It's so difficult to go back to normal - best trip ever!!
 

Hi everybody,

back from a fantastic, marvellous, wonderful, amazing trip to Kenya, I can't believe that this holiday really ended, still dreaming of the loins roaring and the hyenas singing in the nights...

I will try to write my report as soon as possible.

Just a few words: we had very few tourists, even in the Mara (Mara Interprids-Side). For Samburu it was hard to see that there were so few tourists that camps and people are suffering.

The Mara was an absolute highlight: we had crossings during four of seven days, and two of them were just amazing. We were so lucky to have the crossing from both sides, two from Serena side coming towards us and one from Musiara side going to the other side. One day later, most of the wildebeest came back again...

We had so many things to see that I am glad we didn't see wild dogs to have an alibi to come back next year ;-)

Full report and pics will follow (my husband made more than 4800 pics in two weeks, so it will take some time to sort them out).

Thanks again for all your help!
steff

Welcome back, Steff. I'm glad to hear you had a good time--and of course sad to hear that tourism is still down in Kenya.

Looking forward to reading your report and seeing your pics!

Steff, karibu nyumbani! Sorry that you’re back. Now you have to return as soon as possible. I’m looking forward to reading all about the roaring loins in your report.

It’s worrying that tourism is low. When people have been writing about it earlier I’ve thought it normal for the season, but now it’s supposed to be high season.

Welcome back! Looking forward to your trip report and pics. Must have been a very exciting trip if you're still dreaming of loins roaring :D (Sorry I couldn't resist).

Welcome home! Wildies back and forth across the Mara... told you they're confused!

Get a few good sleeps and whenever you're ready with report, we'll wait with baited breath. Hey, I still haven't written mine, nor posted pics... bad girl, I am!

welcome back!
i am lokking forward to reading your report or thoughts on the mara in particular!

hope you get back to normal soon ;-)

div

Thanks everybody.
Hopefully the lions will roar for a little time, it's always the sane for me: the first days I feel like a stranger at home and I am so sad that holiday is over. But after a few days, nearly everything is like it was before, except the pics and the dreams... I trying hard not to fall in the same stress as always to quickly...

Sandi: lets see who will be first with report and pic;-) pics will take a bit more time, I will have to sort out, do it again and again so I could show you the best my husband made. I already sorted out my favorite: daughter (or granddaughter) of Keke near Mara Serena on the top of our neighbours car looking at him while he tried to take a picture from out of drivers window... Obviously, the kids of Keke learned how to do it. They demolished the car of our friends by taking all gum out of everywhere which was really funny to watch.

Sorry for your return - may the return to normal be delayed a long time. 4800 pics is quite impressive so his holiday feeling has a while to run yet.

My wife says thanks for the Kike's kids location update, but wonders where mother is....

Kimburu, the mother, Kike itself, died I think 2 to 3 years ago.

Will you be in the area of Serena? The "Jumper" and her cubs are nearby and since about two month they do not really move far away. At least thats what the guides told us and we found her very easily.

We'll be at the Serena for 3 nights, so at least one person in Thailand is sleeping with a smile tonight.

Lucky you!! Greetings to the Jumper and to the wildebeest, I can tell you that there are some left and that the crocs are so ful that they turn around when the big heards are coming towards them;-))

Have a wonderful trip!!!

Welcome home and don't hurry getting back to normal. In fact normal may never be quite the same.

Jambo Steff!

Boy...do I know what you mean!! We just got back from Kenya on the 1st. And, same as you...A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!! Just didn't want it to end!

I'm working on our trip report while my husband is going through the 6000+ photos. Definitely a task at hand but also an opportunity to relive the experience.

We were in the Mara from the 25th to the 30th. Maybe we crossed paths? Just saw one HUGE "double" crossing on Musiara side on the 26th. Were you there? It was magic!!

Really looking forward to your report and pics so we can compare notes. And just so you know...we'll never be "normal" again...

Jambo somuch2c!!

yes, we've been there! We stayed in the Mara from 21th until 28th, first 3 nights at Musiara side, where we missed the first crossing for half an hour (can you imagine, ich was sooooooo angry) the 23th, which was in addition our fifth wedding anniversary and the day we had no luck at all;-)) and the went for one night only to Serena side (for the night game drive) on 24th, which was best we could have done, because there were two huge crossings the 25th coming towards Serena side so we had fantastic view and a lot of crocs the first crossing. And, I know it's a bit too much luck, we saw the crossing the 26th again, which was going on the whole day forth and back, but honestly, after one hour, I could'nt stay any longer because we were on a sight where the poor guys killed each other in walking and stambling over each other so we had about 20 wilderbeest killed in 10 minutes and the dead bodies (I think there were more than 50) drifted in a corner of the river or maybe crocs had been collecting them for days to come, who knows. Baby wilderbeest crying and calling the mother who just drowned... Nature can be very cruel...

Where did you stay and which company you took?

It's really funny to talk to somebody who just had the same exeriences...

Pics will be ready son and my report as well. We made the thirs night yersterday in sorting out which is very difficult for my husband because I cant delete ANY of the pics... But I have to be reasonable, who wants to see more than 3000 pics... You must have even bigger problems with even more.

Looking forward to your report and pics.

Haven't you been to Samburu and Nakuru as well?
regards
steffi

Yes, Steffi, we were also at Samburu - Larsen's (loved it) - the 20th-21st and Sweetwaters the 22nd and Nakuru - Mbweha Camp (excellent) - the 23rd-24th.

In Samburu, we had National Geographic staying at our camp and just found the story they were working on, "The Elephants of Samburu" - by David Quammen. You can view it at http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/20...s/quammen-text.

And that's what Samburu was for us -- lots and lots of gorgeous ellie's! We just couldn't get enough of them!

Aren't we lucky people?!

These are wonderful pictures (this is one of the best jobs you can have, combination of work and dream)!!

Yes we are lucky people as we are able to visit the paradise on earth... for me its like a virus and so hard to come back each time.