For The Love of Travel

August 31, 2017
by Lids
Comments Off on Out of Africa, 7/6/17, Lake Manyara National Park

Out of Africa, 7/6/17, Lake Manyara National Park

Mariana, Vukoslav and I (small tour group!), headed for the Tanzanian border, arriving for a delicious lunch at Arusha Coffee Lodge, then travelling past a colourful and vibrant Maasai market.

We drove across the Maasai Steppe and onto the Great Rift Valley again, where our lodge was located high on the rim of the valley overlooking the national park. Some entertainment at the Lodge before dinner with jugglers and tumblers.

After breakfast, a game drive in the National Park, with lovely encounters – a huge troop of baboons with lots of newborns; flock of flamingos and pelicans.

Then a long and bumpy ride to our accommodation in the Serengeti.

August 31, 2017
by Lids
Comments Off on Out of Africa, 5/6 – 6/6/17, Amboseli National Park

Out of Africa, 5/6 – 6/6/17, Amboseli National Park

After a very early breakfast, we headed off for a boat ride on Lake Naivasha, which supports a whole host of water birds, inc. African fish eagles, crested crane (symbol of Uganda), pelicans, flamingos and pied kingfishers.

We then left the Rift Valley behind for our long road journey back to Nairobi, then heading south to Amboseli, 400 square kilometres of plains with a stunning spectacle of Mt Kilimanjaro (at the core of an 8,000 sq kilometre ecosystem that spreads across the Tanzanian/Kenyan border. The melting snow of the mountain flow underground into the park, continually feeding water to springs, swamps and marshes across the system. Lots of elephants, hippo, oryx antelope, buffalo, wildebeest, zebra, gazelle and a profusion of birdlife. Lions are rare.. but we saw a female guarding her ‘kill’, with 3 hyenas prowling around her, waiting to pounce on the remains if she got distracted.

We were disappointed that we didn’t get a clear morning view of Mt Kilimanjaro – but happy that there was at least a hint of the mountain through the haze.

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.