Travel Safari in Kenya

Photo Safari among the most beautiful parks of Kenya

 

Arberdare treetops

As we arrive in Nairobi we wait for our guide. It's called George and at first impact reminds me our leader in Tanzania, cordial, friendly and able to put you immediately at ease. We get on the minivan, super equipped for the safari, and we begin to make friendship with Matthew and Jessica, coming from Modena who make our same trip. But they will continue their journey in the parks of Tanzania at time we will come home. Unfortunately, the drawbacks of the trip have denied other two people to being part of our group, they aren't arrived already, so we will wait them at the first park Lodge. As we leave from Nairobi the visual impact is clearly mind-blowing. To compare it to our cities is likely to take a step back in time. Plenty of people in the streets (chaotic and without rules), endless markets, fruits, vegetables, clothing displayed on wooden benches or on towels set on the ground. Most of the homes are huts made of tin and wood. Towards noon we arrive in Arberdare, near Mount Kenya (5100m) where we leave suitcases, we may need them only for the night, a quick lunch and we head to Treetop. Truly unique and beautiful. A Lodge built around trees, where some puddles of water are sources of drink for animals, especially during the night. It's here that we meet and know the two girls which are part of our group, Silvia (then nicknamed "The Queen") and Barbara from Arezzo. A few cheating, dinner, and then go to sleep because the day was tiring. However during the night we got up a couple of times to see rhinos and hyenaes that arrive to drink. In the room we have a siren, and when animals interesting to see arrive, an attendant makes it sound to wake you up. The temperature is quite cold, although we are riding equator, but it has to be considered thatwe are also at 2200m of altitude.

Samburu

Today we come back to the Lodge of the first day to retrieve our luggage, and we head towards the Samburu natural reserve, at north of Mount Kenya. Before entering the park we visit a Samburu village. They are a population similar to the famous Masai, with customs and costumes slightly different. The village is enclosed in a fence made with a series of brambles that provide protection to the huts, that are made of straw, animal dung and mud. Living conditions are really prehistoric. They have no water, no electricity, no health care. The Samburu women welcome us with a dance, and then make us visit their huts. We arrive at park in the early afternoon. The lodge is very beautiful but, first of all, is placed inside the savannah. Roof of straw, wood interior, immersed in vegetation and a few meters from the river. The water is red (due to earth on the bed) and crocodiles seem to swim well in it. Claudio and me look in the face of the other without saying anything. Surely if they built this place here will be because there are no problems. However remains the fact that seeing a crocodile a few metres from you is really a thrilling experience. We do a quick lunch because immediately after we are leaving for the first real safari. We are full of adrenaline. Meanwhile, George has opened the roof of the van so we can go out with our heads and various cameras. Immediately on the road in front of our vehicle, about 1 meter away, a leopard is crossing the road with complete peace, making us understand that this is her home. Incredible, because it is a feline harder to be seen, as it commonly lives upon trees. That fur, that mantle. Exagerate! Following the dirt roads we approach the river and a family of elephants bathing into. There are about 10 adults and 4/5 puppies. A male elephant can weigh up to 3000Kgs. We continue along the banks of the river and meet some cross-linked giraffes (a species that lives only in this park), zebras, impalas and then magically, in front of us, three lionesses in a row that we are approaching. My experience with the lions gave me enough security, but the emotion is such that makes your hair straight up. We stop with the van in order to not worry them and they give us reward with a beautiful parade a few meters from us. It is evening and with great satisfaction we return to lodge for a shower (so much dust!) and to relax. During the evening we exchanged our opinions and points of view, and I discover with great pleasure that Africa is also kidnapping the other companions.

Lake Nakuru

Roads are a disaster, small pieces of asphalt alternates to the dusty dirt. We are moving to Lake Nakuru, kingdom of pink flamingos. We stop for a break and to refuel with diesel. On the edge of the road a dozen of children asks us if we have something to give them. I open my suitcase and take a box of colored pens, some notebooks and fill a backpack of T-shirts that I collected in Italy before leaving. I thought we had brought enough material, but the reality is that the operation of asingle person in those places is like a drop of water in the ocean. As I approach them I can see in their eyes excitement to the stars. They didn't give me the time to open the backpack that I become attacked and things are teared from my hands. The strongest one take things and flee, the weakest look at me and my heart is destroyed. What to do? Should I take the remaining goods or look for other children that I meet in the streets? These are touching scenes, in fact for about an hour I have been on the sideline lost inside my thoughts. Arrived to Nakuru we suffered an invasion of baboons that even impede the passage of van. The environment is very green, making the framework that appears us really fabulous. Giraffes, zebras, buffalos, impalas, elephants and finally we can see rhinoceros very closely. The lake is located a short distance from us and his color is tending to pink. An invasion of flamingos living here, near a colony of pelicans with some marabous eating. Being a salt lake, along the coast the color is white because of salt deposited. During the evening the sky becomes always a little cloudy, but it does not rain because this is the dry period. Typically, in Africa, there are two wet periods: November-December (small rainy season) and April-May (big rainy season). Our lodge is, of course, immersed in the bush and, at night, we are able to hear the male lion which, with its roar, marks the territory.

Maasai Mara

Over the day the relationship with the other travelling companions intensifies always more. After having talked with Claudio I can say with certainty that we were very lucky to meet people who made this trip even more pleasant than the expected. I always believed that the "quality" of the company is not fundamental but very important for the success of a journey. Even the leader, George, has been really nice and professional. With us, on two other vans, there are some Italians (nicknamed "The Princess and her court") and the rest are Spaniards. George teaches us a very popular local song (Jambo) so, during transfers, we spend a little time shouting. We arrive at the entrance to the Maasai Mara, the most famous park of Kenya. This park is a continuation at north of the Serengeti (Tanzania) and is divided from it by the river Mara. In this park happens a unique phenomenon called migration. In fact every year, in mid-July, about 1.600.000 gnus, 600.000 zebras, 400.000 gazelles, giraffes and elephants move from Serengeti to come to the Maasai Mara. They follow monsoon rains to arrive in places where they can safely find grass and water in abundance. Unfortunately along the way they must cross the river, habitat of big crocodiles and cats who are waiting with bated breath. These immense herds remain in Kenya until mid-October and then go back and find the dry plains of the Serengeti became, during this time, green under the influence of rain. To say that there are hills and meadows filled with animals is still reductive. The landscape is completely different from the other parks, here grass is yellow like in steppen. Plants are located along rivers and the environment is hilly and very extensive. The contrast between blue sky, yellow from grass, and green from plants is enormous, even more if associate to the colors of animals (giraffes, zebras, gazelles, etc.). The place really becomes a beautiful palette of colors.

Maasai Mara

This day we are going to complete safari ino Maasai Mara. After breakfast, taken the bag of food for lunch, we go to visit a Maasai village. This tribe is different from Samburu for culture and traditions but are eventually similar in many things. The chief of the village invites us in his Manyatta (hut). Inside is dark and there is a large smoke because they have lit fire. At night the temperature drops and can be felt very cold, unlike during day during which it can reach 35°C degrees. These huts are built with mud, dung and reeds. They dance and sing for us, making us able to see their customs and their products. In my opinion the Maasai people are, physically, really beautiful. This day of safari is for me the greatest because finally I can stay all the day close to "my lions" especially Simba, the king of the forest. There are males who reach 300Kgs and are really enormous. When our eyes cross, I have the feeling of being killed. Females are with puppies of which there is an exaggerate quantity. Another stroke of luck was having seen the cheetah (2 meters long) with four puppies. Wonderful! In this park there are all the species of wild animals and, in terms of principle, we saw them all! Of course along the river there are also hippos and crocodiles...

Nairobi

It's time to go back to Nairobi and unfortunately our safari is finished. Getting to greet the girls of Arezzo, we understand that they are making a travel extension at sea near Mombasa, instead we spend the afternoon by shops to make the latest purchase. We are not going very forward into the city because it is dangerous and not recommended. I start to be aware that for a while I will not see lions anymore, and suddenly I can feel a bit of sadness. What a chaotic city Nairobi is, an incredible mess. All the people shouting, playing the horn, accelerating with cars and buses. It's impossible to breathe here.
We finally visit the house of writer Blixen, author of the best seller "My Africa".

Back at home

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