Loved Kenya: August 2011
Aug 26th, 2011, 01:46 AM
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Loved Kenya: August 2011
Much has been written about Kenya so I am going to focus on what surprised me and what I wasn’t adequately prepared for—which fellow travellers can take into account on balance with all the other trip reports and advice to be found on Fodor Forums.
First, our context: we were a three-generation family of 12 (youngest 8 and oldest 81 yrs.). Our daughter and son-in-law live in Nairobi, my husband climbed Kilimanjaro a few years ago, but most of us were 1st time in Africa.
We travelled modestly—real beds, hot showers, ample good food and great service, but not luxurious accommodations or gourmet cuisine.
We had guides/drivers for all our excursions. They were knowledgeable and committed to our comfort, safety and enjoyment. More about them later.
Most important to note: we travelled from August 14-26, 2011.
Surprises:
1. It was COLD in Amboselli and Masai Mara. Leaving for the early morning game drives, I wore a t-shirt, long-sleeved safari shirt, long-sleeved long underwear, a long-sleeved cotton jacket AND my husband’s nylon windbreaker. Often wrapped a scarf around my neck. A hooded fleece would have been perfect. Didn’t put on a bathing suit until Lake Baringo.
2. Take CASH. Take Kenyan SHILLINGS, not US dollars. They’ll take dollars but it complicates things. We never saw a source of cash after leaving Nairobi. The Amboselli and Masai Mara “airports” were really only landing strips (not even toilets) so don’t expect much there. We put lots of things, such as gift shop purchases, on our hotel bills. Checking out with a credit card (when cards were accepted) could take half an hour or more. It was wonderful to have a pocket full of shillings. Try to estimate what every activity is going to cost, add gratuities, add shopping, and double it
.
3. Drinking water is ALWAYS available—often provided, sometimes for purchase. You don’t need to carry a water bottle from home. And you surely do not need water purification supplies.
4. I was pleasantly surprised that we encountered mostly flush toilets with toilet paper, but occasionally not. The day’s schedule makes it possible to use the facilities at your lodge/camp throughout the day. You are not allowed to get out of the game drive vehicles ($100 fine for stepping a out)—so few bush pit stops. I still made good use of wet wipes for hygiene and dust removal.
5. There were NO BUGS in Amboselli and Masai Mara—I repeat, NO BUGS. Lake Baringo had plenty of bugs—but not the biting kind. I did shake out my shoes each morning as a precaution against scorpions. Next time I will bring one small spray bottle of OFF, just for insurance. Some members of the family had bought bug repellant clothing and/or had treated their clothing with pyrethrin—totally unnecessary for our visit. I am sure this is a seasonal thing and someone else will post that their trip was nearly ruined by mosquitos—but I counted 5 mosquitos in 10 days.
6. With guides/drivers, this is not a SURVIVAL adventure. Don’t over plan, over pack and over carry. You get up at 6:30 am and go for a 2-hour game drive. Come back for breakfast. Chill out or take a walk until lunch. Chill out, shower or take a nap. Another 2-hour game drive at 4:00 pm. Come back for dinner. Alternatives include nature walks, birding, village visits, etc. but the longest outing we took was 5 hours including a picnic breakfast.
Of course you need water, (but it’s always available in your camp/lodge and the vehicles are usually well-stocked), sunscreen, hat—be sensible but don’t go overboard. Some Forums have long lists of what to carry-- it’s all great stuff, but relax! [I will confess that M&Ms with peanuts added a nice touch to our day.]
You do NOT need guidebooks on game drives. Your driver is a walking encyclopedia and there is no time to read. We enjoyed the guidebooks in the evening as we reviewed our day. Our favorite guidebook is The Safari Companion because it offers so much about the animals’ feeding, hunting, mating, parenting behaviors etc. You do not need books for identification purposes.
Hiring a guide for a bird walk or nature walk or village visit is easy and inexpensive and adds immeasurably to the experience. Strongly recommended!
Note about guides and drivers: these wonderful people are the ace up your sleeve for having a really rich experience, with lots of animal sightings, maximum comfort and minimum risk. They communicate constantly with each other via radio and mobile phone. These relationships are crucial to your success, so don’t become impatient. My whole family had a laugh at the tourist who gesticulated rudely and demanded his driver shut up and start driving. The vehicle took off as requested, while the other cars turned back because the ‘network’ had located seven cheetahs feeding on a water buffalo.
I was amazed at what a personal trip this was. Over two or three days, you can get to know your guide/driver, with very little effort. Our guides were very friendly and happy to talk about their country, their tribe, their family. So ask lots of questions. Find out about their tribe, where they learned English, what they think of the violence that followed the most recent election, etc. etc.
7. Perhaps my biggest surprise was how easy it is to sight the animals. And they stay within view, often very near your vehicle, and they seem unperturbed by the presence of people and vehicles. So again, relax. If your driver gets word of an animal in a certain location, you WILL get to see it. You will drive away from most of the animals, after you have had plenty of time to admire and photograph them.
8. Driving in Kenya is NOT for amateurs. Especially in the game reserves and especially in the rainy season. The navigation of ruts, ridges, rivers, and so forth is complex. Then there is the issue of navigating dirt tracks with NO signage whatsoever. Then, there is the issue of vehicle maintenance--these roads destroy tires, axles, etc.
9. There are plenty of laundry services but the trick is coordinating with your arrival and departure. We mostly did our own hand laundry, so pack a little detergent.
10. Be sure to try two bottled soft drinks that you may not have seen before, both are very refreshing—Alvaro (multiple flavors) and Stoney Tangawizi (very ginger-y)
Nairobi
Recommendations for Nairobi:
1. Visit the Kitengala Glassworks—an artists colony where you can see fabulous creations in blown glass, stained glass and mosaics. You’ll meet the artists whose work is displayed across the country in museums and major building. You can also ride a camel here. Ask if ‘The Bridge’ is open—and enjoy a thrilling walk across a deep valley on a swinging bridge
2. Dinner at Abysinnia—fabulous Ethiopian food
3. Arrange a tour of Kwetu Home of Peace and learn what this wonderful NGO is doing to give Nairobi’s street children a second chance. Inspiring charity. We took toys, school supplies, books and boys clothing in our checked luggage and really enjoyed sharing them at Kwetu.
3. Muthaiga Mini-Market has an outstanding Italian restaurant—sorry I don’t remember the name.
4. We drove out to the Kaimbethu Tea Farm in Limuru. The owners are third generation tea growers and they offer a very personal, up close, introduction to one of the world’s most ubiquitous crops. And one that played a vital role in the colonial economy. Fiona Vernon (the owner) is delightful. The tour includes a delicious lunch of locally grown foods and of course, tea. It’s about24 km from the Muthaiga Mini Market.
Important to know: Nairobi’s traffic is AWFUL (and I’m from Atlanta) Hopelessly bad traffic. Give yourself more time than it could conceivably take—and you will arrive not too late.
Amboseli
4-hour drive from Nairobi, including short stops
Roads are fine
Animal sightings en route including giraffes, camels, ostriches, many ungulates, Cape buffalo
We stayed at Ol Tukai; our group of 12 took the entire Kibo Villa
Lovely grounds
Nice buffet meals (I am gluten-free so throughout the trip I missed out on the desserts—but everyone raved about the cinnamon pudding)
Enjoyed massages at the Beauty Parlor
Great location—animals on the grounds (two kinds of mongoose; vervets, baboons, bustards and hoopoes) within sight of Mt. Kilimanjaro
ALERT: Staff at Ol Tukai are lovely and accommodating.
But, company staff in Nairobi are notoriously difficult, even dishonest; set your price and document it. Try to deal with Titus.
Game drives arranged through: Linus 0722713972 who we would happily recommend.
Masai Mara
Flew to Masai Mara on charter flight from Boskovic Air Charters; easy, prompt, polite, and great to work with
Wonderful flight—exciting; animal sightings
Game drive sightings included: giraffes, elephants, lions, cheetahs, hyenas, jackals, black rhino, hippos, wildebeest, Thomson gazelles, waterbucks, Cape buffaloes, Grant’s gazelles, mongoose, leopards, impalas, birds, birds, birds and more.
Stayed in Ilkileani, right on the Talek River
Loved this place-- spacious, well-appointed tents with private baths, hot showers; SPOILER ALERT: hot water bottles when you climb in bed at the end of the day
Masai warriors provide the game drives, visits to Masai villages, and security within the camp
Wonderful opportunity to interact with local people and to learn about the Masai culture; the entire staff at Ilkileani are friendly and anxious to make your stay perfect
Breakfast of pastries, fruits, yogurt, cereals, meats and eggs to order
Plated lunch with fresh vegetables, meat and rolls
Dinner buffet—loved the grilled meat.
Saw a baby black mamba snake in camp. Crocodiles on the far bank of the river.
I preferred Masai Mara to Amboselli because it was much greener, more vegetation, more “bush”, and not pancake flat.
Lake Baringo
Flew into Lake Baringo –gorgeous flight over the Rift Valley; some found the elevation changes and turbulence challenging but the flight from Masai Mara is only 50 minutes. Personally I loved it.
We stayed at Roberts Camp. Our accommodations included one cottage (I recommend Heron Cottage), four bandas and miscellaneous tents. This place is pretty rustic. For the tents, the showers and toilets (pit) are communal. The bandas and cottages have showers and flush toilets shared by your group. The restaurant, The Thirsty Goat, is okay—I liked the chicken curry. We cooked some of our own meals in the cottage kitchen.
The attraction is that the hippos come out into the compound at night and you can watch them, or lie in bed hearing them munching just a few feet away. There is amazing wildlife activity here at night. And our only monitor lizard sighting.
Roberts Camp has access to the swimming pool at the adjacent property. For 300 shillings (about $3 USD) this is a wonderful retreat. Lounging chairs under shade umbrellas are included. Not to mention poolside food and drink service. The Lake Baringo Special is a refreshing concoction of fruit, fruit juice and Sprite—rum optional.
The Roberts Camp gift shop, The Dik Dik Duka, was our favorite shopping of the three lodges/camps.
Moses is the Activity Director at Roberts Camp—wonderful guy. Talk to him the minute you arrive. Ask for William if you are interested in birding—he is a trained ornithologist; can identify more than 800 species of birds and knows more than 300 calls. And, he is personable and informative about the region—ecological challenges, snakes, scorpions and so on.
First, our context: we were a three-generation family of 12 (youngest 8 and oldest 81 yrs.). Our daughter and son-in-law live in Nairobi, my husband climbed Kilimanjaro a few years ago, but most of us were 1st time in Africa.
We travelled modestly—real beds, hot showers, ample good food and great service, but not luxurious accommodations or gourmet cuisine.
We had guides/drivers for all our excursions. They were knowledgeable and committed to our comfort, safety and enjoyment. More about them later.
Most important to note: we travelled from August 14-26, 2011.
Surprises:
1. It was COLD in Amboselli and Masai Mara. Leaving for the early morning game drives, I wore a t-shirt, long-sleeved safari shirt, long-sleeved long underwear, a long-sleeved cotton jacket AND my husband’s nylon windbreaker. Often wrapped a scarf around my neck. A hooded fleece would have been perfect. Didn’t put on a bathing suit until Lake Baringo.
2. Take CASH. Take Kenyan SHILLINGS, not US dollars. They’ll take dollars but it complicates things. We never saw a source of cash after leaving Nairobi. The Amboselli and Masai Mara “airports” were really only landing strips (not even toilets) so don’t expect much there. We put lots of things, such as gift shop purchases, on our hotel bills. Checking out with a credit card (when cards were accepted) could take half an hour or more. It was wonderful to have a pocket full of shillings. Try to estimate what every activity is going to cost, add gratuities, add shopping, and double it
.3. Drinking water is ALWAYS available—often provided, sometimes for purchase. You don’t need to carry a water bottle from home. And you surely do not need water purification supplies.
4. I was pleasantly surprised that we encountered mostly flush toilets with toilet paper, but occasionally not. The day’s schedule makes it possible to use the facilities at your lodge/camp throughout the day. You are not allowed to get out of the game drive vehicles ($100 fine for stepping a out)—so few bush pit stops. I still made good use of wet wipes for hygiene and dust removal.
5. There were NO BUGS in Amboselli and Masai Mara—I repeat, NO BUGS. Lake Baringo had plenty of bugs—but not the biting kind. I did shake out my shoes each morning as a precaution against scorpions. Next time I will bring one small spray bottle of OFF, just for insurance. Some members of the family had bought bug repellant clothing and/or had treated their clothing with pyrethrin—totally unnecessary for our visit. I am sure this is a seasonal thing and someone else will post that their trip was nearly ruined by mosquitos—but I counted 5 mosquitos in 10 days.
6. With guides/drivers, this is not a SURVIVAL adventure. Don’t over plan, over pack and over carry. You get up at 6:30 am and go for a 2-hour game drive. Come back for breakfast. Chill out or take a walk until lunch. Chill out, shower or take a nap. Another 2-hour game drive at 4:00 pm. Come back for dinner. Alternatives include nature walks, birding, village visits, etc. but the longest outing we took was 5 hours including a picnic breakfast.
Of course you need water, (but it’s always available in your camp/lodge and the vehicles are usually well-stocked), sunscreen, hat—be sensible but don’t go overboard. Some Forums have long lists of what to carry-- it’s all great stuff, but relax! [I will confess that M&Ms with peanuts added a nice touch to our day.]
You do NOT need guidebooks on game drives. Your driver is a walking encyclopedia and there is no time to read. We enjoyed the guidebooks in the evening as we reviewed our day. Our favorite guidebook is The Safari Companion because it offers so much about the animals’ feeding, hunting, mating, parenting behaviors etc. You do not need books for identification purposes.
Hiring a guide for a bird walk or nature walk or village visit is easy and inexpensive and adds immeasurably to the experience. Strongly recommended!
Note about guides and drivers: these wonderful people are the ace up your sleeve for having a really rich experience, with lots of animal sightings, maximum comfort and minimum risk. They communicate constantly with each other via radio and mobile phone. These relationships are crucial to your success, so don’t become impatient. My whole family had a laugh at the tourist who gesticulated rudely and demanded his driver shut up and start driving. The vehicle took off as requested, while the other cars turned back because the ‘network’ had located seven cheetahs feeding on a water buffalo.
I was amazed at what a personal trip this was. Over two or three days, you can get to know your guide/driver, with very little effort. Our guides were very friendly and happy to talk about their country, their tribe, their family. So ask lots of questions. Find out about their tribe, where they learned English, what they think of the violence that followed the most recent election, etc. etc.
7. Perhaps my biggest surprise was how easy it is to sight the animals. And they stay within view, often very near your vehicle, and they seem unperturbed by the presence of people and vehicles. So again, relax. If your driver gets word of an animal in a certain location, you WILL get to see it. You will drive away from most of the animals, after you have had plenty of time to admire and photograph them.
8. Driving in Kenya is NOT for amateurs. Especially in the game reserves and especially in the rainy season. The navigation of ruts, ridges, rivers, and so forth is complex. Then there is the issue of navigating dirt tracks with NO signage whatsoever. Then, there is the issue of vehicle maintenance--these roads destroy tires, axles, etc.
9. There are plenty of laundry services but the trick is coordinating with your arrival and departure. We mostly did our own hand laundry, so pack a little detergent.
10. Be sure to try two bottled soft drinks that you may not have seen before, both are very refreshing—Alvaro (multiple flavors) and Stoney Tangawizi (very ginger-y)
Nairobi
Recommendations for Nairobi:
1. Visit the Kitengala Glassworks—an artists colony where you can see fabulous creations in blown glass, stained glass and mosaics. You’ll meet the artists whose work is displayed across the country in museums and major building. You can also ride a camel here. Ask if ‘The Bridge’ is open—and enjoy a thrilling walk across a deep valley on a swinging bridge
2. Dinner at Abysinnia—fabulous Ethiopian food
3. Arrange a tour of Kwetu Home of Peace and learn what this wonderful NGO is doing to give Nairobi’s street children a second chance. Inspiring charity. We took toys, school supplies, books and boys clothing in our checked luggage and really enjoyed sharing them at Kwetu.
3. Muthaiga Mini-Market has an outstanding Italian restaurant—sorry I don’t remember the name.
4. We drove out to the Kaimbethu Tea Farm in Limuru. The owners are third generation tea growers and they offer a very personal, up close, introduction to one of the world’s most ubiquitous crops. And one that played a vital role in the colonial economy. Fiona Vernon (the owner) is delightful. The tour includes a delicious lunch of locally grown foods and of course, tea. It’s about24 km from the Muthaiga Mini Market.
Important to know: Nairobi’s traffic is AWFUL (and I’m from Atlanta) Hopelessly bad traffic. Give yourself more time than it could conceivably take—and you will arrive not too late.
Amboseli
4-hour drive from Nairobi, including short stops
Roads are fine
Animal sightings en route including giraffes, camels, ostriches, many ungulates, Cape buffalo
We stayed at Ol Tukai; our group of 12 took the entire Kibo Villa
Lovely grounds
Nice buffet meals (I am gluten-free so throughout the trip I missed out on the desserts—but everyone raved about the cinnamon pudding)
Enjoyed massages at the Beauty Parlor
Great location—animals on the grounds (two kinds of mongoose; vervets, baboons, bustards and hoopoes) within sight of Mt. Kilimanjaro
ALERT: Staff at Ol Tukai are lovely and accommodating.
But, company staff in Nairobi are notoriously difficult, even dishonest; set your price and document it. Try to deal with Titus.
Game drives arranged through: Linus 0722713972 who we would happily recommend.
Masai Mara
Flew to Masai Mara on charter flight from Boskovic Air Charters; easy, prompt, polite, and great to work with
Wonderful flight—exciting; animal sightings
Game drive sightings included: giraffes, elephants, lions, cheetahs, hyenas, jackals, black rhino, hippos, wildebeest, Thomson gazelles, waterbucks, Cape buffaloes, Grant’s gazelles, mongoose, leopards, impalas, birds, birds, birds and more.
Stayed in Ilkileani, right on the Talek River
Loved this place-- spacious, well-appointed tents with private baths, hot showers; SPOILER ALERT: hot water bottles when you climb in bed at the end of the day
Masai warriors provide the game drives, visits to Masai villages, and security within the camp
Wonderful opportunity to interact with local people and to learn about the Masai culture; the entire staff at Ilkileani are friendly and anxious to make your stay perfect
Breakfast of pastries, fruits, yogurt, cereals, meats and eggs to order
Plated lunch with fresh vegetables, meat and rolls
Dinner buffet—loved the grilled meat.
Saw a baby black mamba snake in camp. Crocodiles on the far bank of the river.
I preferred Masai Mara to Amboselli because it was much greener, more vegetation, more “bush”, and not pancake flat.
Lake Baringo
Flew into Lake Baringo –gorgeous flight over the Rift Valley; some found the elevation changes and turbulence challenging but the flight from Masai Mara is only 50 minutes. Personally I loved it.
We stayed at Roberts Camp. Our accommodations included one cottage (I recommend Heron Cottage), four bandas and miscellaneous tents. This place is pretty rustic. For the tents, the showers and toilets (pit) are communal. The bandas and cottages have showers and flush toilets shared by your group. The restaurant, The Thirsty Goat, is okay—I liked the chicken curry. We cooked some of our own meals in the cottage kitchen.
The attraction is that the hippos come out into the compound at night and you can watch them, or lie in bed hearing them munching just a few feet away. There is amazing wildlife activity here at night. And our only monitor lizard sighting.
Roberts Camp has access to the swimming pool at the adjacent property. For 300 shillings (about $3 USD) this is a wonderful retreat. Lounging chairs under shade umbrellas are included. Not to mention poolside food and drink service. The Lake Baringo Special is a refreshing concoction of fruit, fruit juice and Sprite—rum optional.
The Roberts Camp gift shop, The Dik Dik Duka, was our favorite shopping of the three lodges/camps.
Moses is the Activity Director at Roberts Camp—wonderful guy. Talk to him the minute you arrive. Ask for William if you are interested in birding—he is a trained ornithologist; can identify more than 800 species of birds and knows more than 300 calls. And, he is personable and informative about the region—ecological challenges, snakes, scorpions and so on.
Aug 26th, 2011, 02:07 AM
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Thanks for posting great info for the most part
http://www.mdtravelhealth.com/destin...ica/kenya.html
details the importance of water/food precautions so as not to
get sick #1 cause of ruined trips and the importance
of biting insect precautions and mararia meds in risk areas.
www.malariahotspots.co.uk
Great travel detail though happy travels!
http://www.mdtravelhealth.com/destin...ica/kenya.html
details the importance of water/food precautions so as not to
get sick #1 cause of ruined trips and the importance
of biting insect precautions and mararia meds in risk areas.
www.malariahotspots.co.uk
Great travel detail though happy travels!
Aug 26th, 2011, 07:45 AM
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Great report of surprises. It appears your family of all ages was very pleasantly surprised.
Baby black mamba--wow! What was it doing in camp? Slithering through? What was the reaction of the staff?
What did you see around Lake Baringo? Birds, etc.? How long was your Lake Baringo stay?
Nice details on NBO.
Thanks for the feedback. Aug is an excellent time for seeing wildlife in Kenya!
Baby black mamba--wow! What was it doing in camp? Slithering through? What was the reaction of the staff?
What did you see around Lake Baringo? Birds, etc.? How long was your Lake Baringo stay?
Nice details on NBO.
Thanks for the feedback. Aug is an excellent time for seeing wildlife in Kenya!
Aug 26th, 2011, 04:34 PM
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Sounds like your trip worked great, with a wide variety of activities and interesting side trips. The 2 hour morning and afternoon drives seem to have suited your group, but we go to Africa to be out in the bush. On our second trip in 2008, our driver in Masai Mara played the 2 and 2 card the first day. I sat down with him afterwards and explained our expectations and we finished out our stay there with all the driving we wanted. If you are OK with traveling that far to hang out at a camp or a lodge for that many hours, that's fine; if you want to be out on drives, you need to say so.
Also: Our experience on three East Africa safaris is that the radios are a distraction, and often a way for drivers to entertain themselves at the expense of engaging with their customers. Our best experience (TZ in February 2011), our driver/guide used the radio one time in 10 days to tell a friend about a leopard siting. Other than that, we occasionally saw action (vehicles) and investigated, but for the most part found fantastic sightings through the wisdom of our driver and the good luck that makes a great safari happen. We enjoyed not having the noise of the radio.
Jim.
Also: Our experience on three East Africa safaris is that the radios are a distraction, and often a way for drivers to entertain themselves at the expense of engaging with their customers. Our best experience (TZ in February 2011), our driver/guide used the radio one time in 10 days to tell a friend about a leopard siting. Other than that, we occasionally saw action (vehicles) and investigated, but for the most part found fantastic sightings through the wisdom of our driver and the good luck that makes a great safari happen. We enjoyed not having the noise of the radio.
Jim.
Aug 26th, 2011, 07:07 PM
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I agree that radios/mobiles can be over done. But the best tracker is the two or three or four other vehicles also out searching. And the guide can use a radio headset/mic so you don't hear the radio nor his shouting into it.
regards - tom
regards - tom
Aug 26th, 2011, 07:57 PM
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Thanks hucksmom for your very informative report. Any photos to share?
A black mambo!!! Yikes! So glad I didn't see one.
My guide in the Mara had the radio on. I didn't mind it as the volume was low and he only spoke thru it once. Would have missed out on a fantastic leopard sighting without that radio.
A black mambo!!! Yikes! So glad I didn't see one.
My guide in the Mara had the radio on. I didn't mind it as the volume was low and he only spoke thru it once. Would have missed out on a fantastic leopard sighting without that radio.
Aug 28th, 2011, 03:11 PM
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So glad you had a great trip.
I am with Jim et al on the 2 2 hour game drives issue. I'd be absolutely gutted to have such little time out on safari, that's what I'm there for, not sitting around in camp, or even pootling on a short walk within camp. I do enjoy the midday break for shower, nap, writing diary and gentle wildlife viewing, but I expect to be out a good 5 hours in the morning and 3-4 hours in the afternoon. Most days, yes, out and exploring for 8 hours+!
I'm also in agreement on radios/ mobiles. I don't ban our guides from using them but I do explain up front that I would rather have a lower number of sightings but quiet, private ones they (and we) have found on our own. When we find a sighting, we do let others from our camp know, but we enjoy it for a short time first.
I am with Jim et al on the 2 2 hour game drives issue. I'd be absolutely gutted to have such little time out on safari, that's what I'm there for, not sitting around in camp, or even pootling on a short walk within camp. I do enjoy the midday break for shower, nap, writing diary and gentle wildlife viewing, but I expect to be out a good 5 hours in the morning and 3-4 hours in the afternoon. Most days, yes, out and exploring for 8 hours+!
I'm also in agreement on radios/ mobiles. I don't ban our guides from using them but I do explain up front that I would rather have a lower number of sightings but quiet, private ones they (and we) have found on our own. When we find a sighting, we do let others from our camp know, but we enjoy it for a short time first.
Aug 28th, 2011, 07:55 PM
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From what I've seen, it's not unusual for a guide to -not- report a new sighting for several mins. One guide at a new found sighting radioed that he had a flat tire, not true, and needed help. The other guide who responded was thus the first followup to the new sighting .
regards - tom
.regards - tom
Aug 29th, 2011, 09:39 AM
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Thanks for all the replies to my posting!
The black mamba was slithering through camp and I believe it was discovered by a staff person who was trimming brush near the path. It was a baby, very small (maybe 24 inches or so). The Masai staff were almost as fascinated as we were. In Lake Baringo we also saw a spotted adder. We were on a bird walk with a local guide and young boys ran up to tell him that they knew where we could find the spotted adder under a rock.
Re: Lake Baringo
This is bird watcher heaven. Go to Roberts Camp and ask for Moses (activity director). Ask him to find William. Wonderful man of the local Tugen tribe. He has studied ornithology and travels all over Africa with international birding groups. We really liked him.
Great story: When William was 9 years old, a South African woman gave him her bird guidebook. Two years later she returned and gave him binoculars and launched his lifelong passion and career. While we walked with William, a local 9 year old boy followed us everywhere, except when he ran ahead to scout for birds. William was a wonderful mentor to the boy. At the end of our visit, I gave William my binoculars for the youngster. It was a nice moment and one of the trip's highlights for me.
The black mamba was slithering through camp and I believe it was discovered by a staff person who was trimming brush near the path. It was a baby, very small (maybe 24 inches or so). The Masai staff were almost as fascinated as we were. In Lake Baringo we also saw a spotted adder. We were on a bird walk with a local guide and young boys ran up to tell him that they knew where we could find the spotted adder under a rock.
Re: Lake Baringo
This is bird watcher heaven. Go to Roberts Camp and ask for Moses (activity director). Ask him to find William. Wonderful man of the local Tugen tribe. He has studied ornithology and travels all over Africa with international birding groups. We really liked him.
Great story: When William was 9 years old, a South African woman gave him her bird guidebook. Two years later she returned and gave him binoculars and launched his lifelong passion and career. While we walked with William, a local 9 year old boy followed us everywhere, except when he ran ahead to scout for birds. William was a wonderful mentor to the boy. At the end of our visit, I gave William my binoculars for the youngster. It was a nice moment and one of the trip's highlights for me.
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