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Conservation With Kate

After an incredible few days at the Samburu National Reserve, we flew back to Nairobi, and then to Mombassa. Once we arrived in Mombassa we were driven to Diani Beach. We stayed in the most incredible resort. We had a private villa, with a chef (who had cooked for the President) and waiter to ourselves. I've never stayed anywhere like this!

The staff were all incredibly kind and helpful. I really enjoyed getting to know them, and learning some Swahili. The resort itself was beautiful. It was situated right on the beach, and had a large pool with a bar. 

While in Mombassa we also visited a monkey sanctuary, seeing the work they do to protect the monkeys from the deforestation and roads. 

We mostly did lots of relaxing, reading and eating. The weather was mixed.. Although this is British summertime, there was a lot of rain; proper, tropical rain. However we did have some days of blissful sunshine, and it was still very warm. 

I read One Day by David Nicholls, which I really enjoyed. If anyone hasn't read it (although most have by now) I really recommend it, and David Nicholls in general. 

I can only really describe Diani Beach as paradise. It's incredibly beautiful and I really recommend a trip to Kenya's coastline if you are ever in the country; it's worth it!

 There isn't much else to say so here are some photos from the week:

glimpse of the villa
monkey stealing our sugar!
my sister and I with our lovely chef and waiter



All photos in the post were taken by myself, or a member of my family on our trip. 
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After the Masai Mara, we flew to the Samburu National Reserve. We took a small plane, which was bumpy and a little sickening, but not very long. We stayed in another beautiful lodge, called Saruni Samburu. The views were spectacular, and our room overlooked a water hole and we often saw elephants come to drink.

This lodge was small, but social. All the guests and staff would have dinner together which was lovely as you got to meet new people and share experiences. There was a bar and pool overlooking the stunning views.


We had a driver and a tracker; both knew the area like the back of their hands and were very good at spotting and tracking wildlife. Upon arrival we told them that we hadn't seen leopards or cheetahs in the Masai Mara, and so hoped we would there.

The Samburu is an excellent place to see leopards. I know so many people who have been to Africa on a safari, even multiple times, and never seen a leopard. They are solitary animals with vast territories and so are notoriously rare. We were incredibly lucky, with 7 leopard sightings in only 3 days! This was unheard of, but you can see straight away how the landscape is perfect for leopards. Compared to the Masai Mara, there is little open space; more trees and bushes.






 Samburu Special 5

The Samburu is also home of the Samburu Special 5. This is why I think it is a must-visit area. The Special 5 are: the Beisa Oryx, Gerenuk, Somali Ostrich, Reticulated giraffe and Grevy's Zebra. It's great to see such unique animals, that you can't see anywhere else. You can see the differences, especially in the giraffe and zebra, in these photos from that of those in the Mara and elsewhere.

Beisa Oryx
Somali Ostrich
Reticulated Giraffe
Grevy's Zebra
Gerenuk
We were also lucky enough to see a cheetah in some open space. Having not seen one in the Masai Mara, we were very excited. It was an excellent sighting as he was just sitting in plain sight; relaxing and posing for photos.


On our last night in the Samburu, we went for dinner in the dried river bed. All the guests, and guides. The local people played us some music and danced for us, including our guides. It was so lovely for them to do that for us, and share their culture and traditions. The food was excellent, and it was a wonderful way to end the visit.


As far as I can tell, the Samburu National Reserve is not as well known as the Mara. I know some people who have been, but most haven't heard of it and wouldn't think to visit on a holiday to Kenya. I definitely would suggest it, and if you get the opportunity it's definitely worth going. It's vastly different to the Mara; different wildlife, scenery and memories.






 All photos in the post were taken by myself, or a member of my family on our trip. 
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People say Africa steals your heart. It certainty has stolen mine.

I first went to Africa in summer (July/August) 2013 with my family for two weeks. We went to Kenya. I obviously didn't have this blog when I went to Kenya, but it remains one of the best holidays I have ever been on, so I thought I would share it with you, as part of a series of how I have fallen in love with Africa.

We spent one week on Safari: 4 days in the Masai Mara, and 3 days at Samburu National Reserve, and the second week at Diani beach. It had been my dream to go to Africa for my entire life. I grew up watching the Lion King on repeat, and it remains my favourite film to this day.

This holiday was everything I dreamed it would be. We were extremely lucky, and had some absolutely incredible wildlife sightings. If you are planning a safari holiday in Kenya, I would recommend going to both the Masai Mara and Samburu. They compliment each other beautifully.

The Masai Mara is world renowned as a great place to see the Big 5 and it did not disappoint. We stayed at a small lodge, called Kilima Camp. We lived in "permanent tents." These are basically big tents that have a secure and permanent structure. They also had a built in bathroom. The view from the lodge was incredible, as was the food and the people.

Our guide was amazing; he was kind, passionate, educational and made sure we had some unforgettable sightings. Lions, rhinos, elephants, hippos, wildebeests, crocodiles, zebras and much more! We also had a chance to meet some Masai people, and learn about there way of life. The wore beautiful, colourful clothes and had a unique perspective on the animals.

I recommend this time of year to visit the Masai Mara, to witness the Wildebeest Migration. Thousands upon thousands of wildebeest, gazelles, zebra and elands, as far as the eye can see. They come to the Masai Mara at this time of year for the fresh food and water. As part of their migration they cross the river, where the crocodiles await eagerly. Witnessing the crossing is now being considered one of the "7 new wonders of the world." It's a great opportunity to see wildlife; crocodiles, lions and other predators eagerly await the arrival of fresh prey.




While in the Masai Mara I saw mating lions. Male lions are even more magnificent than they seem in pictures. Hearing their roar is also something you can't recreate. The Masai Mara is a wonderful place to see lions. It's a picturesque savanna landscape; everything you picture Africa to be and more. It's a beautiful place, and as soon as you arrive you know where you are; you know you're going to love it.



We were lucky enough to see black rhinos. At the time I was there, the Masai Mara only have 3 there and we saw two of them. Black rhinos are even more rare than white rhinos and so this was incredibly lucky. They were also the first wild rhinos I've ever seen, and was when I first started learning about their situation and how unique and breathtaking they are.


The Masai Mara is also a great place to see elephants. We had some magnificent sightings. Our guide managed to get us close to them, although maintaining a distance of respect. Elephants have been one of my favourite animals for my entire life, and so seeing them in Africa was awe-inspiring. They live in a matriarchal society, and seeing how they love and care for their young was lovely to see. The guides know the warning signs of upsetting an animal, and when one female elephant flapped it's ears at us, we backed away and left them to it.


Overall, the Masai Mara is everything you picture an African landscape to be. The animals are unbelievable, the landscape is beautiful. If you are planning to visit Kenya at any point, I think you would be really missing something if you didn't visit the iconic Masai Mara. The whole place has a aura about it that nature should; untouched.

Of course, it's not untouched, and the animals are more comfortable around people and vehicles than they would be. But they have strict rules about staying on the roads, and not crowding the animals.

I wholeheartedly recommend the Masai Mara as a place to see the African savanna in all its glory and the beautiful African animals you can't see anywhere else.






All photos in the post were taken by myself, or a member of my family on our trip. 
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