We have said many times that we are not really morning people and therefore don’t often see sunrises during our travels. Our time in Africa was quite different as we had to be up at sunrise in order to see the different wildlife while they were still active. As it turned out, the animals seemed to be active throughout the day, but some animals were not as easy to see during the heat of the day. We saw many gorgeous sunsets during our trip, but the sunrises were often just as spectacular. We especially enjoyed watching the sunrise during our balloon ride in Maasai Mara, which gave us a different perspective. Several of the sunrises that we saw were during our drive from one national park to another, so we did the best to take the photograph through the window of our vehicle. Here a few of the sunrises that we saw while we were in Tanzania and Kenya.
Sunrise in the Maasai MaraSun Cresting the HorizonBrilliant Sunrise Leaving Amboseli National ParkGiraffe Catching the Glow of SunriseSunrise as We Left Serengeti
One might have thought that we had seen enough elephants during our safari considering that we saw hundreds of them, but we were actually excited to visit the elephant orphanage in Nairobi. The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust is dedicated to rescuing orphaned elephants and rhinos, raising them and possibly rehabilitating them, and then returning them to the wild. The baby elephants come from all of the various national parks and animal reserves where, unfortunately, poaching still sometimes occur leaving the elephants orphaned or sometimes they become orphaned for other reasons. Pretty much every baby animal is cute and adorable, but baby elephants are especially cute and precocious.
Just Like a Kid Pushing a Friend into the PoolHandler Checking on an ElephantWrestling ElephantsEven Young Elephants are Big
During the time of our visit, it was very important to make your reservations in advance as the orphanage is only open for a single hour with a limited number of guests able to visit. Although the orphanage did have a single baby rhinoceros at the time, they did not bring him out as it would be too overwhelming for him and they were concerned of how he might react. The baby elephants on the other hand didn’t mind the people at all and some went over to get petted and a particularly curious elephant kept leaving the roped off area to mingle amongst the people.
Elephants at PlayPlaying with a BranchSniffing the Air
The young elephants certainly seemed happy as they played and wrestled with each other. The handlers, who were all men, did a wonderful job of explaining their mission, the process for getting the elephants ready for release, and even took questions at the end. Once an elephant is ready to go back into the wild, they are taken to a camp at Tsavo National Park where they are slowly introduced to other wild elephants. They come back to the camp until one day the elephant simply stays with the wild animals and they are now fully reintroduced.
They Liked to Push Each Other AroundButting HeadsScratching Their Chin
Allowing visitors to the orphanage is just one way that money is raised to support the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, but anyone can go to their site and adopt and elephant as a way for them to raise money. During our safari, we enjoyed seeing so many different animals, including the elephants, and preserving all of these species is important for everyone, not just those who visit Africa. Ever since the 1950’s, there has been a concerted effort to protect the abundance of wildlife that is unique to Africa, which we benefited from during our time traveling through Tanzania and Kenya. Regardless of whether you are visiting Nairobi to go on a safari or visiting for some other reason, we’d highly recommend taking time to visit the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust and Elephant Orphanage.
Wrapping Their TrunksElephant Being Petted Getting a Drink of Water
Our last two days on safari while we were in Africa were spent visiting Lake Naivasha and Lake Nakuru in Kenya before heading to Nairobi. The only rainy day that we had during our time in Africa was actually the day that we arrived in Lake Naivasha. We were scheduled to do a boat ride out on the lake, but considering it was cold and rainy, we chose not to go on the boat ride. It really turned out to be a relaxing day and the only day on safari that we didn’t spend our time driving around in search of wildlife. The following morning we continued on from Lake Naivasha to Lake Nakuru, which turned out to be a spectacular way to end our safari. The two highlights of visiting Lake Nakuru are seeing the flamingos as well as both the white and black rhinos.
Pair of White RhinosWe Saw Many Wonderful Giraffes in Lake NakuruLesser FlamingosRhinos Have Strange HeadsBaby Water Buffalo
Before going on our game drive at Lake Nakuru, we checked into our lodge and were immediately greeted with the sight of baboons and gazelles in the field behind our room. We also had a wonderful view of the lake itself which we would spend the next day and a half driving around. We did see a family of black rhinos wandering through the trees on our first afternoon, but the real treat was getting up close to white rhinos the following day. White rhinos are not actually white, but they are larger than black rhinos and have a flatter mouth. Having all of the close encounters to the various wildlife was an experience that we’ll never forget.
Family of Black RhinosWaterfall in the ParkPelicans Taking FlightAnother RhinoBaboons Outside of Our Lodge
In addition to the rhinos, we saw hundreds of flamingos who were enjoying the shallow waters of the lake along with pelicans, ducks, and other water fowl. There are two types of flamingos, the greater flamingo, which are more white than pink, and the lesser flamingo, which is the pink flamingo that most people think of. As with all of the national parks, in Lake Nakuru we saw many varieties of animals all mingling together. We saw many water buffaloes, including some baby buffaloes, as well as giraffes, zebras, and warthogs. We also saw a waterfall during our time in the park, which was wonderful to see as well.
Typical Safari ExperienceYellow-Billed Stork Catching a FishWhite Rhino Heading Towards UsBeautiful Landscapes
Although Lake Nakuru National Park is not always on everyone’s safari agenda, we were certainly glad that it was part of ours. It was definitely a wonderful way to conclude our safari and was as interesting as our time in the Serengeti and Maasai Mara. Having the opportunities to see the rhinos with their strange heads was an experience that we will never forget. And even though we saw flamingos throughout our time in Kenya and Tanzania, the number of flamingos at Lake Nakuru was definitely a treat to see. We can definitely say that by the time we made it to Nairobi, we were completely satisfied with our safari experiences and felt that we had seen everything that we’d hoped to see.
So Many FlamingosThe First Black Rhino in Lake NakuruSo Many Fascinating BirdsMore GiraffesGazellesSecretary BirdPeaking Above the Trees
