Love at First Sight in Kenya (page 3 of 5)

... The giraffes presented just before the kori bustard look a lot like Rothschild’s giraffes (unless I’m mistaken). A very endangered and rare species!! ??

...

Alain Yeah, I thought so too, but I didn’t realize they were endangered. I just looked it up—there are fewer than 1,500 individuals left in the world, with about 600 in Kenya. Jacques

- January 22nd Today is Charlotte’s birthday. We’ve got a long drive ahead to Naivasha (we were pretty bummed when we found out last night during apéritif), since it takes over 5 hours on a badly potholed road for the first stretch to reach our destination, Sawela Lodge—a huge complex set in a wooded park. It’s also a conference center, and the lunch restaurant is a bit of a factory, packed with local groups, especially a lot of civil servants, according to Alfred. The morning drive left us a bit dazed, and we would’ve loved some downtime (we could’ve used it the day before too), but the afternoon schedule is packed, so we meet up around 3 PM for a cruise on Lake Naivasha.

The lake is teeming with birds, and we get to spot several different species: herons, cormorants, kingfishers.

The highlight is feeding the fish eagles—we try to snap photos of them mid-flight with their prey. It’s no easy feat with a bulky zoom lens, but we eventually manage a few decent shots.





Next, we head to Crescent Island, the filming location for part of *Out of Africa*, where we can walk freely among wild animals.

The animals are really not shy at all, and we’re walking on foot right among zebras, giraffes, gazelles, and gnus (these are the first ones we’ve seen on the trip). At the end of the island, we find a large group of pelicans—always so photogenic.



It’s time to head back and take the boat again. On the way back, we end up helping two fishermen who are fishing partly submerged near dead trees. Surrounded by hippos, they can’t make it back to dry land. It’s an extremely dangerous activity (but unfortunately necessary), and accidents are very common due to the hippos’ aggressiveness and the fact that most of these young men don’t know how to swim. Just a few days before we arrived, several fishermen died in the area. Once we’re back on dry land and in the car, we come across a hippo that’s also decided to come out of the water... At dinner, unlike lunch, we’re practically alone. All the tables are marked as reserved, but in reality, they’re all empty, and it feels really strange to be almost the only tourists in the hotel. In theory, there was supposed to be a "surprise" for Charlotte’s birthday, but by the end of the meal, nothing happens, and we head back to the room a little disappointed.

- January 23 This day promises to be quite the workout since we’re planning to climb Mount Longonot, which peaks at over 2,700m. We meet up with Alfred at 7:30 AM, and it takes about 45 minutes to reach the park entrance. Not a great surprise: plastic water bottles are banned, so we have to buy a large water bottle since we didn’t bring the reusable ones we’ve been using since the start of the trip. The beginning of the hike is pretty easy for just over a kilometer. The real challenge starts after that—first with some pretty high steps that aren’t easy for the little ones, then the slope gets steeper and steeper, especially since the altitude is making our hearts work harder. Still, the trail is wide enough, and we don’t run into any major issues reaching the edge of the volcano, which tops out at just over 2,500m.



Alfred suggests going all the way to the summit, which means even more hiking. We agree and start following the edge of the volcano.

At first, it looks close, but it’s actually endless, and the last steep section gets the better of Anny, who decides to turn back while we keep going—her energy is starting to fade. We finally reach the summit at 2,780m, thrilled to have made it even if it’s not exactly a huge achievement.

On the way back, Alfred starts showing signs of struggle—his feet are really hurting, probably because his shoes aren’t up for the job. We meet up with Anny at the 2,500m mark and immediately start descending toward our starting point. Alfred’s condition doesn’t improve, and he’s in more and more pain, to the point where he can’t keep up with Anny and me (Juliette and Charlotte had already gone ahead). Our legs are starting to feel like lead, and we don’t wait for him (not very nice of us!), our only thought being to sit down and drink some water. After just over 4 hours, we finally make it back, wrapping up this amazing hike that was a great break in an otherwise not-so-active trip. We head back to our hotel and spend the rest of the day by the pool, having given up on going to Hell’s Gate, where we’d maybe thought about renting bikes. Like at dinner the night before, we’re the only ones enjoying the pool.

It's true that having a bit of walking between two safaris is really nice (at least for those who like walking!) We settled for Hell's Gate Park—way less intense 😏 Poor Alfred! Hope his feet got better quickly.

Muriel What did you think of Hell’s Gate? As for Alfred, don’t worry—he bounced back quickly. Jacques

- January 24th We leave Sawela Lodge around 8 AM, heading towards Maasai land and more specifically Maji Moto Eco Camp. While the rest of the country had relatively clean roadsides and villages, here it looks more like an open-air dump. According to Alfred, it’s just how things are (no pun intended) in Maasai land, where people aren’t really aware of environmental preservation. The difference is striking compared to the other regions we’ve passed through so far—and it’ll be even worse in the villages near the Maasai Mara. After about 3.5 hours on the road, we arrive at Maji Moto Eco Camp, where we’re greeted by Maasai people in traditional attire. The welcome is super warm, and we immediately feel at home. Right away, we learn two words in Maasai: *Supa* (Hello) and *Ashe Olee* (Thank you). Over the next few days, we’ll swap out the *Jambo* and *Asante Sana* from the start of our trip for these words. The tents are small but cozy, and the camp is perched on a hill overlooking the valley. The view is stunning. Lunch (like the meals to come) is excellent. In the early afternoon, Ben takes us under his wing for a walk around the area. Alfred, who changed his shoes, joins us too. Ben explains Maasai customs and traditions, touching on topics like relationships within couples and families, traditional plant-based medicine, how they hunt... He’s really fascinating, and his English is easy to understand. We visit a small village (actually just a few huts)



and step inside one of the huts—it’s cramped and shows just how tough living conditions are. We continue our walk through the breathtaking landscapes around us

and end up at the bottom of the hill, near the main village, where there are hot springs where women and children come to collect water.

The kids aren’t too keen on having their photos taken but crack up when we show them the pictures afterward.

In the late afternoon, back at camp, we attended a hunting training demonstration,

followed by traditional dances and songs—really impressive.











Even though it’s a tourist camp, none of this feels overdone—it’s all very natural. Nothing like other experiences, like with the Nimbas in Namibia, where we didn’t feel at ease. Just before dinner, as night fell, the Maasai from the camp lit a fire the traditional way, without matches. Not easy, since a few raindrops (the first of the trip) started falling. One of the Maasai told stories, and it continued with another performance of dances and songs.

Another amazing day comes to an end.

What did you think of Hell’s Gate?

To be honest, I was a bit disappointed. I should say the weather wasn’t great and the animals were pretty far away. That said, it was still nice to stretch our legs a bit, and the landscapes are beautiful. Plus, our guide was really friendly and taught us loads about the park, Kenya, and his job. A little (not much 😉) more detail here

Thanks Muriel

Clever, now you’ve got me wanting to go to Kenya. 🤪

- January 25th This morning, Alfred met us up just a little after 10 AM, which gave us some time after our early breakfast. Ben invites us to join him in the courtyard to introduce us to archery. We each take turns shooting a few arrows, with varying degrees of success. Time flies, and it's soon time to head to our next stop. This short stay delighted us, and we hope the next three days in the Maasai Mara will be just as fulfilling. It takes about 2 hours to reach this new stop, and we arrive at Camp Oloshaiki, located by the Talek River, late in the morning. The welcome is very warm, especially from Meissy, who will be taking care of us for the next 3 days. Here, they also speak Maasai. The tents are really spacious, and the setting is idyllic. We're surprised to be alone but figure the other guests are probably out on safari and will return in the afternoon. In fact, we'll realize in the evening that we're the only guests, and only one other couple will be there on the last night. It's true that it's not peak season, but we didn't imagine there would be so few tourists, as Kenya used to have a reputation for touristy safaris, which clearly isn't the case anymore. During the meal on the terrace, someone comes to see us to organize tomorrow's hot-air balloon ride. The meet-up is set for 4:45 AM. After a good lunch and a little rest near our tents, we head out in the early afternoon for our first safari in the Maasai Mara. Pretty quickly, Alfred tells us that a cheetah has been spotted nearby. He doesn’t rush to the area but takes the time to stop and show us the reserve’s rich wildlife. We come across an elephant with "five legs" (according to Alfred).

After a while, and as we’ve seen several vehicles heading in that direction, we arrive at the spot where the cheetah is. We don’t take long to spot it since it’s wandering across the plain, surrounded by several 4x4s.





Off-roading is forbidden, and Alfred makes sure to bend this rule as little as possible, while other guides couldn’t care less—sometimes getting too close to the animal, even though the tourists on board have huge zooms that let them photograph from a distance. We’re lucky to photograph the cheetah for several minutes, and it’s truly magnificent.

While chatting with some of his colleagues, Alfred learns that a leopard was spotted this morning not too far away, and we set off in search of it. Barely 30 minutes after leaving the cheetah, we spot two stationary vehicles. As we get closer, we quickly make out the famous leopard.

It’s also on the move and out in the open.

What luck we have—especially since, for the moment, we’re among the very few observing it. Unfortunately, it doesn’t last long, and soon many vehicles arrive in the area, turning the scene into total chaos with no respect for traffic rules or the animal. Suddenly, we see the leopard get agitated, and almost simultaneously, we spot another animal—quickly identified as a serval—running and jumping, frightened by the leopard’s presence, which had accelerated toward it. Unfortunately, Alfred, trying to get as close as possible to the scene while the vehicle was moving, couldn’t capture any photos of the serval, which eventually disappeared into the vegetation for good. The leopard itself, spooked by a buffalo appearing out of nowhere, vanishes into thick bushes. I completely missed this moment, and it drives me crazy. Alfred isn’t to blame, but I can’t help sighing—scenes like this are so rare. With the number of vehicles chasing the leopard turning into total chaos, Alfred doesn’t condone this behavior and suggests we move on, which is the most reasonable thing to do for the animal’s well-being. The sightings don’t stop there, as we observe giraffes in excellent conditions,



a solitary elephant,

We also spotted gazelles, cranes,

and finally, several hyenas that start to become active in the late afternoons,



some with their young.



The sunset is truly magnificent and we’re absolutely thrilled with this first afternoon in the Maasai Mara. Alfred returns to camp via the other side of the Talek River, which saves us a long trip back to camp. All we have left to do is cross the camp’s footbridge and head back to our tents.

The young hyenas are so cute! 😍

-26 January Waking up was tough this morning after a shorter night than usual. A vehicle picked us up as planned at 4:45 AM, and after collecting another couple from a different camp, we headed to the hot-air balloon departure site. A few raindrops on arrival had us fearing the worst, but it turned out to be a false alarm. Despite slightly overcast weather at the start, the flight took place in excellent conditions. The captain gave us instructions to ensure a smooth flight, and we boarded. The balloon had 4 baskets, each holding 4 people. Surprise: we boarded our baskets in a lying-down position, which required a bit of gymnastics to climb in. We took off just before sunrise in that position, and it wasn’t until the balloon left the ground that we stood upright. Several other balloons lifted off at the same time as ours,

creating a magnificent spectacle as the sun rose. The view from above was stunning, and we truly felt at one with nature—all you could hear was the burner.

Depending on what we spotted, the captain sometimes brought the balloon very close to the ground. We saw different animals: a large group of hyenas near a watering hole, lions, several herds of elephants, and, the highlight of the show, just as we were nearing landing, an otocyon bolting away, startled by our arrival. Like the serval, it was our first time seeing one. We spotted it again a few minutes later from the vehicle taking us to breakfast. The landing was smooth after nearly an hour in the air. This flight is truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The schedule was tight, and we were taken to the breakfast spot. Numerous tables and food stalls were set up, and we were offered a glass of sparkling wine upon arrival—hard to refuse in that setting! Breakfast was excellent, and at the end, we were given a certificate for this "feat." Alfred, as usual, was super organized and met up with us as we finished breakfast. The morning safari that followed wasn’t the most wildlife-rich, but we still saw different species: topi, giraffes, buffalo...

We’re arriving at the banks of the Mara River, where every year at the end of summer, the famous wildebeest and zebra crossing takes place—unforgettable scenes, sometimes unbearable, that you might’ve seen in TV documentaries. We spot herons, crocodiles and especially lots of hippos basking in the sun, either on the riverbank or partly submerged.





We’re near the Tanzanian border, and we stop in front of the sign marking the boundary for a souvenir photo—and, well, a quick "technical" break. On the way back, we get to see a few animals: zebras, elands, elephants

and to finish things off, two lions resting under a bush—no chance they’ll move anytime soon given the heat.

We arrive in Oloshaiki for lunch and once again, we park on the other side of the footbridge. After a good midday meal and a bit of rest, we head back out on a game drive, hoping for some interesting sightings—especially big cats. After a few interesting but not exceptional animals, we finally come across the scene that will make our afternoon. Several vehicles are stopped, which suggests something exciting. Indeed, we quickly spot several lions scattered over several dozen meters, some moving,

others lying in the grass.



We don’t know where to look first!

Cameras are clicking nonstop. For nearly an hour and a half, we stay to watch them in exceptional conditions.

One moment, we think they’re eyeing a nearby herd of buffalo,



before realizing that three of them have set their sights on two warthogs nearby. The lions line up for battle, and you can almost feel an attack coming—but then, for no clear reason, they abandon their prey. Despite that, we had an incredible moment,

with a rare closeness to the big cats,

some of which passed just centimeters from us.





We wrapped up the afternoon peacefully, without any other extraordinary encounters. A few days before our trip to Kenya, I’d been chatting on social media with one of the Camp Oloshaiki team members, Kemboi. After checking my messages, I realize it’s actually Meissy, and I mention it to him during the aperitif—he confirms it.