The R&R Big Adventure

Moon River

Our room in the hotel at Lake Victoria had been upgraded; we didn’t know until after we left it was apparently the ‘Presidential Suite’, which meant a large bedroom with random pieces of furniture in it, and an adjoining kitchen / lounge furnished in lots of dark wood, and large leather sofas. I’m sure the style would have been perfect for a deposed, 1980’s, despot president. The grounds were lovely though – lots of tropical planting amongst the lawns, and peacocks roaming freely through the grounds (although they did make an awful din when they landed on a roof at night).

We left early after breakfast (another table groaning under the weight of food we didn’t have the appetite eat) and our driver drove us the four hours or so to a land border with Kenya. After having our documents processed, we said goodbye to Emmanuel – he had a been a great driver/guide: very affable and humorous, and importantly, a safe driver.

Into another Toyota Land Cruiser – they really are the workhorses of game drives – and time to meet our new driver for Kenya, Ken. More driving – more than two hours – to the Maasai Mara Reserve gate, and the start of another game drive. We were feeling a little weary after all that travel, and probably weren’t feeling the most excited about spending yet more time in a vehicle, however a combination of the beautiful landscape around us (different from the Serengeti, with more variety) and few other tourist vehicles around, we enjoyed watching the world go by. Game spotting was slow to being with – apart from the usual suspects – but then we saw some newbies: a silver backed jackal casually walking down the track, and then a serval cat (looks like a cross between a house cat and a leopard). As we were nearing the end of our drive, and heading towards our lodge for the night, we came across six lions, all sleeping in the sun. We were so close we could see all the flies on them (feeding, no doubt, off the blood on their fur) whilst a young male lion had flies inside a wound he had incurred, poor thing.

We eventually arrived at our lodge around six. It is a beautiful place: in the middle of the reserve, miles from anywhere, and with the Sands River, a natural border between Kenya and Tanzania, flowing beneath the foot of the camp. Whilst none of our reserve lodges have been shabby, this was the most expensive (well, when we would ever get to do this again?) and I had high hopes for it. Our ‘tent’ looks like someone had emptied the contents of a suite at a grand hotel into it: four poster beds, separate seating area, roll top bath and twin sinks, an outdoor shower (other places we have stayed at have done that, but forgotten about Africa’s mosquitos and other biting insects) which has its own mosquito net and view down to the river below. My favourite detail though is the replica (I think) nineteenth century, crocodile skin-covered, wardrobe trunk. It has all sorts of drawers and compartments, including small drawers which I assume, back in the day, would have been used for gentlemen’s handkerchiefs and ladies’ unmentionables.  

During sundowner drinks we could see an electrical storm in the clouds, some distance off. Watching the lightning flashing on and off within them was mesmerizing. After a delicious dinner – in the beautifully furnished restaurant tent, with side lamps, armchairs and sideboards – we returned to our room to sit on the balcony and watch the river below. The electrical storm was still flashing in the distance, but directly overhead the clouds had cleared. With absolutely no light pollution we could see an amazing array of stars. The moon was partially out, but not enough to give sufficient light to work out what the different animal calls, coming from beneath us, were. We were sure there was at least one elephant in the river, and a lion roaring in the distance. We are hoping to spend more time out there tonight, if we get a clear night. Just as R was getting into bed, he jumped out with a start: something large and warm was under the covers. It turned out to be the hot water bottle housekeeping had thoughtfully provided during turndown. It’s not warm at night, this far out in the bush.

Soon after we left camp, before dawn this morning, we saw a family of elephants walking slowly from the direction of the river – it was probably them we had heard last night. It was beautiful to see plains of the Maasai Mara in a different light before the sun was fully up. We soon  came across a hyena lying in the road. At first I thought it was dead, but it was merely injured, and took its time to get up. It limped off, a wound in one of its legs still bleeding. We stopped for a picnic breakfast near a tree (checking for leopards first) and soon afterwards the pace of viewing picked up. A cheetah looked like it was enjoying the attention, with a least half a dozen vehicles parked around it, with cameras clicking. More topi, birds and gazelle were spotted, before we came across at least eight lions sleeping in the shade of a bush. This time a fully grown male was front and centre, which we had been hoping to see close up. We went to Lookout Hill and could see more vehicles clustering around the Mara River. Driving down there we saw many hippos – including a calf that didn’t look more than a few weeks old with its mother – and, further upstream, a few crocodiles lying on the riverbanks. Yes, crocodiles will eat baby hippos, given half a chance. Some more giraffes for good measure, when, as we were turning to start the return back to our lodge, we saw two male lions together, asleep, and another in a bush nearby.  Male lions: well and truly ticked off the list. I think R would have really liked to have seen one in the throws of a chase, or killing a wildebeest, but we can’t have everything. We must have seen nearly forty lions/lionesses on this safari in total.

It was a successful end to our ‘official’ itinerary of game drives (we still have to drive out of the reserve tomorrow to get to our next destination, so there may well be more sightings to come). We wanted to make the most of the lovely lodge so got back in time for lunch by the river; then a snooze for Robert, and time for me to write this by the pool. I said the place wasn’t shabby. I thought it would be perfect if an elephant or hippo could saunter by the river flowing below me, but two baboons have just had an almighty fight in a tree on the opposite bank. The screeching noises were horrendous. One has fallen out of the tree and walked forlornly along the edge of the river bank and sat down across from me. Another has climbed down from the tree and is sitting further along from him. This could all kick off again soon. The staff here are oblivious – just another working day for them.