Being on safari was not the relaxing and restful trip that I imagined. We generally were out for our morning game drive no later than 7:30am, returned for lunch by 1:30pm and then rested for a bit before heading out again. Our afternoon game drive started around 3:30pm and we would return by 7pm in time to clean up for dinner.
Riding for hours in the Land Rover was much like an endurance event. We returned stiff and sore from being jostled about as the vehicle rumbled over rutty dirt paths and splashed through small ponds and branches of the Mara River. It felt like exercise, unfortunately, not the sort that burned any relevant amount of calories. And, of course, the comfort breaks didn’t help with the calorie burning, but did provide a much needed stretch for the legs. Kitchwa Tembo camp did the comfort breaks with finesse. As we padded into the bush for our own personal comfort break (but not too far into the bush), Sofie would construct an elegant mini-feast on a cute folding table dressed with a red and black checked cloth. We snacked on dried plantains, toasted almonds, sugar cookies and our choice of coffee, tea, or hot chocolate. We safari’d in style!
I could have passed on a game drive now and then and spent the afternoon soaking up the rays at the infinity pool, but it is addictive. I didn’t want to miss anything. Our staying power paid off. I can proudly say that I have been in the presence of the “big 5” (lion, cheetah, leopard, elephant, and cape buffalo) and many more of God’s magnificent creatures.
Riding for hours in the Land Rover was much like an endurance event. We returned stiff and sore from being jostled about as the vehicle rumbled over rutty dirt paths and splashed through small ponds and branches of the Mara River. It felt like exercise, unfortunately, not the sort that burned any relevant amount of calories. And, of course, the comfort breaks didn’t help with the calorie burning, but did provide a much needed stretch for the legs. Kitchwa Tembo camp did the comfort breaks with finesse. As we padded into the bush for our own personal comfort break (but not too far into the bush), Sofie would construct an elegant mini-feast on a cute folding table dressed with a red and black checked cloth. We snacked on dried plantains, toasted almonds, sugar cookies and our choice of coffee, tea, or hot chocolate. We safari’d in style!
I could have passed on a game drive now and then and spent the afternoon soaking up the rays at the infinity pool, but it is addictive. I didn’t want to miss anything. Our staying power paid off. I can proudly say that I have been in the presence of the “big 5” (lion, cheetah, leopard, elephant, and cape buffalo) and many more of God’s magnificent creatures.
One of our twice daily “comfort breaks”
The Desert Date checkers the Masai Mara
One of my favorite spots for our late afternoon comfort break was this stretch along the Mara River. At first glance, I thought the river was filled with large boulders and then those boulders started shifting. Nope not boulders….just a ton of hippos. Hippos make the most amazing sound. The best way I can describe it is like a deep woofing. The sound carries for miles.
I’m not a lover of birds, but this one caught my eye. What brilliant coloring!
Perhaps not your typical “safari animal,” but isn’t he great. His coloring reminds me of Spiderman.
Sofie, a Masai woman, was a fabulous guide. She grew up with the Masai Mara as her backyard and knew it and its inhabitants intimately.
