Day 7.

The evening was quite exciting, had a large elephant come within 10 metres of our tent while it was feeding on the nearby trees. When I got up for the bathroom, had to dodge a couple of Hyena's outside the tent and three Zebra's by the toilet block!

Got up and packed up the tent by 6am, breakfast by 6:30am, and then off for the game drive in the crater at 7. We had 3 landcruisers this time, with an open roof, so everyone could stand up in the cab and look out to the animals. Made the 600 metre decent into the crater to start the game drive.

A flock of grey crowned crane's after swooping over a pack of Hyena's.


A couple of Zebra's having a nuzzle.


Lion and lioness resting in the early morning shade.


A wildebeest striking a pose.



These guys were keeping a close eye on us while we were eating our sandwiches. Only 20 meters away and nothing but water between us!


Female and Male Ostrich doing a mating dance.


Warthog.


One of each size.


Lioness keeping an eye on some Zebra's.


Mum, Dad & Kid.


Hyena and Wildebeest's.


Nothing like a good mud bath.


A Kori Bustard. These birds get up to 20kgs, and are the world's heaviest bird capable of flight.


A couple of Lions on the prowl.


A Cape Buffalo, one of the 'Big 5'.


More Zebra's.


Half a buffalo and one full Lioness!


Zebra crossing.


Completing the 'Big 5', but from several kilometres away.


Over the shoulder.


We then started the drive out of crater. After meeting back up with the truck, we then drove on to the next stop, Mesarai. Was good to be back on tarmac again after 2.5 days on corrugated dirt roads! Stopped at some Masai markets on the way, and picked up a stone elephant and hippo to go with the rhino and lion I got in Kenya. Got to Mesarai at about 5:30pm, and chucked up the tents again for one last night. The campsite had a small snake, bird and reptile zoo next door, so had a look at that too. We then went to the camp site bar afterwards. The place was decorated by t-shirts from tour groups who had visited over the years.


Day 8.

Early start again to pack up the tents one last time, and were on the road again by 7:15am, dropping off some of the group in Arusha at 8, to start their mount Kilimanjaro mountain climb after one last group photo.



We then headed to the Kenyan border, crossing over at Namarang, and then reaching the hotel in Nairobi by 2pm. After a run and first decent shower in a few days, before crashing for a nap on a real bed. Went with the some of the guys for a walk downtown to a Nairobi pub for dinner in the evening our tour leader had recommended. Pretty cool place, good food and had a Kenyan band playing African music which all the locals were dancing to.




Day 9.

Back home today so nothing exciting, so slept in, had breakfast then one last walk around the city.

Front seat of the bus.


Nairobi girls.


Security.


Then shared a taxi with an Aussie girl who was flying back on the same flight via Dubai, bringing an end to an amazing trip to East Africa!