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Africa has been on my bucket list for as long as I can remember, and the dream is finally happening. Read more
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  • TravelerAfrican Adventure
    Day 12

    Entim Camp

    June 15, 2023 in Kenya ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    Entim Camp is amazing. This is our last full day here and it didn’t disappoint. Joseph said “We meet at 6 again in the morning” Alan asked “Can we make it a bit later”, “Ok 6.15” 😂😂😂
    The camp has no fences and they have guys patrolling all night. If you want to go anywhere at night you have to have an escort with you. Probably just as well, you can hear Hippos, Lions, Hyenas, Elephants on and off all night.

    We set off in a different direction this morning. At least I think it was, it’s a bit hard to tell. There are tracks through the long grass everywhere here and only a few trees and river beds to distinguish one area from another. Beautiful sunrise this morning and there are about ten balloons up enjoying an early morning ride.

    We met a couple of Mama Giraffes with their babies and then a big Bull Elephant striding across the savannah. He was on a mission to get somewhere, wasn’t even stopping to eat and they eat all the time.

    There was some activity near one of the waterholes. A pride of lions, only half the pride according to Joseph. There was a young male, three lionesses and five cubs. The cubs where so funny, jumping on each other, racing into the bushes and down the road, pouncing on their Mum.

    The lions are out in force today. We saw two more different prides. One with all females and another with several cubs. The male lion was on his way back to them while we watched. It was all a bit tense until the lionesses greeted him and when he settled down for a nap the rest of the pride could relax again.

    Joseph is always scanning the savannah and he noticed a couple of trucks over on a distant hill so we were off again to see what it was. It was a Lion kill. Three Lionesses and a Lion all dining on a Buffalo. Mesmerising to watch, a little scary too. I never though we would be so close to these big cats and they seem to look up and straight at you. The Lion got a little too close for comfort again, walking straight towards our truck. Yikes!!
    Its hard work hunting and eating in this heat and the Lion was looking for a bit of shade. Even Joseph thought it was time to move.

    Back to the camp then for a bit of lunch, you get fed like a king here and they are always horrified when you only want one course instead of three.

    This afternoon we are off to see the hippo pool. There are lots of Hippos in the river near our camp but you can’t get too close to them. It’s in another direction again and we have to cross a muddy rocky river. The bank is pretty steep and it’s not exactly shallow either. I was already freaking out a bit and then we got stuck on a rock half way across. That’s it I thought we’d be spending the night on top of the truck but no Joseph just got out into the raging river and locked the hubs in. Then with a bit of back and forth and some encouragement and advise from Graham and Alan which I’m sure he appreciated we were off again.

    So many hippos in this river. Luckily we’re standing on a very high bank they can’t get up. One of the most dangerous animals in Africa. Our last sunset on the way home was a pretty special one.    Read more

  • TravelerAfrican Adventure
    1
    Day 13

    Arusha

    June 16, 2023 in Tanzania ⋅ 🌙 17 °C

    Today we are leaving the Massai Mara. We’re all a bit sad about that it’s been such a wonderful experience. It rained again last night and the river is up so the trip to the airstrip is a bit more challenging. We have to go to another camp and over their suspension foot bridge with our luggage and then into another car and on to the airport.

    Joseph doesn’t seem to concerned about time. He kept stopping to show Graham different birds, point out a giraffe or an antelope. All the while I’m thinking we better hurry up and get there. Then I think he realised we were running out of time and he put his foot down, well as much as you can on slippery black soil roads after a decent shower.

    The trip between airstrips and airports was pretty seamless and we had someone there to walk us through immigration and customs. We had so many documents out, Passports, Yellow Fever Vaccination Certificates, Visas, Covid Vaccination Certificates. Needed them all except the Covid nobody gave a toss about that, how things have changed.

    We had a bit of a hiccup at Kilimanjaro Airport when our driver didn’t turn up. Lots of people out there with signs but no Long/Boyd. One of the airport security rang the accomodation and tried ringing the driver, no luck with either. He’d just gone off to check the VIP lounge and our driver Charles turned up. Reckoned he was there all the time but we have our doubts. I think he was having a nap in the car and didn’t realise the plane had landed. Anyway he was full of apologies for being late, and he did bring us a nice gift of a Massai Mara Shawl,

    We finally set off for Arusha, far out it was a long drive to the accomodation and the car Charles had bought was not actually roomy. Graham, Pam and I were crammed in the back seat. I think it took about an hour and a half to get to our Hotel. By that time the caged lion beside me was over it.

    We’re going to Mt Kilimanjaro tomorrow which is out past the airport, think it would have made more sense to stay somewhere out there because now we have to do that horrible drive again tomorrow. We’re leaving at six in the morning so hopefully there won’t be so much traffic to contend with.    Read more

  • TravelerAfrican Adventure
    Day 14

    Mt Kilimanjaro

    June 17, 2023 in Tanzania ⋅ ⛅ -4 °C

    Today we’re going for a hike up Mt Kilimanjaro. We saw it briefly from the plane yesterday but there was a lot of cloud around it.
    The day is not looking too promising though, we had some rain overnight and it’s very overcast this morning

    David arrived to get us at 6.30 because it’s a bit of a drive to get there. Well they weren’t exaggerating about that 3 hour later we arrived at the gate, but that wasn’t where we started the walk no we just had to sign in there and then it was another 30 or 40 minutes drive.

    The drive has been all up and we’re staring this walk at 3,400 meters so I’m expecting It to be a bit of a challenge at this altitude. We walking over to Shira Camp 1 across the Shira Plateau. The great thing is as we came up from the gate we drove through the cloud forest and out into the sunshine above the clouds. We have a gorgeous clear view of Mt Kilimanjaro.

    The plateau is covered is bushes and grasses and a lot of them are in flower so it’s a pretty walk across and then up and down the three gorges we had to cross. It was a bit of a struggle with the altitude, it’s surprising how much water we went through and the ups on the gorges we definitely felt. Everyone lips had a nice blue tinge and I look at the guys hands as they were walking in front of me and they were so white!

    The walk took about three hours there and back and we had a packed lunch overlooking the gorge. Then we had to do the drive back which no one was looking forward to. It was even longer because of course it is much busier at 4 in the afternoon than at 7 in the morning. The speed limit on the highway here is only 80 and then down to fifty if there is any built up area. Makes for very long trips. Trucks and buses have to go even slower and there is so many of them.

    Can’t say there wasn’t any thing interesting to look at on the way though. Markets, Weddings, Motorbikes packed high with everything from potatoes to firewood, beautifully dressed woman, usually carrying a baby or something massive on their head. Little kids rounding up the goats, fields of sunflowers, tiny little butcher shops, one especially that looked immaculate with three puppies waiting patiently out the front for scraps.

    Four hours it took us to come back and we were all knackered. We’ve had a shower, a few drinks, dinner and a game of Jango and are feeling much better. Definitely ready for an early night.    Read more

  • TravelerAfrican Adventure
    Day 15

    Tarangire National Patk

    June 18, 2023 in Tanzania ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    We’re on the move again today. Heading down to Tarangire National Park. Thank goodness on a much better road and with less traffic. Actually most of the traffic on here is the little vans the locals use as buses and safari vehicles. Again there were interesting local things to see. Water is at a premium in this area and there were lots of woman collecting water from the wells and in some cases ponds and muddy puddles.

    Lots of herds of cows and goats. The Massai rarely eat wild caught animals and rely on their cow and goats to feed the village. We turned off the main road to come into the camp from a back road. Went past so many little communities. They must be almost totally self sufficient because they are miles from even the little shop and there didn’t seem to be any vehicles around either.

    This camp we’re staying at only opened last October. It is lovely, a little more rustic than than other camps we’ve stayed at. The staff are amazing they seem to be right there as soon as you want anything. We are the only ones here at the moment so we’re getting well and truly spoilt.

    We’re off for our first game drive this afternoon. It’s almost an hours drive to the National Park Gate but it’s 4 wheel driving through the bush with plenty of things to look at on the way. The National Park is a huge wetland surrounded by savannah studded with Acacia trees and Mapuna trees.

    The elephants love Mapuna trees and there are plenty of them here, plenty of Elephants, Zebras, Impala, Giraffes, Waterbuck, Tiktik, Buffalo, Heartabeast, Hippos as well as Leopards, Lions, Jackals, Hyenas plus 480 species of Birdlife 200 of which Graham made us stop and take a photo of.

    It was a great few hours drive, I think we saw everything except the Leopard and Lions, maybe tomorrow for them. The camp ended up ringing our guide and asking if he was ever bringing their guests back for dinner. 😂😂    Read more

  • TravelerAfrican Adventure
    Day 16

    Day 2 at Tarangire

    June 19, 2023 in Tanzania ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    Today has been an epic, marathon day. We started the day with a wake up coffee and 4.30 heading off on our game drive at 5.00. It’s still dark then of course but it takes an hour to get to the park so it’s almost light by the time we get there.

    The animals were all a bit quite this morning and we were all thinking we could have sleep in for another hours but then they started appearing. It’s weird how the bush looks empty and then the animals sort of just appear out of nowhere. First the Elephants and the Giraffes, Zebras, Antelopes then the Jackals and Hyenas. A huge herd of Buffalo, little Monkeys and Mongoose. Still no elusive Leopard but not for the lack of trying on all of our parts especially our guide David.

    We were just on our way back out of the park and had stopped to look at yet another herd of elephants, this one playing in the marshes and David says, sit down guys someone has spotted the leopard. One of his guide friends had pulled up beside us and he’d just seen it jumping into one of the trees, so off we went flying down the road, all those trees look the same to me and I still don’t know how he found it from his friends directions but find it he did.

    It was a young female and she was just beautiful, sitting there lazing in the tree, just relaxing until she spotted something she though she could hunt then it was full attention. Sadly for us but luckily for the Waterbuck she decided he was too big for her and she settled back down for an afternoon nap.

    Five minutes after leaving her we came across a big lioness in almost the exact same position in another tree. I don’t think we would have spotted either one they blend in to the trees so well.

    We have Sundowners tonight somewhere and then a night drive. David drove us to where we were watching the sunset and wow what a setup, they had a fire going a table with every drink you could possibly imagine, snacks, tables and chairs all set up in the bush waiting for a glorious sunset.

    We may have been a little tipsy on the night game drive but 4 wheel driving quickly sobered us up, a little anyway. I didn’t expect to see much on a night drive but was pleasantly surprised. We saw a Porcupine, Airsprings, African Hare, Dickey Dickey, Elephants, a Giraffe, a Lion, a Hyena. After an eventful night back to the camp for a late dinner.    Read more

  • TravelerAfrican Adventure
    Day 17

    Road trip, Olkeri Camp to Acacia Farm

    June 20, 2023 in Tanzania ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    We’re heading off from Tarangire National Park today towards Ngorongoro Crater. All the Olkeri staff came out to see us off. It’s been another lovely stay at this safari camp.

    Our drive out took us past all the little villages again, not as many out today as Sunday but we still got some happy waves and smiles.
    We stopped in Mto Wa Mbu for a bike tour through the back streets of the village and to the local market, then on to an art gallery and a banana plantation. Stopping for lunch at a local food bistro for village guests and lastly a Banana Beer which was about as good as it sounds.

    Graham started talking to a guy selling tshirts while we waited for our bikes to be ready, this same guys kept popping up everywhere we stopped. Pam’s Dad hasn’t been well and they needed to buy a SIM card and while we waited for that, it’s not the simple matter it is at home, this dude kept bringing out more and more tshirts. Eventually he found one that graham couldn’t live without.

    Acacia Farm is not much further down the road and after one more stop at a arts and craft gallery where I finally found some fabric to buy, albeit at an exorbitant price but it is lovely and has all the colours of Africa in it, we arrived to a heart warming welcome at Acacia Farm. What a beautiful well maintained property. Everything is immaculate, the grounds, the food, the accommodation, the staff.
    After a few drinks we headed down for dinner, there seemed to be a bit of confusion about our table and after a few minutes Godfrey who is looking after us comes in and says oh no table for you here and leads us to a private table with our own fire and butler and chef. Curtesy of Emma we’re sure. We have been so spoil on this holiday.    Read more

  • TravelerAfrican Adventure
    Day 18

    Ngorongoro Crater

    June 21, 2023 in Tanzania ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    We have a trip to the Ngorongoro Crater today. It is the worlds largest Caldera, it’s not actually a National Park but a conservation area so the Massai Mara live in the conversation area as well. It’s a pretty overcast day as we leave the Farm. Since we’re going up higher to get to the crater the weather is not improving. We passed the lookout and it was a total white out. No panorama views today. David assures is it won’t be raining in the crater.

    It a very steep decent into the crater on a little narrow road which luckily is one way. The entire road to the bottom is paved, the amount of labour in just that bit of road is incredible.

    The bottom of the crater is a wide open space perfect for grazing animals and of course all the predators that prey on them. We saw a lot of animals today but not really in the large numbers we’re used to. I think we’ve been very spoilt. We did see lions as well but they were a long way away. Plenty of bird life and so many Crowned Cranes. These cranes are so pretty and it must be a favourite breeding place of theirs so many of them had chicks.

    We had a bit of car trouble on the way back and David had to perform some bush mechanic magic to get us home. He couldn’t turn the car off then so he dumped us and was going to get it sorted this afternoon. We’re a long way from a major town so hopefully he’s had some luck.    Read more

  • TravelerAfrican Adventure
    Day 19

    Getting to the Serengeti

    June 22, 2023 in Tanzania ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    We are on our way to the Serengeti today. It’s going to be a long day driving. Google maps say it only 120 klms but will take four and a half hours. We have to drive past Ngorongoro Crater again so up through the clouds and over the Ngorongoro Mountains. When the Serengeti was declared a National Park in the Fifties they moved all the Massai people out of the park and we passed so many little villages on the way.

    Made a stop about mid morning at Olduvia Gorge. It’s a famous archaeological site called the “Cradle of Mankind” . It yielded the very first known fossil remains of two contemporary bipedal hominid species. There was a really fascinating museum there with an overview of the history of the region, and all the fossils found there. Then the gorge itself was pretty spectacular as well.

    From there we kept going towards The Serengeti over the most horrendous road I’ve ever been on. God I thought we had some shockers in Australia but nothing compared to this. It is the only road into the Serengeti and it’s a nightmare. Seemed to go on forever but we did eventually arrive.

    Time to put the top up and look for a animals. Thank goodness we got off the main road and while they are still bumpy at least they don’t have a million corrugations.
    It saw lots of things this afternoon but it was a really a giraffe day. So many of them all in groups of six or more.

    We spent so much time game driving we got to the camp in the dark and the rain. There was a little confusion about our room when we got here and for a brief moment we though we’d be sharing a room. We were okay with it but Pam and Alan were ready to call a taxi. 😂 Turns out we are sharing a family tent but with two bedrooms and a sitting room between them.    Read more

  • TravelerAfrican Adventure
    Day 20

    Day of the Lions.

    June 23, 2023 in Tanzania ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    First up this morning is our balloon ride, the guys are coming to pick us up at 5. There are six balloons in their company going up this morning and five with another company. It’s a well oiled machine and we were up just as the sun was coming out.

    The Serengeti is beautiful to see from the air and it’s so easy to spot the animals from the sky. We saw lions, giraffes, buffalo, zebras, Impala, even a hippo. It’s a surreal experience being in a balloon everything is so quite, until they turn the gas on that is. After being in this land cruiser for so many days it was lovely to have such a smooth ride and over far to quickly for us.

    David picked us up after our champagne breakfast and off we went looking for more animals. First a leopard and then the lions started appearing. Mummy lions, Daddy lions, Baby lions, Resting lions, Mating lions. I think we saw fifteen in total today. We told David we had to be back home before dark today, we haven’t even seen this campsite in daylight yet. We only just made it.

    The Serengeti is fulfilling all it’s promises. We are off to hopefully find the migration tomorrow.    Read more

  • TravelerAfrican Adventure
    Day 21

    Migration

    June 24, 2023 in Tanzania ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    Today we are heading off to look for the Wildebeest migration. But just as we got down the road from our lodge there were two cheetahs on the road so we had to stop for them and then a few minutes more and a group of Lions. So many animal on the way, eventually David put his foot down, I think he thought we would never get there.

    All of the roads are bumpy but some are horrendous. This one was the later but after about an half an hour of corrugations we started to see a few Wildebeest and then more and more. It’s unbelievable how many animals there are, they stretch from horizon to horizon.

    We found a river the Wildebeest were crossing and stayed to watch them for a while. While we were there a young Lion came down to try his luck catching one. Think he got a bit bamboozled with how many there were and couldn’t decide which one to go for so ended up with nothing. There were so many cars there, and our driver David was getting cranky with some of the other drivers coming too close to the river and eventually got out and started directing them back so the animals had more room to get to the river.

    Wildebeest are so funny, let’s go, let’s not go, and then whoop I’m going and then they are all in and then all out and then maybe all in again. We thought it’s would all be over once the Lion turned up but David said No just wait, they will forget about the Lion in ten minutes.

    David found us a spot to have lunch with the Wildebeest so they bleeped all round us for an hour or so. Then I wanted to go back and see another river crossing. I’m glad we did because it was only us and one other car there.

    We came back a different and more scenic way in time for a cocktail and a fire before dinner.    Read more

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