Kenya 2008

We booked this trip in late December 2007, literally 3 days before the results of the Kenyan elections came through, and the resulting horrendous riots that followed.  These events into the start of 2008 had a profound influence on Kenyan tourism, and the industry was still feeling the effect when we arrived.

We flew into Nairobi, where we stayed overnight before joining our fellow travelers, a couple from New Zealand.  From Nairobi we headed north across the equator to the Samburu National Reserve.  On the way we stopped at a restaurant where we had some great views of Black and White Colobus Monkeys in the trees around the dining area.

The word "colobus" comes from Greek kolobós ("docked"), and is so named because in this monkey, the thumb is a stump.  Colobuses live in territorial groups of about nine individuals, based upon a single male with a number of females and their offspring. Newborn colobuses are completely white. Members of the troop other than the infant's biological mother are known to care for young.

They are prey for many forest predators, and are threatened by hunting for the bushmeat trade, logging, and habitat destruction.

 

As well as the monkeys there was a Cinnamon-chested Bee-Eater present 

The reserve is located on the banks of the Ewaso Ng'iro river in Kenya. The park is 165 km² in size and is situated 350 kilometres from Nairobi. It ranges in altitude from 800 to 1230m above sea level.

It was an extremely dry landscape, and that combined with the complete lack of other visitors made it feel very strange, as we made our way to the Game Lodge we came across some of the wildlife.

There were small groups of Grevy's Zebra, this is one of three African Zebras and the the most endangered.

Compared with the other Zebra species, it is tall, has large ears, and the stripes are much narrower.

We crossed the Ewaso Ng'iro river with the sun beginning to set, and after checking in we watched the swifts feeding low over the swimming pool, other than the river the most significant patch of water around.

We slept with the noises of the reserve all around us, and Geckos above our heads.  In the morning we were up before sunrise and heading out into the reserve.  Samburu is famous for its Elephants, and is home to the Elephant Watch Camp, run by Douglas Saba-Hamilton, and for the dry fauna species such as the Grey's Zebras, Oryx and Reticulated Giraffes, a sub species found in this region.  We cam across a group feeding amongst the Acacia trees

The Reticulated Giraffe has a coat that is covered with large Polygonal spots, outlined by bright white lines.  Due to its endangered status it is one of the commonest giraffes found in zoos.

The elephants stand out in this open dry landscape, here a lone bull.

And family groups headed by the matriarch

We were very lucky to find a Cheetah, from the red marks on the mouth it would seem it had recently killed.

When it walked away it was easy to see how they can be difficult to pick out in the dry grass.

Another open, long grass specialist was the Secretary Bird, striding through the grass.

With the temperature rising we made our way back to the lodge.

After breakfast we had a cultural experience with the local Maasai people, and then mid afternoon we were back out into the bush, where this time we found Buffalo

Extremely protective of the young.

And then more Elephants

A feature of the trees were the many Weaver bird nests hanging from the branches.

Another specialty of Samburu is the Gerenuk.  It is a notably tall, slender antelope that resembles gazelles. It is characterised by its long, slender neck and limbs, the flat, wedge-like head and the large, round eyes.

It uses the long neck and legs to reach the tops of bushes not accessible to other antelopes and gazelles, giving it another name of Giraffe Gazelle.

Another long necked animal, or rather bird was the Ostrich.  We came across this male sitting on a nest, and it allowed us to get close in for the portrait.

The were many groups of Vervet monkeys seen, the males with the characteristic "blue balls".

On a distressing note we found this female Baboon, with her dead baby, she kept pushing it as if to try and wake it up which was very sad to watch.

With the sun setting we returned once more to the lodge.  In the morning we were heading back south over the equator and up to the slopes of Mount Kenya.  As we waited to leave in the morning hunfreds of Quela were to be seen around the lodge, water from a hose and tap being the attraction in this very dry and arid landscape.  There was also an African Red-billed Hornbill in the bushes.

Once out of Samburu we travelled through farmland, and then as we climbed the foothills the landscape changed once again to densely forested areas, and lush vegetation.

Mount Kenya is the highest mountain in Kenya, and the second highest after Kilimanjaro in Africa.  The highest peaks are just over 17,000 feet, but we stayed in the Serena Mountain lodge that was at just 7,200 feet.  All the rooms in the lodge overlook a water hole where the game come to drink.

We spent the afternoon on a jungle walk, and then returned to the hotel.  Just before dusck a pair of Water Buck visited the water.  Always ensuring that one was on look out as the other drank

After dinner we retired to our room to watch the flood lit water hole.  Through out the night a watch is kept, and you can be woken to watch anything of interest.  We were luck as early in the evening a herd of Elephant arrived with young, they were quite nervous and their low bass tone grumblings could be heard, and every so often they would encircle the two youngsters for protection as they reacted to noises from the surrounding bush.

In the morning there was a herd of Buffalo that came out of the bush to the water hole.

Walking around the hole.

And eventually getting wet.

Mount Kenya was a complete contrast to Samburu, wet and damp, and at times cold, they even ensured we had water bottles in the bed at night.

We left Mount Kenya and headed south and west towards the African Rift Valley.  The valley extends of thousands of kilometres, running from Ethiopia to Mozambique, and was formed by the splitting of two tectonic plates, the Somalian, and the Nubian.

In Kenya, the valley is deepest to the north of Nairobi. As the lakes in the Eastern Rift have no outlet to the sea and tend to be shallow, they have a high mineral content as the evaporation of water leaves the salts behind. For example, Lake Magadi has high concentrations of soda (sodium carbonate) and Lake Elmenteita, Lake Bogoria, and Lake Nakuru are all strongly alkaline.  

Here you can see the wide expanse of the valley as we started our descent.

 

Our destination was Lake Nakuru National Park, which was created in 1961 around Lake Nakuru, near Nakuru Town. It is best known for its thousands, sometimes millions of flamingos nesting along the shores. The surface of the shallow lake is often hardly recognizable due to the continually shifting mass of pink. The number of flamingos on the lake varies with water and food conditions, and in 2013 the water levels in the lake rose considerably and the flamingos departed for other lakes in the area.  Another water bird present in large numbers were the Great White Pelicans

We settled into our lodge, and watched the flocks of pelicans streaming past above us.

Our game drive was from mid afternoon, and from the lodge we entered the park, big white cumulus clouds puffed up over the distant lake, yet another different landscape encountered here in Kenya.

The grass land here was also very different from that of Samburu, gone was the long dead yellow grasses, and in their place heavily grazed lush green grass.  Warthogs could be seen.

The Zebra sub species here is Grant's Zebra, the smallest of the six sub species.

 And lots of the delightful Thomson's Gazelles, here a male.

Crowned Cranes could be seen striding across the plains in pairs.

Both the Lesser and Greater Flamingos were present on the lake when we visited, the birds feeding on the algae that thrives in the warm alkaline water feeding on the birds droppings.  The Lesser Flamingo has a deeper red pink plumage, while the Greater has a black tip to the bill.

We were able to walk down to the water's edge of the lake, and get close to both the flocks of the Pelicans and the Flamingos.

  Here Lesser Flamingoes

A little too close and they take flight.

Away from the water we came across a grazing White Rhino, accompanied by a group of squabbling Yellow-billed Storks.

And Cattle Egrets.

Departing with dignity.

As the afternoon headed towards sunset, the puffy white clouds turned to more menacing dark grey clouds.  A troop of baboons were feeding on the grass, one taking a liking to the petals.

While a sentry sat it out it out in a dead tree, a thin pink line of the flamingos and the darkening clouds behind him.

Then came the rain, drawing the drive to an early end.  Tomorrow morning we were off once again this time to our final destination, the Maasai Mara.

We awoke to clear skies.

But the rain from yesterday evening left  mist hanging in the valley around and overlooking the lake.

 Our route took us through the national park once again and gave us the opportunity to see some more of the park's wildlife.  We were hoping to find Black Rhino, but as is the way with that shy and secretive species, they never showed.  The park is known for the population here, but for us it was not to be.  We did though catch up with a lone Spotted Hyena, that raced away down the hill from us, and met up with three more.

Waterbuck are common here and we came across a large male out in the sunshine.

As we climbed the side of the valley, looking back down across the lake a pink edge could be seen on the water where the thousands of Flamingos were in the water.

  
Our next stop would be the Maasai Mara.

The Maasai Mara National Reserve covers some 583 square miles in south-western Kenya. It is the northern-most section of the Mara-Serengeti ecosystem, which covers some 9,700 square miles in Tanzania and Kenya.  The landscape of the reserve is primarily open grassland with seasonal riverlets. In the south-east region are clumps of the distinctive acacia tree. Wildebeest, Topi, Zebra, and Thomson's Gazelle migrate into and occupy the Mara reserve, from the Serengeti plains to the south and Loita Plains in the pastoral ranches to the north-east, from July to October or later.  We had arrived in the middle of the migration time.

We arrived at out Lodge in the early afternoon just as another rain storm passed through, fortunately this one did not last too long and we were able to set off for an afternoon drive.  This was the end of our tour, and hopefully going to be the climax of trip.  The famous Maasai Mara reserve, home to Big Cat Diary and endless wildlife documentaries over the years, as we headed into the reserve it was with a sense of hope and excitement.

The first thing that strikes you is the openness of the landscape, endless views of grass going on for miles, with low flat topped Acacia trees dotted about.  Today this view would not be of a surprise to us, but then this was all new.  As the track took us past the Acacia we could see vultures sitting on the top, probably having rested there when the rains came.

These are White-backed Vultures, getting much rarer today, as poachers use poisons to kill game for the ivory, and the vultures feed on the carcasses.

This one a lappet-faced Vulture.

 And here a Ruppel's Vulture.

As we moved further into the park we started to encounter the herds of Wildebeest that are synonymous with the Maasai Mara.

There are two species of Wildebeest, the Black and the Blue.  here in the Mara it is the Blue Wildebeest that makes up the huge herds.

So far on the trip we had not seen a lion.  We had missed them in Samburu, the best place we could have found them, but here on the Mara we struck lucky.  There was a male and female, on their "honeymoon".  When a female is receptive the pride lion and her will disappear for a few days, and they undertake frequent mating.  For some reason this couple had decided the best place was by one of the tracks that wind its way through the reserve.

They were both totally unconcerned with the van as we stopped alongside them.

At this point they were doing what all good lions do, sleep, then the lioness yawned.

  And the male took this as a sign...no embarrassment here.

And that was that...

Leaving the lions as they returned to their dozing we continued on, pausing to allow a herd of Elephants to cross our path.

  
Topi, a large antelope, could be seen on the horizon, captured with an acacia tree.

While the Great Migration is seen to be about the Wildebeest, it also features considerable numbers of Plains Zebra too.  They gather in herds, and their donkey like calls ring out across the plains as some engage in fights.

 

Looking out across the grasslands Wildebeest and Zebra for as far as the eye can see.

Another inhabitant of the grassland, and Kenya's national bird is the Lilac-breasted Roller.  they would perch by the side of the track, always from a prominent position to allow them to look for disturbed insects in the grass.

The sun was starting to set when we came across a three young lionesses

A little further on we came across a couple of young Maasai boys and a herd of cows.  They were taking the cattle to a pen to guard them for the night.  It is part of their rite of passage from a boy to a man.  Rather them than I in this park.  Despite the brightness here in the picture it was pretty gloomy now.

As the sun sank in the sky it sent shards of light across the open grassland.

And as the sun settled in the west the sky turned shades of red and purple turning the now familiar shape of the acacia trees into a dark silhouette.

And so we headed back to the lodge with skies turning even more dramatic.

  
The following morning we were booked to take a balloon ride across the park.  We were up well before dawn, and set off from the lodge in darkness.   Our route took us through the park, and at one point we came across a grazing Hippopotamus, not something you want to encounter in the dark.

When we arrived at the launch site the balloons were being blown up, and the silent darkness was punctuated with the brightness of the burner flame, and the roar of the gas burner.

Not being one who handles heights very well, I must admit to being a little concerned about the flight, but as we took off into the dawn light any fear disappeared, and it felt just like travelling in a plane if a little colder.

Two Balloons took of with us, and we headed out across the grass plains together.

Looking up from the basket.

While in the east the sun was rising above the horizon

Our balloon seemed to be able to gain height better than the other, but it does show the beauty of ballooning.

At first the plains were quiet, we could pick out, what looked liked corrals on the grasslands below.  Slowly the corrals unwound and Wildebeest started to spread out from them, and move across the plains.

Zooming in it was possible to see that they were all Wildebeest with no Zebra present

In places the Wildebeest were crossing rivers, but there was no danger here from predators

Being a balloon we could only go where the wind would take us, the pilot was skilled at taking us along the river ways where there was the possibility of a a Leopard sighting but it was not to be.  As we approached the end of our flight we could see the famous Mara river.

And also breakfast being prepared

The landing was an experience, holding on tight as the basket hit the ground and rolled over.  While we waited for Breakfast to be ready we were told we could walk to the edge of the river.

Looking down into the water there was a group of Hippopotamus, I was happy to see them there than the encounter we had early in the morning.

Tables were laid and we were served a full English Breakfast along with glasses of Champagne in the bush.  As we ate noticed that we were not alone, a pair of Rothschild's Giraffes coming close to see what were doing

The Giraffes stayed close around us, their height and stature matching that of surrounding grasslands.

After Breakfast we were taken back in a truck to the lodge, stopping at any chance to see the wildlife.  This group of Wildebeest.

And a bull Elephant

A Spotted Hyena, outside its den.

Maribou Storks and Lappet-faced Vultures feeding on a carcass.

And a Black-backed Jackal.

Our afternoon drive was to be our last drive of the trip, and this was delayed by a rain storm that passed through.  As a result the amount of wild life present was very much reduced.  We were left with the large herds of Wildebeest and Zebra across the plains

Large black lines of game stretching out across the horizon.

From the Maasai Mara we headed back to Nairobi where we were catching a flight to Mombasa.  Here we spent a week in a resort on the Indian Ocean coast.  In hindsight I think we would have preferred to have continued on safari, this was probably the point at which we turned away from the "beach holiday" for something more active.  Still the view along the beach from our resort was quite spectacular.