Kenya safari trip report September 2009

We traveled in Kenya from September 2 to September 17, 2009. Our tour was booked thru Good Earth Tours but we traveled with Safariline, both companies we would recommend. Good Earth has an office in Florida and answered emails and many questions promptly. Safariline with Mathew as our guide was wonderful. We chose to do an all driving private safari to save a little money but also to have the opportunity to see the country and meet the people of Kenya outside of the parks. It was an eye opening experience and one we will never forget. Only one drive from Naivasha to Ambrosila was overly long. Once the road construction between Nairobi and Ambrosili is done, the drive will be better.
Our itinerary:
one night Nairobi Serena
two nights Sweetwaters Tented Camp (three game drives plus a night game drive)
two nights Samburu Intrepids (three game drives)
one night Serena Mountain Lodge Mount Kenya (nature walk)
one night Lake Nakuru Lodge (one game drive)
three nights Mara Serena Lodge (five game drives)
one night Crater Lake Camp Lake Naivasha (an afternoon rain wiped out a boat ride)
two nights Ambrosili Sopa ( three game drives)
two nights Kilaguni Lodge Tsavo West (four game drives)
Most of our lodging had lighted watering holes or night viewing areas.
The only change in lodging might be at Lake Naivasha. Crater Lake Camp is down 100 steps and then back up 100 steps, not for everyone. Next time I would like to stay right on Lake Naivasha instead of the smaller Crater Lake. We loved all of our other lodging.
We went on at least one and usually two game drives most days and saw the Big Five and the Samburu Five along with cheetah, warthogs, elands, topi, gazelles, bushbuck, wildebeest, waterbuck, giraffe hardebeast, genet cat, hyena, jackel etc. etc. We also become fascinated with the many birds like the White Bellied Go Away Bird. (love that name.) We watched a cheetah stalk and kill a young gazelle and watched a pride of lions devour a wildebeest. We visited the Chimp Sanctuary and the blind black rhino at Sweetwaters. After a lot of thought, we chose not to do the balloon ride over the Mara. The game drives were so much fun that we didn't want to give up a four hour drive for a one hour balloon ride plus we saved the expense. After talking to those that did it, some loved it and others said it was to crowded and not worth the cost. So we don't regret our decision.
In Samburu, the river was completely dry but the rangers had dug watering holes for the animals and there still was food available. But the devastation of the drought was very apparent in Ambrosili and Tsavo West. There was some water to drink but very little to eat. We saw the death of many animals due to the conditions. That was very hard to see. Our guide had never seen it so dry. And it still hadn't rained four weeks after we had left. Very sad.
We hope to return to Kenya one day. We would love to see the parks as green and lush as they should be after the rains. I would encourage anyone considering a trip to Kenya to go ahead and do it. It is well worth the expense and the trip of a lifetime. Nancy