Safari Time
Trip Start
Jan 22, 2008
1
48
79
Trip End
Aug 22, 2008
Where I stayed
Big Time Tours Camp
Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Day 1:
We were in a minibus to Narok for 3.5 hours with 2 Australians (Scott and Nadine) and a girl from Guadaloupe in the Carribean (Bella), before a lunch stop of peas mashed into potato and veges. At the hotel/restuarant we picked up 2 Ugandans (Herbert and Daisy) and an American (Earl) and transferred in to a minibus with no radio, the windscreen taped up with blue tape and less comfy seats to travel to the Masai Mara down a very bumpy road - which was being renovated.
By 4pm our teeth were shattering and we were all feeling battered and bruised after our long journey hoping that we will not be taking the same road back - as I, for one, really couldn't face it
accomodation
!We arrived at the camp and I really was expecting the worst -since some of the safari companies told us they only had a tap, long drop toilet and small tents, but were were told there would be electricity and beds in the tent. Lets just say Big Time Camp was lovely - it had flush toilets, hot showers, ensuite rooms, covered eating area (with lovely food) and proper beds with sheets and blankets. We were very happy. Also as it is still low season we were the only people staying at the campsite that holds 36 people.
After dropping our bags we went out for our first game drive and immediately saw zebra and gazelles and other antelope species. Then after an hour, when were were about to head back our guide spotted 2 old lions sitting in the long grass (they really were far away and we were surprised he spotted them). We were really impressed to see them after such a short amount of time and were positive about the amount of animals we were going to see.
Day 2: A full day in the Masai Mara
Our guide said that the migration had not started ( even though the company said it had and the guide in the office said it had) and therefore there weren't many buffalo in the park or many other animals
big hippo
. Also it was hard to see many small animals , due to the long grass. For the first few hours we saw elephants, giraffe, zebras, gazelle, big birds, osteriches, a lioness, hippos and buffalo ...... but for 2 hours before lunch and 3 hours after lunch we really didn't see anything but a couple more elephants - so we felt dissapointed. On the way out of the park we broke down and came back in another minibus that speeded past many animals in order for us to get back to the camp so we would go and see the Masai Village (1000ksh/9 pounds).
Only 3 of us went - I pursuaded the other 2 to come with me as I wanted to go as thought it would be one of those experiences. It was about 5 mins walk from the camp behind a very new looking school. The housed were made of sticks that were covered in cow dung and consisted of a central cooking room and rooms which are the size of the bed which are made of twigs and cow hide. They eat once a day a meal of blood, milk and salted boiled meat - although some of the young men go across to the camps to get a more varied meal! The village was about 20 related families and each one has an entrance gate... the men ( after they have lived in the wild and killed a lion) come back and take a wife and if they have over 10 cows they can have another wife. There seemed very few people in the village - I think the men were out gathering the cows and the women were hiding, but when we got to the end they all came out and tried to sell their jewellry
buffallo
!Day 3: Before breakfast game drive
We were really hoping to see something drammatic like a lion killing an animal or something , but we unfortunately did not. We spend the rest of the day on terrible, terrible roads for about 6 hours to the next game park.
Day 4: Lake Nakuru (entrance 50 US dollars)
The lake is famous for millions of pink flamingos on the lake - but once again when we got there we were told it was the wrong season for that. We found out it was a natural salt lake that had flamingos and the the goverment fenced off the area and introduced other wildlife into the park. We saw baboons, rhino, zebra, gazelles, pelicans, wharthogs etc. Due to the shortness of the grass it was great as the animals were easy to spot and you knew they couldn't migrate! It was a shame that we did not see any of the big cats there though! The place was beautiful, especially from the top of the hill when you could look down onto the lake. It was really beautiful. I would definately go back when the flamingos have migrated there... what made it even better was that the road back to Nairobi was only 2.5 h and it was a smooth tarmaced road nearly all the way.
