In the midst of Kenya's wildlife, October 2025 (page 4 of 4)

Hi Alain, we just got back from 2 weeks in Kenya. It’s true that Samburu is a truly stunning park (we were at Buffalo Springs) and had very few tourists. We had the chance to observe a family of 3 leopards for 2 hours with a maximum of 4 vehicles around, which would be unthinkable anywhere else. Great job on that amazing travel journal, by the way! Jacques

It’s true that Samburu is a truly magnificent park (we were at Buffalo Springs) and has very few tourists. We had the chance to observe a family of 3 leopards for 2 hours with a maximum of 4 vehicles at the scene

Hello Jacques,

Sincere thanks for your message. So glad you enjoyed your stay in this stunning region. From what I gather, the family of 3 leopards you saw is the same one I featured in my trip report. I hope you’ll be able to share a trip report of your own as well.

Best regards,

Puma2A

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Hi Alain,

I’ve been reading your Kenya travel journal with great interest. First question: I understand there were 4 of you (just like there will be for us). Did you go through a Nairobi agency for this itinerary, or did you rent a vehicle with a driver? If possible, could you share the name and contact details? Second question: Did you book the lodges yourselves?

We’re used to traveling independently despite my 80 years. We just got back from a month in Oman—another beautiful destination.

Looking forward to hearing from you: leroyer-jacques@wanadoo.fr Best regards, Jacques

Hi Jacques,

Thanks for your message and your interest in this travel journal.

To answer your questions, I’m (we’re) just a nature enthusiast and lover of East Africa’s wildlife. We’ve (mostly) been to neighboring Tanzania more often, but this trip was still our 4th to Kenya.

The route we chose was the result of various personal and specific wishes. I used information (about accommodations and travel times) found in other travel journals on this forum. Once my itinerary was set and the accommodations chosen, I contacted an independent guide for a quote. Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned, so I urgently reached out to the agency we’d used for our previous Kenyan trip/safari in 2017. I provided them with the same plan, and within 5 days, I had my quote.

This agency is Franco-Kenyan. It’s a Kenyan-registered agency based in the country, with two owners/founders, one of whom is French and handles representation in France. It’s Melting Pot Safari, and you can easily find their website with all their contact details. For the flights, I handled the booking myself. Previously, we’d flown (to Tanzania) from Marseille via Ethiopian Airlines. This time, we departed from Nice via Qatar Airways (which was cheaper).

If you don’t have a specific plan yet and you reach out to M.P.S., they’ll help you design your route. If you’re interested, I can also share another travel journal from our 2017 trip, which is part of MPS’s "catalogue" and took us to Samburu, Lake Baringo, and the Maasai Mara, on a photography forum. http://www.image-nature.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=162&t=61119

If you’d like more specific details, feel free to DM me, but... I don’t know EVERYTHING about this country (or others, for that matter!).

Best regards,

Puma2A

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Hi Alain, I’ll admit that the low activity on the forum had discouraged me a bit, but this travel journal—and the previous ones—have reignited my motivation, and I should start a story in the next few days. Have a great day, Jacques

Hi Jacques,

Thanks for stopping by. Looking forward to your next travel story.

Puma2A

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Hello everyone,

Two forum members privately messaged me, surprised that my story didn’t include a “visit to a Maasai village”!!

I’m respecting the privacy of the PM, but I’ll take this opportunity to share my stance on the subject.

- First, I’ve mentioned before that we’re wild nature enthusiasts. That was once again the sole purpose of this trip. Fifteen days is both short and long. I deliberately limited the number of reserves we visited to four. For a while, I even considered adding Amboseli and swapping Meru for Buffalo Springs. Regarding Meru, an active member of this forum had told me it was essential to have a guide who knew the reserve well. Since I had no idea before arriving, I chose to skip Meru (for now). In hindsight, I don’t regret any of my choices.

- As for Maasai villages, about forty years ago, I visited some in Kenya and later in Tanzania. I noticed it was all staged—like a circus or organized theater. In Tanzania, for example, around Kilimanjaro, they’re “villages” by day, but the Maasai “actors” don’t stay there at night...!! That doesn’t interest me.

- But the main issue for me is that the Maasai—and other ethnic groups in the region—still practice female genital mutilation (FGM) on girls as young as 6 or 8. (In my view, this is a horrific mutilation and a form of sexual assault on minors, and I’ll spare you the gruesome details of how it’s carried out...) It’s one of the foundations of Maasai society!! No family wants their son to marry an uncut woman, and the family of an uncut woman would be shunned by their clan.

- I’m deeply opposed to these archaic practices. If I visited a Maasai village, I’d feel like I was endorsing this atrocity.

- Back in 2008, in Tanzania, we did a safari with friends who wanted to visit one of these fake Maasai villages. We respected their choice. When we arrived at the village, our friends were greeted by Maasai men in city clothes (?!). When we said we didn’t want to visit, we were blocked and practically held hostage in the vehicle by an angry group who wouldn’t let us stretch our legs. To them, we were dollar signs, and we were depriving them of a payday.

- Just to clarify, FGM is illegal under Tanzanian law, but the government does nothing to enforce it. For Kenya, I’m not sure if similar laws exist. However, UN health agencies are actively working to combat this practice.

I wanted to clarify my position on a topic rarely discussed in travel forums. This is *my* stance. I respect everyone’s right to think and react as they wish regarding visits to Maasai villages.

Best regards,

Happy travels in Kenya, Tanzania, or anywhere else.

Puma2A

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hello,

- To get back to the Maasai villages, about forty years ago, I visited some in Kenya and later in Tanzania. I noticed it was all a circus or organized theater. In Tanzania, for example, around Kilimanjaro, they’re "villages" by day, but the "Maasai-actors" don’t stay there at night... !! That doesn’t interest me.

- But the key point for me is that the Maasai, and other tribes in the region, still practice that abominable ritual genital mutilation on their young girls aged 6/8—Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)... !!! (Which, in my opinion, is a horrific mutilation and at the same time a sexual assault on a minor, and I’ll spare you the details of how appallingly it’s carried out... ) It’s one of the foundations of Maasai society!! No family wants to marry their son to a young woman who hasn’t been cut, and the family of an uncut girl will be rejected by their original clan.

Doesn’t it bother you that the Maasai are being expelled from their ancestral lands for the profits generated by tourism? https://pulitzercenter.org/fr/stories/les-massais-sacrifies-aux-parcs-touristiques

The Maasai being expelled from their ancestral lands for the profit generated by tourism—doesn’t that bother you? https://pulitzercenter.org/fr/stories/les-massais-sacrifies-aux-parcs-touristiques

It seems that—on your side—the practice of FGM by the Maasai (the point of my message) doesn’t faze you at all 🙁. It’s true that few men care about this atrocity!

Personally, I’m not interested in Ngorongoro: I’ve often advised people asking for info not to go to this reserve (personal opinion). As for the hunting concessions granted by the Tanzanian government in the northern Serengeti (I’m not a hunter), you should take it up with that government or suggest future tourists boycott the country... in the Tanzania section of the forum.

But here, we’re in the Kenya chapter....

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Since I’m not in favor of cultural homogenization, I think it’s completely inappropriate to interfere in the cultures of Indigenous peoples, who should manage their own cultural traditions... However, expelling them from their lands and forcing them into acculturation, swelling the slums, seems far more damaging to me... Whether in Kenya, Tanzania, or elsewhere. You’re the one who brought up the Maasai, not me...

For you, excision is a cultural tradition.... For me and for the United Nations, it's GENITAL MUTILATION.... an abominable act with multiple consequences for the woman who undergoes it.

We're all different!! Everyone has their own way of seeing the world!! ...

I consider it completely inappropriate to interfere in the affairs of indigenous peoples who should manage their own cultural traditions...

That's true, who are we to interfere! Female genital mutilation is a cultural tradition—best not to touch it—and the Taliban’s traditions in southern Afghanistan regarding women (funny how it’s always about women’s traditions ), it’s the same thing. It’s basically a cultural treasure (note the word "cultural") that must be preserved. Among other things... That said, it’s your opinion, as you pointed out, and even if some claim otherwise, we still live in a country where we can say what we think.

I’m sorry, but if you can’t read, you can’t understand either. As for Afghanistan (where I went in 1972), the idea was to "bring democracy" there (but what *is* democracy? France’s? The US’s? India’s? The kind for those with an index above 8?). The US tried to "bring" democracy—they failed, just like everywhere else. Makes sense: you can’t change mentalities by occupying a country. Regarding female genital mutilation, it’s also practiced in France, though likely on a smaller scale. In that case, French laws must apply, and justice must do its job.

I absolutely did not talk about democracy, and even less about changing mindsets by occupying a country 🤪. In France, there have been trials where families were convicted for FGM... but people still need to dare to press charges.

Well, go preach the good word to the Maasai—maybe they’ll listen to you ;)