Fodor's Travel Talk Forums

Fodor's Travel Talk Forums (https://www.fodors.com/community/)
-   Africa & the Middle East (https://www.fodors.com/community/africa-and-the-middle-east/)
-   -   My, those are big orphans! Adventures of Joyce, Rod, Mark & Patty in Kenya (https://www.fodors.com/community/africa-and-the-middle-east/my-those-are-big-orphans-adventures-of-joyce-rod-mark-and-patty-in-kenya-806292/)

Leely2 Sep 21st, 2009 05:41 PM

<i>We were told that the mom’s carcass was removed from that end of the springs and that’s why he heads that direction each evening. </i>

Oh boy, there's a lot of sadness here. Hope hope hoping for some nice wet rains soon.

Thanks, Patty, for another excellent report from another excellent trip. What's next on the agenda?

safarimama Sep 21st, 2009 09:47 PM

Thank you so much Patty, this is a wonderful trip and an outstanding trip report. Some day, I would love to repeat what you did.

Tell me though, the spring water at Mzima Springs supply all of Mombasa (I was told by the guide there), but where does it come from? It is from underground or some rain dependent source? Was it really dry now? What a disaster if all of Kenya turned to desert!

Patty Sep 22nd, 2009 10:20 AM

MDK,
Hope you guys had a good time in SA. Looking forward to hearing about your trip!

Thanks, Marija!

Leely,
I'd love to go back to Ithumba mid next year. Still on the fence about whether I want to include Madagascar. May just come down to budget and what kind of flights I can get.

safarimama,
We were told by the ranger that it's rain water filtered through lava rocks coming from the Chyulu Hills. Part of it is diverted to Mombasa. I was surprised at the amount of water flowing. Didn't seem much different than what we remembered from 2005.

atravelynn Sep 22nd, 2009 04:52 PM

I was laughing out loud at the trademarked Game sit. So both Kili and the abandoned Air France Van cooperated and you had views of each.

joeyi Sep 23rd, 2009 05:03 AM

Lynn,

You can not miss the Air France Van, it's right on the side of the road. Such a mystery and we still wonder why it was left there all this years and never removed.

LAleslie Sep 23rd, 2009 05:38 PM

Just catching up to this fun report Patty. You could start a whole tour for lazy people who only want to go on Game Sits. And think of how much petrol it would save!
That newborn giraffe is too precious. Aa are all the ophans, big and small.

Leely2 Sep 23rd, 2009 05:47 PM

<i>You could start a whole tour for lazy people who only want to go on Game Sits. And think of how much petrol it would save! </i>

Good idea. The new eco-tour.

Patty Sep 25th, 2009 10:22 AM

Thanks, LAleslie. That's brilliant! :D

I just redeemed our tickets for next June. Don't know what we're doing yet but I just like knowing we're going again \:D/

Treepol Sep 25th, 2009 10:36 PM

Hi Patty,

great report as usual, and wonderful photos. I'm with Leely, your story of the hippo at Finch Hattons is so sad.

So, another trip to Kenya is on the cards, given that you said good-bye to Julius until next time....

Thanks for sharing both your Kenyan travel experiences and your knowledge so generously.

Cheers,


Pol

joeyi Sep 27th, 2009 12:57 PM

I really appreciate Patty writing the trip report so fast and she said it was okay for me to add anything to her report. The only thing I want to add is that we arrived a day earlier and my SIL took me around that day to the Nairobi National Museum and the Modern Art Museum (RAMOMA). They were both rather interesting and I do not recall many people posting about them. The national museum has a great room of "old bones", although they could have been lit better. The grounds were very nice with a beautiful native/medicinal garden that was paved with mosaics. There was also a snake exhibit that was an extra charge that we ran out of time and didn't see but my nephew as seen at said it's quite good.

Here is my photo link if any one is interested, it also includes some pictures from our visit to Sheldricks. The rest of my photos are pretty much the same as Patty's so I won't bore everyone with them.

http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLan...localeid=en_US

Leely2 Sep 27th, 2009 02:14 PM

I have never seen any pics from the RAMOMA. I think I'll visit there someday. I like the flip flop art.

Those eles and rhinos at Sheldrick are beautiful.

Thanks, Joyce. I personally would not be bored if you posted more photos...

joeyi Sep 27th, 2009 04:06 PM

I forgot to add there was no admittance charge for RAMOMA

thanks, Leely, you asked so I'm going to post my photo links. I still have Finch Hattons to edit and title but I need a break from the computer

Sandai

http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLan...localeid=en_US

Ithumba

http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLan...localeid=en_US

Galdessa

http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLan...localeid=en_US

atravelynn Sep 27th, 2009 05:05 PM

I enjoyed Joeyi's Sandai photos too. Giant Forest Hog!!! and Sykes Monkey among other things.

What all did you do at Sandai? Drives, walk around? Where were you when you saw the various animals?

There is horseback riding at Sandai, right? Did you all do that? Would someone who is not going horseback riding be a logical guest?

Not that you'd know this because you did not stay at The Ark, but any idea how far it is from The Ark?

I'll have to check out the other photos later.

How exciting you are going back, Patty, and right now the possibilities are endless.

joeyi Sep 27th, 2009 07:35 PM

Lynn,

There are many options of things to do while at Sandai. We were only there for 2 nights so only really had the one full day to do something and that day we spent in the Aberdares. Sandai is very close to the Ark gate (we stayed at The Ark during our 2006 visit) but we needed to go to the main gate to charge up our smart card. I'm guessing it was a 25 minute drive to that gate.

Other options are horseback riding, game drives to Solio or Sweetwaters, guided hiking and birding. They also have a very long all day hike that is "prep" hike for hiking Mt. Kenya.

You do not need to be a horseback rider to be a guest there. It's a very nice place to stay and Petra is a wonderful host. We had heard about her place for years from Patty and Mark's trip reports and I'm so glad we finally got to stay there.

Joyce

joeyi Sep 28th, 2009 05:22 AM

I did want to add one more thing, if you are reading this report or ever get any trip advice from Patty. Do believe what she has to say about Kenya. She is not a travel professional, and does not have any monetary gain from any of the advice she gives. But is person who loves to travel and an expert travel researcher and planner and very generous with her knowledge. All of her information is either from first hand experience or very good research. And I think she may even have a photographic memory.

Patty, sorry if that made you blush, but I believe in full disclosure.

Now for the my last link of photos, Finch Hattons

http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLan...localeid=en_US

Leely2 Sep 28th, 2009 05:00 PM

Elephants galore. Giant forest hog! Did you see a unicorn too? :) Love the rock formation photos in the Galdessa gallery--it that a bird in the background of #54? Looks big.

I very much enjoyed ALL these (including Who Has a Cell Signal) so thank you, Joyce, for adding your links too. Looks like another great trip, in spite of the drought. Still doing my rain dance.

atravelynn Sep 28th, 2009 05:10 PM

Thanks for the info on Sandai and Patty's credentials, which I also view highly, Joeyi. And for the next set of photos.

joeyi Sep 29th, 2009 05:01 AM

Leely,

The rock formations were really beautiful. Yes that is a bird flying in #54, but I do not remember anything really big. There were a lot of small black swallow looking birds flying around the area.

Glad you enjoyed the photos and the cell phone signal was actually pretty funny. Patty could only send data, the ranger could only receive a call and Julius had nothing and was the one trying to call into the office. So, Patty sent an email to the office for them to call the ranger's number to speak with Julius. Technology.

atravelynn Sep 29th, 2009 04:49 PM

An eel from the blind. What an unusual bonus. Lovely light on the hippos. Where was that from? Your rooms were certainly waterfront.

joeyi Sep 30th, 2009 05:02 AM

I must give Mark the credit on spotting the eel from the bridge going into the blind. The hippos were along the tsavo river, early morning game drive.
is that the right river Patty???

joyce


All times are GMT -8. The time now is 05:46 AM.