SIGHTSEEING & SAFARIS
We could not visit Kenya without seeing some of the tourist sites and taking part in a safari, or two. Nearly everybody was looking forward to seeing elephants – particularly in the wild in Aberdare National Park – but also at the David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage in Nairobi. It is there that orphaned baby elephants – some as young as three months old – are looked after before being released back into one of the National Parks to fend for themselves. We were not disappointed on our first full day in Kenya when we saw around two dozen baby elephants at the orphanage being fed milk from giant plastic bottles by their handlers and then playing very happily in the mud.
– Joe
From the elephant orphanage we travelled the short distance to the giraffe centre in Nairobi where giraffes can roam freely in a large area of bush, but spend much of their time being fed pelleted food by visitors to the centre. Giraffes eat thorn trees in the wild and have very long, tough, black tongues that cope very well with very long sharp thorns. But, they seem very keen to eat pelleted food too – sometimes offered to them by visitors placing a pellet in their own mouth for a giraffe to take with its tongue. Not something for the faint hearted, but something many of our team attempted successfully.
– Lucyann
After spending time with the boys camping at the Meru safe house and at Pigeon Park, both with fairly basic facilities, we were treated with two days of luxury accommodation at The Ark and at Treetops – both situated in Aberdare National Park. Both have waterholes that are lit at night and both have herds of visiting elephants, as well as other animals such as buffalo, bushbuck, waterbuck, warthogs, baboons – and many more. At the Ark we saw a number of very rare Giant Forest Hogs and at Treetops we watched a small pack of hyenas try to catch a baby waterbuck – which was finally caught in the jaws of a hyena after a couple of hours and only rescued when its mum charged and head butted the hyena out of the way. The pack then retreated and the baby waterbuck survived. It was much better and more exciting than watching wildlife programmes on television.
– Shane
We also spent a morning in the National Park in safari vehicles looking for quite elusive animals. That’s because it was a very wet and misty day and visibility was not that good. Having said that, we did spot a number of different animals and, towards the end of the safari, we were offered the opportunity to get out of our vehicles to photograph a group of giraffes standing less than one hundred metres away. It was a truly amazing experience and one we will not forget. But, maybe the most memorable thing is actually being on safari, in a four by four vehicle, in muddy and very steep terrain – and not knowing what might be round the next bend.
– Oisin
We knew that we were likely to spend a few hours on Lake Naivasha at the end of our trip when staying at Carnelley’s, which is situated on the banks of the lake. On previous trips, the team have spent time on the water in the company of hippos and diving fish eagles. What we did not know, and what came as a very big surprise, is that we were bussed to a lake half an hour away for our water safari and from there taken to Crater Lake Game Sanctuary for a walking safari with and amongst the wild animals.
– Amber
The boats we used were quite narrow, but stable. However Amber – who is not a great fan of boats – very bravely sat at the prow and then hung on for dear life with clenched knuckles for the whole time we were on the water. She was rewarded, though, with plenty of wild life and water birds to see – including several groups of hippos, which we stopped very close to for photographs. Luckily for us, they did little more than stick their heads out of the water.
– Amy
We then got back into our vehicles and travelled for around twenty minutes on a very bumpy road that was little more than thick and rutted sand. We had been told that we were going to visit a wicker basket factory. We know that was not the truth, but still did not know what to expect, even when we went through the gate of the Game Sanctuary. A few minutes later we were told to get out of the vehicles and it became obvious what we would be doing for the rest of the morning. Walking amongst wild animals is a really fantastic experience; and those we saw were truly wild – but not, I hasten to add, because of anything we had done! And, for once, everybody had to be quiet; not easy for some the team as you might imagine. We were able to approach quite close to zebras and giraffes; elands and impalas; warthogs and vervet monkeys – but not too close as they were easily spooked.
– Joe
After a couple of hours we left the animals and began to walk up a rocky path to get a view across Crater Lake – a lake formed in an extinct volcano. Not everybody made it to the top, but those who did had a great view of the lake and miles of surrounding countryside. We were then rewarded with a three course lunch in the Sanctuary’s restaurant and time to relax around its swimming pool, before the very bumpy ride back home.
– Lucyann
FUTURE EXPEDITIONS TO KENYA
Sadly, COVID-19 put an end to the three-year planning for a fourth expedition to Kenya in 2020. And then again in 2021. The District is still in close contact with Harambee for Kenya and it is hoped that we might be back at some stage.