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Lions and Tigers
  • Brad and Mandy Pearce

Lions and Tigers

We have been looking forward to a trip to Africa for a long time and we were fortunate to back up the African tour with a short tour of India. So, lions in Africa, tigers in India.... can't wait! Read more
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  • Trip start
    September 23, 2019
    Brad and Mandy PearceLions and TigersBrad and Mandy Pearce

    Phew.. We have arrived!

    September 24, 2019 in South Africa ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    After two long flights- one 14 hours and the other 9 hours - we have arrived in Cape Town to begin or African adventure. Everything went smoothly, no delayed flights, no lost luggage and met at the airport without any problems. First look at Cape Town is very nice but at the moment all we want is a nice shower and get a good night's sleep ready to hit the town tomorrow.Read more

  • Brad and Mandy PearceLions and TigersBrad and Mandy Pearce
    Table Mountain
    Postcard frameCable car to Table MountainKirstenbosch GardensCanopy walkwayArea of slum housingScenic drive along coastlineHarbour cruise around V&A Waterfront

    HOHO bus, gardens and cruise

    September 25, 2019 in South Africa ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    (So, not everything was smooth sailing. Tried opening Brad's suitcase and for some inexplicable reason the combination lock changed and we could not get it open. Spent ages trying all the combinations but in the end we had to get the hotel maintenance guy to break the latches for the zipper. Not the first time he has seen it and he suggested we buy a normal keyed padlock)

    Anyway, up at 7am, nice hotel breakfast and hotdog it down to the waterfront to catch the 9am tour to Robben Island. Unfortunately, we had not prebooked and there were no spots until next Monday. Oh well🤷‍♀️, we missed out on that one, never mind.

    Spectacular morning and not many people down at the waterfront. Got great photos of Table Mountain. Bought tickets for the Hop on hop off bus which took us to the Kirstenbosch Gardens and spent a lovely couple of hours there. Back on the bus and it was a scenic journey back up the coastline to the waterfront .

    Decided against doing the other route on the bus as part of it goes over the same route so elected to do the short harbour cruise and canal cruise. Saw some seals playing close to the boat but I was not quick enough to get pictures.

    Meet up with our travel group this evening. So glad we came a day early as last night we felt like zombies but with all the walking today (13.5km) it has certainly blown the cobwebs out. A great start!    Read more

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    The 12 apostles
    View towards Hout BayRoad cut into the side of the mountainBehind the signBaboons troopOstrich by the oceanElandView from top of Cape PointA penguin couple make their appearanceLove their pink eyes

    Scenic drive to the Cape of Good Hope

    September 26, 2019 in South Africa ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    Up early and left the hotel at 8am to travel the very scenic drive down Chapman's Peak Rd to the Cape of Good Hope. We had photo stops at the twelve apostles which is really the back of Table Mountain, as well as looking back over Hout Bay. The road was narrow and winding but quite a remarkable engineering feat.

    Our guide was anxious to get to the Cape before the crowds, as certain groups do not understand the concept of queuing and waiting your turn, and this was the case at the sign board indicating the Cape of Good Hope. We got the" been there, done that" photo with the sign but also some interesting pics of our first wildlife.

    First there was a troop of baboons including some babies sitting in the middle of the road. Next there was an ostrich with an ocean backdrop which seemed a little unusual. There was also an eland (Africa's largest antelope), although he was not too photogenic.

    We went to Cape Point and travelled up a furnicular to the lighthouse (well almost, there was another 100 steps to the top), but the views were worth the trek to the top.

    After lunch we visited Boulders Beach, home to the African penguin. They used to be referred to as jackass penguins, mainly because of the noise they make sounds like a braying donkey, but this was deemed politically insensitive, so African penguin it is.

    A busy day but we had another activity in the evening which I shall cover in a separate footprint    Read more

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    Brad with his bongo drum
    African energetic dancersFace paintingSome more penguinsSeal at Cape of Good Hope

    African drumming before dinner

    September 26, 2019 in South Africa ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    It was a busy day but we had another activity in the evening . At the GOLD restaurant for African tapas style meal and African drumming. This was not sit back and relax and enjoy the entertainment - this was full audience participation and a whole lot of fun. We certainly warmed up our hands and I'm sure it put a couple of thousand steps on my fitbit. And we were good (check out the video). There was also African singing and dancing but fortunately we didn't have to participate in that. We also had face painting and the meal was pretty good too. The tomato soup was delicious. I've included a picture of the menu plus some other photos of the day that I couldn't fit in the last footprint.Read more

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    Cable car has a rotating floor for 360 degree views
    Looking over Camps BaySignal HillOne mad abseiler1Another couple of mad people hiking up to the peakColourful Bo KaapNelson Mandela statue

    Table Mountain and last day in Cape Town

    September 27, 2019 in South Africa ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    Our final day in Cape Town and we had to be away early because the queues to go up the cable car for Table Mountain were a 2 hour wait on average. The crowds were worse because it is currently school holidays and also something about heritage week and all South African residents had free admission to the mountain. It took us an hour and a half of waiting so it could have been worse. Once again we had a beautiful day...quite hot really... and the views were certainly spectacular. Quite windy though, and there was a bit of a mist/fog/haze over the bay and city so the view was not crystal clear.

    We were back down the mountain by 11am and spent the next hour on a city tour driving by points of interest such as the colourful Bo Kaap neighbourhood and parliament house where there was a statue of Nelson Mandela as he appeared on the steps. The afternoon was free so we caught the free hotel shuttle too the waterfront and explored.

    We liked Cape Town - the people are very polite and friendly and you can wander around the souvenir shops without being hassled to buy, buy,buy! However, there is evidence of high crime in South Africa with houses surrounded by high walls, fences are electrified or have razor wire. Our guide told us that insurance companies would not insure your property unless it had all these preventative measures in place. Unemployment is high and it was common to see people just waiting on the median strips where they may be picked to do a days labour.

    Anyway, tomorrow we leave to commence our journey along the garden route,    Read more

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    Rocky gorges
    Our boutique hotelWe had 2 bedrooms just like this..and the bathroomCango cavesRather elegant Zimbabwe ostrich (I think)View from our hotel room in Knysna

    Caves and Ostriches

    September 29, 2019 in South Africa ⋅ 🌧 19 °C

    Left Cape Town heading for the town of Oudtshoorn which used to be the ostrich capital of the world. The country changed from rather dramatic very rocky mountains, to very dry areas. However, when we arrived we were staying at a boutique resort...our suite actually had 2 bedrooms, a foyer, huge bathroom.. very, very nice.

    Dinner was included and ostrich was on the menu. Looks like steak and it was very tender. Tastes more like a red meat than poultry. Breakfast the next morning was excellent too.

    Left Oudtshoorn to visit the Congo Caves which was ok but not really any different to any other caves, and headed to an ostrich farm to learn about these creatures. Just as we arrived a sudden dust storm engulfed us and the temperature dropped dramatically and started to shower. Anyway, we were able to fit in the tour without getting too wet.

    Interesting facts about ostriches.
    Their eyes are bigger than their brain
    They have been known to eat the entire washing off the line
    Males have the black feathers, females are more grey
    One hundred years ago, 1 ounce of ostrich feathers was equal to 1 ounce of gold.
    The leather is very durable, 2nd to kangaroo would you believe. It is rather unusual with the little bumps where the feathers were and is also very expensive - an ostrich leather belt would set you back over $100.

    Rained most of the way down to Knysna which is a pity as there would have been some nice views coming through the mountain passes. Staying at a nice hotel right on the waterfront.    Read more

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    Various views from Featherbed Nature Reserve
    Sea CaveAlong the boardwalk

    Featherbed Nature Reserve at Knysna

    September 30, 2019 in South Africa ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    A relaxing morning checking out the waterfront shops etc. because or organised tour to Featherbed Nature Reserve did not commence until the afternoon. It was quite cool and rainy all morning and our tour guide was concerned that the excursion would be quite unpleasant. Fortunately, the weather cleared and we were able to enjoy a boat cruise from Knysna (pronounced ny-sna) to the reserve .

    Only 2 years ago the reserve was destroyed by fire as was a lot of the town. The main building was rebuilt and as part of the attempt to regenerate the bush, visitors can shoot seed balls into the scrub using a shanghai/slingshot. A novel way of planting trees. We had the option of walking back down to the main building - pretty much all downhill - although some of the steps were uneven, but the views were lovely.

    So, a pretty quiet day today. Tomorrow we had towards Port Elizabeth which completes the garden route of South Africa.    Read more

  • Brad and Mandy PearceLions and TigersBrad and Mandy Pearce
    Plettenburg Bay
    King Julian (Or Queen Juliet)Ring tail lemurSpider monkey and babyThe kleptomaniac monkeyAlpha male baboon

    Monkeyland

    October 1, 2019 in South Africa ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    We journeyed from Knysna towards Port Elizabeth visiting first Plettenburg Bay for a scenic view, then onto Monkeyland. Monkeyland is a monkey sanctuary where monkeys from other parts of the world as well as Africa are given sanctuary and learn how to be monkeys again. They may have come from private zoos, ex laboratories etc and lived much of their life in cages.

    We wandered around the sanctuary in a natural forest surround and it was amazing how close we could get to the monkeys. There were lemurs, capuchin, squirrel and spider monkeys plus a couple of others that I cannot remember the names. Some lemurs and spider monkeys had babies clinging to their mothers. The lemurs are sun worshippers and look just like King Julian in the kids movie Madagascar. Some monkeys are very naughty and you had to be careful they didn't try to steal anything from you. Apparently they are true kleptomaniacs.

    Leaving Monkeyland we came across a troop of baboons wandering across the road. Baboons are kept away from mixing with the monkeys because they would just kill the smaller animals.

    We drove past the world's tallest bungee jump (bridge) and watched a couple of people jump of a perfectly good bridge worth an elastic band around their ankles.

    Finally arrived at Port Elizabeth which has a beautiful bay but unfortunately the city is impoverished, has high unemployment and the main city centre is deteriorating. Anyway, the hotel is good and we have a very early start in the morning to fly to Kruger.    Read more

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    Cheetah
    Impala looking into our room. See bird on his backElephantRhinoGiraffeCrocodile1HipposKudu with his magnificent hornsZebra

    Kruger

    October 2, 2019 in South Africa ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    Very early start with 7am flight from Port Elizabeth to Johannesburg (1.5hrs), then another flight to Nelspruit (30mins), then another hour and a half bus ride to Kruger National Park. We were picked up in the safari trucks to take us to our lodges - Shishangeni Lodge. We had only travelled for 10 minutes and we had already seen impalas, warthogs, giraffes, elephants, hippos, zebra, a cheetah, a hornbill bird and some other birds that I can't remember the name of. Amazing, and we had not even done a game drive yet.

    The lodges are very nice, very private. In fact you can have a bath or shower overlooking the bush. There was even an impala looking in the window at us when we arrived at our room.

    The late afternoon game drive was awesome. In addition to the animals already mentioned, we also saw a crocodile, rhinos, the magnificent kudu with its twisty horns, and saw the hippos, elephants and cheetahs close up. To finish off the drive we stopped for sundowners (drinks in the bush at sunset.) It was all a great experience and can't wait until tomorrow to do it all again.    Read more

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    Chilled out baboonMongooseGround hornbill

    Kruger National Park - Day 2 morning

    October 3, 2019 in South Africa ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    Up early for 5.30am safari drive. Didn't seem to be as much activity as yesterday evening but we did find some female lions doing what they do best - just lyin' around. Saw more rhinos, elephants, giraffes and hippos, plenty of impala, a chilled out baboon,plus a couple of mongoose and ground hornbill birds.Read more

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    Kruger - Day 2 Sunset drive

    October 3, 2019 in South Africa ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    The day between drives is spent relaxing. In our case we caught up on some sleep then chilled out by the pool before our afternoon drive. This time we found a couple of lioness with cubs about 4 months old, plenty of zebra crossing and a tree full of vultures which usually indicates a carcass and a predator cat nearby but we could not see what they were interested in.

    At the end of the drive we had sundowner drinks and Brad managed to capture some brilliant African sunset shots.    Read more

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    Do like I do gameThey loved having their photo takenKliptown informal settlementNote the open drains and the port-a-loo

    We found a lion!

    October 4, 2019 in South Africa ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

    Final morning in Kruger and we were able to fit in another safari drive before our flight back to Johannesburg...and thank goodness we did because we found a magnificent lion. Took many photos and headed to the river bank for early morning cuppa while watching the wildlife, mainly hippos.

    This ended our Kruger experience. Bus back to Nelspruit and short flight to Johannesburg where a small group of us had booked a Soweto tour. This included a visit to Nelson Mandela's house, the Hector Peitersen memorial (a school student shot by police during student protests in the 1970's), and an after school program for children from 4-14 yo who may need a safe environment to keep them off the streets until their parent/s or caregivers came home. The children grabbed our hands and showed us their veggie garden and art works before joining in a game sort of like"Simon Says". Finally we visited Kliptown (not sure of spelling), which is an informal settlement in Soweto much like the favelas in Rio. It is quite confronting as 1000's of people are living in corrugated tin structures with electricity but no running water. There are open drains and a port-a-loo would serve 5 families. Water for cooking and washing had to be carried from a communal tap.

    A very long day..up at 5am and not back from tour until after 7pm. Didn't take much rocking to go to sleep as we had another early start for our flight to Victoria Falls.    Read more

  • Brad and Mandy PearceLions and TigersBrad and Mandy Pearce
    Greeting at Victoria Falls airport
    The Devil's poolGuy was almost kicked by zebraResort poolZambezi river at other hotelOur giraffe experienceSunset over the Zambezi

    Victoria Falls

    October 6, 2019 in Zambia ⋅ ☀️ 34 °C

    Flew from Johannesburg to Victoria Falls, on the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia. Passing through passport control to get our Visas was horrendous, standing in a queue that moved at snails pace while they manually wrote out a visa for each person Took a couple of hours.

    Visited the falls on the Zimbabwe side before going to our accommodation on the Zambia side. The falls are nice but not as spectacular as the Iguazu falls in Brazil. The Avani hotel is very nice and we were actually able to have a full relaxing day with nothing planned until the sunset cruise in the evening.

    We tackled the local market which was an experience in itself. Each shop owner said they handmade each item... but strangely they all looked the same. Oh well, picked up a few bits and pieces. We were happy, they were happy. Had a quick swim then the cruise where drinks were unlimited and a variety of nibbles provided. Very pleasant and the sun set was exceptional.

    Before leaving the resort we checked out the sister hotel Royal Livingstone and on the way back a staff member asked if we had seen the giraffe. He got us to stand up by a feeding tray while he fed them pellets. Fantastic and unexpected experience.    Read more

  • Brad and Mandy PearceLions and TigersBrad and Mandy Pearce
    Just some of the 100+ trucks waiting for the ferry
    Usually one truck at a time on the ferrySome of our tour group plus or luggage crossing by boatCape BuffaloNile crocodileBlack sable - not common to seeMarabou storkElephants crossing the riverElephant crossingSunset over Chobe

    Chobe National Park - Day 1

    October 7, 2019 in Botswana ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    What can I say, but border crossings in Africa is an adventure in itself. Traveling from Victoria Falls, Zambia to Chobe National Park in Botswana required a river border crossing by ferry. They are building a bridge (since 2014 - probably not complete for another couple of years) which will ease the traffic congestion but at the moment all transport has to cross by boat/ferry. This means they have to wait their turn. Average wait time - 2 weeks! Talk about chaos. We had to ditch the bus, unload the luggage, put it all on a a small boat with ourselves on another boat and cross the river. Load up another bus and off again. We are in Botswana!

    Not too far to Chobe Bush Lodge - again quite nice, where we had lunch then joined a river safari along the Chobe River. This time we saw a few new animals we had not previously seen such as the Cape Buffalo (one of the big 5), Nile crocodile, black sable antelope, and the Marabou stork (one of the ugly 5).

    There were lots of elephants too and at one point a group decided to cross the river, and we, along with dozens of other boats watched the spectacle which I think confused the elephants and they started moving around in circles. Plenty of photos and once again a lovely African sunset over the Chobe River this time.    Read more

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    Male and female lions beside the road
    He gets up and seems to speak (roar) at herShe seems to replyNext minute this happensContentedPretty bird, can't remember name (bee-eater?)Young male impala fightingElephant and impala standoffSound on. Teenage elephants

    Amorous Lions and Boisterous Elephants

    October 8, 2019 in Botswana ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    The early morning game drive at Chobe was different to the ones at Kruger. At Kruger it was a private concession area so very few vehicles travelling around the park. At Chobe there were dozens of safari trucks so it was quite a lot busier.

    We are looking for the elusive leopard, the only one of the big 5 we have not seen yet, and the guide thought he had seen leopard prints on the track. Still no leopard but we did come across a pair of mating lions... and when I say mating, I mean we caught them in the act (along with about 20 other vehicles). No wonder he was quick about it - too many eyes watching him. (I have video but edited it somewhat)

    Moving on we came across herds of elephants along the river front when suddenly three or four teenage male elephants came rushing out of the bush, trumpeting and generally being boisterous . One of them had a go at a herd of impala, charging at them, waving his trunk and flapping his ears. Quite a sight. Every time we go on safari we see something different.    Read more

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    Monkey
    Fishing eagleBaby elephant has fallen in waterMum trying to retrieve baby

    Elephant drama

    October 8, 2019 in Botswana ⋅ ⛅ 36 °C

    Our final day in Chobe and we elected to do another wildlife cruise. It was all much the same as the previous day, a few hippos, some kudu antelope, monkeys drinking from the river edge and fishing eagles among other things. Then, the guide noticed a baby elephant fall into the water, only about a week old, and he couldn't get back out. There was only us and another small boat that witnessed the mama elephant trying to get the baby to climb up the bank. Unfortunately elephants don't climb very well, especially baby ones. There was nothing we could do but watch the mother, obviously very stressed, try to wrap her trunk around her baby but ended up guiding him to a shallower bank. Fortunately there is a happy ending as the baby managed to climb out. Check out the videos.

    This ended our visit to Chobe and also our Southern Africa part of the tour. The next day it was a bus trip back to Victoria Falls and a flight back to Johannesburg. Of the group of 28, only 10 of us were continuing on to Eastern Africa (Kenya), so we said our goodbyes and prepared for our flight to Nairobi.    Read more

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    The other vehicle in our convoy
    Elephant trio with abandoned lodging and Mt KilimanjaroOur lodging hidden in the treesThompson's gazelleElephant and mountainHyenaObservation Point- Mandy and Maasi - very windyBrad and MandyRaymond is our guide for KenyaKenyan sunset

    Amboseli National Park

    October 11, 2019 in Kenya ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    After arriving in Nairobi we only spent the night before being loaded into 2 safari vehicles (Landcruisers) for the 4 hour journey to Amboseli National Park. The drive was an experience as road rules seem to be merely a suggestion as cars pass where there is oncoming traffic plus a lot of trucks. Still, they only travelled around 80km/h with trucks much slower. The last hour or so we had an African massage as we left the main road and travelled into the park on very corrugated, dusty roads.

    The Amboseli Serena Safari Lodge where we are staying is very nice with Mt Kilimanjaro as a backdrop. We have been very fortunate because often the mountain is shrouded with clouds. On our afternoon drive we were able to get the classic (perhaps not the greatest) photo of an elephant with the mountain in the background. Apart from elephants, zebra and giraffe, other animals we saw that we haven't seen previously are the Thompson gazelle and a solitary hyena.

    Our drive ended at Observation Point - a bit of a climb but not too hard. Great views over the park and sundowner drinks & nibbles while we watched the sun set. A very pleasant day.    Read more

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    Welcoming group
    Brad getting into the actionThe acacia fence around villageHow high can he jump?Maasai are known for their high spingy jumpsMaasai children - note the huts in the backgroundTheir cattlePen of cattleMaking fireThe gift shop

    Maasai village visit

    October 12, 2019 in Kenya ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    Amboseli is not the greatest for wildlife compared to other game parks but it is close to a traditional Maasai village and that is where we visited this morning.

    The village is enclosed by a fence made from the spiky acacia tree which offers great protection from the wildlife while keeping their cows (I think the breed is Zebu), and sheep and goats secure. We were met outside the village by the men and women dressed in all their finery with a welcoming song and prayer or blessing or chant.

    Inside the village boundaries they did the Maasai dance where the men in particular were able to spring up in the air without any real effort. We observed them making fire from 2 sticks, and no, one of them wasn't a match. We looked inside their huts with mud and dung walls and thatch roof. Very tiny, no windows, no power, no water. They have members of the tribe who are the medicine men and using natural bark, roots etc. can cure anything from malaria, to headache, stomach upsets, or arthritis.

    The children then demonstrated how educated they were by reciting the alphabet, days of the week, months of the year and some math problems. The children attend school which is just next door.

    The Maasai live a very simple life, tending their livestock, gathering sticks and making souvenirs. Guess where the last stop of the tour was...The souvenir shop. All the women had their wares laid out and is probably the area I'm not that comfortable with . "You like this?" "How about this?" Anyway, we purchased some items after some tough bargaining (they start very high) and we have probably done our Africa shopping now.    Read more

  • Brad and Mandy PearceLions and TigersBrad and Mandy Pearce
    Baboon chilling out on one of the chairs at Amboseli
    View over AmboseliOur group in the planeGreat Rift ValleyIt was Sunday - church under a treeTraffic - mainly trucksView from our roomPool with a viewLooking over pool to our accommodationA Superb Starling. Isn't he pretty

    Another day, another park

    October 13, 2019 in Kenya ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    After 2 nights in Amboseli it was time to move onto our next park - Lake Nakuru. We boarded a 12 passenger Cessna for the 40 minute flight to Nairobi. Not really that fond of small planes but the flight was really quite good (and probably better than the 4 hour drive to Lake Nakuru)

    Along the way we stopped at a viewpoint to see the Great Rift Valley, a 6,400km crack in the earth crust stretching from the Lebanon to Mozambique. Much of it is found in Kenya, where it has literally cut the country in two. A great view!

    Arrived at Lake Nakuru Sopa Lodge and oh my goodness, this place is amazing. The rooms are large with fantastic views over the lake. Surprisingly, I thought it would be stinking hot since we are almost on the equator but the temperature has been quite mild. Not complaining!

    I shall cover the game drives in the next post - just a few photos of our journey here and the lodge.    Read more

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    2 Rothschild giraffe
    Giraffe with almost black markingsWhite rhinoBlack rhinoCape BuffaloLake Nakuru with flock of flamingosClose up of flamingosSilver back jackalSpotted hyenaZebra, Thompson gazelle and Cape Buffalo

    Lake Nakuru Game Drive

    October 14, 2019 in Kenya ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    We had a very long game drive - left at 7 and returned after 12. While Amboseli is mainly known for elephants, Lake Nakuru is more recognised for giraffe, cape buffalo, zebra, impala, baboon (well, they are just everywhere), rhinos (mostly white , but occasionally black rhino), and flamingos. The big cats (lion, cheetah and leopard) are in the park but usually they are not seen.

    While we did not see any cats, we did see all of the others, including both black and white rhinos. The giraffe were the Rothschild giraffe which I think are more beautifully marked than the ones we saw in Kruger (Maasai giraffe I think). On some, the tiles/spots were almost black and very striking.

    The difference between the black and white rhino is mainly to do with the shape of their snout. The white being more square because they graze while the black is more pointed to help pick fruits etc from bushes. The white rhino is bigger while the black rhino is rarer. We were lucky to see both as or guide said they usually only see the white rhino.

    There was a flock of Greater flamingos which are only slightly pink whereas the Lesser flamingos are a much brighter pink. Unfortunately we could not get closer to the flock because the vehicles can only travel on designated tracks unlike Kruger where we were on a private concession and could drive off the path. So in most cases the pictures were done with a telephoto lens so may not be as clear as they could be but Brad did a good job.

    The evening drive was called off due to storms but we didn't mind because we had basically seen the main points of interest in this game park. We travel to Masa Mara tomorrow where we will have 2 full days to hopefully find a leopard.    Read more

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    Lush farmland
    Small village but note the farmland behindTraffic in a larger town is pretty chaotic

    African Massage on the way to Masa Mara

    October 15, 2019 in Kenya ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    The trip to Masa Mara from Lake Nakuru was only about 200km but it took the best part of a day to drive there along some of the roughest roads I think I've ever travelled. In fact, just sitting in the 4WD my fitbit said I did 22,000 steps, over 14km walking, and climbed over 300 floors. No wonder I was tired. Hence the African massage.

    It's amazing to see how the scenery changed. Climbing up our of the Rift Valley, the farmland was very fertile and being used for crops and veggies etc. It was lush and green. We then drove onto the open plains - very dry, very little vegetation. Many of the villages we passed were not attractive, very poor and lots of rubbish laying around from market days.

    Masa Mara is almost on the border of Tanzania and close to the Serengeti National Park. At the right time of year we would have witnessed the Great Migration where enormous herds of Wildebeest pass through in search of good grazing land and often fall victim to lions and crocodiles when making the river crossings. I've seen it on TV and it is quite a spectacle. However, the migration had already passed through this area about a month ago so it was a shame we missed it. Still, this park is known for it's cats so maybe here we will complete our big 5 and see the leopard!    Read more

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    Going to investigateOn the prowl, but we didn't see if she was successfulThe 5 brothersOur tented roomView from our balconyFig Tree Camp grounds

    Masa Mara - part 1

    October 15, 2019 in Kenya ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    Before we checked into our accommodation we had a game drive through the park mainly because the place we were staying was at the other end of the property.

    Within minutes our guide pointed out a cheetah who appeared to be eyeing off some impala. We waited for some time in anticipation of a chase but it seemed the cheetah lost interest... or was prepared to wait much longer than we were.

    Driving further on we came to a solitary tree under which lay 5 male cheetahs. Apparently they are known by National Geographic as the five brothers who have been filming them for some time. We were lucky to come across them so easily.

    We are staying at Fig Tree Camp which is described as luxury tented camping (maybe even glamping). So imagine canvas and screened walls with zippered doors and a fully tiled modern bathroom. The camp almost seems to be an island and we have a river bank outside our front door complete with hippos and warthogs (The bank is too steep for hippos to climb). There are monkeys and baboons around and there is a young Maasai man who constantly wanders around making sure the baboons don't try and get into the tents. As far as camping goes it is not too bad.    Read more

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    The elusive leopard
    HipposCape BuffaloMongoose...or is that mongeese?Giraffe wanders bySpotted hyenaOstrich danceRiver crossingOur great migration

    A leopard is spotted!

    October 16, 2019 in Kenya ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    No kidding Sherlock!

    Well we have sighted all the big 5 animals. This refers to the most dangerous animals to hunt and are comprised of the lion, cape buffalo, rhinoceros, elephant and leopard. We spotted the first 4 on our first safari drive in Kruger but the elusive leopard was not seen until our fifth and final game park. Granted, it wasn't particularly clear as she was hidden in the bushes but at least we did see her.

    Masa Mara is a huge park and we had a big 6 hour game drive. Some of our group took an optional balloon ride but at $450USD per person it was a bit out of our budget. So while they were ballooning we checked out a pod of hippos. There were several other trucks there and some people wandered down the river bank a little. Ok be hippos took exception and started to charge towards them. We were farther away but our guide was yelling "get back in the truck". Brad says he has never seen me move so fast. That was nothing compared to the faces of the people who were very close. I wish I was filming at the time.

    We picked up the balloonists and that is when we found the leopard. We also saw a business of mongoose (That is the collective noun) . They are very similar to meerkats and act the same way popping their heads up to look around. There was also a male ostrich doing a display dance to impress the female - bit of a waste of time because the female was to far away to even notice.

    Perhaps the most exciting thing for us was our version of The Great Migration. We noticed a large herd of Wildebeest and some zebra looking interested in crossing a small river. Once one started they all went. Ok, it wasn't the tens of thousands of wildebeest that cross while trying to avoid being lunch for the crocodiles or lions but we got the impression of a crossing.    Read more

  • Brad and Mandy PearceLions and TigersBrad and Mandy Pearce
    Mother and cubs drinking
    Then nursingYoung lion with carcassFather and son/daughterYoung cubs seeking shade under the truckThe vultures clean up the messCrocs and hipposThis is a topi - lovely markingsAn eland - the largest antelope

    Final safari drive

    October 17, 2019 in Kenya ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    So we come to the end of safari drives in Africa - what more could we possibly see? As it turns out there were a couple more things that we had not already seen, mainly to do with lions.

    We came across a small pride of lions and we got photos of a mother and her 2 cubs firstly taking a drink and then the cubs suckling.

    Later we came upon a larger pride who had had full bellies from a topi (type of antelope) they had killed. One young lion was still having a go at the carcass and when he left the vultures came in to finish off the pickings. Such is the circle of life.

    There were large crocodiles resting in the mud of the river with pods of hippos just metres away. Not to mention the birds of Africa which I'll make a separate post.

    We flew out of Masa Mara in what was basically a taxi plane. Picked us up, took off, landed again after 10 minutes, then did another pick up before making the 40 minute flight to Nairobi. Brad and I are staying the night in Nairobi, another couple are returning to Australia, while the rest of the group (6 people) are doing another 5 days in Tanzania. We fly to India tomorrow to pick up another tour for 12 days.

    Africa has been wonderful. We saw much more than I expected. Although we will probably not return, I can understand the fascination that people have with Africa that keeps wanting them to come back.    Read more

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