Lake Baringo - Kenya & The Serengeti - Tanzania

As the weather was so nice we spent the next two days just relaxing by the lake. Close to our camp was a nesting box which a pair of Redbilled Hornbills were nesting in. Bold and curious birds at the best of time, these two were exceptional, coming right up to us for titbits and getting into the car at the slightest opportunity. The only problem was they kept attacking Rupert's wing mirrors believing their reflections were intruders, in the end we had to keep all doors closed and turn the mirrors inwards to stop them breaking the glass!

The birdlife was prolific so we took a guided walk through the village and along the lakeshore with a local guide called Richard. He was very good, able to pick out any bird in thick undergrowth just by it's call added to which his eyesight was on a par with that of a shit house rat. 

On the way back to camp Richard asked if we would like to see a 'big tortoise' that lived close by. Now we have encountered many wild tortoises of all sizes on this trip so we weren't too bothered however nothing could have prepared us for the sight that met us as we turned the corner.

It was the biggest tortoise we had ever seen in our lives, but clearly not of a type indigenous to mainland Africa, we found out later that she came from the Seychelles, however no one knew how she had got here all Richard knew was she was supposed to be at least 80 years old.

They thought she was a female but they didn't know for sure, either way she was absolutely stunning, she looked so wise and when she looked at you you could almost feel she could read your thoughts, if you have ever seen the giant tortoise in the film Never Ending Story you may appreciate what I mean.

She particularly enjoyed being tickled under the chin and having a bath and we have to say she looked in very good condition, the local villagers obviously taking very good care of her, still you couldn't help feeling sorry for her taken so far from her homeland and destined to live alone.

On our last night the Hippos came out to feed earlier than usual so we were still up enjoying a drink, with our torch we could make out about eight gently grazing on the grass. Over the years we have become accustomed to Hippo being close to the camp so it doesn't bother us, you just need to be aware where they are at all times so you don't blunder into one when you go for a pee. 

However, as with most private campsites Roberts employ Askari's (guards) to patrol the grounds after dark and the guy tonight was very anti Hippo as he kept chasing them back into the lake with the use of a spot light which he shone from way  back at the lodge, he was so far away we couldn't even see him but he was a bloody nuisance as every now and then he scoured the campsite like it was Colditz. The sad consequence is the Hippo, who only feel safe enough to come out at night, went hungry, sadly it this type of human encroachment that slowly but surely is contributing to the decline in African wildlife. 

Up at 6am we broke camp and left Baringo to start the long journey Westwards towards Lake Victoria and Kenya's border with Uganda. The day was hot, sunny and humid, watching us a we packed up were two camels who were roaming the grounds and of course the Hornbills who were still trying to attack the wing mirrors.

At 9.20am we hit the Dukkas at the Equator again where we did some quick haggling to buy the globes then we were on our way again. The route was a complete unknown to us so we had no idea how long it would take, three hours later we reached Kericho in the heart of the tea growing area of Kenya, a bustling town with banks, fuel and accommodation but we had no time to spare as we pushed on South West to Kisii and then the border at Isibania.

At first the C23 tar road from Kericho was excellent far better than most of the A roads we had travelled on so far in Kenya so by 1pm we had reached the small town of Sotik, 160 miles from Lake Baringo, however after Sotik the road degenerated back to the normal standard with lots of potholes so it took another hour to reach Kisii even though it was only 33 miles further on.

At Kisii we filled up with fuel as from here on we would not see many more towns of any note and the golden rule of African travel is fill up when you can, especially if you don't know the route ahead as we didn't here. At 3.40pm we arrived at Isibania and the border with Tanzania, we had driven 260 miles and been travelling virtually non stop for almost eight hours but now had four sets of officials at the border to look forward to, nearly always a hassle out here.

However, to our surprise it took us just one hour to get through both sets of immigration and customs, almost a record. It helped that our visa when we entered Tanzania from Malawi some two months ago was still valid so even though officially it was a single entry visa, under the arrangement between Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda we were allowed to travel into any one of the other countries and re-enter Tanzania without charge, which considering each visa costs $US 50 was not to be sniffed at.

The weather had been mainly overcast with the odd shower  now as we cleared the border and started Southwards along Lake Victoria the sky became very threatening with heavy rain clouds. A sign said 275 km to Mwanza the main jump off point across the Lake to Rwanda, Burundi and Uganda, thankfully we would not be going that far but we still had over 150km to do and no firm idea of where we would stay the night. It was much too late to try and enter the Serengeti so our objective was to find a place close by and enter the park in the morning.

Luckily the road was good, the countryside to our left being pretty flat with just the odd rocky hill, scenery characteristic of the Serengeti. On our right we passed a number of homesteads made out of rushes and every now and then we caught a glimpse of Lake Victoria. We were now in the area where the early explorers like Speke, Burton and later Livingstone risked their lives as they journeyed in search of the Niles source, an area  steeped in history, most of it bloody and violent as the slavers routes went through here on their way to Zanzibar and the coast.

The small town nearest to the turn off to the Western gate for the Serengeti is Bunda, we reached there just before 6.30pm but the place looked so uninviting we carried on. We decided to aim for the Speke Bay Lodge, Henie at Indaba had told us they were an upmarket lodge so didn't provide camping facilities but they would allow independent travellers to camp in the grounds so we just hoped he was right.

We reached the lodge dead on 7pm, by now it was dark so the Askari's on the gate were very suspicious and wouldn't let us in, clearly they don't normally get guests arriving unannounced in the dead of night, especially unescorted ones. We said we wanted to camp for the night so one of them ran off to the lodge to check, but came back soon after saying there was no camping only rooms.

Henie had said the place was run by someone called Melanie but that was all he knew so we asked to see her. At the mention of her name the Askari's obviously thought we knew her so let us in and we drove the hundred yards or so to the lodge entrance. The place looked deserted but then we heard voices and following the sound we found a number of well dressed people who we took to be tourists drinking at a very nice bar over looking the lake. Having travelled all day we on the other hand looked not unlike tramps, something which we noted didn't go unnoticed by the woman who came over to speak to us.   

It turned out to be Melanie, the Dutch owner and she was clearly a bit pissed off that the guards had allowed us in without checking back with her first. Quite haughtily she told us they no longer allowed people to camp but she could let us have a banda (room) for $100 each which included breakfast but not dinner or a fixed Meru tent which had two single beds but no en suite bathroom for $44 each, cash only!

The bandas looked on the lake but the tents did not so we tried to negotiate but even though the place was hardly over run with visitors she was not prepared to budge. We were knackered and didn't feel like going on but her attitude had put our backs up so we felt disinclined to give her the custom especially as we would only be there overnight and knew we would have to pay something like $200 to enter the Serengeti the next morning so we left.

On the way from Bunda we had passed a place called the Serengeti Stopover so we headed back there, although it wasn't too far it is never a good idea to drive at night here unless you have to so we were glad when we got there without mishap. We were met by Steven, a local guy, who in total contrast to Melanie was most welcoming, no problem camping although they too had banda's for $40 but they were a bit grotty and not worth the money - no we would have the roof tent up in no time and after all it was just for one night... wasn't it?

With all the rain the grass on the camp site was quite thick plus being a new camp they had planted lots of saplings and bushes so finding a decent space in the dark was tricky. We opted for a spot next to the rear fence which looked out onto the western corridor for the Serengeti and after a shower and quick bite went straight to bed, as we entered the roof tent it started to drizzle.

At 2am we were awoken not by the sound of Lion but by heavy rain which got heavier and went on non stop until 10am, by then everything was so wet there was no chance of going into the Serengeti today and to top it all Sue stood on a thorn and injured her foot. Once the rain stopped the sun came out but generally the day remained overcast so we put up the awning and relaxed in camp, hoping for a better result the next day.

In the morning Sue's foot was so sore she could barely put it down and to top it all at 6am just as we were getting up to break camp it started to rain heavily and this time it continued until 2pm, once again putting paid to our chances to enter the park and now there was just two days left before Christmas.

Later that day the crew for a mobile safari company pitched up and I got chatting to them, it turned out they had tried to enter the Serengeti but had been turned back by the rangers because the road from the gate into the park was badly flooded and impassable. They were panicking a bit as they were supposed to be in the park setting up camp before their guide arrived in a days time with some clients who were currently in the Ngorogoro Crater, so like us they were stuck praying for better weather.

Next morning we were up at 6am and lo and behold the day was sunny, it was the first sunrise we had seen for days. The mobile safari guys, in a hurry to get in the park, were already packed and just about to leave. One came over to say goodbye and to tell me they had phoned the rangers at first light and been told the road was open again so get in quick before it rained again otherwise we might not get in before the holiday.

Although our roof tent, awning and ground mat were soaked we decided we had no choice but to go for it so we quickly packed up and left as well. The Ndabaka gate into the Serengeti was literally just minutes away, other than one ranger there was no one around, the mobile crew having already well gone. The ranger had no idea how bad the road ahead was but he'd heard there were bridges down and rivers had burst their banks however we were free to try and get through if we wanted. We have to say this is part of what we love about Africa, no nanny state or health and safety out here, you take responsibility for yourself and if you screw up, tough!

We entered the park at 10am which was ideal for us as parks like the Serengeti operate a 24 hour system so on the day of departure you need to exit the park no later than the time you entered otherwise you will be charged for an extra day and at US$ 200 in the Serengeti that's no joke.

If we entered earlier then we knew it would put us under greater pressure to break camp and reach the gate on the day of departure. If we entered much later, in the afternoon say, then unless we were prepared to sacrifice expensive time in the park we would probably not have enough time to reach our next destination before nightfall.

We had 150km to go before we would reach the public camp sites near to the Seronera Lodge. On a normal day we would expect to do this in about four or five hours, given the speed limit of 40km/hr, however today we would just have to go with the flow, literally.

As we drove we could see the land below us was completely flooded but thankfully our road being on higher ground was relatively clear so far. At midday we reached the turn off to Grumeti River Camp, at US$ 1200 per night it is one of the most expensive camps in all Africa, however today no amount of money would help as the track to the camp was completely flooded and the camp looked to be cut off (we later heard guests were stranded there for days).

What had happened was the Grumeti river had burst it's banks so our road ahead was flooded as well. This western corridor  route into the park is far less used than the one from the Crater so we hadn't seen another vehicle since leaving the gate but we knew the mobile safari guys were also heading for the public campsites and as we hadn't come across them then we assumed they must have got through, so we slowly entered the flood waters.

By now it was hot but we couldn't leave the windows open as the Tsetse flies were out in numbers and biting. Thankfully this is when the expensive air conditioning we had installed in the UK comes into it's own.  With tens of flies hovering around the windows we ploughed on, at times it felt like you were driving down a river not a road but luckily the surface here is not the dreaded black cotton soil you meet in the Masai Mara so at 4pm we finally reached the public campsites.

There are six public campsites near to Seronera, Nchuriclose, Ngiri, Nyani, Pimbi, Dik Dik and Tumbili, so you need to know which one you are on before you arrive. Each site can take at least 25 yes 25 tents or groups although some like Ngiri seem to be the sole domain of the big overland trucks, on the recommendation of the mobile crew at the Serengeti Stopover we had booked onto Tumbili. 

The Seronera campsites are in close proximity but out of sight of each other, we expected the mobile safari crew to be on Tumbili as well so we were surprised when we found the site completely empty. However, while empty now we knew it would probably not stay that way for long so it was important we chose our spot very carefully and make the best choice possible while we had the chance.

The site had one large caged building which acted as a kitchen area plus four long drop toilets and four open sided thatched Lapa's but no showers. We knew the Lapa's would be in high demand, especially with the wet weather, so we wanted one of those, three were at the far end of the site close to the kitchen and one near to the entrance.  Normally we would go for the far ones but we realised if more people arrived we could end up surrounded so we went for the one near the entrance which was partly shielded by a bush, something we would be very thankful for later. 

As we put up the ground tent we heard thunder in the distance but with the tables and chairs under the Lapa at least we had shelter. At 6pm a vehicle arrived with a white couple and two locals, the driver and cook, who set up camp near one of the other Lapa's. That night we had jackal round the camp and Hyena and Lion called close by, if it just stayed dry and no more people arrived then it wouldn't be too bad at all.

The next day was Christmas Eve and at last it was sunny, back home people were doing last minute Xmas shopping, we went for a game drive.

We hadn't been out long when we found one of the Holy Grails of game viewing, a big Leopard relaxing in a tall tree and not just any tree, a yellow barked Acacia or fever tree, so we had Pete's favourite cat in one of Pete's favourite trees, a very nice Xmas present. Unfortunately the tree was some way off in the bush and there was no way to get closer but with the 500mm telephoto lens and 2x converter we got some reasonable shots.

We knew in the Serengeti you rarely have a sighting like this to yourself for long and sure enough almost immediately game viewers from all over converged on us, it only takes one driver to go out on the radio for something like a Leopard in a tree and you have vehicles literally racing to get there before it goes.

Still the Leopard took it all well and stayed up surveying the flashing cameras for quite a while but eventually even he'd had enough and gingerly started to climb down, backwards, well he was at least 30 foot up, within seconds he had disappeared into the long grass, still it was great while it lasted.    

Apart from coming across three lionesses, one of whom was collared, the rest of the drive was pretty quiet, the heavy rain meant a lot of game had dispersed into the bush which was very thick so we went back to camp for brunch washed down with a Xmas Eve Bucks Fizz.

By 3.30pm the sky was beginning to look ominous again, still ourselves and the other couple with cook and driver were the only people on the site so our Xmas wish was for it to remain like this and not rain, but as we all know you don't always get what you wish for!

We went out for our afternoon game drive and to check out the nearby Seronera Wildlife Lodge, the only lodge in the area. The last and only time we had been there was in the early 90s when we were on an overland truck going to Zaire to track Gorillas, then we had paid $10 each to use a room for one hour to have a shower... in cold water, we hoped to be able to do the same but this time the water would be hot.

The lodge looked virtually unchanged from when we were last there, still a bit shabby and dark, however this time they wouldn't let us have use of a room to shower for $10, this time they wanted over $300, the full rate!

It looked like we would have to make do with sponge bobs while we were here as the campsite had no showers and it wasn't private enough for us to use our solar shower, even if the Sun shone long enough to heat the water, scandalous when you  consider we were paying around $200 per day to camp here, the Tanzanians are in dire need of a reality check! 

We were looking for a good sundowner spot when by chance we came across two Servals. Servals are small secretive spotted cat's which tend to hunt in long grass and thick bush, preying on an assortment of small mammals and reptiles. We could count on the fingers of one hand the number of times we had seen one so two together was highly unusual.

This time we managed to spend a whole 10 minutes on our own with them before three game viewers drew up behind us. The Servals were low down in long grass and were very hard to see so we tried to crack on we were looking at a map in the hope the other vehicles would pass by and it nearly worked too until one of the Servals popped it's head up and a driver saw it... bugger!

Normally sightings of Serval are all too brief but this pair were quite relaxed and began to hunt which entailed them listening intently then pouncing in the grass. We sat and watched for sometime, incredibly the tourists in the game viewers quickly looked bored and you could almost hear them thinking 'ok very nice but lets get looking for Lion' they didn't seem to realise you may see 100 Lions before you will see one Serval!

The sunset wasn't up to our usual standards so we headed back to camp, despite the weather it had been a good day, it's not often you get to see a Leopard and two Servals and on Xmas Eve to boot. While we were out three other vehicles with about 10 people had arrived and set up camp, thankfully not close to us but as we anticipated close to the kitchen area and to the couple who had arrived shortly after us and who were by now surrounded, poor sods.

After dinner as we sat by our fire sipping Gin Riokeys we heard  Lions and Hyena's calling in the distance. Luckily by positioning Rupert on the side towards the rest of the camp site and with the bush behind us we were shielded from everyone else, a good job we had chosen our spot well. The newcomers who sounded like Russian/Americans were up but oblivious to the night noises preferring to argue amongst themselves instead, unsurprisingly the couple had elected to go to bed.

Suddenly we heard a low growl in the bush right in front of us, grabbing a torch we shone it out and were amazed to see two Leopards very close to us, probably less than 20 feet, I don't know who was the most shocked us or the Leopards!

The smaller of the two took one look at us and ran off into the bush, the other, much larger, stared at us for another 20 seconds then followed her, we say her because we suspected they were a mating couple.  We will never know if they were actively creeping up on us or because we were sitting quietly didn't realise we were there, either way it was very exciting and made it a Xmas Eve to remember.