Pelicans and other birds in Lake Elementaita

I previously posted information about the KWS plans to translocate over 1000 Zebras from the Soysambu ranch in Kenya to Amboseli National park. In the post, I was looking at it as a case of robbing Peter to pay Paul.

But it seems that nature has not frowned upon this private wildlife conservancy. The Standard newspaper reports that about 400,000 migratory birds (white storks) from Europe have found a temporary home in Lake Elementaita, right at the middle of the ranch. The lake has in the past hosted a few of these birds, but not in such substantial numbers as this time. You can find full details of this story in the online edition of the Standard here.

About Soysambu Ranch

The ranch is associated with the family of Lord Delamere, probably the most remembered British settler of the colonial period. Soysambu has for many years existed as a private farm and ranch. In the year 2008 it was transformed into a conservancy whose stated goals include  “protecting the fragile ecosystem and Rift Valley wildlife corridor”. The ranch now has a website and even a page on facebook.

The most dominant feature in the Soysambu conservancy is Lake Elementaita. This lake hosts hundreds of bird species, among them pelicans and flamingos. Some birdwatching enthusiasts therefore consider Soysambu as “the” birdwatching place in Kenya. These birds often feed in Lake Nakuru a few kilometers away, while breeding mostly in Lake Elementaita.

Besides the birds, other animals found in the park include a few Giraffes, monkeys, thousands of Zebras, and other herbivore species like antelopes. None of the big five however.

There are a number of small lodges and resorts around the conservancy, among them the Lake Elementaita lodge. The conservancy is thus a suitable alternative for relaxing away from the often crowded national parks and game reserves while on your holiday in Kenya.

Flamingoes in Lake Nakuru, Kenya

Ask most Africa travel enthusiasts, and they’ll easily tell you that Kenya is the real home of the African safari. To this day, the country’s diverse wildlife and magnificent landscapes continue to attract hundreds of thousands of tourists every year. This is despite the rising competition from countries like Tanzania, South Africa, Namibia, and Zambia.

Of course wildlife safaris are Kenya’s biggest attraction, which is why in today’s post, I write about what, in my opinion, are the five of the top national parks and game reserves in Kenya.

1. Masai Mara Game Reserve
Certainly, no other Kenyan game reserve or national park can rival the Maasai Mara in terms of fame and popularity. I can attribute a huge chunk of this fame to the annual wildebeest migration between the Mara and the neighboring Serengeti national park in Tanzania. This great migration takes place between June and September, and remains the top draw for tourists into the Mara.

But that does not mean the migration is all that the Mara has to offer. In fact, you can travel to the reserve almost anytime of the year, and still have a great safari experience. The reserve has a great concentration of animals including all the big five. It may sometimes be hard to spot rhinos and leopards in the Mara, but you can be sure you will see plenty of elephants, lions, and buffaloes all year round.

When is a trip to the Mara not for you?
If you do not like tourist crowds, you may not enjoy the Mara during the wildebeest migration season. Usually, there is little regulation on the numbers of people allowed in the reserve at any time. The only limiting factor is the available accommodation and bed space in the Masai Mara lodges. While on game drives during the migration, you will often have to share the best game watching spots with scores of other tour vans. Unfortunately, the migration season is also the best season for wildlife spotting.

2. Amboseli National Reserve
For a long time, Amboseli national reserve has remained the second most popular national park in Kenya, after the Masai Mara. The ever present backdrop of Mt Kilimanjaro in the background makes Amboseli the ideal destination for wildlife photography. All the big five are present in the reserve. However, the large herds of huge roaming elephants are what define Amboseli most.

In the year 2009, Amboseli experienced one of its worst droughts. Many animals died in the process, especially the herbivores, greatly affecting the balance between predators and their prey. So much that the Kenya wildlife service had to translocate some zebras and wildebeest from other parks in an attempt to correct the imbalance.

3. Lake Nakuru National Park
As its name suggests, this national park is centered around the Lake Nakuru in the Rift valley. The lake hosts hundreds of bird species, the most popular being the flamingos. These water birds cover the surface of the lake, giving it a pink-carpet like appearance when viewed from a distance. If there is a birdwatchers’ paradise in Kenya, then it is Lake Nakuru national park.

In addition to being a haven for birdwatching, Lake Nakuru national park is also a sanctuary for the endangered black and white rhinos. At Lake Nakuru, you also stand your best chance of spotting leopards, which are usually very elusive animals. Other animals you are guaranteed to see include several gazelle species, hyrax, lions, warthogs, monkeys and babboons among others.

4. Samburu Game Reserve
Samburu game reserve and the adjoining Buffalo springs and Shaba game reserves are most renowned for unique animals that you will not find in any other Kenyan game park. These include the grevy’s zebra, reticulated giraffes, kudu, somali ostriches, and the gerenuk. This is in addition to the many lions, elephants, beisa oryx, cheetahs, and leopards.

If you want to enjoy exclusive calmness while on a Kenya safari, Samburu game reserve is a good choice. Perhaps because of its dramatic arid terrain, Samburu does not have as many visitors as the Mara, Amboseli, and Lake Nakuru. Yet it is a true wildlife and birdwatching haven. Occasionally, the game reserve remains closed to tourists because of insecurity in the neighboring regions (see this story). Most recently, tourists had to be evacuated from the lodges in Samburu game reserve because of floods (see story). But all in all, Samburu remains an ideal destination especially if you want to avoid crowds.

5. Tsavo National Park

I have included Tsavo in this list because, first, it is the biggest national park in Kenya, and second, it is the best destination when you when you want to enjoy a brief wildlife safari while on a beach holiday at the Kenyan coast. Because of its size, Tsavo is divided into two units: Tsavo East and Tsavo West.Tsavo is perhaps most popular for its fierce maneless lions, those of the “Man eaters of tsavo” fame. Tsavo is also home to large red-skinned elephant herds, black rhinos, leopards, giraffes, hippos and hundreds of other animal species.

Sometime back, the population of elephants and black rhinos in Tsavo was highly threatened by poachers. The Kenyan government however fought back through the Kenya wildlife service, and today, the poaching threat is not as bad as it was in the 1980s.

Choosing the best safari in Kenya
There are several reputable tour companies and tour operators in Kenya providing safaris to all the destinations I have mentioned. If you are interested in going on safari in Kenya, the Africa guide website has a number of great Kenya safari packages. Click here for holidays in Kenya from the Africaguide.

Cape Town South Africa

If there is one African city that is the envy of all other cities in the continent, it is Cape Town in South Africa. Situated in one of the most beautiful locations in the world, Cape Town is bestowed with such natural splendor that almost seduces travelers to stay even when all they had planned was just a short visit.

Among the many gifts of nature surrounding the city, the iconic table mountain is without doubt Cape Town’s most impressive and most definitive symbol. Capetonians consider this 1086m high flat-topped mountain as the spirit of the city, without which Cape Town would not be Cape Town.

Apart from being the gorgeous and imposing natural backdrop of the city, Table Mountain is the center of scenic and adventure travel in Cape Town. It has a number of world-class hiking trails, and mountain climbing and abseiling crags. And if you are not the adventurous type, you can still get to the top of the mountain by table car. From the top of the mountain, you get to enjoy the amazing scenery of Cape Town and the surrounding regions below.

Two Oceans, the warm Indian Ocean and the cooler Atlantic Ocean, meet at the cape peninsula, giving Cape Town two different but stunning beach styles. If you are looking for a relaxing beach holiday, you have a choice between the colder beaches on the western side of the peninsula, and the warmer and more laid-back ones on the Eastern side. One of the most popular beaches in the cape is the Atlantic seaboard, stretching on the western side from the V&A Waterfront all the way to Hout Bay. Others include the Table Bay beaches, and the False Bay beaches.

The magnificent Cape Winelands are one other big pull for visitors to Cape Town. The winelands are not really in this great city per se, but are within a 40 minutes to 1 hour drive from Cape Town. The green fertile valleys surrounded by beautiful mountains host large vine fields from which some of the best South African wines and brandies are produced. Several villages and small towns dot the wineland landscape, among which Stellenbosch is the most popular.

The Robben Island is yet another great reason for traveling to Cape Town. The Island is home to the prison where Nelson Mandela spent a large part of his prison term during the apartheid era in South Africa. Today, Robben Island is one of the UNESCO world heritage sites in South Africa and also an important symbol of the South African culture, history, and the fight against apartheid. The Island is just about 12 kilometers from the coast of Cape Town, a journey of about 40 minutes by boat. The V&A Waterfront in Cape Town is the usual starting point for most tours to Robben Island.

Apart from the natural attractions I have mentioned above, and many others that I have not mentioned, Cape Town is in itself a very beautiful city. It has many world class resorts and golf courses. Whats more, from Cape Town, you can enjoy incredibly wonderful wildlife safaris in the nearby Solole Game Reserve. At Boulders you get the chance to see African penguins. Lovers of water sports and adventure too will find lots of fun activities in the city, including shark-cage diving.

Capetonians take pride in being very friendly and fun-loving. In fact, many people consider Cape Town as the safest city in Africa. Within the city, you will find several art galleries displaying great works of African art and crafts. The music and entertainment scene is Cape Town is abuzz with activity and the night life in the city is equally great. If you have not been to Cape Town before, perhaps it is time you considered taking that trip of your lifetime.

Upcoming events in Cape Town in the year 2010
Cape Town will be one of the host cities of the FIFA 2010 soccer world cup, and this may be a good reason for you to visit the city. But you do not have to wait till June to make that trip. If you really need a reason now, you may consider attending two upcoming events:

• The Cape Town Carnival : to be held from March 18, 2010
• The Cape Town Jazz Festival: to be held first week of April

The True Gems in Africa Travel

Maletsunyane falls near Semonkong in of Lesotho

In a previous post on Africa travel, I mentioned some of the most preferred Africa holiday destinations, among them Kenya, South Africa and Egypt. While these countries may be the favorite destinations among many travelers, their attractions are not necessarily superior to those in other less-traveled African countries. In fact, in my opinion, there are some countries that offer a more satisfying African safari experience, often with the added advantage of being less crowded. These include: Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, and Mozambique

Lesotho
This landlocked country is neighbored on all sides by South Africa. One of the things that make Lesotho a unique travel destination is its beautiful mountainous scenery. The entire country lies at over 1000 meters above sea level, and has arguably some of the best hiking trails in Africa. The traditional way of life of the Basotho is, to say the least, very fascinating. The best way to enjoy a holiday in this country is on horse back.

Madagascar
If you want to see some of the most weird wild animals in Africa, and indeed in the entire world, then Madagascar is the place to be. Experts estimate that up to 70% of the animal species found in this Island nation are found nowhere else in the world. These include the fossa, lemurs, and tenrecs among others. Add this unique wildlife to the mystical culture in most of Madagascar, and you get a most unique travel experience.

Malawi
Some people say that if you want to see the real Africa, then you should travel to Malawi. And there is a good reason for that. Malawi is endowed with such a beautiful landscape that you’ll simply love the country. From the huge Lake Malawi, to the peeks and escarpments of Mount Mulanje, you can not help but feel like you are on God’s paradise on earth. The Malawi people are among the most friendly in Africa, making traveling to Malawi an immensely enjoyable activity

Mozambique
With a coastline of over 2000 kilometers, Mozambique is a haven for lovers of luxury beach holidays, and water sports. Dune boarding, windsurfing, snorkeling, and water-skiing are some activities you can engage in while there. The Quirimbas and Bazaruto Archipelagos are just some of the paradisaical places you can go for the perfect honeymoon on the beach. And when you get bored with the beach and the sea, you can take off for a unique wildlife safari in the Gorongosa national park.

Zanzibar Beach

If you are enthusiastic about the culture of the Swahili people of Eastern Africa, you may already know about the Sauti za Busara Music Festival in Zanzibar. This annual event showcases the best of East African music, especially Swahili music. Performing artists come from Zanzibar, mainland Tanzania, Kenya, and Burundi, as well as from other African countries.

While taarab is arguably the most recognized genre of Swahili music, there are lots of other equally entertaining music varieties, all of which are performed at the festival. They include the kidumbak dances, traditional ngoma music, rumba, swahili mystical/religious music, bongo flava, and afro-fusion.

Sauti za busara is a big event, attracting thousands of East African residents and international visitors. For the residents, it is a great way to get entertained and celebrate culture. For the artists, Sauti za Busara provides a unique chance to interact with each other and share ideas. And for international tourists, it gives the rare opportunity to see the best of the Swahili culture in one place.

The carnival at Stone Town is one of the highlights of the event, setting a very friendly mood, followed by four days of music heaven in the Stone Town Old Fort. During that time, visitors also get to enjoy delicious Swahili foods. What better way is there to enjoy a beach holiday in one of Africa’s finest beach destinations.

You may find more information about the festival at its official website. If you have not yet made your Zanzibar hotel and flight reservation for this year’s event, it may be a bit late now. The festival has already started, and ends on the 16th of February. But be sure to attend next year’s event if your schedule allows.

Hotel Booking for Zanzibar

If you plan to travel to Zanzibar anytime soon, you may want visit the hotels combined reservation web site and book your hotel in Zanzibar.

Elephants in Amboseli National Park. Mt Kilimanjaro is in the background. Image by Disdero in Wikimedia commons: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Elephants_Kili_2.jpg

I read a very interesting report in the Daily Nation today. The Kenya wildlife service (KWS) plans to trans-locate about 7,000 herbivores, mostly zebras and wildebeest, from some private ranches and game reserves in Kenya to the Amboseli national park. Apparently, following last year’s drought in Amboseli, the herbivore/carnivore balance in the park was severely disrupted. The predators are now attacking the livestock of the neighboring Maasai people. You can read full details of the story here.

Looking at it from a different perspective, the KWS action raises a number of questions. Is it fair to the game reserves from which the zebras and wildebeest will be taken? What will happen to the predator/prey balance in these ranches? I know, KWS may rightly argue that in these reserves, that “balance” was largely skewed in favour of the herbivores. After all, species trans-location is an acceptable and proven animal conservation strategy. There have been several animal translocations in Kenya in the past, though not on such a large scale. One past translocation that comes close in scale was the fairly successful translocation of 228 elephants from Shimba hills national park to Tsavo East (see story).

Perhaps my second question is more important: Could we have done anything to prevent the current situation in Amboseli? During the drought, I heard it suggested that KWS could provide water to the wildlife, by artificially replenishing the water levels in the several watering holes. This would help lower the death rates among the herbivores. While this would certainly make a small difference, lack of pasture was the most devastating effect of the drought in Amboseli. And since the drought affected the surrounding region, Maasai herdsmen had no choice but to graze their animals in the park, thus increasing competition for pasture. There’s perhaps little we can do to regulate weather, but the elephant trust website does offer some few solutions (visit their website).

Amboseli national park is one of the main destinations for wildlife safaris in Kenya, alongside Masai Mara game reserve, Aberdares national park, Lake Nakuru national park, and Tsavo national park. I therefore hope that this effort by KWS bears positive results, and that the national park does not experience such a drought ever again.

The great white shark: a member of the "Big 7"

For the next few months, South Africa is obviously going to receive a lot of attention thanks to the forthcoming FIFA 2010 World cup in June. Without any doubt, the soccer tournament is in itself a great boost to South Africa tourism, and is expected to inject over 20 billion rand to the economy. But perhaps more importantly, it will help raise awareness of South Africa as a great African safari  destination.

In a previous post on South Africa, I mentioned wildlife as one of the greatest tourist attractions in South Africa. The country takes great pride in being the only African destination where you can see the big seven -the big five plus whales and sharks (more so the great white shark and the southern right whale). In addition to wildlife safaris, South Africa will always remain for a great travel destination for the following reasons:

• Adventure travel at its best: Whether you are a fan of extreme activities, or you are into more moderate adventures, you will surely have lots of fun in South Africa. Some of the activities you can engage in include abseiling off Table mountain, scuba diving at Sodwana Bay, shark cage diving at Dyer Island, rock climbing in Montagu and other places, trekking expeditions along the Garden Route, white water rafting, skydiving,  surfing, bungee jumping, etc. To put it simply, the range of adventures available to you in South Africa is arguably the best in Africa.

• Amazing scenery and landscape: South Africa is a country of stunning natural beauty. The country has diverse landscape ranging from the the snow-capped Drakensberg mountains, to the lush beaches and coastline along the Garden route.  The view of the Table mountain towering over Cape Town is breathtaking. When you travel to South Africa, create some time to also see the incredibly beautiful Cape winelands, the cape of good hope, and Hogsback. Yet these are just some of the many beautiful places you can see in the country.

• Great facilities to cater for all tastes: South Africa has some of the best resorts and hotels in Africa and in the world. Last year (2009) for example, the Saxon Boutique Hotel & Spa received the World Travel Award for the World’s Leading Boutique Hotel. In the same year, Bulungula lodge was the runner up in the ethical category of the Guardian (guardian.co.uk) travel awards. Saxon Boutique hotel is a luxury hotel, while Bulungula lodge is a backpackers’ facility, showing the quality of South Africa hotels of all levels. Other South African resorts like The Twelve Apostles Hotel & Spa in Cape Town and Singita Private Game Reserve lodges have several won international awards in the past. Add the fact that South Africa has superb communication and transport infrastructure, and you will understand why travelling in South Africa is a delight.

• An incomparable cultural experience: Travel through KwaZulu Natal, Eastern Cape, Soweto in Johannesburg, Pretoria and other big cities, and you will appreciate why South Africa is called the “rainbow nation”. You will experience greatly diverse African cultures alongside Hindu and European culture all in one nation. The South African cultural villages offer you an opportunity to learn more about some of the African cultures when you have little time to travel across the country.

• A great historical heritage: In South Africa, you get the chance to visit eight UNESCO world heritage sites, most of which are of historical and pre-historical significance. If you love ancient art for example, you will be pleased to visit the Ukhahlamba Drakensberg Park and see ancient rock paintings created by the San people almost 4000 years ago. You may also want to visit Robben Island, the prison island where Nelson Mandela and other political prisoners were held during apartheid in South Africa.

A northern white rhino. Image from the rhino resource center http://www.rhinoresourcecenter.com/

While I was away, a lot has taken place in the Africa travel scene. Bill Gates once again visited Kenya on a philanthropic mission and a safari.

Also in Kenya, four of the eight remaining  northern white rhinos were introduced to ol-Pejeta conservancy in Laikipia to give them a chance to breed.  This is definitely good news to animal  conservationists if the plan succeeds. Not so the request by Tanzania and Zambia to be allowed a one-off sale of their ivory stockpiles, a move opposed by Kenya and Rwanda.

Other Africa travel news that have made headlines include the crash of an Ethiopian Airline plane near Beirut, the trampling to death of two tourists by an elephant in Mt Kenya national park, and the closure of False bay beach in South Africa following a fatal shark  attack on a tourist from Zimbabwe.

Now that I am back to work, I hope to be able to regularly update this blog to be a meaningful information resource for your Africa travel plans. Alongside the usual informational travel articles, I will be covering events that I think you, my readers, may want to know about. The forthcoming Sauti za busara cultural festival in Zanzibar, the 2010 world cup in South Africa, are some examples of what I have in mind. Happy reading, and as always, I welcome your comments.

Uhuru peak, the highest point in Mt. Kilimanjaro

Despite being the highest mountain in Africa, and also the world’s highest free-standing mountain, Mt Kilimanjaro is reputedly an easy climb for any reasonably healthy person. Having made it to Uhuru peak sometime back, I too can attest to this fact, especially when I consider the fact that it was my first mountain climbing expedition. It was not very easy but it was extremely enjoyable.

Before the climb: Acclimatization
We were in a large group, all of us of above-average fitness. Before this, none of us had ever climbed a mountain higher than Kenya’s Mt Longonot. In preparation therefore, we had to undergo an acclimatization and mountain-climbing training regime at the Outward Bound Mountain School in Loitokitok, Kenya.

Every morning for about four days, we would wake up at 5AM for a 45-minutes run up the lower slopes of “Kili”. After the run and some warm-down exercises, our instructors would make us jump into ice-cold water in the swimming pool. I was told us that this would help us adjust to the temperatures during the actual climb, but I viewed this as sheer malice. We’d then spend the rest of the morning in team-building activities, and the afternoons in “lectures” for psychological preparation for the task ahead.

The actual climb
On the fifth day, we were ready to start the journey to the top of Africa. The lectures had informed us of the possibility of experiencing severe headaches and other high altitude illnesses whose names I forget, but we were ready to conquer Africa.

Day 1: Base camp to first caves
We set off from Loitokitok in Kenya, through Nalemoru in Tanzania, ascending gently through forested terrain, which later gave way to moor land. It was beautiful to observe the plains of Amboseli national park from this side of the mountain. By the time all of us made it to the “first caves”, we had already concluded that all this talk about acute mountain sickness was just scare-stuff. We could have easily proceeded further up if our instructors allowed us. We were all full of energy as we pitched our tents and prepared dinner in the caves.

Day 2: First caves to third caves
The second day wasn’t very different from the first. Immediately after breakfast, we packed our tents, foodstuff, and all other belongings ready to proceed to the next stage. The moor land slowly gave way to desert conditions as we ascended from the first caves, through the second caves to the third caves. Perhaps my self-preservation instincts are unnecessarily too high. I was still energetic enough to walk as fast as in day one, but I decided to take it slow, as the Swahili saying goes “Pole pole ndio mwendo”. I was among the last people to get to to third caves. By the time I got there, my other colleagues had already set up their tents in the best locations, and had replenished their stocks of water from nearby streams. Fortunately, the two other colleagues with whom I was sharing a tent had done the same for us. My only duty was now to prepare dinner.

Still so far, no one had complained of a severe headache, or any of the extreme symptoms we feared like drowsiness, swelling of the face, etc, so much for all the fear-lectures.

Day 3: Third caves to Kibo hut
The trek from Third caves to Kibo hut was a bit more challenging than the previous two days, and this time many of us took it slow. I heard one or two people complain of mild headaches, but nothing severe. At the advice of our instructors, most of us had carried some sweats to eat as we climb. The sugar, we were told, would help us replace the lost energy. Also, after every few meters, we would stop to sip some water to prevent dehydration.

So by the time we were at Kibo hut, most of us were still fine, except for the few minor headaches and the obviously thin air. The energy and zeal of the first two days had however subsided. We met several other groups at Kibo hut, some having come through the popular Marangu trail from Tanzania, others on their way down after their mountain conquest. The temperatures were unbearably low, and the best we could do was to pitch tent, put on all the clothing we had on us, and immediately jump into our sleeping bags. For dinner, we had to make do with some unpalatable soup and a few slices of bread.

Since we were to wake up early, 12AM (0000hrs), the following morning for the trek to the summit, those of us who could sleep in those temperatures did so by 6PM (1800hrs). I stayed in my sleeping bag the whole night but could not catch any sleep. At around 10PM (2200hrs), one of my tent-mates started complaining of difficulty in breathing, but I think he was just scared of pushing himself any further. He miraculously made it to the morning, and when the rest of us started the final ascent, he was escorted downhill by two of the porters who had accompanied us. Kibo hut was his “summit”.

Day 4: Kibo hut to Uhuru peak down to the second caves
Morale was high on the fourth day, perhaps because of the prospects of standing on top of Africa. A few minutes past midnight, and the journey began. I must admit that this was also the toughest bit and also the steepest. Surprisingly, two of the “instructors” opted not to proceed beyond Kibo hut.

Between Kibo hut and William’s point, at least three other climbers called it quits. I remember someone telling us that William’s point was so named after one climber who died at that point, the scare-stuff again. Like the previous days, I was taking it slowly and very deliberately. I was in the tail-end of the group, but I made sure to sip water after every few steps, and take a rest. I was determined to get to Uhuru peak, come what may.

In my entire life time, I had never imagined that 200 meters can be such a long distance. I took more than two hours to get to Gilman’s point from William’s point, a distance of about 200 meters in my estimation. In between the two points, many more colleagues fell out, some trying to convince me to join them since I was in the tail-end. I almost gave up just before Gilman’s point. It was a very steep climb, and several times I was tempted to just sit down and take a nap, but I remember having been warned against that. The air was very thin, and I felt sick in a way that I cannot explain.

Despite having put on several layers of clothing, gloves and balaclavas, the cold was biting me. To date, I still marvel at how one of the instructors, his name was Waswa I think, got to this point with no gloves, and a relatively thin layer of clothing. After the struggle of my lifetime, I made it to Gilman’s point, from where I could now see the walls and floor of the crater. I was with four other friends by the time I got to Gilman’s, but two said they could not proceed any further. I could see Uhuru peak from this point, and I still had enough energy to push ahead.

Glacier near Uhuru peak in Mt. Kilimanjaro. Image courtesy of commons.wikimedia.org

Astonishingly, it was a relatively easy trek from Gilmans to Uhuru peak. As three of us walked along the walls of the crater, perhaps the biggest challenge was the ice-glare (it was already morning, the sun had risen), but we had protective dark sunglasses. We still had to tread cautiously because it looked like one can easily slip to the crater floor. On this final trek to the peak, we met several of our colleagues already on their way down. After about one and a half hours, we got to the summit, Uhuru peak, and were it not for the temperatures, we’d have stayed there for an hour or so. We briefly enjoyed the breathtaking sight of the huge glaciers near the summit, signed our names (with pencil) on a tattered book at the peak, took a few photos, and started the descent via the same route.

If the ascent was tough, I found the descent cunningly dangerous, especially between Gilman’s point and William’s point. Despite the adrenaline rush of having been to the top of Africa, we were quite fatigued. So when we discovered that we could slide on the sands downhill from Gilman’s point, some of us just let go. I uttered a silent prayer as I watched a friend of mine slide like a zombie, without any special equipment to help him brake if the need arose. We had been warned against sliding, but the temptation was just too great to resist. Luckily, we all got to Kibo hut without breaking any limbs or ribs. At Kibo hut, we took a quick meal, packed our belongings, and trekked down to the third caves.

Day 5: Third caves to base camp
Mission accomplished, in a sort of an anti-climax, we went back to the outward bound centre Loitokitok with mixed feelings about the whole expedition. There were those who said they’ll never again attempt to climb another mountain, and others who felt this was just the beginning of several more conquests.

As for me, I’m not so sure. I will probably attempt the more technical Mt Kenya one day, or perhaps Mt Meru in Tanzania.

Besides several other good reasons, the Masai Mara game reserve remains the most preferred wildlife safari destination in Kenya chiefly because of the great wildebeest migration. This well-documented and dramatic natural event involves over one million wildebeest accompanied by a few other antelopes and hundreds of thousands of zebras.

Wildebeest crossing a river during the great migration. Image courtesy of Wikimedia commons (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Connochaetes_taurinus_-Wildebeest_crossing_river_-East_Africa.jpg).

Some of the most thrilling moments of the migration are when the animals cross the crocodile-infested Mara river. These are the moments most tourists hope to witness when they book their safari to the Mara around July and August. Unfortunately, the migration is a very spontaneous event and therefore it is very hard to precisely predict when the herds will arrive from Serengeti national. Sometimes they cross into the Mara as early as late June, other times as late as September. This year (2009), the first crossing was witnessed in the first week of July (see this news article).

Even when not crossing the Mara or Grumeti rivers, the wildebeest are in almost constant movement within the Serengeti plains in Tanzania, with their migration pattern largely dependent on the rains and pasture availability. The migration therefore has no real beginning or end, the wildebeests start their unending pilgrimage the moment they are born.

What many people may not know is that, besides the wildebeest migration, there are other similarly spectacular sights involving wild animals in Africa. The bat migration in Zambia, and the Ruaha wildlife spectacle in Tanzania are some of these.

Zambia’s Mass Bat Migration

Every year in the October-December period, millions of straw-colored fruit bats move in mass through the Kansaka national park in Zambia. People who have witnessed this event regard it as one of the greatest wildlife spectacles in the world. Twice a day, at dawn and at dusk, the “flying foxes” blacken the skies as they fly to or from their night-time feasting on the seasonal fruits in Kasanka. During the day, the bats roost on every available tree in the forest, in itself an amazing sight to behold. Considering that Kasanka national park is not a very well-known wildlife destination, it is perhaps no surprise that such an astonishing event can remain almost unknown. One traveller who witnessed the migration first-hand describes it in the Wanderlust travel website.

The Ruaha wildlife spectacle

The national parks and game reserves in Tanzania’s southern safari circuit are largely unexplored, in comparison to those in the northern safari circuit. Probably because they are less accessible, these parks remain unchanged for centuries, and are wildlife havens.

Ruaha national park is one such park. It derives its name from the great Ruaha river, the site at which one of the most interesting wildlife drama takes place. Generally, the park is arid and very dry throughout the year. It is however driest from May to December, during which period all animals in the park are drawn to the banks of Ruaha river. With all these animals together, what unfolds right at the river banks is really dramatic: animals courting and mating, predators hunting down their prey, animals fighting, etc. Nowhere else in Africa will you get such a wildlife safari experience.

Ruaha national park has a lot more to write about. I will probably write a post about it in the near future.