The tour this year was a small group consisting of Sharon and I, Christine and an 82 year old woman from Livermore (who was very energetic and a great tour companion).
Christine has designed the itinerary so that we had the same excellent safari guide for much of the trip including the two most important game parks of Samburu and Masai Mara. We traveled in the safari vehicle pictured below. In this van we could open the windows for photography as well as stand up to shoot through the pop-up roof.
The Animals: anyone who loves animals should visit East Africa (Kenya and/or Tanzania). The vast quantity of wildlife, including animals and birds, coupled with remarkable scenery and interesting cultural experiences makes for a great trip. But the animals are the key draw.
Everyone hopes to see the "Big 5" animals. These are the animals that were considered to be the most difficult to hunt during the old "trophy hunting" days. These are the lion, elephant, cape buffalo, rhino and leopard. A well designed itinerary gives you a good chance to see all five, but the leopard is super elusive and not seen by all visitors. Fortunately we had an outstanding safari guide who managed to find all of the Big 5 in the same day, a remarkable feat.
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| Lion in Masai Mara |
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| Leopard in Lake Nakuru N.P. |
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| Cape Buffalo in Lake Nakuru N.P. |
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| Rhino in Lake Nakuru N.P. |
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| Elephants in Samburu |
Wildebeest Migration: Each year over a million wildebeest and several hundred thousand zebra travel in an 1,800-mile circuit through the Serengetti and Masai Mara. They follow the seasonal rains in search of food and water. The most dramatic portion of this journey involves the crossing of the Mara River in the Masai Mara National Reserve. We were fortunate to see two separate river crossings in one afternoon.
A large group of wildebeest, perhaps hundreds, assembles on the far shore while a few brave ones venture into the river water. Several more tentatively enter the river, then the group seems to follow a herd instinct and dozens more join the crossing. The river crossing is very perilous; most make the crossing successfully but some fail. Falling down in the rapids can lead to drowning and crocodiles patrol the river banks in search of food. Be sure to click on the video link below.
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| The Wildebeest Migration river crossing begins |
Accommodations: Christine has designed the itinerary to include a combination of hotels, safari lodges and tented camps. One very unique setting is the "tree house" Starbed platform found in the Laikipia Conservancy. Half of the platform is covered and contains a netted bed mounted on wheels. If the weather is favorable, the bed is wheeled out under the stars. If it begins to rain, an attendant rushes to the platform to push the bed back under the covered roof.
Overall, all of the accommodations were very comfortable. The food was generally similar in quality to a Princess cruise ship buffet but some of the venues provided excellent sit-down dinner service.
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| Starbed Platform, Laikipia Conservancy |
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| Samburu Intrepids Tented Camp |
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| Room at Sumburu Intrepids |
