Kenya Day 8 - the Maasai Mara

We were given the option of doing an all day game drive today, but were told that those are more useful during the great migration. Instead we elected for a morning and evening game drive.  So, after enjoying our breakfast with hippos, we headed out.

As you can see, the morning game drive was wildly successful. Lunch was delicious, and again we were watching the hippos as we ate.

We had a lovely relaxing afternoon, enjoying a frosty beverage, and an even frostier swim (the pool was very cold, I only managed 1 lap). Then we left on our evening game drive. I had been looking forward to this, since we would be going along the river, and getting to see some more hippos.

Us at a lookout spot

The sun sets high in the sky

The dinner menu tonight was African dishes, and we enjoyed it very much. After dinner there was the fire pit again, and a slideshow given by the Maasai warrior, telling us about his culture.

After this, it was time to return to the room to pack and go to bed. But, one last picture before we go.

Kenya Day 7 - to the Maasai Mara

The ride through the Mara to get to the Ashnil Mara is as bumpy as I have experienced. This made for a good deal of discomfort for poor Andrew.  However, he was rewarded with his first good glimpse of vultures.

The welcome ceremony at the Ashnil Mara was nice, and we enjoyed the hot wet towels very much after the dusty trail.  Our tent, it turned out, was attached to the tent of our tour-mate, forming a sort of suite, with a full tent with ensuite bath, balcony and main room for us, the same for Erin, and a connecting bedroom in the middle. It was a shame the balcony view was only of the foliage in front of the tent, it was nicely appointed.

The room  was spacious, with a full length mirror and a four poster bed.  I would like to add that it was also a shame that our room was again at the outer reaches of the camp; a good ten minutes from the main area of the camp.

After we got settled in, we enjoyed a buffet lunch. Our seating overlooked a river filled with hippos and crocodiles. We enjoyed this very much, including the hippo song.

After that, it was off down the path for a game drive. As always, the animals were plenty, and we got to see another of Andrew's favourites.

The evening buffet again saw us overlooking the hippos in the river. We were a little disappointed because there was no African food available this night.

After dinner, though, the lounge was very enjoyable, as we sat within view of the river, under the stars, enjoying a frosty beverage while a Maasai Warrior tended the fire.

And so... to bed.

Kenya Day 6 - to Lake Nakuru

After a delicious breakfast at the Sweetwater Tented Camp, we headed through the Kenyan countryside to reach Lake Nakuru by lunch. Normally, Lake Nakuru is a saltwater lake noted for its millions of flamingos, but an excessive amount of rain has raised the water level, and made the water too fresh for the flamingos to enjoy. So we have something rare: pictures of a flamingo-less Lake Nakuru.

At the entrance to the park, we got a good view of the flooded lake, and then we headed to the Sarova Lion Hill Lodge. This was the only non-"tent" we would stay in for the length of our safari. It also had the nicest lounge, and live music, but more about that later.

The game drive allowed us to complete our "Big 5" with the sighting of a leopard. We also saw some precious baboon families and a number of other animals.

After the game drive, we had a fantastic dinner, with a strolling minstrel, and then went to see the dance exhibition. It was very interesting. Finished that, we went to the lounge. I should note, at this point it was chilly and pouring rain. They brought braziers inside, so we could be warm, and the minstrel arrived, so we also had live entertainment. For the only time in Kenya, we closed the bar. Then returned to our room where turndown service had provided us with lovely hot water bottles again. Presumably, they take the place of central heating in the places we were staying.