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A Trip To Kenya & Tanzania
A report from a trip to Kenya & Tanzania, starting in Nairobi and travelling anti-clockwise to the Serengeti & Ngorongoro crater in Tanzania.
https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3888/...c98882bf_o.gif My previous TR's can be found below: A Trip to Afghanistan A Journey Through Kyrgyzstan A Trip Around The Arabian Gulf A Trip To Yemen A Trip To Jordan & Israel A Southern African Adventure Road Trip to Saudi Arabia & Qatar Five Days In Japan Underground In New Zealand A Trip To Iran A Trip Around The Mediterranean A Long Weekend In Paris A Trip To Ukraine, Belarus & Russia |
Day 0.
Flew out of Dubai at 3pm on Friday the 17th. First time in a while flying out of Dubai during the day, and the plane did a lap of the coast, so got to see the 'World' man made islands and the Palm Jebel Ali island. Then flew over the Saudi desert, and was amazing how endless and featureless it is, apart from the odd road, just sand in all directions. Nairobi airport was not too bad, not ultramodern, but pretty functional. After sussing out a Kenyan visa and some local currency, managed to get a taxi into town to the hotel. 2000 shillings or about $US23, so not bad for the 30 minute ride. Day 1. Went out for a run in the morning, nice and cool, about 13C so was great for chugging along, easier than the Dubai summer anyway:). Saturday, but apparently alot of people work in the morning, so plenty of people about. Found a big park in the city and did a few laps. I then had a walking tour around the city organized for the morning. I was the only person so it was just me and the tour guide Joe. Walked into the city, and went to a lookout on the way. Saw the local sights like the national parliament and the Presidents building, then visited the memorial where the old American embassy was bombed by Al Qaeda in 1998. https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3843/...f2c58e88_o.jpg Over 200 people were killed and almost all of them locals. https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3855/...139c8965_o.jpg We then went to the national museum and saw some artwork and Kenyan colonial history and then went for a walk around the city. Movies. https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5566/...d5cf624d_o.jpg Earthworks. https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3876/...69819716_o.jpg Nairobi Railway Station. https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5594/...6ddb85c8_o.jpg Engine block. https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3888/...8c3dbde8_o.jpg Pink. https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5571/...bc2ba645_o.jpg Mural. https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5592/...8e035626_o.jpg Labouring. https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3848/...78b01c0d_o.jpg Nun. https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3844/...857b4a7b_o.jpg Traffic. https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3836/...3e12566f_o.jpg We then went to a restaurant with Joe for lunch. Nice place, very busy, full of locals. Had a local dish, a serving of black beans, rice, chapatti, some green stuff which was apparently maize and arrowroot, and an omelette. Very cheap at about 250 shillings or about $US3. https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5554/...426e575f_o.jpg Then walked to the bus stop to catch one of local buses back to the hotel. The buses only depart once all the seats are full, so everyone was jam packed in:). https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3844/...516e676a_o.jpg Met my roommate when I got back. Michael from NYC. He is climbing Mt Kilimanjaro after the tour so has got twice as much gear as me:). After a bit of rest, I went for a walk back into the city to do some more exploring. Street corner. https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3895/...9665185b_o.jpg Delivery. https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5555/...45d7634c_o.jpg Warm jacket. https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5572/...ec3ffa11_o.jpg Laughter & tease. https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3892/...3cec61b2_o.jpg Hope. https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5593/...6c23031d_o.jpg High chair. https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5554/...bd779c76_o.jpg When I got back to the hotel again, I managed to get stuck in the lift:). The power cut out when I was between floors:(! Pitch black but managed to use the dim light from my watch to find the alarm button. Had the trip briefing at 6pm. 22 people on the trip, some Aussies, Brits, Americans, and some people from Switzerland and Spain and one Greek. Our tour leader said he came from the Kenyan tribe that is famous for marathon running, so he is pretty lean and looks pretty fast:). Day 2. Got up at 5am for a run again in Nairobi. Saw a few Kenyans running this time, think I managed to keep up:). After a quick breakfast we loaded up the truck and set off. Truck is a big 2 axle, with a cabin type thing on the back. Quite comfy, more leg room than a bus anyway. We each have our own locker at the back to store our bag and valuables etc. Went to a local supermarket to pick up a few supplies before heading out of Nairobi. https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5575/...0b33aab5_o.jpg At some clothing markets just outside the city. https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3873/...4c0a9146_o.jpg The highway is the main road for trucks coming from land locked Uganda and Rwanda to the port in Kenya, so is in relatively good nick. Then went to the Rift valley, and stopped off to take a few scenic shots, including this truck wreck:). https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5556/...ea295e6f_o.jpg Got to see the Maasai herdsmen on the road through the valley, with their cattle. Saw a few zebra's too:). Stopped off on the way to pick up 6 more people for the trip, so now have a full complement of 22 people now. They had just done a 7 day safari tour in Maasai park, and were onto the second leg to the Serengeti. Stopped off on the side of the road for lunch. Unloaded a table and some chairs while the cook directed everyone to slice the vege's, cheese and bread and then made our own sandwiches. The people who had just come from the previous tour knew the routine and quickly had everyone else organised doing their part:). https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3862/...9fd863f4_o.jpg After some more driving finally made it to our destination, Kisii, at 3pm. Took i8 hours to cover 320k's, but the slow pace mean't it wasn't too tiring. Staying at a church convent tonight, in nice basic twin rooms. After unloading the food and cooking gear for the cook, went with a few of the other guys for a walk into town. Kids. https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3874/...ec627025_o.jpg Better. https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3875/...022f11c5_o.jpg Hands in pockets. https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5591/...9f505cf9_o.jpg On the bike. https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5580/...80e2a7f1_o.jpg Chicken dealer. https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3925/...ff737180_o.jpg Shoes. https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3912/...a5302c49_o.jpg Some fun with the local kids:). https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3918/...1d80c98a_o.jpg Day 3. Another early start again and got up at 5:45am to grab a nice cold shower:). Kisii is about 1900 metres above sea level, so a nice chill in the air and water to wake us up. Had breakfast in the covent mess room before heading off again in the truck. After 30 minutes, we stopped off at a stone carving workshop. The men cut and shaped the stone while the ladies sanded and smoothed it. One of the ladies taking a break:). https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3898/...d7906dea_o.jpg After having been asked to fork out $200 for a simple carving in Nairobi I was a bit wary, but the prices were really reasonable and got a really good hand carved lion and rhino, each about 20cm, for 1800 shilling, or about $25. After some driving we ended up at the Tanzania border. Got our passport and visa stamped again, and our yellow fever card checked. Our back axle on our truck was over weight, so our tour guide told a few of us to move towards the front of the cabin, problem solved:)! Then more driving into Tanzania. Finally got to Mesoma at about 2pm, at our camp site in the shores of Lake Victoria. Was really warm and sunny, but unfortunately we couldn't go swimming due to some water borne disease:(. Next was a bicycle tour of Mesoma. Some of us biked into town to check out the sights. https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5594/...84c3555b_o.jpg Got some good photo's, with most of the locals were happy to oblige while we harassed them with our camera's:). English isn't as common as Kenya, but a bit of sign language worked out ok. Coca-cola. https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5557/...ba75d68b_o.jpg Smile:). https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5584/...7d94f9c7_o.jpg Unloading the day's catch. https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3849/...4fedacd5_o.jpg Ashore. https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5554/...7b84979d_o.jpg Looming. https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3891/...fd454aed_o.jpg Msichana. https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3909/...e6e113b4_o.jpg Samaki. https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3888/...b6a1bebd_o.jpg For sale. https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3914/...a27001ff_o.jpg Started to bucket down and the roads quickly turned into a river, so we ducked into a school for cover:). https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5582/...069a4a7b_o.jpg We then went to a school for HIV & Malaria orphans, and got to see the kids do some songs and dancing. https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3871/...87444e3e_o.jpg Then biked back to the campsite just before sunset, and got to see the sun go down over Lake Victoria. Very beautiful:). https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3918/...5182b230_o.jpg Day 4. Got up in the morning, packed up the tents and had breakfast, including omelette, and sausages. We then went into town, with half of us going to the bank, and I went with the other half to explore the local markets and help stock up on food and supplies for the Serengeti. After helping load up the truck with fruit and vege's, went exploring the rest of the markets. Supplies. https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5562/...e8c810a4_o.jpg Mvulana. https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3886/...6b679efe_o.jpg Africa. https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3857/...8264164d_o.jpg Seamstress. https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3862/...24e13cd4_o.jpg Crossing the road. https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3894/...dfb2c4e9_o.jpg Ameketi. https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3878/...2d52b39b_o.jpg Maharage. https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5588/...dbfd9be9_o.jpg Gas. https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5577/...fb8c4e71_o.jpg After the guys took ages at the bank (they'll have to bring ATM cards for next time), finally left town for the Serengeti. The road was supposed to be sealed but they had closed it for resurfacing, so had 20k's of 'African massage' (i.e. bumpy roads:)). Stopping off on the way for some firewood. https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3880/...25f9e337_o.jpg Got to the entrance of the Serengeti, and setup for lunch, with sandwiches. Everyone has got it sussed now, with four teams rotating between setting up the chairs and tables, preparing the food, doing the dishes and the fourth team for cleaning everything else up. We got a bit of introduction to the wildlife with a few monkeys waiting eagerly in the tree above our picnic for leftovers:). Vervet monkey (the extra tail is her baby:)). https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5567/...ae59a293_o.jpg After lunch we set off for the camp site in the Serengeti. 100k's across the dirt park roads, but it was a bit of a game drive, so every time we saw some interesting animals, we stopped and had a good look and took some photo's, so took 4 hours. Hiding in the trees:). https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3857/...51f34390_o.jpg A giraffe checking out the new visitors. https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3892/...ebce761c_o.jpg Wildebeest. https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5567/...9a956603_o.jpg Enjoying a good soak:). https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5591/...a2476f4b_o.jpg Storks on the river bed. https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5556/...d3115297_o.jpg Zebra's. https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3875/...87ea10f2_o.jpg Gazelle (a.k.a. Lion food:)). https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3861/...239fb03f_o.jpg Mother and baby giraffe in the late afternoon. https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5573/...ac1df5d8_o.jpg Got to the camp site at 6pm and setup the tents. https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3918/...788a1fcd_o.jpg Our cook then whipped up some spicy chicken and vege's, tasted pretty good since it was cooked in a pot:). We are here for 2 nights, and off exploring for more wildlife tomorrow. |
Day 5.
The night was pretty interesting, got up to relieve myself at midnight, and heard a guttural laugh less than 20 metres away when I was walking back to the tent, and it was a hyena:)! They took our rubbish bin for a walk too and had to clean up the mess in the morning. Must have been the chicken:). Got up for a quick breakfast at 6am, and then headed off for a game drive across the plains before dusk. African Sunrise. https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5565/...85923870_o.jpg Gazelle in the warm early morning light. https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5559/...6c973be7_o.jpg African Elephants, and if you look behind the tree... https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3903/...834a477e_o.jpg ...you can see the baby elephant:). https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3880/...4e62a547_o.jpg A couple of Malibu Storks and a Baboon sharing a tree. https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3844/...208f852e_o.jpg A trio of Impala's having a munch. https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3888/...399ef29a_o.jpg A Lioness checking out some potential brunch. https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3857/...8ae27a6e_o.jpg Sometimes you just have to bend down:D. https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5584/...a78fff51_o.jpg We headed back to the campsite at about 11am, where the cook had made lunch, bacon, cooked cabbage, fried potato, pancakes and fresh pineapple. After a bit of a nap in the shade we then headed out in the truck again at 3pm to do some animal spotting. Female Ostrich. https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5594/...3718ab6c_o.jpg A Hyena and a Jackal picking up the scent of... https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3835/...f97f6e71_o.jpg ...a gazelle carcass freshly slaughtered by a coalition of Cheetah's. https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5594/...c34639bb_o.jpg The Hyena jumping ahead of the queue over the vultures to get his bite of the gazelle. https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5571/...f004f142_o.jpg Apart from a bit of hissing, the Cheetah's are no match for the hungry Hyena, and decide to disperse. https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3877/...0615443e_o.jpg The Hyena and Jackal share their ill-gotten gains. https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3892/...0b7398df_o.jpg The Cheetah's head across the plains into the sunset, looking for another feed. https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3923/...4ab144dd_o.jpg We got back to the campsite at 6:30pm for dinner, Beefstew, mashed spuds and vege's. After dinner we were around the campfire, when someone shrieked. A big hyena went galloping 10 meters from the tents and into the night, quite a fright:)! Day 6. Got up at 6am, packed up the tents and had cooked breakfast, then headed off to the southern part of the Serengeti. Red-billed Hornbill. https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5559/...594f141a_o.jpg White-Crowned Shrike. https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5571/...36ff6068_o.jpg Flying leopard:). https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3916/...6ae88b42_o.jpg And another leopard just hanging out. https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3867/...6602a0e6_o.jpg African (Cape) Buffalo. https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3835/...04b5e0d0_o.jpg Nom, nom:). https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3905/...3028550c_o.jpg Hippo off for a walk in the long grass. https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3847/...c31258cb_o.jpg A croc keeping an eye on lunch. https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3920/...4bc3c542_o.jpg Smiling back:). https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5585/...db849c5a_o.jpg A couple of Hippo's (and friends:)) passing each other in the scrub. https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5591/...77cd2fcf_o.jpg Lone Bull. https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5596/...e3fe0f34_o.jpg Mum & Dad on a kopje. https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3911/...a97d7859_o.jpg While the kids have a snooze. https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5582/...2ef5392f_o.jpg One of the cubs having a strerch. https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3857/...6382f0e2_o.jpg And a close up of Dad. https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3909/...54d5f0de_o.jpg We then drove further south over bumpy, dirt roads, reaching the southern exit of the park at 12:30pm and stopped for lunch. https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3925/...0da20d82_o.jpg Group photo as we exit the Serengeti:). https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3860/...8baac7af_o.jpg We then drove to the Ngorongoro crater, over very bumpy, corrugated dirt roads. We even managed to burst a tyre on the truck and had to park up and swap it for the spare. https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5560/...f1bb723b_o.jpg We also saw some Maasai teenage boys who dressed up in ceremonial clothes after having been circumcised. https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3867/...139d1758_o.jpg Got to the rim of the crater and stopped to check out the view before carrying into the campsite, arriving at 5:30pm. The crater is actually a caldera, formed millions of years ago when a giant volcano exploded and collapsed on itself. https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5567/...a037f520_o.jpg The camp site was at 1900 metres so got cold pretty quickly when the sun went down. It is pretty intimate with the wildlife too, there were Zebras feeding on the grass between the tents when we arrived:)! After dinner of chicken and pasta around the camp fire, had an early night to get ready for the big game drive in the crater tomorrow. |
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. https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3835/...d4326d16_o.jpg A couple of Zebra's having a nuzzle:). https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5593/...209036d9_o.jpg Lion and lioness resting in the early morning shade. https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3876/...39ab1008_o.jpg A wildebeest striking a pose. https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5585/...1674b2bb_o.jpg 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:)! https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5587/...85d314fc_o.jpg Female and Male Ostrich doing a mating dance. https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3892/...2c5d520c_o.jpg Warthog. https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3868/...88607003_o.jpg One of each size:). https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3891/...3abe4414_o.jpg Lioness keeping an eye on some Zebra's. https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5570/...85aef325_o.jpg Mum, Dad & Kid:). https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5564/...51d35d0c_o.jpg Hyena and Wildebeest's. https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5573/...c61efef3_o.jpg Nothing like a good mud bath:). https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5576/...ef029c4a_o.jpg A Kori Bustard. These birds get up to 20kgs, and are the world's heaviest bird capable of flight. https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3878/...12fb8c8d_o.jpg A couple of Lions on the prowl. https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3922/...af6c0587_o.jpg A Cape Buffalo, one of the 'Big 5'. https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5582/...a3e48d7b_o.jpg More Zebra's. https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3923/...e6d95e56_o.jpg Half a buffalo and one full Lioness:)! https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5579/...d604a065_o.jpg Zebra crossing. https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5583/...454d7e85_o.jpg Completing the 'Big 5', but from several kilometres away:(. https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3852/...b7844880_o.jpg Over the shoulder. https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5578/...a0744421_o.jpg 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. https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3865/...9ba6fce2_o.jpg 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:). https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3916/...d57e30e0_o.jpg 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. https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3878/...6ed7bcef_o.jpg Nairobi girls:). https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3857/...218956ff_o.jpg Security. https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3924/...cc079ba0_o.jpg 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:)! |
Great picture, hope to see this parks one day. Thanks^^
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Great pictures, it looks like you got close to a lot of wildlife
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Originally Posted by offerendum
(Post 23478046)
Great picture, hope to see this parks one day. Thanks^^
Originally Posted by exilencfc
(Post 23478143)
Great pictures, it looks like you got close to a lot of wildlife
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Thank you!!
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Some great photos there of National Geographic or Lonely Planet standards - very inspirational too! Do you ask the permission of those whom you photograph first, or just go ahead and snap away mostly at random?
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Tooooooooooooo wide.
But nice adventure, very cool! |
Originally Posted by Linda VH
(Post 23478357)
Thank you!!
Originally Posted by Catweazle
(Post 23478499)
Some great photos there of National Geographic or Lonely Planet standards - very inspirational too! Do you ask the permission of those whom you photograph first, or just go ahead and snap away mostly at random?
Originally Posted by agp423
(Post 23478577)
Tooooooooooooo wide.
But nice adventure, very cool! |
Amazing pics! WOW!
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Great TR. Please keep them up!
Those boys look awfully old to just have had their bris! Ouch! |
Wow your pictures! I love to see place thru others eyes, and your pictures made me feel like I was there.
Thanks for sharing! |
Amazing report like always DanielW.
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