Mingling with Giraffes at Sunset Near Amboseli National Park in Kenya

We saw giraffes all throughout our time in Kenya and Tanzania, but our first encounters with them was in Amboseli National Park. Many of the giraffes that we saw weren’t actually in the parks themselves but outside of the parks where there were often more trees. Due to delays in our flight to Nairobi, we ended up getting to Amboseli at dusk and we ended up seeing our first giraffe with the sun setting behind the acacia trees. We were completely exhausted from being up for 48 hours, so we didn’t pull out our camera and capture the image. We did, however, have our guide, David, take us back out to the trees that surrounded our camp at sunset the following night in order to try and recreate the experience. We were lucky enough to see a family of giraffes amongst the trees as we watched an incredible sunset, one of many that we would end up seeing.

Many Giraffes Amongst Other Animals During the Day
Giraffe with the Sun Behind Us
One of the Young Giraffes with the Sunset in the Background
Giraffe Eating Leaves
Brilliant Sunset
Baby Giraffe While We Waited for Sunset
Looking at Us

We’re sure that we drove our guide crazy as we had him move our Land Cruiser to different spots around the many giraffes that were enjoying a late dinner in order to catch them in different lighting and angles. At this point of our trip, we had no idea how many giraffes we would ultimately end up seeing, but the experience of watching the young giraffes with the sun setting in the background was certainly a highlight. We even got a photograph of a giraffe at sunrise on the following morning, which only added to our memories of Amboseli. Wherever we saw giraffes, it was clear that they kept a watchful eye on us to make sure that we didn’t move towards them, but that just gave us the opportunity to make eye-contact with them. It certainly made us wonder what they were thinking about us as we stood in our vehicle taking pictures of them.

Sun Setting as We Watched the Giraffes
Giraffe the Following Morning
Another Image of the Sunset
Giraffe at Sunrise
Making Eye-Contact
The Very First Giraffe that We Saw on Our First Full Day
Very Curious

Staying at Lodges and Camps During Our Recent African Safari

Needless to say, there are many different places to stay when going on a safari and those places are dependent on your guides and the price that you are willing to pay. We did what is considered a mid-tier safari, which is different than what you would expect from a luxury safari, but we found it to be more than adequate. The places that we stayed at varied as we traversed the migration path through the various national parks and reserves in Kenya and Tanzania. Some were in the parks themselves, some were just outside the parks, they included tents, lodges, and bungalows. They all had restaurants and a bar that served refreshments, but again the styles varied greatly.

Our Tent at Zebra Plains Amboseli Camp
They Certainly Made Us Feel Welcome
Firepits Were Quite Common to Sit and Enjoy the Views
The Bar at Zebra Plains
Restaurant Area
We Had the Essentials
Trail Through the Camp at Amboseli

Our trip started with a two night stay at the Zebra Plains Amboseli Camp. As with many of the places where we stayed, you weren’t allowed to be out at dark without having one of the guards at the camp escorting you. We certainly understood why after our first night at the camp as we heard a hyena on our front porch and heard elephants and other animals as they made their way through the camp to the watering hole that was located next to the camp. Although the camp is technically located outside of the Amboseli National Park, there are no fences and the wildlife can be found outside of the park as much as inside. It certainly made for an excellent start to our safari adventure.

Our Room at Pamoja Africa Lodge
Bar at the Pamoja Africa Lodge
An Actual Dining Room at Pamoja
Home Grown Herbs at the Pamoja Africa Lodge
Our Bungalow at Bougainvillea Lodge
Our Room at Bougainvillea Lodge
Cozy Fireplace and Sitting Area in Our Room at Bougainvillea Lodge
Bar at the Bougainvillea Lodge

From Amboseli National Park, we headed to Lake Manyara and Ngorongoro Crater. Although both locations are accessible from the same small town, we stayed at two different locations for the two nights that we spent there. The first was at the Pamoja Africa Lodge, which was definitely a change of pace from the tent at Amboseli. Because we were in a town, there wasn’t any wildlife at the lodges and the accommodations were closer to a hotel than some of the other places where we stayed. The second night we stayed at the Bougainvillea Lodge where we had more of a bungalow and even had a fireplace in our room that the staff lit for us. It was a level of comfort that we wouldn’t get again for a few days.

Our Tent at Thorn Tree Camp
Our Covered Bed at Thorn Tree
Sitting by the Firepit at Thorn Tree Camp
Sun Setting and the Restaurant Tent at Thorn Tree
Just One of the Sunsets from the Camp in the Serengeti National Park
Our Friendly Bartender at Thorn Tree Camp
Dinner at Thorn Tree Camp

Our next stop was to the heart of the Serengeti National Park where we would stay two nights at the Thorn Tree Camp. Located in the center of the park, this camp would definitely be more rustic than the previous two lodges. It didn’t mean that they didn’t try there best to make us comfortable and the staff were extremely nice. They set chairs up for us around the firepit where we could sit and watch the amazing sunsets. We saw several different animals wandering through the camp and could see herds of zebras and wildebeest from our tent. Being as secluded as we were, we were able to enjoy looking up at the night sky with all of the brilliant stars. We really felt like we were on safari while we stayed at Thorn Tree Camp.

Inside of Our Tent at Maasai Mara
View from Our Porch at Zebra Plains Mara Camp
Firepit and Amazing Views of Maasai Mara from the Camp
Maasai Warriors Performing at the Camp
Areas to Relax at the Mara Camp
Path to Our Tent at Zebra Plains Mara Camp
Dining Rooms at the Mara Camp

After leaving the Serengeti National Park, we headed north to the Maasai Mara where we would spend two nights at Zebra Plains Mara Camp, which is a sister property to the Zebra Plains Amboseli Camp. After the couple of days in the tents in the Serengeti, it was quite refreshing to stay at the camp in Maasai Mara. Not only was the staff extremely friendly, the Maasai warriors even gave us a demonstration of their traditional warrior dances and songs. We were still surrounded by wildlife and we had a water buffalo who decided to feed outside of our tent and just after we went to bed on the first night,and a leopard decided to wander through the restaurant. Although we weren’t required to have an escort after dark, there were warriors posted all around the camp to ensure that everyone was safe.

Front of the Lake Naivasha Country Club
Animals on the Lawn of Lake Naivasha
Our Room at Lake Nakuru
Lounge and Bar at the Lake Nakuru Lodge
The Pool at Lake Nakuru
View from Our Porch at Lake Nakuru
Restaurant with an Amazing View at Lake Nakuru
Inside Restaurant at the Lake Nakuru Lodge

On our last two nights, we were treated to a couple of locations that were more upscale than staying at the camps in the parks. First we stayed at the Lake Naivasha Country Club where we relaxed and simply enjoyed the beautiful scenery. There were views of the lake and antelopes and zebras wandered the grounds. There was a large buffet for both dinner and breakfast where you could find a wide variety of offerings. Our last night was spent at the Lake Nakuru Lodge, which was truly a wonderful way to end our safari. Not only does the lodge have everything that you could want, including a pool, but the staff was extremely friendly and helpful. The views of the lake from our room and the wildlife wandering all around us made it one of our favorite places that we stayed at during the ten night safari trip.

The Big Cats of East Africa

One of the things that most people look forward to when going on safari in Eastern Africa is seeing all of the big cats like lions, leopards, and cheetahs. We certainly weren’t disappointed with our encounters as we had several that were all amazing and different in many ways. Whether watching the lion cubs at play, seeing a leopard climbing up a tree, or having a cheetah jump on the hood of our Land Cruiser, seeing these animals up close was something truly special. We saw lions at almost every park that we visited, but the leopards and cheetahs were more rare to see. We know that we were very fortunate to see the amazing variety of cats, including the caracal cat, which not everyone gets to see.

Lioness Snuggling with Her Cub
Cheetah Relaxing in the Grass
Leopard in the Tree
Caracal Cat on the Prowl
Male Lions are Majestic Looking

Cats have very expressive faces and keen eyesight and they definitely kept their eyes on us as we watched them from our vehicle. Regardless of the species of cat, one thing that they all had in common was how they ignored people and their vehicles with the exception of the encounter of the cheetah who definitely was not afraid of our presence. We visited the parks during the lion’s mating season and one of the more unique things that we saw during our safari was actually a lion and lioness mating. We also saw a leopard eating a gazelle as well as a pride of lions eating the remains of some sort of antelope. When on safari, you are in their environment and the animals are going to go about their lives regardless of the visitors that may come along to watch them.

Family of Cheetahs Heading Our Way
Lions Getting Ready to Mate
Unique Coloring Cheetahs
Caracal Cat on the Move
More Cuddling Lions

It is hard to decide which of the big cats was our favorite to see during our time, but there is no denying how impressive it is to see a large male lion within arms reach of the vehicle. We had many different encounters with male lions including one that was lying right on the edge of the road. We moved very slowly without sudden movements and spoke in low hushes as instructed by our guide so as not to provoke the lion. We were literally so close to him that we could almost feel his breath as he panted in the warm sun and kept a wary eye on us as we snapped photographs. For the first twenty minutes we were the only vehicle and as other vehicles arrived having been notified by our guide, the lion took offense, growled at us and for a moment there was a sense of fear that he might retaliate against us, but then wandered off into the tall grass before the others had the chance to see his power and beauty.

Male Lion on the Side of the Road
Leopard Climbing a Tree
Curious Cheetah
Pride of Lions
Caracal Cat Blending in with the Grass

There certainly isn’t any single animal that could be the considered the most important to see during a safari, but certainly seeing the big cats is a highlight. We took so many photographs during our trip that it is difficult to narrow down our favorites. Seeing how affectionate and playful they were was something truly spectacular. They definitely displayed a variety of emotion and caring for one another whether brushing against each other, wrestling with one another, or the lionesses cleaning the young cubs by licking them with their tongues. Although photographs can’t truly provide the same experience as being there, hopefully these images will give you a sense of what it is like to see these magnificent cats in the wild.

Close Up on the Male Lion’s Face
Lionesses Cleaning After Dinner
Leopard Walking on the Branches
Male Lion Laying Next to His Mate
Chasing Cheetahs