From Ol Pejeta to Tsavo West (Kenya) (page 11 of 15)

Hi Bernard,

Okay, got it noted!

Once again, some gorgeous photos! I really love the ones of the zebras heading home—great composition and lighting! 🙂

Hi Anne-Marie,

I agree with you—I really like this image too. Maybe I’ll turn it into an aluminum-backed print.

Good evening everyone,

Okay, that’s enough! We were supposed to have slept, so the next morning at dawn—*pom… pom… pom*—we hit the trail again for one last drive in Amboseli.



Young ostriches—wow! I’ve seen them before, but never this many.



Suddenly, scanning the horizon, I spot three shapes moving… felines—young, stealthy male lions, calm and quiet. They’re heading to a watering hole in a low-lying stream.







Then they turn back the other way.



Under the contemplative gaze of visitors.



We leave the park boundaries to take the track leading us to Tsavo West. And there, we see our first Maasai giraffes.



Amboseli National Park was a pleasant surprise. Sure, it’s busy, but it’s easy to find solitude. Granted, it doesn’t have the unique character of parks like Samburu or Tsavo. At times, we felt like we were in a confined space, almost like one of Europe’s wildlife parks. That led to some repetition in our sightings, especially since during the day, the marshy areas and lake concentrate a lot of species, while they’re scarcer elsewhere. Some visitors might find that boring and only stay one night. But amateur naturalists like us wanted more. That "turnover" vibe was even felt at the lodge where we stayed. I would’ve given a lot to recapture the "Out of Africa" atmosphere of the camps in southern Tanzania.

We're continuing our journey.



The landscape dips and rises. We're crossing a volcanic area where traces are still visible:







Welcome to Tsavo West National Park https://kws.go.ke/tsavo-west, a park covering nearly 9,000 km²—far larger than Amboseli, Samburu, and Ol Pejeta. This landscape of contrasting earth, the black of lava and the ochre of laterite, scorched by the lava, softens (a little), revealing a savanna territory. Here, we spot this Maasai giraffe



before heading down to Mzima Springs.

Rest stop and site visit. Mzima Springs stands out in this landscape transformed by tectonics. It's a lush, well-guarded spot by the national army, which has stationed its men here. Actually, the visit is part of the package—no payment required, but a tip at the end for the soldier/ranger who accompanies you is customary. You’ll learn, among other things, that this water, coming from the mountains and likely the Kilimanjaro massif, is channeled all the way to Mombasa, which explains the site’s protection.

Right from the start, a fearless visitor welcomes us: a harnessed bushbuck, Tragelaphus scriptus.

We follow a well-marked trail that leads us to these residents:



Nile monitor, Varanus niloticus



A larger one



Hunting croc (for fish), Nile crocodile, Crocodylus niloticus. At first, we mistook it for a rock!



Before the hippo pool.





And this vervet monkey



On the riverbank, there’s a partially submerged observatory where you can watch fish swimming (the ones the croc eats).

We’re arriving in the vast valley that’ll be our playground for the next few days:





Then our lodge clinging to its hill, Rhino Valley Lodge—Sylvie 56 will recognize it:



Its welcoming paths:



And its agamas:



Male agama, Agama agama, and female (?) above.



Which also enjoys a stunning view of the savanna:

We’ll see animals we’ve already seen many times:

Dik-Dik



Buffalo



Masai Giraffes





Savanna Elephants



...plus some younger ones

But here are some more unusual ones! 🙂🙂

Klipspringer, Oreotragus oreotragus



Not just one, but two together!



Hunter's hartebeest, Damaliscus hunteri





And in large numbers!

Hi Eric, Mzima Springs is definitely worth a quick visit. You always learn new things from the rangers who accompany you. Yes, I recognize Rhino Valley Lodge—last August, the watering hole visible from the lodge was unfortunately dried up... What was its condition when you passed by? Thanks for the photos; they bring back great memories. I love the landscape in this area (even more than Amboseli). I hope you had other amazing wildlife encounters in Tsavo West. We’ve spotted wild dogs on our last two visits (once in the rhino sanctuary and once at a watering hole near the lodge...). I can’t wait to see what’s next...

Hi Sylvie,

Yes, I recognize Rhino Valley Lodge. Last August, the waterhole visible from the lodge was unfortunately dried up... What was its condition when you passed by?

Actually, there are two waterholes on each side of the property. One was dry, but the other had a little water—enough for a few buffaloes or elephants to cool off.

Thanks for the pictures; they bring back great memories. I love the landscape in this area (even more than Amboseli).

Oh yes, the landscapes are wonderful, even if we would’ve liked them to be a bit greener. But the advantage is that we can see the animals better—otherwise, the vegetation would form an impassable barrier.

I hope you had other great wildlife encounters in Tsavo West. We came across wild dogs during our last two visits (once in the rhino sanctuary and once at a waterhole near the lodge...).

Yes and no! No African wild dogs, unfortunately, and with our guide, that’s not surprising🙁. But let’s stay optimistic—we *did* see wild dogs up close in Botswana (twice) and in Selous, Tanzania.

I can’t wait to see what’s next.....

Coming soon🙂

What, wild dogs don’t interest him? He’s worse than a deadweight!

He’s gonna have to learn what customer satisfaction is 🏴‍☠️

Unpublished... the sequel:

Little Kudu, Lesser Kudu, Tragelaphus Imberbis







I loved seeing this young antelope running above and the adult below.

Unforgettable... the sequel:

Greater Kudu, Tragelaphus Strepsiceros

I loved seeing this young antelope running above and the adult below. I still think the Kudu in Tsavo are smaller than their Namibian cousins, which reach a truly impressive size.

I think this is actually a Lesser Kudu = Lesser Kudu You can recognize them by the white stripe they have around their neck.

Good evening Régis,

What, wild dogs don’t interest him? He’s worse than a burden!

They’ll have to learn what customer satisfaction is 🏴‍☠️

What to say about John, the "pater familias" and despot: he didn’t discuss routes or the goals he imposed on us most of the time, but the schedule was followed. He missed his family, making him unavailable to his clients, not in great shape (stomach bug), slept poorly, not cheerful, not communicative—sure, he had experience and skills, but that’s not enough. To be a good guide, you need so much more. As for the language barrier... saying he was supposed to speak understandable French. He made an effort, but it was far from sufficient. So the linguistic obstacle was way too big for us to improve things. In short, our guide was at the end of his rope. And we just had to manage these little daily issues that add up and eventually weigh on you. It was only toward the end of our trip that our guide started to relax, probably because Mombasa was near🙂! It was about time it ended. On the other hand, he did his job—but nothing more, and maybe without conviction. The only time he was really available was behind the wheel of the 4x4, when he tried to answer our questions about the landscapes we were driving through outside the parks, towns, villages, ethnic groups, etc....

Re- Darn! Sylvie, you're right. That’s why the ones in Namibia seem so huge to me. Fixing it right away. Still, it was a first for me 😉!

Small kudus, sure, but graceful. Lovely photos!

Yes, great photos because they’re often very skittish and not easy to spot.

Okay, here’s something for our birding friends. From VF:

Grey-winged Fiscal, Eastern Chanting Goshawk, Mélierax poliopterus



Rüppell's Vulture, Gyps rueppelli



Same



Rüppell's Vulture + African White-backed Vulture



Woolly-necked Stork, Ciconia episcopus





Martial Eagle, Polemaetus bellicosus



Tawny Eagle (adult), Aquila rapax



Grey-headed Kingfisher, Halcyon leucocephala



Von der Decken's Hornbill (male), Tockus deckeni

Really beautiful photos, I especially love the African Goshawk 😎