My Kenyan Adventure

Going on a safari in Kenya is something that I’ve always wanted to do. Sam was lucky enough to do this and has written about his incredible experience on his trip.

Picture this, you are standing outside a small lodge looking out at a horizon which stretches far and wide. The red African soil quivering with the heat, dozens of miniature dusty tornados dotted between the herds of Wildebeest, Elephants, Zebra and Buffalo.

You then turn around 180° and the snow-capped peaks of Mount Kilimanjaro are basking in the warm African sunshine. Lush green trees surround you and you get that sudden feeling that you know you are somewhere special, somewhere people dream of going and somewhere you will never forget.

When I think of Africa, I think of the wildlife in the vast Serengeti’s, luscious rainforest and the traditional tribes of people. The ever-changing landscapes of Amboseli National Park, Kenya, really is a great metaphor for Africa. It has all the above in an abundance and is truly one of the most magical and unforgettable places you can visit.

In August 2008, I was lucky enough to visit Kenya with my family for two weeks. I had always wanted to visit, as an avid lover of wildlife documentaries it was a dream to be able to see it with my own two eyes. We based ourselves in the coastal city of Mombasa, a bustling vibrant place with the beautiful beaches and hotels you would expect to find in Cancun. 

Unfortunately, something else that springs to mind when you think of Africa is the crippling poverty that you see and hear so much about on the news. As easy as it is to stay in the comfort of your hotel sipping the cocktails, I felt we had to get out to see the real Africa and it can be truly heart breaking. We ventured into a large, overcrowded village of huts and buildings, I remember feeling intimidated and anxious as we wandered through with a local guide. However, that feeling soon evaporated when we started to see the welcoming smile of the local people.

We spent a good hour in a primary school, as soon as we stepped into the classroom with a box of colouring books, pens, pencils and various other stationary, we were surrounded by the children desperate to touch you and get their hands on the goodies. It was a joy to watch how happy these things can make them.

A couple more hours were spent walking around the village where we had the privilege of meeting the chief. One thing that will always stick with me is how welcoming and kind people were, they don’t have much but what they do have they are always willing to share, they appreciate every thing they have and it always pops into my mind whenever I am complaining about a delayed train or the silly things that affect me in my day to day life.

Whilst I am very aware that our little visit doesn’t make much of a difference to their lives and it is easy for me to write about it behind the comfort of a computer, I am grateful to have been given the access to their lives and it is something I will never forget.

The first week of our trip flew by and I was already having a great time. There were monkeys running around the hotel causing havoc, the entertainment at the hotel was enjoyable, the sea fishing with the jumping swordfish was unforgettable and we were learning about Africa from the visiting Masai Mara warriors but then the real adventure started to begin.

We booked our Safari with a local company that advertised on the beaches. The alarm sounded at 6am and in the hotel lobby waiting was our loveable guide, Becca. The excitement had taken over my senses, I almost forgot my binoculars and camera such was my eagerness to get going! We finished packing up the van and set off on our 5 hour drive to the Tsavo West National Park.

During the drive, Becca taught us all about the Big 5 and local tribes. The anticipation was building with every passing hour. We all listed the animals we were most keen to see; my sister wanted an adult male Lion and I wanted the smaller, nimble Cheetah. We soon arrived at our lodge for the evening where we had a couple of hours to refresh and relax.

Tsavo is one of the oldest and largest national parks in Kenya, split into the East and West sectors, it was opened in 1948. It has thick thorny bushes as well as the open plains you would expect to see. I first heard about the park when I watched the famous 1996 film The Ghost and the Darkness staring Val Kilmer and Tom Wilkinson. The story tells the tale of the two male man-eating Lions of Tsavo who reputedly dragged 135 railway workers building the Kenya-Uganda line from their tents. The Lions evaded traps and capture until they were shot by Lt. Col. John Henry Patterson.

With this is mind, it was time for our first drive into the national park. We set off, cameras and binoculars in hand, and went on the search for the animals. The bushes were thick and green so to begin with it was hard to spot the animals then suddenly, Becca pointed to his left and there was our first animal – a large giraffe grazing from a tall tree. The smile on our faces all lit up and what followed got more and more brilliant. Elephants, Wildebeest, Zebra, Antelope, Kudu, Meercat and Buffalo. It was incredible to see these fascinating animals, but we hadn’t seen our Lion or Cheetah yet!

Before we knew it, our first day was over and we headed back to the lodge for some food and much needed rest in preparation for our second day. Our lodge for the evening gave us a taste of the spectacular views we should expect for the remainder of our trip.

From our room we could see for miles and miles but right below us was a giant watering hole teeming with Elephants. You could wander through an underground tunnel and view the Elephants from a nearby shelter, we sat there for hours watching the little ones mischievously play. We were incredibly lucky to be able to get so close to these amazing animals, it does make you wonder why anyone would want to harm them. What a brilliant way to end our first day.

The next morning, we woke early to set off on the search for our illusive Lion and Cheetah. We were lucky enough to explore more of Tsavo West and see more Elephants, deer and the laughing Hyena! By this stage we had ticked off just two of the Big 5 which consists of the Elephant, Buffalo, Rhino, Lion and Leopards. We knew we had a challenge on our hands to see all of these, but Becca was confident. He was full of interesting facts and could see an animal from a mile off!

In the afternoon, we decided to visit a small village of a local tribe instead of the safari. They were very traditional in what they wore, the cooking apparatus and their accommodation made from cow dung and straw. They had some fantastic stories on how they had to deal with the wildlife and were kind enough to allow us into their homes. We all danced and listened to their songs before one of them stopped and saw the headphones dangling around my Dad’s neck. The man came over and asked what they were, we put the headphones in and pulled out the iPod and turned on a song. The man jumped and the fear on this Lion fighting warriors face was priceless!

Day 3 soon came around and it was time for our next destination, Amboseli National Park which is on the border of Tanzania. When we arrived, it felt like we were in a different country. It didn’t have the thick thorny bushes of Tsavo but more of the open plains you imagine. You could see the animals dotted around the horizon wherever you were as well as the dusty tornados and majestic Mount Kilimanjaro.

Our accommodation was a small bungalow which was fenced off from the wildlife although the fence didn’t look the most secure! As soon as we checked in, we saw baboons wondering around and a giant hippo grazing just the other side of the fence. We felt right in the thick of the action.

We spent a couple of hours relaxing around the pool and having some lunch. The heat of the plains was exhausting and at that moment, jumping in that pool was the only thing on my mind. Without a thought, we all jumped straight in to what I can only describe as an ice bath – it was freezing!! Apparently, the water is sourced straight from Kilimanjaro, I just wish I knew that before making that fateful jump.

The afternoon safari was upon us, the anticipation had been building for some time. Based on the wildlife we could see from our bungalow, we had high expectations for what we were about to discover. 10 minutes into our journey, Becca stopped the jeep without saying a word, we wondered what was happening. He whispered, “Bethany, can you see something in front of you?”. We all stood, lent out of the roof and there it was, a Lion casually sitting just off the road. The background was almost as beautiful as the animal, for the first time in a few weeks, both snow capped peaks of Kilimanjaro were on show and if I were to choose a moment or image to sum up the beauty of Kenya, it would be that.

Suddenly, a few tails started appearing out of the grass, flicking through the air in a playful manor. The rest of the pride were laid just feet away, we enthusiastically began snapping pictures, trying to get a glimpse of a cub. For a moment, we forgot that these were big strong cats, it felt that you could just climb out and stroke them. That was until the female Lion stood up and we soon jumped back and sat in our seats, the sheer size and power of the animal was undeniable. The male did the deep roar from the back of its throat and we sat there watching and listening, we were part of the best documentary we could ever watch.

On a safari, it is common courtesy to radio through to other guides so their guests can also see the animals. Becca was kind enough to give us 10 minutes alone before radioing through but as soon as he did, the traffic soon started coming and we left in search of my Cheetah. We had now ticked off 3 of the Big 5 and it didn’t take long for our streak of luck to continue.

In the distance, somehow Becca spotted a small figure of a cat wandering with intent. We slowly approached, calmly stalking the animal and we quietly pulled up. “There he is” Becca softly said with a smile across his face. Indeed, there he is, the Cheetah I had been so desperate to see. My heart filled with joy, I had achieved a lifetime ambition. This apex predator that I had loved for so many years, built for agility and speed was in front of me hunting for its next meal. We sat back and allowed it some space to stalk, there was a certain conflicting tension in the air. On one hand we could see a Cheetah at full speed hunting but on the other, we could see its prey being ruthlessly despatched. Before there was a chance to consider anything, we heard a loud chirping noise from the trees, a bird was issuing a warning to the animals that they were being stalked. The nearby Antelope all began to run and before we knew it, the hunt was off.

With smiles on our faces, we headed back to our bungalow. What a day this has been, we were exhausted with a whole range of emotions flowing through us. It was fantastic and the anticipation for what was to come was high. The next morning was the return leg to Tsavo East and another chance to see this spectacular country with its incredible scenery and wildlife.

The morning drive through Amboseli was equally as exciting, a quick stop at the Kenyan side of Kilimanjaro gave us the opportunity to climb through the volcanic rocks and take in the breath-taking landscapes. We saw many more Lions, Giraffe, wild dogs and deer. We didn’t think the trip could get any better, we had seen the animals we were desperate to see but Becca reminded us of our next objective, to tick off the remainder of the Big 5.

We left early for our last lodge on this experience. The afternoon consisted of a safari with a slightly different touch, we would be walking with a local armed guide. We were nervous, we had seen the wildlife in all its glory, and we felt like we could become prey ourselves. We wandered to a small lake, nearly stepping on large snake laid camouflaged on the side of the path. We didn’t hang around for a closer look. Upon arrival at the lake, we were wowed by the amount of Hippo and Crocodile swimming around in the sunshine. A nervous walk had bought us to this gorgeous retreat. The heat made you want to have a swim but seeing what was lurking beneath changed your mind very quickly. An hour passed and we continued our trek to a high viewing platform, you could see the thick bush Tsavo is famous for everywhere.

I mentioned how Becca could spot anything from a distance, he wasn’t finished with surprising us just yet. Within the thick bush, somehow, he spotted a large Rhino. We all stood, binoculars strapped to our faces and watched this rare creature grazing for 45 minutes. Number 4 of 5 had been ticked off. It was now time to find the Leopard.

As this was our last night, we invited Becca for dinner with us. We sat around reflecting on what had been an adventure of a lifetime. We conversed for hours whilst porcupine wandered around outside and were informed that every evening, the lodge hung large quantities of meat right outside to entice Leopards to visit. The lodge will ring your room whether it is 11pm or 2am to let you know the Leopard has arrived, each room has a view of the platform.

I sat awake staring out that window for hours. Surely, we would tick off the last of the Big 5? I waited and waited and waited, I was full of tension, excitement and anticipation until finally falling asleep. The Leopard didn’t turn up, the next morning I woke up devasted and very sleepy. It was time to go back to Mombasa.

Kenya is a special country with special people and special landscapes. Regularly, we see the poverty and political issues through the media. It is hard to ignore whilst you are there but when you meet the people, they are so proud of where they come from. They embrace life and I truly believe we can all learn something from them.

Becca was one of the kindest people I have met, whether it is the safety of an all-inclusive holiday or the adventure of escaping into the wilderness to find the animals. Kenya has something for you and will never cease to surprise and amaze. I will certainly return to find the illusive Leopard.