For The Love of Travel

August 31, 2017
by Lids
Comments Off on Out of Africa, 4/6/17, Lake Nakuru National Park, Kenya

Out of Africa, 4/6/17, Lake Nakuru National Park, Kenya

We checked into our beautiful Sopa Lodge on the Mau escarpment, offering spectacular views over the Rift Valley, Lake Nakuru and surrounding National Park.

After lunch, an afternoon game drive through woods and grasslands, seeing giraffe, baboons, a zebra crossing (haha), some pink flamingos, and a leopard perched on a branch in the distant forest twilight.

We would have liked to stay one day longer to try out the beautiful infinity pool, sipping cocktails, looking out over the speccy valley – but it was not in the program! Onwards to Amboseli National Park.

July 4, 2017
by Lids
Comments Off on Out of Africa, 2/6/17 – 3/6/17 Maasai Mara

Out of Africa, 2/6/17 – 3/6/17 Maasai Mara

The Maasai Mara is Kenya’s premium reserve and is famous for its exceptional game viewing.

We headed down the Rift Escarpment on a road built by WWII Italian prisoners of war. A cheetah strolled past our jeep as we watching a herd of elephants with their babies. A pride of lions were cooling themselves off in the branches of a sausage tree, with the male lying at the base eyeing his ‘harem’, and occasionally calling for attention.

5 of our group got up at 4.30 the next morning to do a hot air balloon ride (balloonsafaris.com). As we travelled to the hot air balloon site, we saw impressive lightning happening over the Serengeti in Tanzania, just over the border. That was awesome! We saw our balloon being inflated in preparation for the launch. We were ‘flat packed’ into the basket, lying on our backs, (as it was lying sideways), quite a relief when it stands up and starts rising, floating in whatever direction the winds of the day are taking. We flew at different altitudes and really enjoyed the hours flight. A special champagne breakfast awaited us under an acacia tree. Linen, bone china, Sheffield cutlery and freshly prepared eggs, bacon, bread, tomatoes made a memorable finale to the morning’s adventure.

We visited a local village – Maasai means “people who speak Maa”. Cows come before anything else for the Maasai. Men take great pride in herding these prized possessions…the more the better. Maasai are polygamous and semi nomadic – moving on a seasonal rotation basis. They now hunt lions in groups (worrying about their dwindling nos). The young kids are prized if they know how to herd cattle/goats.

The Maasai villages lack a supply of electricity and water – people have to walk some kms to get bore water that they carry back to the village; they cook with wood; mobiles are charged at a central point in town; the Massai shop daily and sup on meat, milk and blood from cattle, supplementing with maize meal, rice, potatoes, and cabbage. The village headman pointed to 4 of the adolescent males, who had been circumcised in the week as part of their journey into manhood.

One of the famous dances done by the Maasai is the “Morani” dance – standing in a line or circle, doing a ‘jump’. Simultaneously, others are swaying their bodies back and forth. As soon as the warrior tires, typically after one or two leaps, another warrior takes his place.

June 1, 2017
by Lids
Comments Off on Out of Africa – 29/5 to 1/6/17, Sausage Tree Camp, Zambia

Out of Africa – 29/5 to 1/6/17, Sausage Tree Camp, Zambia

Zambia, formerly Northern Rhodesia, gained independence from Britain in 1964 and took the name Zambia from the mighty Zambezi River that originates in the north of the country and forms the border with Zimbabwe. National Parks and Game Management Areas make up almost 50% of Zambia’s total area.

Sausage Tree Camp is located within the heart of the Lower Zambezi National Park, beside the confluence of the Chifungulu Channel and the Zambezi River. With a river frontage of 120kms, the valley floor, plateau and escarpment combine to give the National Park picturesque scenery.

The central dining and bar area is fronted by an enormous teak deck overlooking the Zambezi River and low set reed islands teeming with game. Accommodation is in luxurious white Bedouin style tents.

I have done a canoeing trip down a portion of the Zambesi and one of the ‘off channel’s’; game drives in the morning and afternoon/evening; and floating on a boat at sunset – special moments…..leaping hippo (off a riverbank); lazy leopard perched in a tree; Egyptian geese; lazy lion with perky tail; sighting of a giant kingfisher and white fronted bee-eaters and a thirsty elephant on the banks of the Zambesi.

I have a personal guide, Alex Chibutsa. He’s very enthusiastic about game drives and canoeing – and superfit! He’s done four year of study to qualify as a guide, is very proud that he passed the test the first time he sat and has worked in an anti-poaching unit trekking through the Zambian escarpment, before starting his job as guide at this luxurious camp. His favourite animal is the aardvark, not ‘pretty’ (ears resemble those of a donkey; snout of a pig; tail of a rat; claws similar to a bear), but a critter that contributes hugely to the ecosystem – those claws allowing him to dig!! It reduces the ant and termite harvesting of crops, and aardvark burrows are often used by species unable to make their own. Alex (right) and his tracker mate, Dixon, have incredible vision and can spot an impala, leopard, bird, elephant, hippo…at 500 paces!. And greatly contributed to me bringing you these photos.

I am also looked after by my own personal ‘Muchinda’ (butler), John. He brings me tea early in the morning with my personal ‘wake up call’; does the domestics around the tent and serves me at meals times. What a lovely extravagance!

Its a very special experience during an early morning shower to listen to elephants trumpeting in the surrounding park outside your bathroom, and baboons chattering and leaping on branches above you. On my last night at camp, knowing I was on my way to Kenya/Tanzania on another safari…this is the message John left for me, written in leaves from the sage bush….awwh! Was very touched.