Since starting work, it's become a bit of a family tradition to go on holiday over my parents' birthdays, which are in May and November. Originally, the plan for May was to go to Seattle, however on Mother's Day we found out that my mum had actually changed the destination to Kenya, a place I have wanted to visit for years. Needless to say, I was very excited.
Kenya is a country in East Africa with a population of about 53 million. The main language is Swahili and the predominant religion is Christianity (about 80% of Kenyans are Christian). The weather is temperate year round, with two main seasons (rainy season and dry season) and the country produces a lot of tea, coffee, and fruit (all of which was delicious). Interestingly, plastic bags are banned in the country and most of the bottled water comes in glass bottles, which I was pleasantly surprised to learn, as often in countries where I can't drink the tap water, I end up buying a lot of plastic water bottles - generating more waste than I would in London.
I'd been on a safari in Botswana in 2019, which despite the early mornings, I loved. That said, there were a few animals that I hadn't spotted on that trip, including hyenas, lions, cheetahs, and leopards (technically I had seen a lion but it was in the distance with binoculars so I didn't count it). Therefore, these were the animals I was most eager to see in Kenya. Our trip lasted 10 days, starting and ending in Nairobi, with visits to three national parks (Amboseli, Nakuru, and Masai Mara) for our safaris.
Amboseli
Our first destination was Amboseli, and to get there we hopped on a tiny 14-seater plane from Nairobi, which took approximately 35 minutes. We were told to sit where we wanted and then as we approached Amboseli we had a clear view of Mount Kilimanjaro above the clouds straight ahead. On landing, we spotted a hyena by the air strip, and our tour guide was there to collect us.
Our guide told us straight away that Amboseli was known for two things: elephants and Kilimanjaro. It was cloudy during our three days in Amboseli so Kilimanjaro could only be seen at times, but we saw elephants in abundance (which I loved as African elephants are one of my favourite animals). As we neared our hotel, we were told that this region had suffered drought for the past two years and so many animals had died, meaning that there were many carcasses around, however this rainy season had brought a lot of water, which was good. Our guide stopped for every animal, giving us information on what it eats, its predators, and any other fun facts about the animal (for example, that animals with sloped backs can walk very long distances, and that you can tell the gender of an elephant by the shape of its head). This was much appreciated as we learnt a lot very early on, and despite Amboseli's small size, we saw a wide array of animals; from the airport to our lodge alone we spotted baboons, lions, buffaloes, flamingos, impalas, ostriches, waterbucks, monkeys, a fight between two male gazelles, and a hippo bathing.
After settling in, we went on two game drives, and one of the main differences I noticed between here and Botswana was that in Kenya the elephants all had both tusks. We learnt that poaching is taken very seriously in Kenya, with poachers spending up to 40 years in prison if they are caught. We spotted a large family of elephants (including a pregnant elephant), as well as three lion cubs (only 2 months old), alongside two lions and two lionesses, kori bustards, and the Ugandan national bird: the Grey Crowned Crane, which were one of my favourite birds and always stay in pairs. I was surprised to see both white and pink flamingos, and shocked to see them fly en masse across the lake.
On our last night in Amboseli, we had a BBQ bush dinner, which consisted of a 7-course meal, followed by a traditional Maasai dance (Adumu). Maasai people span southern Kenya and Tanzania, often living in small villages, rearing cattle. They speak Maa and are known for their vibrant clothing and stretched earlobes. It was at this dinner that I first met a Maasai person, who told us that many Maasai people don't like the lodges and consider the people working in them to not have real jobs, as Maasai people consider rearing cattle, then walking for weeks over the border to Tanzania to sell their cows at a market, a proper job. He also taught us that the bush animals, including lions, aren't a threat to them as they don't attack unless they feel threatened. I loved the dinner and learnt a lot, although I also got absolutely obliterated by mosquitos here.
In Amboseli, we had two drives a day (each lasting about 3 hours), and the guide provided a pair of (very good) binoculars for us, which didn't happen on any of the other safaris we did but made a huge difference (granted, in Maasai Mara, we definitely didn't need binoculars).
Nakuru
The plan was initially to fly between each national park, however we decided that it'd be fun to drive between Amboseli and Nakuru instead as it was only about 7 hours and allowed us to see a lot more of the country. Our driver, Daniel, collected us and we first headed back to Nairobi before making our way to Nakuru. The motorways were full of lorries, with many markets and shops on the side of the road, and we saw giraffes, cows, goats and dogs and we passed some Maasai villages on the way. We were shocked by how green the country is (especially compared to what we see on TV), and learnt that 95% of the veg in Kenya is home-grown! The landscapes varied between mountainous and flat plains, however we stopped for lunch with a view over the Rift Valley, which was beautiful. We'd picked up lunch from Fairview Hotel in Nairobi and it was one of the nicest packed lunches I've ever had (with a salad, sandwich, brownie, juice, banana, apple and samosas with sweet chilli sauce). I noted that nothing came in plastic, which I loved.
We eventually made it to Nakuru, which is famed for its abundance of flamingos, only to learn that the flamingo population has declined significantly over the past few years and we probably saw more flamingos in Amboseli than Nakuru! Nonetheless, we spotted olive baboons, black-and-white colobus monkeys (which were stunning), jackals, white rhinos, black rhinos (which are very rare but we managed to spot a couple of times), waterbucks, buffalos, gazelles, impalas and flamingos.
We were only in Nakuru for two nights, so on the second day we decided to do a long game drive (from 8am to 4pm) with a picnic lunch. In the morning, we spotted some Rothschild giraffes (there are also Maasai giraffes and reticulated giraffes, neither of which we spotted in Nakuru), before getting stuck in a big ditch by the leopard territory. Daniel had aimed to drive across some seemingly shallow water, however it was deeper than anticipated and after several (failed) attempts by my brother, father, and Daniel to free us, after some time another car passed by and pulled us out of the mud. This provided endless entertainment, and eventually we were back at it, spotting superb starlings and lilac-breasted rollers (I'm not a bird person at all but both of these were gorgeous and worth a Google), as well as a zebra with fresh, deep wounds on each side caused by a lion. Daniel taught us a lot about the different plants, including fruits that only rhinos and giraffes could eat, leaves used by Maasai people to file their nails, and medicinal plants used to treat skin conditions. We also spotted lots of baby warthogs, as well as six lions.
Eventually, we settled in for lunch by a waterfall, which the hotel had prepared earlier and consisted of fruit, salad, rice and chicken with veg (and was delicious). It was here that Daniel stopped the car to pick up some rubbish left by other visitors, which I thought was very sweet. Daniel was extremely knowledgable and passionate about both the wildlife and the country, making him an ideal guide.
As we headed to an airstrip for our final destination, the kids en route kept smiling and waving as we passed, which was adorable, and we almost witness a head-on collision about 5 metres away as a car tried to overtake a lorry, which kept us on our toes. Nonetheless, we made it to the airstrip (read: dirt track) safe and sound and bid farewell to Daniel.
Maasai Mara
One thing to know about Maasai Mara is that everyone we spoke to hyped it up, saying that we'd see the big cats up close and personal without a doubt. It was a huge talking point and the focus of our itinerary, with one local stating that 'people come from all over the world just wanting to see Maasai Mara'. In all honesty, I'd never ever heard of the place until this trip, although it borders Serengeti in Tanzania, which together fight for the title of 'the best place to spot the Big Five' - the Big Five being the lion, leopard, black rhino, elephant and buffalo - and is where the famed 'Great Migration' occurs every year.
After arriving in the tiny Cessna, we were met by our Maasai guide, who informed us immediately that although the government prohibits driving off-road in the national parks, that is exactly what we'd be doing when they weren't around as 'the animals aren't by the roads'. This was a stark contrast to our previous guide's philosophy, who followed the rules to a fault. It was an hour drive from the airstrip to our lodge, consisting of very poor roads and the worst potholes I've ever seen; by the time we arrived I was physically shaking and dizzy, which had never happened to me before. I was nervous that we'd have to complete that drive every time we went on a game drive, however luckily the national park was right by our lodge.
Maasai Mara was the largest of the national parks we visited, so we spent 4 days there, and we learnt that 'Maa' is the language spoken, 'Sai' are the people, and 'Mara' is the land. The day we arrived, we went on an afternoon drive through the savannah, where we spotted topi (also known as 'blue jeans'), mongooses, ostriches, impalas and elephants. On this drive, I pointed out a lone male elephant nearby, and to my surprise our guide, Dee, immediately bolted towards the elephant, leaving us a mere couple of metres away. I asked Dee whether elephants ever charge at vehicles, to which he replied 'sometimes the males do', which was reassuring to hear. In fact, an elephant had charged at our vehicle in Botswana a few years earlier, but we'd managed to escape unharmed. We then spotted a lion and lioness together, followed by a pride of lionesses with several 2-month old cubs, which was the cutest thing I've spotted to date. As we pulled up a couple of metres from the lions, my mum panicked and swapped seats but they were completely unfazed, though making eye contract with any of the big cats always made me feel uneasy.
A short while later, as we drove through the savannah Dee mentioned that he could see cheetahs and as the four of us searched frantically in the distance, he pointed them out less than 3 metres away, camouflaged in the bush. I have absolutely no idea how he spotted the animals, as on previous safaris any sighting of a big cat would lead to a build-up of jeeps as soon as they were spotted, but Dee rarely notified others of his findings and simply provided us with a great view of them. I had never seen cheetahs nearby and was surprised by how small they were. As the cheetahs stood and stared at us, I asked Dee whether they'd eaten. He replied that they hadn't. As we headed back to the lodge at sunset, the sun was on one side and the moon on the other, with lightning every 10 seconds in the distance, which was spectacular to see.
The next morning, we set off early (6am) with a breakfast picnic in tow. As various hot air balloons rose in the distance, we spotted several jeeps lined up: a sure sign that there was something worth seeing. We approached to find a pride of lions feasting on a recently deceased buffalo, including several 8-month old cubs. I was fascinated by the scene, until at one point the leader of the pride (the male) wondered off with several lionesses following (and even the cubs). Suddenly, a fight erupted between the male and another male lion in the distance, and the cubs came running back at the sound of the roars. The intruder lost and the victorious leader returned to the food (albeit with a bloody mouth, presumably torn in the fight). Even though Dee hadn't been the one to spot the pride, he made sure to give us the best view, even going around the pride so we could see everything clearly whilst the other jeeps maintained their distance. This was both enthralling and nerve-racking but it's insane how quickly we got used to being so close to the lions without worrying.
We headed off on our own way, where once again Dee shocked us with his ability to spot the big cats, finding a lion couple stretched out in the savannah. I was happily filming the lions with the hot air balloons in the background, when suddenly the male mounted the female and they went about their business. We really were getting the full experience with Dee. We then spotted the two cheetahs from earlier as they searched for some breakfast (to little avail), followed by some baby giraffes, before enjoying our English breakfast and fruit in the bush. It was here that we learnt that Dee used to kill male lions as a warrior in order to prove that he could, however obviously this wasn't the case anymore.
After chilling for a bit at the lodge, we went on an afternoon drive, where Dee spotted the two cheetahs again, this time with (very) full bellies, and eventually the other jeeps piled up as they saw his spotting. After helping a jeep out of a ditch, we saw a pride of 7 lions tactfully approaching a herd of buffalos. On one end, two hyenas had nipped a baby buffalo, leaving him injured, whilst the mother tried to defend him (successfully, despite the hyenas' endless pursuit). After the buffalos escaped, we realised that the pride weren't going to catch their prize within the next hour, so we headed elsewhere. Dee heard someone on the radio, then sped faster than he'd done before, including across a river. I assumed someone must have seen a leopard as we zoomed through the wetlands, however after about 5-10 minutes, we approached a people's carrier, which was sounding the horn non-stop. A man got out of the car and it transpired that his car was completely stuck in the mud, and only 5 metres away were two lions and two hyenas. After several failed attempts, we finally managed to free them and then headed back to our lodge as the sun set. Lightning surrounded us though there were blue skies directly above, which was surreal to witness.
By our final full day in Maasai Mara, there was just one animal that I was yet to see: a leopard. We'd been told that Dee had found one a few days before we arrived but that it had disappeared the day we arrived, and that leopards were extremely hard to spot unless they were in the trees, so I was not hopeful at all, but we'd had such an amazing trip that I wasn't too fussed. As we headed out for our final morning drive, I noticed that, contrary to his usual behaviour, Dee was actually sticking to the tracks. This made sense when the government pulled us over - I have no clue what words were exchanged between the officers and Dee, but Dee kept smiling and the officers had a lot to say. Regardless, as soon as they turned the corner, Dee headed straight for a lone lion in the bushes.
We were making our own way around the national park, when Dee stopped, turned off the engine, took out his binoculars and told us 'I think I see a leopard'. Lo and behold, this incredible man had not only spotted a leopard on the ground, but we managed to witness it in all its glory as it ambled along, elegant as ever. It was by far my favourite cat to have seen, its coat was truly gorgeous and we were told that whilst cheetahs have speed and lions have power in numbers, leopards rely on their ingenuity and cunningness. We got some phenomenal shots of the leopard, and for the first time Dee spread the news about his incredible spot via the radio. He requested our pictures and was so pleased with his finding that he showed everyone from the chef in the hotel to other tour guides the pictures. Over 8 hours later, we went on another drive and saw several jeeps still searching for the same hidden leopard in the bushes, which really emphasised to me how talented Dee is to have been able to spot the leopard in the first place. Dee's ability to spot big cats in a seemingly empty landscape never failed to amaze me - he couldn't answer specifics on animal populations or exports but he clearly knew the terrain like the back of his hand - we would have absolutely no idea where the animals were until Dee pointed them out mere metres away.
On our last couple of nights, we dined outside and were even given a bottle of wine courtesy of the hotel. As sad as I was to leave Maasai Mara, I was excited to not have to drown myself in insect repellent and to be able to walk to dinner without having to inconvenience others (we had to be escorted between our rooms and the restaurant as there could be hyenas, leopards, elephants or crocodiles in the resort at night).
Nairobi
After our final flight in a tiny plane, we arrived in Nairobi. We were greeted by a guide, who had in hand a charger that my dad had left in Nakuru, which was extremely hospitable and kind of everyone involved. We spent just two days in the capital and all I knew before visiting was that there was a lot of poverty and slums there (as it was a case study for Geography GCSE). Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised.
First, we visited a wildlife orphanage (the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Orphanage), which raised orphan elephants and a rhino as they wouldn't have survived in the wild (either they were found in traps, abandoned, or suffering from drought). The elephants were absolutely adorable and we were given each of their names, ages, and explanations about how they became orphans. We learnt that they take about 5 years to go back into the wild, as a family has to take in the orphan and the orphan has to want to go (i.e. they will not want to come back to the orphanage after spending time with their new-found family and thus they are ready to return to the wild). There were 28 elephants in total and they came out in two batches, drinking baby formula out of huge bottles and allowing us to pet them as they ate.
We then passed a few very secure, gated communities with huge houses, before arriving at the Giraffe Centre, which is associated with the famed Giraffe Manor (a hotel costing £2,000 per night according to our tour guide). Here, we were given a shell of pellets for the giraffes and we stood on a raised walkway as the giraffes stuck out their tongues for us to place the food to eat. It was adorable (though slimy) and I'd definitely recommend going if you get the chance. We then met our trip coordinator, Bovin, for lunch at the Matbronze Wildlife Art Café, which served delicious food and offered very cool art, my favourite being a chess set with safari animals as the different pieces.
Our penultimate stop was the Bomas of Kenya, where we saw various performances by different Kenyan tribes which I absolutely loved (the fact that my brother was chosen to get onstage was a highlight). Last, but not least, we visited the Karen Blixen Museum. Truth be told, I hadn't ever heard of Karen Blixen, but she was a Danish author who settled in Kenya and wrote several books on the topic, including 'Out of Africa', which was later made into a film. Unlike many other settlers, she respected the local people and customs, providing a school and jobs for locals, and so was esteemed. I wasn't expecting to enjoy this museum to be honest, but was pleasantly surprised and out of Africa is now on my To-Read list.
Final thoughts
Although Kenya had been on my Bucket List for years and I knew I'd enjoy it, I was also surprised in many ways. The country was much greener than I'd anticipated and the views were absolutely stunning, with mountains, lakes, and greenery at every turn. I loved how close we got to see the animals, the fact that they were neither sedated nor enclosed (which I've heard occurs at other National Parks), and that all of the elephants had both tusks! We learnt that the Portuguese had been the first to 'discover' Kenya, however they left whereas the English came and colonised the country. Everyone went above and beyond (especially in Nakuru) and the hospitality was absolutely incredible, with the hotel staff leaving hot water bottles for us at night, allowing us to choose our meal times, and the manager introducing himself to us. Granted, it was low season so most of the lodges were fairly empty, meaning that everyone was more attentive than they may be otherwise. We visited in May, which is rainy season, meaning that there was more mud and more mosquitoes, but also fewer jeeps, shorter queues, and higher chances of seeing the Big Five as they were less camouflaged in the green savannah. Furthermore, the itinerary was all tailor-made for us and we never had to worry about anything as someone would always be there to collect us and tell us what the plan was.
Two of the hotels we visited (Nakuru and Maasai Mara) had Wi-Fi only in the reception and restaurant, meaning that I had a proper break from screens and could fully appreciate my surroundings (bar some work drama in Maasai Mara which required my input). I loved how different each safari experience was, and even how different they all were compared to our safari experience in Botswana; in Kenya we always had our own private vehicle with one driver throughout and they'd each do their own thing mostly, whereas in Botswana the driver constantly changed, we'd join other tourists in the jeeps, and the drivers would all communicate on the walkie talkies when they spotted any of the more elusive animals. I will never forget the incredible landscapes, animals, and people that we met - Kenya completely surpassed my (already high) expectations.
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