Africa Jan. 2021: Itinerary & Favorite Photos

Travel dates for this trip were January 14 – January 30. Itinerary and accommodations are as follows (number in parenthesis is the number of nights stayed at the lodging).

I planned this, my tenth trip to Kenya to coincide with my birthday. Due to numerous flight changes caused by flight cancellations due to the global pandemic, I was actually in Nairobi on my birthday. I spent the day visiting some of my favorite places including Kazuri, Matbronze, Karen Hubb Mall and the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. The evening was topped off with a birthday dinner treat by my Tour Operator Amazing Memories Safaris (Anne and Joseph), their small son and my Nairobi driver Joseph 2014. Best birthday ever.

The following morning, I flew out to Mara North Conservancy for four nights, followed by four nights in Naboisho Conservancy. Then I flew back to Nairobi and then headed to Amboseli.

The trip came with unpredictable challenges but it was nice to escape the Michigan winter and enjoy a lot of incredible wildlife.

Top Photo Picks

These are my favorite two photos of the trip.

Followed by my other favorites…..

Two Favorite Short Videos

I’ve only seen mating lions from a distance. This time it was up close and personal. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxKnz-_KMv4

People ask me how close does the wildlife come. This bull elephant came very close. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtbkrKnJBqY

Bondeni – My Newest Elephant Chubbie

The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust elephant orphanage in Nairobi had been closed to the public since March 2019 due to the pandemic.  I was really hoping it would be opened by the time I would be there but it wasn’t.  Due to a change in flights, I ended up being in Nairobi on my birthday, the 16th.  The only way I could visit, was to book a private visit.  As a present to myself this trip, and to support the orphanage, I booked a private visit.  At 2:45pm, Head Keeper Edwin greeted my driver Joseph 2014 and myself in the parking area.  It was good to see Edwin’s welcoming smile.  All the elephants come into the mud bath area at 3pm for their milk bottles.  They run from the forests, enjoy their bottles along with fresh greens.  After that, many throw themselves into the mud baths or enjoy playful pushing and shoving games.  In the process, mud flies everywhere, including whomever is standing nearby.

Edwin made sure to point out my adopted ellies still at this location, Maktao and Roho.  It was such an enjoyable time seeing how much they had grown since my last visit in February, 2020.  The elephants certainly don’t care who gets how much mud on them, including me.  I always make sure to wear a shirt that has already been sprayed with mud.

During my visit, one small elephant, which Edwin said “is the smallest but not the youngest” seemed to enjoy staying close to me.  Luckily, he was not covered in mud like the others.  He really seemed to like his ears being rubbed as well as using his trunk to sniff me.  He was quite entertaining.  Of the elephants I’ve adopted, I have to say, his personality was beyond friendly.  When I returned home, I adopted him.  His name is Bondeni.

Bondeni’s full story is here:  https://laurenajenkinshoffmeyer.com/laurena/my-elephant-chubbies/#Bondeni

I cannot believe how fast Bondeni grew up. On May 25, 2023, he was already moved to Ithumba.

Nairobi – The Fairview Hotel (2)

This is my 5th stay here.  Always a favorite.  It is located in a very quiet neighborhood despite being so close to the city.  There are beautiful grounds to walk about in, which I enjoy after the long flights.  Staff are very friendly and helpful.  On this visit, I was in room #1 which I think has been my favorite room of any stays.  It overlooks the waterfalls of the gardens so at night, the sound was very relaxing.  The room was larger than previous rooms, and even had a small dining table and chairs to sit at.  It also looked like there was an air conditioner high up by the ceiling.

It was extremely quiet during this stay due to the pandemic.  All safe protocols were followed.  At breakfast, instead of picking your own foods, you tell them what you would like and they bring it to your table.  As always, the food was great.

In the evening, my tour operator, Amazing Memories Safaris treated me to a birthday dinner at the Mukutan restaurant at the hotel.  I had a pizza which was delish.  They also brought me a special and yummy birthday cake. Staying two nights here is a great way to get over jet lag, acclimate to the climate and run some errands to my favorite places Karen Hub, Kazuri, David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust and Matbronze.

Mara North Conservancy – Offbeat Mara Camp (4)

Another enjoyable 4 night stay at Offbeat Mara.  This place never disappoints.  After a short flight from Wilson Airport in Nairobi to Mara North (airstrip is at 5,515 ft.), I was met by my guide (for the 3rd time) Joseph and we did a game drive on the way to camp.  The cheetahs were amazing.  On arrival, Camp Manager Jennifer was there as well as Piers, the camp owner.  Always great to see familiar faces as well as meet new ones.

This camp continues to be a favorite.  The staff are amazing, food outstanding and the wildlife in this part of the conservancy is top notch.  My guide Joseph was able to find some incredible photographic opportunities including the closest mating of lions I’ve ever seen.

Their attention to details never fails.  Jennifer always made certain to check on any food allergies, discuss what time I wanted to have hot chocolate delivered in the morning, what time did I want to go out, what favorite beverage would I like among other checks.  Carol, a new employee since my last visit was always checking up on me too to see if I needed anything and always with such a beautiful smile.  As a special surprise, one evening the staff came out singing and with a wonderful birthday cake. Thank you all for making my 3rd stay extra special.

Naboisho Conservancy – Basecamp Eagle View (4)

This was my 3rd stay at Basecamp Eagle View.  Although my first stay here was because my chosen camp had been flooded, I continue to return because it is such a great place to be.  Located high on a hill in Naboisho Conservancy, the view is spectacular.  You can often see giraffes and elephants right from your room or the main lounge area.

The Manager Tony and all of the staff go out of their way to make your stay the best.  From the moment you check in, it feels like home.  Anything you need or questions you have, just ask.

For my stay this time, I was in tent #5 like my first stay.  It is very close to the main dining/lounge area.  Since it was close, and I felt a little guilty going the short distance to eat, I’d walk the main path around the camp between game drives.  You can do this during the day, but once it gets dark, you need to be walked by security.  One afternoon as I was walking, I heard a noise in the bush and a zebra crossed the path in front of me.  He seemed as surprised as I was.

The tents are beautiful.  There is a double sink in the bathroom area where there always seemed to be plenty of warm water.  Their water is heated by solar and there was plenty of it during this stay.  I love that the tents have plenty of plugs if you want to charge camera batteries, a phone or a laptop as well as good lighting.  There is an inside as well as outside shower.  They do mention that once it gets dark, not to use the outside shower since the camp is not fenced.  The tents have large areas of screening on 3 sides.  Some like to have the flaps up at night but on this stay it got pretty chilly so I had them put the flaps down.

Tony is such a good Manager.  He constantly checks to make sure you have everything you need or to ask if there are any issues.  One afternoon, he was helping me with my new phone because traveling with the airlines during the pandemic can be a little challenging.  In the evening, since I was traveling alone, he often joined me for dinner.  Always great conversation.  Meals are served rather than a buffet.  The servers welcome you and then let you know what is being served and adjust if it is something you don’t eat. 

My guide for this trip, Derrick, did an amazing job of spotting all sorts of animals to photograph.  He has a great sense of humor and has a lot of patience which is good for a photographer.  We’d go out every morning by 6:30am with our bush breakfast to catch the best lighting of the day.  When he’d get out the breakfast, it was so impressive to see what the kitchen had packed for him.  He’d set up the table on the front end of the vehicle and there seemed to be enough food to feed 4 instead of 2.  After a break during the middle of the day, we’d go back out at 4pm and stay until the sun went down, enjoying a drink and ‘bitings’ My last night at Eagle View was extra special.  I came to Kenya in January this trip to enjoy my birthday in a land that I love.  Derrick joined me for dinner as Tony was called away.  At the end of the meal, in the glow of the candlelight came a huge number of the staff, chanting and singing and carrying a delicious birthday cake.  Since it was a surprise, I unfortunately did not have my camera with me.  Thank you to all for making my birthday so special.

Nairobi – Tamarind Tree Hotel (1)

Located close to Wilson Airport and Carnivore restaurant, this was my first stay here.  I had returned from the Mara and was headed to Amboseli, so I needed to overnight in Nairobi.  The hotel was very nice.  Staff were extremely helpful.  Safe practices of spraying bags, hand sanitizer and masks were everywhere. 

My room (#315) was quite large and has a comfortable bed.  Mine overlooked a very large pool and outdoor tables to dine at.  Wi-fi is free and very fast.  They have complimentary coffee and tea in the room.  Shower was great once I figured out the dial direction.

I decided to relax in the room rather than go to the dining area.  I ordered room service for my lunch/dinner.  They add a $5 service charge for that.  I had a fantastic cheeseburger (called the Cheezy Dribbler) complete with a lot of vegetables, generous amount of French fries and a cold coke.  Total charge was $16.95 (including the service charge and taxes).  Food service arrived within 20 minutes. Breakfast was included with the room starting at 6:30am.  The chef will prepare your eggs how you wish.  There is an assortment of fruits (prepackaged), cereals, yogurt, sausage and bacon and pastries.  Food was very tasty.

Amboseli – Ol Tukai Lodge (2)

The last time I stayed at this lodge was March, 2014.  This was my third stay.  It remains my favorite when visiting Amboseli National Park.  Elevation here is 3,784 ft. It is a larger lodge so not quite the intimate feel of the tented camps.  While I was there, a large Governor’s conference was also on the grounds.  Many friendly attendees. 

I stayed in the Elephant Wing again (Room 45) which overlooks the savanna where the elephants can come quite close.  The other side has mountain views of Mount Kilimanjaro if the mountain is awake.  The rooms are nice with plenty of space.  The beds are extremely comfortable.  At night, they pull mosquito nettings around the bed.  There are plenty of charging stations around the room as well as more than adequate lighting.  The shower in the bathroom has a ‘window’ to the world but don’t worry, only the monkeys can see you.  They have a switch to turn on the hot water during your stay and there certainly was plenty of it.  Do be mindful of making sure your door is shut and locked while out, or you will have visitors to your room (cheeky monkeys or baboons).  Laundry service, very reasonably priced (shirt and pants washed was $3.50 USD) is available. Free, fast wi-fi is also available in the room even though their guest information says it is not.

Meals are served buffet style which I like because you can pick the amount of food you wish.  There are many items to choose from.  My favorites were the salads and desserts.  They never disappoint.  I did try a box breakfast on one of my days.  I chose it because of limited time at the park.  There was plenty of food but I have to admit, cold bacon or sausage isn’t my favorite.  The fresh fruit, juice, hard boiled eggs were very good.

My thanks to the many friendly staff who made my stay so nice.  Special thanks to Ruth in Guest Relations who assisted me when something unexpected happened to me during my stay. Although my stay was only 2 nights, wildlife sightings were great, especially the elephants.  I got to see Ulrica, the matriarch of the UA group who is now 58 years old.  I also was able to photograph Mount Kilimanjaro with elephants in the foreground which is always special.

Nairobi National Park

Initially, I had not planned to visit this park on this trip. Covid testing requirements for my return trip home changed that. I had to cut my visit at Amboseli a day short to return to Nairobi a day head of my flights to have another covid pcr test.

With the full added day in Nairobi, and nothing planned, I decided to add the local park which I had heard a lot of good things about. Some people report that the wildlife is great, especially with the Nairobi city view in the background. As a photographer, city backgrounds are not my thing. I prefer more natural settings. Also, given its proximity to the large city and the closest way for people to see wildlife, it was very busy. Carloads of people making a lot of noise and stirring up a lot of dust, well, I’m more of a bush gal.

It did however, offer me one of the most profound sights I saw during my trip. A memorial in the park is a tribute to the elephants and rhinos that were killed because their tusks and horns were taken. On April 30, 2016, Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta lit the towers of 105 tons of elephant ivory and 1.35 tons of rhino horns that came from some 6,500 elephants and 450 rhinos. The value was approximated at $172 million dollars of illicit wildlife goods. Each tower was 10 feet high by 20 feet wide. As President Kenyatta said in a speech that day, the burn is meant to send a strong and clear statement to the world: “For us, ivory is worthless unless it is on our elephants.”

Nairobi – Crowne Plaza Airport (1)

The Crowne Plaza Nairobi Airport is within the perimeter of the airport, after you go through the security entrance to the airport loop.  When you arrive at the hotel, security staff, including a friendly security dog, will ask the standard questions.

At the reception desk, the super friendly staff check you in, explain all the services as well as all the protocols in place during the current pandemic.  They also mentioned they have a shuttle service that will run you to the terminals.

The hotel has a very modern flair with a lobby that is bright and cheery from natural lighting.  Lots of comfortable seating there too. Every staff person I met that assisted me was friendly as well as helpful and were always able to answer any question I had.  My tour operator had arranged for a person from a local medical lab to come to the hotel to do a necessary PCR test that was required for me to leave Nairobi.  It was explained to me that the hotel nurse would accompany this person.  They arrived at my room and the process went smoothly.

I rate my room stays by how comfortable the bed is as well as how great the shower is.  This room got an A+.  I stayed in Room #1419. I was also impressed with how quiet the room was despite being so close to the airport.

During my stay, I went to the coffee shop in the lobby to pick up a beverage.  There were amazing looking pastries.  I also enjoyed late lunch at the Kitchen 9 restaurant.  My pasta dish was excellent.  In the morning, I made a very quick stop at the beautiful breakfast buffet.  Although I didn’t have a lot of time to really enjoy a full breakfast, what I did have was good, especially those small donuts with chocolate frosting.  Best I’ve ever had on a breakfast buffet. Special thanks to Nicholas, the IT Manager, who went out of his way on my call for assistance in the business center to get my PCR test results printed.  I was having trouble with the panabios website getting my results, and he made calls to my tour operator as well as the medical lab to help get the information to my email so I could print it.  Thanks too to Hotel Manager Ken for his welcome as well as making sure one of his drivers got me to the nearby KLM test facility for my last minute additional covid test.  I am sure the driver Sammy knew how nervous I was with that thrown in at the last minute.  Sammy waited for me to get my results, then got me to the airport.  I really appreciate all your help. The hotel was great and I would definitely stay there again.

Traveling with Amazing Memories Safaris

Another great safari handled by Amazing Memories Safaris.  This was my 10th trip to Kenya and my 4th time working with them.  When I purchased my ticket in April of 2020, I planned the trip for January 2021 so I could spend my birthday in Kenya.  I had a bit of a concern that the trip would be a go due to the pandemic, but company owners, Anne and Joseph were there every step of the way answering any questions I had as well as adjusting lodging as needed because the flights changed.

For this trip, I chose Offbeat Mara in Mara North, Basecamp Eagle View in Naboisho Conservancy and Amboseli National Park.  At each of these locations, Anne had communicated my preferences for rooms as well as my dietary needs and everything was perfect.

Initially, I had planned to be in Mara North for my birthday.  But KLM shifted the days they had flights between Amsterdam and Nairobi, so I was actually in Nairobi on my birthday.  I spent the day with my great driver (another Joseph), who took me to my favorite spots, Karen Hub, Kazuri, Matbronze and Utamunduni.  Normally I would visit the public and adoptive parent times at the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, but since those options closed in March 2020 due to the pandemic, I booked the 3pm private visit.  Joseph 2014 really enjoyed accompanying me too and he also took photos of me with the ellies which I really appreciated.

In the evening, Anne and Joseph and their son as well as my driver Joseph, had a birthday celebration in the hotel restaurant. It was a memorable birthday and a great start to my safari.

Although all was well at the lodging with lots of protocols in place for safety, traveling to and from Nairobi was a bit challenging during the pandemic.  Initially, just a PCR test was needed to get into Nairobi taken within 96 hours of arrival.  Anne also reminded me to make sure I had my eVisa in hand as they were no longer doing these on arrival.  However, during my stay in Kenya, the airlines as well as the Netherlands I was transiting through and ultimately returning to the USA, made changes to what was needed.  In order to meet testing requirements, I had to come back into Nairobi a day early from Amboseli.  Anne made arrangements for someone from Lancet Labs to come to the hotel (Crowne Plaza) for testing.  That was a huge relief. Then another last minute curve, where KLM was requiring a rapid test 4 hours ahead of boarding the plane out of Nairobi, well Anne jumped right to that task and spoke to the Manager of the hotel, who made arrangements with one of his drivers to take me to the nearby test facility, wait while I waited for the results and then take me to the airport.  I was so nervous but Anne assured me that all would be ok.  She was also checking directly with the airport driver to make sure all was going according to plans. I could not have been looked after better by what I consider my second family.  Their reassurance during a challenging travel time was amazing.  There was no question left unanswered and constant follow up to make sure all was going well.  Anne and I had lunch together on my last day as she was dropping off a bag that I had left with her in Nairobi and she wanted to catch up about how the trip went.  As a caring Tour Operator, they want to make sure their clients are happy, had a good safari and is there anything they need to improve on.  In my mind, they checked all the boxes of a great safari experience perfectly.  They are truly an “Amazing Memories Safaris” company and one that I will look forward to working with on an upcoming trip.

The Best of the Trip

The original plan of this trip was to spend my birthday in the Masai Mara.  Due to flights being adjusted with the pandemic, I ended up being in Nairobi on my birthday.  As a treat to myself and support to the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, I booked a private visit.  The orphanage had been closed since mid-March due to the pandemic for the public and adoptive parent visits.  Head Keeper Edwin was my guide for the visit. The hour-long visit was wonderful. After all the elephants were given their bottles, I was allowed to walk among them where Edwin pointed out my adopted ones Maktao and Roho.  There was an elephant, Bondeni who Edwin said was “the smallest but not the youngest” that stayed very close to me letting me rub his ears and pet him while his trunk explored me. Many of the others were busy rolling in the mud bath and flinging it everywhere. Edwin did a great job of keeping the muddiest ones away from directly leaning against me as well as my camera.  Shortly after my return to the US, I added to my elephant family and adopted Bondeni.

The birthday celebration continued on into the evening where the owners of Amazing Memories Safaris, their young son, and my driver Joseph 2014 all gathered for a birthday dinner.  At the end of the evening, a large number of staff brought a beautiful birthday cake (and very tasty) to the table for us to enjoy.

I saw more cheetahs on this trip than I’ve ever seen before.  The most special cheetah sighting was seeing the remaining two grown cubs of the well-known cheetah Malaika.  I saw her in October 2014 with her four cubs.  A year later, in October, 2015, I saw her again with her three remaining cubs. Being able to see her two remaining cubs (brothers) this trip, was AMAZING.

In my ten journeys to Kenya, I’ve only seen mating lions once but at a very far distance. That changed this trip while in Mara North.  Initially, this couple appeared to be napping the evening away. While parked very close, they woke up and started the honeymooning process of making little lion cubs.  Although feeling quite voyeuristic, it made for great photographs and video.

Not everyone likes hyenas.  I think the group dynamics are beyond interesting to watch.  A large group in Naboisho Conservancy provided many moments of observing the hierarchy structure including which one was going to carry off the prize of a zebra skull and spinal cord with not much left to it, while 2 others tried to steal it and a jackal tried to get some discarded morsel. On my last dinner at Eagle View in Naboisho Conservancy, while my guide Derick and I had wonderful conversations about my stay there, out of the darkness came the chanting of many of the camp staff along with a beautiful candle lit birthday cake.  The traditional dances were amazing.

The Less than the Best of the Trip

When I booked my flights in April, 2020 for my trip in January, 2021, I knew there may be some challenges.  I was booking it at the beginning of the covid pandemic which I thought might last a few months.  Little did I know how many flight changes, constant monitoring and covid testing would be required.  Although a somewhat stressful journey, with a great deal of support and communication from Amazing Memories Safaris, everything worked out.  Am I glad I went?  You bet!