Kenyan Safari Story

7 Days, 6 Nights, 5 National Parks

My safari started when my driver/guide Ken picked me up in Nairobi at 07:00.

Irene from security was seeing me off!

Choice of seats!

Express toll highway in Nairobi is fast but expensive for locals.

We headed south towards Tsavo East National Park. I would have been closer from Mombasa, but I didn’t put all the plans together until later.

‘Safari’ is a Swahili word that means ‘journey’ or ‘expedition’ to observe or hunt animals in their natural habitat.

Obviously I’m only shooting photos.

But over the 1500 km we covered in a week, I also really enjoyed the journey through the countryside.

We passed by roadside stands where you could buy anything from fruit to motorcycle repairs.

There was also agricultural land and cattle. Lots of cattle. It’s a Maasai thing.

The bridge over the River Tsavo made famous by the ‘Man-Eaters of Tsavo’. Two large male lions terrorized railway workers during the construction of the railway in 1898. They would drag the bodies off during the night so some thought it was an evil ghost. Up to 135 workers were killed before they were hunted down.

This was a custom safari, and I wanted to include the Tsavo parks because of the red soil! Even the elephants look red because they are coated in dust.

The Kenyan company I worked with was recommended by a German woman I had met in South Korea. Talk about an international intersection!

Impala are one of the many types of antelope.

Egret.

Helmeted guinea fowl

Lion ignoring the tourists.

The guides shared information about sightings in person or on a very staticky radio.

The Dik-dik are the smallest antelope, only 30-40 cm. They mate for life, and if one dies, the other may become suicidal and surrender to a predator due to loneliness.

My first safari camp. It’s 4 star tenting!

The floor and bathroom are solid but the walls and roof are canvas under a wooden shelter.

Not that I was there much. The next morning we were off at 6:30 after breakfast. Because we were at the equator, days are twelve hours and we could only travel between sunrise and sunset.

It’s a common routine to arrive at the next camp for lunch around 1-2 and then go out again from 4 to 6:30. Meals were all included.

We crossed over to Tsavo West National Park.

Blue Wildebeest/Gnu.

Impala

Ostrich.

Long-necked animal.

Bird nests

And another safari camp. This one was interesting because it wasn’t fenced and we were in the park. After dark there was a call bell to have a security escort.

View of a water hole from my veranda.

The reception area and dining room areas.

A visitor for breakfast.

The area has been affected by volcanic activity in the last 200-500 years.

Mzima Springs is where water ‘springs’ up after travelling through the porous volcanic rock from Chyulu Hilks. The amount is significant enough to run by pipeline to supply Mombasa.

An armed Park Ranger was our guide due to hippos and crocodiles. Hippos are usually out feeding at night and back in the water for the day, so tours didn’t start too early!

There was also an underwater observation hut.

And always baboons.

The Shetani Lava Flow area is 8 km long, and you could see the hardened lava, solid and broken up.

Then we entered Amboseli National Park, and more souvenir sales. I have enough key chains for everyone in Canada, but it was hard to say no.

Amboseli means ‘salty dusty place’ which describes its combination of wetlands and dry salt pan lakebeds.

Dust tornados were common.

Gazelle

Elephants loved the lush vegetation.

And birds and hippos loved the water.

A cheetah at the end of the afternoon, and then a fast trip back to camp before sunset.

Warthogs at the camp.

The Maasai are cattle herders.

And guards at all the camps.

Early morning view of Mount Kilimanjaro.

Lake Naivasha is a freshwater lake which has a huge cormorant population, fish and hippos.

The water level is rising rapidly from climate changes as there are two rivers flowing in and no outflow.

The perimeter of the lake is lined with dead trees.

Sam bought a tilapia from the fishermen to do an eagle feeding.

White-headed eagle

Waterbuck off of Crescent Island Sanctuary. It’s private and you can do a walking safari because there are no predators. It was made famous during the filming of ‘Out of Africa’.

Lake Nakuru National Park is within the sight of the town.

Another bird lovers paradise!

The level of this lake is rising too, and roads that were accessible a year or two ago are now under water.

Flamingos

Saddle-billed stork

Grey-crowned crane

Martial Eagle

Buffalo

Eland

A late afternoon cheetah

And a fast trip back to camp before sunset.

The roof pops to allow better viewing.

Then we were off again through agricultural land with some larger operations and greenhouses.

Carrots are a big crop here.

I think this was corn drying. Ground corn porridge called ‘ugali’ is a staple at all meals.

Lunch, bathroom and the largest souvenir shop. And a parking lot full of safari vehicles.

More souvenir sellers at the gate to Masai Mara. More keychains.

The great Savannah. Like Saskatchewan prairie. With elephants.

We had two nights here so took a packed lunch and stayed out all day.

Watching them drink. They used their trunk to suck water and then deliver it to their mouth.

A lion undisturbed by the parade of vehicles.

The Mara River where the Great Migration happens. Around August over million wildebeest, zebra and other herbivores trek from the Serengeti (basically same park but in southern Tanzania) to Masai Mara for greener pastures. Then back around October.

It would be fascinating but the park is jam packed and you have to park and wait. Sometimes for days.

The river is full of hippos and crocodiles.

Another cheetah. Long distance photo and then he strolls by.

Picnic under the tree.

Kenya – Tanzania border

Deciding whether to risk the crossing.

No.

Black-backed jackal

Nature is beautiful but also so so cruel.

A lion had just killed the baby giraffe but the mother had rushed back and was keeping the lion at bay. At least until dark. Adult giraffes have a deadly kick.

It was heartbreaking.