When we chose our trip to Africa, we chose Kenya for a few reasons - weather, the time of year, but most importantly, the wildebeest.

The time frame we were looking to travel in was just in line with the Great Wildebeest migration, where the wildebeest and zebra travel from the plains of the Serengeti, across the rivers into Kenya & the Masai Mara.

When we first drove into the park, you could already see the wildebeest everywhere. They travelled in great droves, mingled with the zebra who follow along with them in hopes of protecting themselves by being faster & smarter prey.

Our first drive in Masai Mara wasn't focused on the wildebeest, although it was hard to escape them. We drove around taking in all the game there was to see. In Masai Mara, we saw all of the big 5, with the exceptions of the rhinos (which we saw in Lake Nakuru). Despite how much game we saw the whole week, seeing the big 5 was a feat, as the leopard can often be shy to show themselves during the day.

Besides the elusive leopard, we got to see animals in a different habitat. While the animals are certainly wild and wandering about as they should out in the open, you can still see how they have adapted to an environment where humans and cars are around.  During one drive, not only did we spot a cheetah, but he spotted us and hopped up top of the vehicle to get a better look around him for prey. Apparently this isn't an uncommon occurrence and the prey isn't humans!

The next day, after a quick drive and breakfast by the hippo pond, we headed off to the main attraction, the wildebeests!

They are pretty unique animals, wandering across the Mara and (stupidly) following whoever is in front of them, although organised in straight lines across the plains. I can't say much about the wildebeest in terms of looks either. Their blackish grey colour, along with their (straggly) mane and beards make them look like an old topi who hasn't quite aged gracefully.

We went to find them making their crossing of the rivers into Kenya and went to the southern most part of the Mara in the Mara Triangle, passing by the border of Tanzania.

We found a great spot on the river with a herd right there, and set-in to watch.  It was not easy going - the wildebeest would approach the shores, then get nervous and turn back. Vans would drive up, and scare them away (the most frustrating part of the trip to see people not respect nature like that). They would start pushing the other wildebeests towards the water, then follow someone else in the other direction. In 3 hours, we saw 2 groups of zebra cross, but not one single wildebeest. It was a bit disappointing. After the rest of our good luck on the safari I was certain we would see the crossing, but it was not meant to be.

We headed back towards the camp, but not first without crossing another river and getting a glimpse of the carnage the wildebeest crossing leaves in the waters. The river is full of carcasses, with vultures and crocodiles laying in wait for their next prey.

Perhaps it's good we didn't get to catch this legendary migration this time - another reason for us to return to Africa for another safari.

Our second to last stop in Kenya was what I will call their version of the Lake District. It was an interesting contrast to the dry, arid climate and landscape of Samburu.

There were two main reasons for visiting Lake Nakuru -

1. The Flamingos - while after many have moved to Bogoria after a rise in water levels, there are still some of these pink beauties to spy here on the lake.


2. The Rhinos - in the 80's, the park was designated as a rhino sanctuary, home to both black and white rhinos. It has been sad to read in the news, however, of continued poaching in the area.


In addition to these, we saw lots of other treasures at Nakuru during our game drive, including the Rothschild Giraffe and a pride of lions lounging on the rocks. This lion was the closest we got to what everyone expects of a lion - big mane and all. Of course, our best spot though was a rhino with her baby, running around the fields (or at least what seemed like running for them).




 After Nakuru, we headed to another nearby lake, Lake Naivasha. This was a different type of "game drive" given that we were actually on a boat and focusing on birds, not beasts. The weather was chilly and rain seemed to be iminent, so we did our tour a bit quicker than we would have liked, but even in the short time, we saw lots of water fowl - storks, eagles and more birds I couldn't tell you the names of! It was also a great opportunity to spot lots of hippos in their favorite locale, the water.




We spent one night nearby Lake Naivasha, where we watched hippos come up to dry land for a midnight snack, before heading off to the final (and biggest) attraction of our trip - Masai Mara!

While the main attraction of Kenya is the Masai Mara, our first stop for game viewing and drives was actually Samburu National Park to the North.

Our camp was set deep into the park, meaning you had a long bumpy ride to get there, but once you arrive, you are literally surrounded by wilderness. While I would be lying if I said we were roughing it, there were complications you don't have at home like water restrictions and electricity only during certain hours. Despite this, there was something magical to waking up in your 'tent' to find baboons hanging out on your balcony, or an elephant walking by in the distance.




















This ended up being the perfect first place for our first game viewing. Unlike Masai Mara, there were less tourists there, meaning more of an opportunity to feel like you had the whole place to yourself.

There were less of some of the games with bigger draw (e.g. lions and leopards), although we did have some lion spottings, but plenty of zebra, giraffes, elephants and baboons. Of the big five, we saw lions, elephants and cheetahs in Samburu.


For the game drives, the cars may be different depending on where you are (in which country). Some boast open top vehicles, but ours were pop-up top with a roof. Pros - clear view of the game and protection from the sun; Cons - some serious bruises from the bumps and bolts of the van itself.


During our 2 nights in Samburu, we did 3 drives - two afternoon and one early morning. We also did some game watches on our way in and out of the camp. When you're on a safari, there is lots of driving and often times, lots of looking at seemingly empty plains. Luckily, the landscape is always beautiful and you can usually spot something like a gazelle, impala or giraffe with a good eye. At the beginning, it was hard for me to spot things until the guide pointed them out, but near the end, I felt almost like a pro.

In the end, all the waiting is worth it though. You're not in a zoo and the animals will make themselves known to you in their own time and when they do, it will be amazing.

Like when this family of elephants strolled in front of our car.

Or we stumbled upon this pride of lions resting beneath a tree in the midday sun.


After 2 fantastic days in Samburu, we were headed back south towards the lake for some new animal sightings and more of the big 5.

Last week, we somewhat fell of the face of the earth into a land with little wifi, a chance to get away from the human world and find ourselves in the animal world.

It was our first trip into what I would consider real Africa. (No offense, Eygpt, but you are more of the mysterious Middle East, with mosques, sand, camels and old architecture).

Kenya was what most people would think of when they think Africa - the animals, the landscapes, the dust, the people.

Our focus this trip, was the animals. We were doing a 7 day safari, hoping to spot the big 5 and catch the wildebeest as they crossed the rivers into Kenya.  Instead of spending all our time in Masaai Mara, we spent our time around many different of the parks in Kenya.

Our first stop was Aberdares - not the national park this time, but a lodge nearby. While the park around the lodge wasn't large enough (or populated by game) for a game drive, it gave us the perfect opportunity to walk around among the wildlife.

First thing spotted - the infamous warthog. The whole trip, I continually found myself singing 'When he was a young warthog...'  My favorite thing about them are the little tails which raise up as they walk around.





As we continued the walk, we saw all kinds of things - gazelles, baboons, dik dik - but the best were when we came upon the zebras & giraffes. It was the first of many awe inspiring moments of the trip.


After our nature walk, we sat in the room and watched as nature surrounded us - baboons coming & going, warthogs wandering, peacocks (just for show but beautiful nonetheless) - and the excitement continued to grow, as the best part of the trip was yet to come.



More to come on our week worth of animal sightings - we've been busy with lots of dusty laundry and getting ready for my parents arrival!