked Philip if would be possible for us to visit Adamson’s Falls and Elsa’s grave at some point during our visit. Philip had decided that this would be our destination this morning. As we crossed the park, heading for the Tana River, all three of us were scanning our surroundings looking for wildlife. However it was Philip who had the keenest eyesight, for as we were driving along, all of a sudden the brakes came on and he had put the vehicle into reverse before we came to a halt with Philip pointing into the dense roadside bushes.

“There”, he pointed, “can you see it?” For the life of me I couldn’t at first pick out what he was pointing to. “There right in the bushes!” Adjusting my position I stared and then, there it was… ….a Bush Baby, its large round eyes staring at us through the branches! Now came the tricky bit, could I get a photograph? There is a saying in acting, never work with children and animals. Well I think the same could be said in the context of photography! Would that Bush Baby co-operate – not on your life. Even with my 600mm lens and setting to manual focus, it was proving difficult to get the perfect shot as the Bush Baby was inside the bushes and there were branches and twigs criss-crossing my view. In the end I decided that I would have to settle for a record shot rather than that perfect picture with every detail in focus, as trying to focus out the branches proved to be nigh on impossible.

Nonetheless, a fantastic sighting and one which we have totally missed without having an expert and enthusiastic local guide.

It never ceases to amaze me how the safari drivers manage to spot, often the smallest of creatures, in dense bush while safely driving their guests. Their eyesight is phenominal.

Despite the difficulties of getting the shot, we continued our journey wondering what this magical country would produce for us next, happy that we had seen such a small and nocturnal animal in the daylight. Under such circumstances, I often wonder what the animal I am trying to capture is thinking. Was that Bush Baby hanging on in the bush while quietly wondering at the strange behaviour of the homo sapiens in the large tin can, or just cursing us for disturbing its sleep?

En route we crossed the Equator – not a new experience for either of us, as over the years of visiting Kenya we have crossed this line on the globe many times, but it does no harm to stop for the obligatory photograph. Almost everywhere you cros the Equator in Kenya you will find a sign by the roadside to mark this point.

As we drove on we continued to find a variety of wildlife – a Black-backed Jackal; a Tawny Eagle; Hammerkop; Madagascar Bee-Eaters; Warthog and Dik-Dik – this was a relatively quiet morning for wildlife compared with some others we had experienced, but made up for by that sighting of a Bush Baby!

On arrival at Adamson’s Falls, our breakfast destination, we alighted from the vehicle. Overlooking the falls were some picnic tables under some thatched awnings, and as we admired the view Philip was setting out our bush breakfast – a selection of cereals; some salad; hard boiled eggs; sausages; cold meats; bread; yoghurts; fruit juice; tea and coffee. While we ate, the sun started to break through the clouds that had accompanied us so far this morning.

Bush breakfast by the Tana River

As we finished eating, an African Fish Eagle alighted on some rocks just up river from us, watching the water as it rushed down from the falls, and clearly hoping for its own breakfast. Downstream of us, a troop of Baboons came down to the river. This was certainly a breakfast with a difference!

After packing everything up and disposing of our rubbish in the bins provided at this picnic spot, we headed back towards Elsa’s via Ura River, for it was on the banks of this river that George Adamson had laid his beloved Elsa, the lioness imortalised in the film Born Free, to rest after she died. When we arrived at the spot, we alighted to find a gravestone set in the ground. We stood for a moment with our own thoughts, much as one might do at the graveside of a fallen human. For me it was remembering the film that I had seen in the cinema as a young boy, where I had first learned of this wonderful story. Philip then tenderly brushed away the fallen leaves that lay on the grave, before we took our photographs.

Elsa’s Grave

We arrived back at Elsa’s in time for lunch and Charlie was amazed at where we had been that morning, as it appeared we had covered quite a distance. The afternoon was spent relaxing by our cottage, camera never far from hand as the Rock Hyrax came to inspect us, until it was time for our afternoon game drive. Once again Philip was an excellent guide and host, well worthy of the Gold Standard that we learned he had achieved.

This afternoon we stayed relatively local to Elsa’s, at least compared with this morning’s excursion. We saw several varieties of bird, but the one Philip got excited about was a possible sighting of a Pale Spotted Owlet, which I managed to capture several shots of. (Sadly this was later to prove to be a mistaken identity, confirmed by Nature Kenya – The East African Natural History Society, to whom I submitted details of the siting as a possible rarity for this part of Kenya). In truth it turned out to be a more common Pearl-spotted Owlet. Nonetheless an exciting sighting for us!

This afternon we also saw a number of larger non-avian species including Elephants, a Crocodile, several varieties of antelope and two Cheetahs.

Cheetahs

After stopping for our sundowner Tuskers, accompanied by bitings (Kenyan for nibbles!) as we watched the sun set behind the distant hills, it was back to Elsa’s for dinner.

As we sat drinking our pre-dinner Tuskers, Charlie wandered round talking to guests about their day. Stopping to talk to us, she asked us if we would like a bottle of sparkling wine with our dinner, to mark our wedding anniversary – a lovely gesture. Once again, dinner was served by candlelight on the lawn. A perfect end to yet another perfect day – a day of new discoveries, of creatures that we would not have seen without Philip’s keen eyesight.

2016 – 30 years Married!

Following our encounter with Somak’s Justin Cole at Birdfair in August 2015 we settled on one of the example itineraries in the Somak brochure for a flying safari with stays in Meru, Samburu and the Masai Mara. Meeta, our consultant at Somak https://www.somak.com/, was one of the most helpful people we have ever come across. Nothing was too much trouble for her and the added bonus was that she had personal experience of some of the locations we wanted to stay at. By the beginning of July 2016 we had everything finalised, visas obtained, transport to Heathrow booked, and we were set to go!

Monday 18th July 2016

Jo, our driver, picked us up from home for the drive around the M25 to Heathrow, dropping us off outside Terminal 4 in plenty of time to check-in for our flight https://www.kenya-airways.com/uk/en and make our way through to the Business Class Lounge to relax and wait for the flight to be called. Boarding the flight we settled into our seats and with an on-time departure were soon airborne.

Flying down across Europe, as we crossed the Alps passing close to Munich, off to the east we could see towering anvil clouds and occosional flashes of lightning lighting up the sky. However, we were well to the west of this storm and continued southwards in relatively smooth air. Throughout the flight we enjoyed the usual high standard of service that we had previously experienced with Kenya Airways.

Tuesday 19th July 2016 – Happy Anniversary!

Happy 30th Wedding Anniversary – yes, we touched down in Nairobi at 04:35 (local time) on the morning of our 30th wedding anniversary – the reason for this, our 3rd visit to Kenya! Having passed swiftly through Kenyan immigration and collected our bags, we made our way to the front of the terminal to find our driver. Since our last visit in 2011, following the Westgate Mall terrorist attack in 2013, security had been stepped up throughout Nairobi, and the various holiday reps had been relocated from directly outside the terminal doors, where they had previously waited for clients.

Of course, we were unaware of this until a very helpful member of the cabin crew from our flight came out on her way home, saw us waiting there, and came across to help us. She pointed out the group of people standing on the opposite side of the road in the shadows, and advised us that we had to go and find our rep. Thanking her, and armed with this information, we soon located our driver who whisked us off to the Somak Lounge at the company’s offices on Mombassa Road, to wait for our hotel room to become available.

Mid-morning we were driven to the Ole Sereni Hotel https://www.ole-sereni.com/, just off the Mombassa Road, to check-in. This hotel is ideally located on the southern edge of Nairobi; right beside the Southern Bypass and within easy reach of both Jomo Kenyatta International Airport https://www.kaa.go.ke/airports/our-airports/jomo-kenyatta-international/ and Wilson Airport https://www.kaa.go.ke/airports/our-airports/wilson-airport/, the departure point for domestic flights to many major Kenyan towns and the various National Parks and Reserves.

Nairobi National Park from the Ole Sereni Hotel, with the Ngong Hills in the distance

Our room at the Ole Sereni, No.344, overlooked the Nairobi National Park, which was quite literally just the other side of the fence. Having dropped our bags we made our way to the hotel’s Waterhole Restaurant, overlooking the park, for lunch. They do a very nice range of pizzas which are prepared and cooked to order – the Nyama Choma pizza for me, and a Hawaiian pizza for Sandra, washed down with a bottle of Tusker lager each. Nyama Choma is Swahili and literally means “roasted meat”. Most of the time goat meat is the default genre and this pizza was an inter-continental twist on a traditional Kenyan dish, combining as it did, European cuisine with that of East Africa.

Later in the afternoon we were picked up by a Somak vehicle and driven to the Nairobi National Park. We found that there had been some changes since our last visit. gone was the public access to the KWS Orphanage from our previous visit, and in its place was a Game Walk, winding its way between large enclosures containing animals that had been injured in the park and been brought in for treatement by the KWS vets. Some were released following treatment, while those too badly injured to be able to fend for themselves back in the main body of the park are kept here to provide an easily accessible educational source for local schools.

During our visit there were a number of very well-behaved local school parties visiting, and it was good to see steps being taken to educate Kenyans that the wildlife is an asset to the nation to be conserved for future generations. Signs warned drivers of the 20 kph speed limit on the road, advising that “Warthogs and Children have right of way”!

Following our visit we were then driven to the Carnivore Restaurant https://tamarind.co.ke/restaurant.php?carnivore in the Langata suburb of Nairobi.

We had heard a lot about this restaurant and at last were able to visit it for ourselves. As the name suggests, the emphasis is heavily on meat and the menu contains a variety of meats from the exotic (Ostrich and Crocodile), to the more day-to-day (Chicken, Beef, Pork and Lamb). The meat is all cooked on swords over an enormous charcoal pit. The staff were more than happy for us to watch them cooking the meat and to take photographs. Once cooked the meat is brought to your table, one variety at a time, and carved from the sword directly onto your plate. On the table is a miniature flagpole with a flag. While the flag is in the raised position, they will continue to bring meat to your table, one variety at a time. Once you have eaten your fill, then you lower your flag to indicate that you have had enough. As you can imagine, the accent is very much upon meat, so this is not a venue for vegetarians!

Carnivore’s enormous charcoal cooking area

As we ate we looked out onto the gardens, with monkeys playing in the treetops and various local birds flying from tree to tree until darkness descended. Our meal over, we were driven back to the Ole Sereni for a good night’s rest after a long day.

Wednesday 20th July 2016 – Let the safari begin!

Following an early breakfast we were driven to Wilson Airport for our Air Kenya https://www.airkenya.com/ flight to Meru. Wilson Airport is a short drive along the Nairobi Southern Bypass from the Ole Sereni Hotel and in no time at all, we were checked-in and ready to board the single-engined Cessna aircraft. Our flight took off on time, climbed out over Nairobi National Park and the suburbs of the city, before reaching our cruising altittude of around 9,000 feet. Unfortunately, most of the flight was in cloud, but 45 minutes later we were coming in to land at Meru, where we were met by our driver, Philip “Bird” Mukuhi.

Meru lies approximately 225 kilometres north-east of Nairobi. The origin of the word ‘Meru’ is believed to come from the Maasai people who referred to the Tigania and Imenti forests as the Mieru forests, or simply the Quiet Forests. The Maasai are also believed to have used the term Mieru to name any tribe that did not understand their Maa language.

The Meru National Park is also, of course, the setting for Joy Adamson’s book Born Free, telling the story of the lion cub, Elsa, that she and her husband, George, adopted. The book was later made into a successful film of the same title.

Our first encounter with a Meru Elephant

Having loaded the bags into the vehicle, we set off for Elsa’s Kopje https://www.elewanacollection.com/elsa-s-kopje-meru/at-a-glance which was to be our home for the next three nights. On the way to Elsa’s we took in the wildlife with some fabulous sightings of Elephants, Waterbuck and Giraffe, plus a variety of birds, the latter being a special interest of Philip’s, hence his nickname.

Elsa’s Kopje is one of those places that just takes your breath away. Situated part way up a large rock rising out of the surrounding bush, it is reached by a steep winding track before you are deposited at reception, in the shade of the surrounding trees. From ground level, Elsa’s is all but invivisble unless you know where and what to look for – close up the only visible sign was the roof of the main reception area! Here we met the resident managers, an absolutely delightful couple, Philip and his wife Charlie.

Kanjoo – named after a community close to Elsa’s
Our cottage
Looking out onto the decking
From the decking
The view across the park

After completing the check-in formalities, accompanied by warm towels and a cold fruit drink, we were taken to our accommodation – a small cottage, with a thatched roof. This was amazing!

Built onto the rock, following as far as possible the contours, it was on several levels with a decked area outside the bedroom, overlooking the park below, where we could relax in the sun and admire the views.

Lizards were frequent visitors, scurrying across the rocks, while some very large dragonflies filled the sky as the sun broke through and cleared the clouds away. Rock Hyrax scampered nimbly through the adjacent trees and then onto the railing surrounding our decking – one even climbed up onto the coffee table and sat there! Small orange butterflies flitted across the decking, momentarily pausing on the rocks. Inside the cottage, geckos could be seen clinging to the walls, keeping the accommodation free of any annoying insects in the process. A different experience, showering in the morning watched by the lizards and geckos clinging to the walls! There is nothing quite as thrilling as accommodation with immersive wildlife!

Rock Hyrax
Serene Sailer Butterfly (Neptis Serena)
Forest Leopard Butterfly
Kisumu Gecko
African Yellow Sulphur Butterfly
Female Agama Lizard
Striped Skink
Male Agama Lizard

At one o’clock everyone gathered in the lounge area for drinks. Lunch was a serve-yourself buffet which we ate sitting on the terrace looking out over the lawn. After lunch we returned to our cottage to relax until 4pm when we met up again with Philip for our game drive.

Meru National Park http://www.kws.go.ke/content/meru-national-park, sitting a long way north of Nairobi, is little-visited by tourists and is utterly unspoilt. During our stay it was unusual to meet another safari vehicle during our game drives, and if we did it was likely to be one from Elsa’s Kopje. During this, our first game drive in this slice of Eden, we spotted Grevy’s Zebra, Cape Buffalo, Impala, Dik-dik, Somali Ostrich and the Black-backed Jackal.

As the sun sank towards the western horizon, we parked up and got out of the vehicle for our sundowner Tuskers and “bitings” – the Kenyan version of what we would refer to as “nibbles”, so quite a literal translation! As it started to get dark, we drove back to Elsa’s Kopje narrowly avoiding Zebra and Buffalo in the road, almost invisible in the fast gathering gloom.

After a quick freshen up, dinner was served on the lawn, sitting out under the stars! The tables and chairs had been moved down from the terrace onto the lawn; oil lanterns sat on the top of the wall surrounding the swimming pool, while each individual table was lit by candlelight – what an absolutely wonderful way to end such a perfect day!

Continuing Southwards

9th September 2008 – Lake Naivasha

An early morning game drive before breakfast, in fact as the sun was rising! A report over the radio of a Leopard sighting took us to the airstrip, but it had disappeared into the trees. However, we did see Zebra, Giraffe, Buffalo and Jackal; as well as two White Rhino sparring with one another! The lake shore was teeming with Pelicans and Flamingos as usual.

Rhinos at Lake Nakuru

Rhinos at Lake Nakuru

We returned to the lodge for breakfast and then it was time to bid farewell to Lake Nakuru as we moved on to Lake Naivasha. En route to Naivasha we saw troops of Baboons and a herd of Zebra by the main road! As we headed towards Naivasha, the road ran parallel with the railway line linking Nakuru with Nairobi. Along this stretch we caught up with, and passed, a southbound freight train.

Class 93 locomotive

Southbound freight train

Our destination was the Lake Naivasha Country Club, which we reached just after mid-day. This turned out to be another charming colonial style building with a number of “chalets” in its beautiful grounds, 6,200 feet above sea level and 80 kilometres south of the Equator. Lake Naivasha Country Club dates back to the 1930s with its origins as a staging post for the Imperial Airways Flying Boat service between the U.K. and South Africa. As we sat eating lunch we could hear the rumble of thunder in the distance, and on asking a member of staff if it was going to rain, he replied, “Yes, soon!”

Following lunch we went for a stroll through the grounds, but as we left our room we saw a member of staff carrying a platter of fruit and some cutlery, who asked if we were from Room 24. When we confirmed that we were, she said, “This is for you!” This reduced Sandra to tears as this was clearly because I had said that the safari was for her 50th birthday when I had booked it!

After depositing the fruit in our room, we continued our stroll, spotting monkeys in the trees and some Impala wandering at the edge of the lawns, on the fringe of the trees. Sure enough, as predicted earlier, it started to rain, but we continued our walk towards the lake where we discovered a Camel tied up by the jetty! (Half an hour ride along the lake shore – 500 KSH per person!).

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Beautiful trailing blooms in the grounds of Lake Naivasha Country Club

On the lake shore we found an African Fish Eagle perched in a tree and saw Pied Kingfishers on the jetty. As the rain became heavier we made our way back to our room via the shop, to enjoy our fruit. We sat out on the verandah to eat, watching the rain fall until it stopped, at which point we discovered that two Maribou Storks had taken up post in a nearby tree.

10th September 2008

Straight after breakfast we set out on the drive to the Maasai Mara – an uneventful journey broken by the usual comfort stop at one of the roadside “curio” stores, where an old boy, wearing a very smart beadwork tie featuring the Kenyan flag, was selling newspapers. The toilet block, at the rear of the store, was adorned with some very well executed paintings of a male and female Maasai, to indicate the designation of the two “departments”!

Pitstop

Pitstop en route to the Mara

We arrived at Keekorok Lodge in the Maasai Mara at lunchtime – one of the few lodges we had encountered so far that was not fenced in. Our room was another delight – overlooking the open savannah of the Mara. From the verandah we could hear Hippos in the pool, just a short distance away. Two trees by our verandah provided ample opportunity to sample the local bird life! We were advised that because of the open nature of the grounds it was not unusual to find Hippos and other wildlife wander after dark – as we were to discover!

Following lunch we went on an exploration of the lodge and discovered a viewing platform overlooking the Hippo Pool, complete with a bar! After watching the Hippos for some time, we walked back to our room, in the rain, via an excellent souvenir shop!

Keekorok Hippos

Keekorok Hippos

The afternoon game drive produced elephants, lions, giraffes, zebra, wildebeest and buffalo, in great numbers.

At dinner that evening, somebody’s birthday and another couple’s engagement were celebrated, with the staff bringing in a cake and a bottle of champagne, accompanied by singing, flaming torches and the beating of tin trays! Sandra was slightly worried in case they were coming to our table to celebrate her 50th birthday!

2008 – Holiday of a Lifetime!

How it all started

For my 50th birthday I had driven one of the original steam locomotives on the Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway in Mid-Wales. So when, two years later we were approaching my wife’s 50th and I asked her what she wanted, the response I got was, “I want to be a zoo keeper for the day!” On researching this I found that while it cost about the same as my amazing day, it all seemed a bit tame mucking out the Meerkats, or feeding the Lemurs at our local zoo – we can do better than that I thought. A visit to the travel agent during my lunch break and I returned to my office armed with brochures. Over my sandwiches I marked some likely itineraries and that evening handed my wife the brochures with the words, “have a look through those to see where you want to go for your birthday”.

Thus was born our first Kenyan safari adventure!

Nairobi – 31st August 2008

After flying overnight by Kenya Airways from London Heathrow Airport, we landed in Nairobi at 7.20 in the morning (local time), were collected by our driver and driven to the Holiday Inn in Parklands Road, Westlands (this hotel has now become the Southern Sun Mayfair). At this point when thinking “Holiday Inn” forget the UK image of a budget hotel – this one was on a far grander scale. Beyond reception the grounds opened up, with two swimming pools and acres of lawn and mature tropical plants, creating an oasis in which the sound of traffic on Parklands Road was removed. After attending the welcome briefing and being shown to our room, we sat by one of the pools just drinking in the magical atmosphere and watching the numerous birds that inhabited the trees and bushes.

On the far side of the pool was one of the hotel’s restaurants backed by a stand of tall trees. In the tops of these trees some Black Kites watched and waited… …until one of them seized the opportunity, glided down from its perch, and silently swooped, grabbing the bread roll of an unsuspecting guest as it cast a fleeting shadow over his table, accompanied by the rush of its slipstream. It was over in a glimpse and he looked up from his morning newspaper and then looked around for his bread roll!

We had a number of excursions planned for this day, so mid-morning we were collected from the hotel and driven to the Daphne Sheldrick Wildlife Trust on the edge of the Nairobi National Park. The Trust was set up by the late Dr. Dame Daphne Sheldrick and was born from her family’s passion for Kenya and its wilderness. Today it is the most successful orphan-elephant rescue and rehabilitation programmes in the world, and one of the pioneering and conservation organisations for wildlife and habitat protection in East Africa.

At the trust we had the opportunity to meet some of the orphan-elephants, warthogs, and a rhino which had been born blind with a congenital degenerating condition and despite surgery to try to correct this, sadly he will never regain his sight.

From here we travelled to the Nairobi suburb of Karen, to visit the Giraffe Centre. This is home to a herd of Rothschild Giraffe, a sub-species of giraffe found only in the grasslands of East Africa. The centre is the only one in the world which enables the public to come into close contact with these beautiful creatures, the world’s tallest yet most endangered animal. We were amazed at how close we could get to the giraffes – a giraffe head height platform brings humans to eye-level with the giraffes, but more was to come! One of the staff offered us a bucket of food pellets and showed us how to place one of the pellets between our lips. The giraffe then approached and very gently removed the pellet from our mouths – imagine that happening in health & safety averse Britain! The giraffe’s breath smelt of Eucalyptus from the trees that they browse on. The giraffes were also just as happy to take pellets from the hand.

Feeding a Giraffe — Hand-feeding a Rothschild Giraffe

Since being founded in 1979, the African Fund for Endangered Wildlife (A.F.E.W.) Kenya has been able to introduce over 300 Rothschild Giraffes to various Kenyan national parks.

Our final call on this tour of some of Nairobi’s sights was the Karen Blixen Museum. Some 10 kilometres outside Nairobi city centre, at the foot of the Ngong Hills, the museum buildings were once the home of Danish author Karen, and her Swedish husband Baron Bror von Blixen Fincke. The museum takes the visitor back to another era in the history of Kenya, to colonial East Africa. The house gained international fame with the release of the film ‘Out of Africa’ based on Karen’s autobiography of the same name.

Karen Blixen House.jpg — Karen Blixen House

The house was built-in 1912 and was purchased by Karen and her husband in 1917, becoming the farm-house for their 4500 acre farm, of which 600 acres was used for growing coffee. Divorced in 1921, Karen remained living in the house until she returned to Denmark ten years later. In 1985 the house passed into the ownership of the National Museums of Kenya.

Following our guided tour of the house, which is furnished in the style of the period when Karen resided there, we returned to our hotel with a tour of Nairobi en-route. The day ended with the sound of frogs in the grounds of the hotel as we walked down to dinner.

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The Journey Begins

Between 2008 and 2018 my wife and I have been seduced by Kenya, its people, and its wildlife. It was love at first sight and the more we visit the deeper we fall under its spell.

Thanks for joining me!

Introduction

Kenya changes you forever. Once you have been there you will never be the same.

Kenya gets under your skin and into your blood. Once visited it is a country that many fall under the spell of, to return time and time again.

My wife and I first visited Kenya in 2008 for the “holiday of a lifetime” on safari to celebrate her 50th birthday. We instantly fell in love with the country, the wildlife, and the people. The country is diverse in the habitats that it provides for its wildlife, from the lush grasslands of the Masai Mara which feed the annual migration of thousands of animals; the drier and more arid lands of Samburu; to the more dense and less heavily browsed bush of Meru, sitting astride the Equator. The people are warm, friendly and welcoming. Drawn from 43 tribes, the Kenyan people are diverse, but common to all of them is a great sense of pride in being Kenyan.

Subsequent to that first visit we have returned to Kenya a further three times. What I hope to do through these words and images is to share with you some of the fantastic sights and experiences we have had on our travels. I will be taking you on a journey through Kenya, showing you the sights, and the wildlife, while sharing with you our experiences.

The Legal Bits

Apologies, but it is necessary to make sure that you are aware of a couple of points before we go any further:

Any opinions expressed here about camps, lodges or operators are mine and mine alone. They are based upon my experience at the time and changes, for better or worse, may have taken place since. Undertake your own research and then blame yourself or your travel agent if you are disappointed. You can do no better, in my view, than to visit Tripadvisor where you will find reviews of camps, lodges and hotels based upon the experiences of people who have stayed there before you, including some of my reviews.
All photographs used in this site are mine and I own the copyright. I do not like to put watermarks on photographs, as I feel this spoils the photograph. However, all my photographs have my copyright details embedded into the metadata so that if I think somebody has ripped off my images I can search this down and take appropriate action to protect my work.

Safari?

The history of the safari belongs to Kenya, even the word “safari” comes from Swahili, the language common to all Kenyans, and means “to travel”. Safaris first took place in the turn of the 19th century in colonial Kenya when the early hunting safaris were known as “foot safaris”, typically made up of a small group of wealthy European visitors, a professional hunter, and several hundred cooks, grooms, gun bearers and porters. The usual ratio was 80 porters to each European, and each porter would carry 80 pounds of luggage on his head!

Common to all safaris was the idea that at the end of a hard day’s travelling or shooting, folding chairs would be drawn up around a fire and drinks would be served as the sun went down. Thus was born the concept of “sundowners”, a tradition which is still carried on by some modern-day safari camp operators. It is also customary to serve with the drinks, snacks, refered to locally as “bitings”.

Today safaris are about shooting the wildlife with cameras and capturing their images, rather than shooting them with guns to capture their skins or heads as trophies, but they still rely on local knowledge and support through the drivers, spotters, guides and the staff of the camps and lodges, who are employed to ensure that you see the wildlife and get the best possible experience in the limited time you have available.

A typical safari day today, certainly one that is worth the money you are paying for it, will be out at sunrise, usually around 6 am, and will end at sunset. The best safaris are those that leave camp as the sun is rising, taking breakfast with you to eat out in the bush, returning to camp for lunch. Then setting out again in the mid-afternoon, stopping somewhere for sundowners as you watch the setting sun rapidly disappear over the horizon, returning to camp for dinner, as the last glimmers of daylight fade into total darkness. As Kenya straddles the Equator, sunset is always around 6 pm. Such a timetable, we have found, affords maximum time with the wildlife, observing their behaviour, and getting those photographs that otherwise you might only be able to dream of!

Our first two safaris were booked through Kuoni, who used Nairobi based Private Safaris to provide the transportation and drivers from location to location, and on game drives within each location visited. More latterly we have used Somak, who provide tailor-made safaris to your individual preference, using either road or air transfers between locations, where you choose the camps you stay at.

Experience has shown us that to derive the maximum enjoyment and benefit of seeing the wildlife, the optimum time to spend at each camp is two to three days. You can of course spend longer or shorter time at each one, depending upon your preference and budget, but it is important to remember that the wildlife cannot be delivered “to order”, if the timing or the conditions are not right then you will not necessarily see what you want. An example is the annual migration of the wildebeest and zebras between the Serengeti and the Masai Mara – this is totally reliant upon the availability of grazing. Once the millions of animals making that journey have depleted the grazing in the Serengeti, they make the hazardous crossing of the Mara River and into the Masai Mara, but while this generally happens between July and August, the timing is not exact and is totally dependent upon a number of elements, none of which can be controlled by human hand.

Karibu. Sit back, relax… …and enjoy Kenya with me as we meet its people, its wildlife, and make this safari together.

If you wish to contact me with any questions or comments then please use the contact form below. Requests to purchase copies of my photographs will be considered, but will obviously require discussion between us over your requirements, costs, etc. I will respond to all comments and questions as soon as possible.

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