Migration Safari and Ruthless Carnage @Kenya

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This was August 2010...
And as a promise that I made to myself....and to Boaz (my best friend in Nairobi)...I went back.
The focus this time was to experience different geographies and THE MIGRATION...

My route this time was Nairobi>Tasvo East > Tsavo West>Amboselli>Masai Mara >Nairobi.

(Check my earlier Kenya Blog for Nairobi>Samburu>Mt kenya> Nakuru>Naivasha>Masai Mara>Nairobi route)

** Places to stay as follows:

Ndololo Safari Camp @Tsavo East - this is an awesone hilltop place overlooking the dry terrain below....one can spend hours looking at animals around the two waterholes in front of the resort. you have to spend atleast 2 nights here to esperience the African nostalgia !

Rhino Valley Lodge @Tsavo West - there are extremely comfortable and pampering tents.

Kibo Safari Camp @Amboselli - this place is very near to the gate, again very cozy non-dusty clean tents, amazing beds, clean toilets, and lovely food !

Mara Leisure Camp @ Masai Mara - we had a Jumbo tent (Tent No 1) here.....A massive big room and even bigger toilet with tub bath etc. Lavish king size bed and very very good food. Very close to the Park gate. A must stay.

**My Travel Partner:

EASTERN & SOUTHERN SAFARIS LTD
Finance House, 6th Floor, Loita Street,
P.O Box 43332, 00100 GPO, Nairobi Kenya
Tel: +254 20 2242828 / 2212371 & 251574
Cell: +254 722 832795
Fax: +254 20 2227715
E-mail: info@essafari.co.ke Website: www.essafari.co.ke

These guys are very accomidating to your requests/payment options/ suggestions and requirements.
Mr. Boaz Obure is the main contact here....

** Some of my Super-Duper memories:

1. I specifically remember waiting in the balcony of my Tsavo resort , looking at the waterhole beneath and waiting for animals to come for a drink towards dusk. My friend was not very sure if we were luck enough. Very very far away aw did see a large herd of huge buffaloes moving even more away .....(it was their sheer bulky size that we could see black spots moving thru' the grassland)
Dont know what happened there and suddenly a large cloud of dust erupted from their hooves. Around 300/400 (literally !) buffaloes turned back and ran towards our side. Excitement built as I set my tripod in the balcony and the handycam to record the sequence. In not more than 8-10min , this herd was infront of me at the waterhole , just beneath our small cliff on which the balcony is placed. Woooowww ! Couldnt get more lucky.
Noise filled the valley and for the next 3 hrs we could see amazing activties. A herd of 5/6 elephants joined them soon. The caretaker said, these elephants were daily visitors for their evening fill ! (you will see pics of my room+balcony+the heard etc here)

2. This was at Amboselli. The park is lush green even in summers and has many permanent water pools. So, one can see a lot of herbivores moving around and a lot of general animal activity around. This was one of our 2nd day and a very early 5.30am ride, and we were almost the 1st to enter the park. Our Driver/Guide Eric insisted on going to the central pond and the watch tower, and we werent really keen because we wanted to photograph a herd of Elephants bathing/eating at a closer water hole.
Finally, we decided to go by Eric's gut feel. And that was it !!
We had left the park the previous evening saying goodnight to a pride of Lions, and 2 very strong females dominated it.
Last night these 2 girls has got down a mammoth cape buffalo by themselves, and the entire pride had fed over it all night. This morning all we could see, near the watch tower was a massive rib-cage and some 40 off hyenas feeding on the scraps. What a scene!! Must have clicked some 500 off pics from a distance of 5/6 ft.
In about 30min , we saw the 2 lionesses grwoling and running towards us (to actually reclaim their carcass).....and teh drama began !
The Hyenas fled like birds and kept howling at a safe distance - The lions started eating again - the hyenas kept pestering them and so on........
Time to go and leave them alone after 3 hrs at one spot ! (checkout pics)

3. I remember, at Tsavo, once we were following a very big tusker. It was HIS land and HIS road and he decided not to let go of it. So, at a safe distance, all we could do is follow...and look at his attitude/habits/ eating/ munching grass and throwing tantrums of being the 'big boy'.
Later the guy turned left and walked into a dry river bed. We thought that was it and drove ahead. The road took a dip thru' this dry river and went across......
as we declined into the river, this crazy Elephant Tusker approached us from the front with an ugly loud trumpet ! Angry that he was, i guess. Now, he was virtually on the higher ground and we in the river bed.
All I remember is kind of an 'ache' in my heart ! :)
He kind-of threw some mud at our vehicle to warn us and trumpeted even louder !
Our driver quickly reversed the vehicle , from pit to the higher bank, and now we had some safe distance.....
:)

4. Another very thrilling memory was at the Masai Mara. It was an evening safari, and we started at 3pm...and were expected to leave the park by 6pm sharp to avoid penalty.
We had received our winning entry for the day ....a Leopard Sighting for about 10 min. It quickly rushed into the bush as more jeeps arrived.... though a couple of shots, we were celebrating....!
So, now our 'greedy minds' were okay with takings of zebra/topi/wilderbeasts/waterbucks etc.....and were about to leave.
More than half distance covered and our guide Micheal screeched and turned around and drove like crazy. we toppeled, fell, and hit our bums terribly. Micheal was focussing on the dust path and we could ask him anything. But we trusted his instinct and realised whay they call it a "game drive"....
We reached a spot and looked for the Cheetah ! Just 1 more car there (Micheal's friend).....we saw this cheetah male sleeping under a coupld of dry trees and not doing anything great !
A small herd of Wilderbeasts was passing from behind these dry trees........a big SALUTE to Micheal's instinct...he asked us to wait patiently with all our gadgets focussed/set !....25 mins of looking through the lens and the Cheetah was still sleeping ! :(
Then as the herd had passed by, this crazily-smart-agile animal suddenly 'sprints' to the back of the trees and grabs something, followed by a loud painful animal cry.....
we rush to the spot.....distance 5 ft again....
and we see the Cheetah holding a slow moving baby wilderbeast, by it throat, and choking it. O my GODDD !! what a painful sight to see. This baby must be following the herd, and must have take it easy. It didnt see the Cheetah at all in the mud. Micheal says, this Cheetah had not eaten in 3 days, and was sure to make a kill this evening (how did Micheal guess that ?).....So, the Cheetah wasnt really sleeping, was just buying time and waiting for the opportunity ! hmmm....
3 mins and the Cheetah twisted the throat even more and curled it to block the air passage. The Technique was perfect and down goes the baby without any noise! (The herd hadnt even noticed it, not did any other predator around) I could grab a pic of the Cheetan looking straight into my eyes before eating it. (check pictures)... and in the next 5 min, it had torn open the animal from its hind !....as blood ooozed out of the opening......
Ruthless ! Couldnt sleep that night ....saw death from so close by..wanted to defy the rules of nature and bring that baby back to life :(


Many more stories to tell....
may be later....

Njoy the pics !
and tell me if you like them...
tell me if you could live these experiences....

c ya !

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