The Mara Beckons Again

Large Crocodile - Talek River, Maasai Mara, Kenya

We first visited Africa in 2005 where we had our first safari as part of our honeymoon. It’s no surprise that we fell in love with the place and since then we have made several trips to Zambia, Botswana and to South Africa in search of animals to photograph. But it wasn’t until last November that we finally made it to Kenya, a trip I blogged about earlier this year. What we didn’t know then was how soon we would be making a return visit, but mid-June saw us back on a plane bound for Nairobi.

Of course we knew it would be somewhat different this time, it being Winter there rather than Summer. We also knew there was a slim chance of a migration crossing, but that wasn’t what we went for. What we were surprised about was the length of the grass caused by unprecedented rains in the previous few months. In places it was around a metre tall and this was both a hindrance and a help. Finding wildlife was sometimes very difficult, but set against this was the ability to capture images of animals framed in soft foliage. Another effect was on the migration, predicted to be delayed by around 2 – 3 weeks, not good news for those people booked on trips based on normal migration dates.

Arriving at the Ol Kiombo airstrip late morning, we were straight on to a game drive on the way to the lodge, in time for lunch. I was very pleased to encounter a Cheetah on the drive, as they are my favourite big cats. The trip could not have got off to a better start as far as I was concerned.

Suitably refreshed, we set off mid-afternoon for our first proper game drive and we were soon in the company of Rose’s favourite African animals, a herd of Elephants. Next up was the obligatory Lilac-breasted Roller opportunity, swiftly followed by two Cheetahs, one of which was a 10 week-old cub. We were hopeful that this had set the scene for a successful visit and turned in that night, full of expectation.

Our preference on these trips is to take all day game drives with a dedicated guide and vehicle, avoiding the usual siesta between brunch and high tea that a lot of lodges offer. We also get to enjoy a picnic breakfast and lunch out in the wild each day. The main advantages of this approach are that we can spend as much time as we like on any sighting and also ensure a prime position on afternoon sightings before the ‘siesta lodge’ vehicles even leave camp.

On our first full day we had a 5:15am alarm call, which gave us enough time to get ourselves ready, have a coffee and leave the lodge at 6am. It was still dark then, but enabled us to be in position for the sunrise and within forty-five minutes we were with a pride of Lions we were to spend some time with on the trip. Less than thirty minutes later we were photographing a Leopard and our hopes from the previous evening were being fulfilled.

One thing we noticed from our trip last November was the distinct lack of birds, to some extent not surprising given the lack of trees and bushes on the open plains. However, in June it is a different story and we saw considerably more species this time. So far the long grass wasn’t causing an issue, just making it harder for the guide to spot animals. Of course with us sat in the vehicle on a slightly higher level (we have a row of seats each) we were able to assist on many occasions. The long grass did have one effect on us though; it disorientated us as places looked totally different to how they had in November. It was a couple of days before I was able to work out where we were in relation to previous sightings.

Hopefully that has set the scene for the trip, which I’ll continue to blog about next week. If you are enthused by what you read, I can announce that we have negotiated a preferential rate for up to four guests to join us on a repeat visit in November 2019 on the basis I have outlined in this blog post. It is not being run as a workshop, although we will be on hand if you require any help, therefore you are not paying for our services. I hope to have an itinerary and full cost (payable in £ sterling) for my next post. Anyone interested please use the Contact tab above.