Kenya 1996

In January 1996 I traveled to Africa for the first time. I booked with the british based GUERBA expedition company, joining into a group of about 18 people from all over the world. During 2½ weeks we visited 5 wildparks all over Kenya. This turned out in to one of my best holidays ever and I became addicted to Africa almost from day 1. I hope these pictures will make you understand why and perhaps make you want to go as well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Itinerary:

Amboseli

Very nice park, situated on the border with Tanzania. Not very big, but a nice environment with a great variety in animals and surroundings packed closely together. We had elefants strawling through our campsite during the night and we could here a pack of hyenas taking down an animal not far away during the first evening. Next day this turned out to be a zebra kill about 50 metres from our tents. Nice way to start a trip...

 

Mount Kenya National Park

We camped in the garden of the local Hotel. Within a minutes after we got out of the truck and started to unpack for cooking etc. the local wild life, in the form of a not too kind looking baboon, took off with a bag of our groceries. He was even too quick for our always alert Guerba cook .... who keeps a sling shot at hand for thieves like this. Well, it saved the baboon a long trip to the market in one of those Matatus (4-wheeled, mule imitating wildlife, very abundand in Central and Eastern Africa. With mule imitating I mean the haulage capacity, not the durability). This was not my last encounter with this species......

 

Lake Naivasha

This lake is world famous of the pictures and films showing thousands of flamingoes flocking together fouraging, wading and flying around. Off course not during our presence. When we arrived, the lake was virtually dry and void of these beautiful birds. We could drive the truck well onto the salty lake bed, and walk on it quite a bit further. Strange feeling, since the salt was still saturated with water beneath the surface it felt a bit like walking on a spunge. No I don't use drugs.... The view was a bit hazy due to the salt spray in the air, and this gave the whole scene a bit of a ghosttown atmosphere.

Masai Mara