The Road Ahead
February/March 2002

If you’re chasing close encounters with wildlife in Kenya, you don’t have to rough it

Story by Lee Mylne

On the banks of Kenya’s Uaso Nyiro River, where about 30 baboons lounge in the shade lazily grooming each other, a sentry shrieks a warning. Perhaps it is of me, returning to my tent for an equally languid afternoon after a long morning’s safari.

Youngsters swing and jump from the vines, while adults watch indulgently. The male stretches out in the sun as his mate picks through his coat. They may look self-absorbed, but I’ve been warned that not “locking” the tent properly can result in havoc - the curious primates have developed a taste for lipstick, toothpaste and other goodies which may be inside.

Locking up is a four-step procedure involving zips, ties, a door mat and a small table to hold it all in place. But it’s worth the small effort. The 27 tents at Samburu Intrepids Club boast romantic four_poster beds, mahogany furniture, ceiling fans, ensuite bathrooms with hot showers and flush toilets, power plugs and verandahs with thatched awnings.

A Kenyan safari is a memorable experience, which can be enjoyed in considerable comfort without detracting from the adventure.

Getting to Samburu is an adventure in itself, starting with a 50-minute flight from Nairobi. The 20-minute drive from the airstrip to our tented camp becomes an impromptu game drive.

The camp's location, inside Samburu Game Reserve, guarantees close encounters with elephants, giraffe, zebra, oryx and gerenuk antelope. We are lucky enough on our first day to tick off four of the “big five”: dozens of elephants, a glimpse of lions, the elusive buffalo and a sleek leopard and her cub.

Samburu was founded by George and Joy Adamson using the proceeds from their book and film Born Free. It is one of the best bird-watching areas in Kenya, with about 300 species including weavers, hornbill, kingfishers, storks, vulturine guinea fowl, pygmy falcons, hawks and martial eagles.

From Samburu, we head to the Masai Mara. First, there is a 100km drive to Nanyuki for a 90 minute flight to Kitchwa Tembo airstrip, inside the Masai Mara Game Reserve.

In the Masai, we stay at Abercrombie & Kent’s Olonana tented camp, on the banks of the wide brown Mara River, where large numbers of hippos wallow, their bellowing providing the soundtrack to our dreams each night.

Named for a legendary Masaai warrior, Olonana also offers a chance to visit a nearby Masai village. The villagers are regulars at Olonana, providing cultural shows and after-dark escorts for guests along the lantern-lit wooded paths to the riverfront tents.

On the rolling plains dotted with acacia trees, we have our first close encounter with three lionesses, who laze and stretch in the grass, aware but uncaring of the watching cameras and binoculars.

Self-driving is possible in the game parks, but not recommended. The roads are rough and not always clearly marked. Several times we become bogged in mud and have to be pushed out, all the while keeping a wary eye out for predators. Taking an organised safari tour or hiring a 4WD with guide and driver is safer and more rewarding. Both will be skilled and knowledgeable, and the drivers are in constant touch, sharing information on wildlife sightings by radio.

Game drives from accommodation are organised daily, and in the Masai Mara we completed the “big five” with a close up of a lone rhino.

Even in the low season (April to June), wildlife is abundant and an advantage of travelling at that time is that there is less traffic and little jostling for position with other vehicles for the best vantage points.

However, the cooler drier months of June to August are the most popular for game viewing because of better road access and the movement of animals as they look for water and food.

One of the busiest times is during the annual migration, from July to August, when great herds of wildebeest, each numbering in the thousands, march across the plains to cross the Mara River.