Meet the Oceans

Echo 1 and 3 Camper Trailer for Rent + Africa travel advice = Have fun!

2012-01-26T21:02:00.004+02:00

We are very passionate about travelling, exploring new countries and we did travel a lot in Africa. Have you ever camped at a beautiful spot like the Ngorongoro Crater or have you seen the Wildebeest Migration? Travelled Kruger Park up and down? If not, its getting time now....

We will make it easier for you!

We take the hassle out of getting ready to go on your holiday. We thought about what you might need and put it all together in our trailers, so you won't have to. We think you'll be pleasantly surprised!
You will get a ready packed, clean trailer with all bedding you need, lots of equipment and you must not think about what to take along. Take your food and your cloth and leave!
If all you want to do is go camping or fishing for the weekend, a camper trailer rental is a very good option. And we offer you a reasonable price.

In South Africa, campers are spoilt for choice. It's up to you whether you prefer to "rough it" or "camp in style", we can help you!

You have several options:

the weekend option, you can pick up at Thursday and bring back at Monday
you can have the Echo 1 4x4 offroad trailer for R 990 for the weekend
or an Overlander Buzzard 4x4 offroad trailer for R 990 for the weekend
or an Echo 3 4 x4 offroad trailer for R 1960 with fridge and R 1720 without fridge for the weekend

The Echo 1 offroad trailer is the lightest, its about 350 kg, it has ammo boxes with all provided stuff and lots of loading space, its daily rate is R 250.

The Overlander offroad trailer is the heaviest one, 390 kg, rugged, has a 220 V fridge / freezer in and also the stuff in ammo boxes, the tent is very high, 3 m. Its also R 250 per day.

The Echo 3 offroad trailer is 370 kg, has all luxurious things one needs, drawers for your stuff, 100 l water tank with electrical pump, a 2 plate gas stove, a deep cycle battery for 3 days independent running, the Echo 4x4 electrical box, an awning for the front and the kitchen awning are already zipped on. Its daily rate is R 490 including a fridge, R 430 without.

So thats the reason we want you to experience the same we did and do, and, you will get more from us, than only a trailer for rent. Ask us for a travel advice for Mozambik, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania, Kenya, and of course for South Africa.

We would love to hear from you!

Call us for more information: 072 497 17 58 or Send us an email

We are Commercial member of the 4x4 community.co.za

The “Good luck, bad luck or tough luck” tour 2011 or NEXT YEAR WE WILL defintitly GO TO Angola - Rwanda - Burundi – Zimbabwe ……

2011-12-21T13:55:00.000+02:00

A short resumee of our journey in 2011: Since we travel Africa, Angola was one of our dream destinations. After some research in the internet we found someone in Luanda, which would have given us an (urgently needed) invitation and the legalization stamps without having sent any money.

One week before we wanted to apply for the visas, Angola exchanged all employees in their South African embassies and they only gave seven day visas, to be extended in Luanda.

Beautiful. But the ride along the Death Acre would have been a week alone. We had already organized a guide for the trip. That guide, the only one we would have trusted to get that trip managed. Optimistical as ever, we turned the route and added Angola at the end of our trip. What was also good, with all the rain in Namibia this year. We might apply for visas in Zambia, thought we. Did we really think we could reach Zambia?

The next mishap came in the form of missing our GPS device. It had been stolen out of the car. We ordered a new one via Internet. We started just before the Easter holidays in South Africa and thus tried to escape the South Africans traveling to Mozambique. Not to mention, the GPS arrived three days too late, while we sat on a campsite in Port St. Johns? But luckily we reached Mozambique. In Gorongosa National Park, Self Drives were not permitted, too much water. So once again we had to reschedule again, the Niassa Game Reserve in Northern Mozambique was also still too wet. So we skipped that. We crossed the border from Mozambique to Tanzania at the famous Unity 1 bridge, beeing the first tourists in 3 months.

We luckily arrived in Tanzania just to drive donw to Mbeya. Driving through Kitulo National Park our automatic transmission started making problems. Again we were lucky, we found THAT one famous 4x4 workshop in Tanzania and they exchanged our transmission oil. Nothing severe…. After a three days journey along Lake Tanganyika, worth every kilometer, we reached Kigoma, especially the Jacobsen Beach Camp was a dream. Serengeti was our next goal, the Great Migration. We saw the first wildebeest and Zebra congregations at the Western corridor. Only a broken rubber boot came on the list. Nothing severe. Serengeti was amazing, we saw our first tree-climbing lions and two leopards in a tree 500 meters away of them. Enjoyed Lobo all alone. The way over into the Maasai Mara in Kenya was long, 500 km detour to make a 80 km distance, which sucks, especially when the roads as bad as in Kenya.

There is indeed a border crossing from the Serengeti to Maasai Mara, but is only to be used by the locals. Tough luck. That's Africa. The bad routes in Kenya did cost us a shock absorber, a starter battery, a solenoid and at the end also a deep cycle battery. All that was replaced in South Africa, after we were back, but in total with the broken shock absorber we lost 4 days. He jumped out two times, once in the middle of Lake Nakuru National Park, then just before the Amboseli National Park. Did I mention that both laptops crashed, and that in a weeks time? OK, then it was very nice to have a laptop-free week, when we were the second time in the Maasai Mara.

And now I have to revise the title. That week in the Masai Mara, was apart from the stays in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier National Park, the absolute highlight of our so far 150.000 in Africa travelled kilometers. Lions. Lionesses bigger than all we ever saw. Prides of 20 or more lions. Cheetahs in family groups of up to 7 animals. Hyenas. Fat Hyenas. Leopards. More Lions. Elephants. And wildebeest. Hundreds of thousands of wildebeest. Much more Lions. Zebras. Hippos. A million wildebeest. Much, much more Lions.

Since then, I'm addicted to the Mara. Give me time and money and I go there for 6 months. Or forever. About the way back I don’t say much. In Uganda, we were only 5 days, the ticket prices of the National Parks increased drastically (by up to 300%), and somehow it was much too expensive. We skipped the gorilla tracking. We skipped Rwanda and Burundi. Indeed, after that week in the Masai Mara are hard to find something comparable. We were thinking about driving back via Zambia (wasn’t there something to do in Zambia?) and Zimbabwe, but than it was enough. So we drove back the shortest way and quite two month earlier than we had planned. Enough is enough.

In order not to fall into the deepest depression I immediately booked the Christmas holidays.
No, not at Kgalagadi, its the Kruger Park, this time.

Hope you enjoyed my travel report .....

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Day 111 - 121 - The long way back home - Pictures

2011-12-20T14:03:00.001+02:00

Day 111 - 121 - The long way back home. From Ruaha National Park via Malawi to Cape Town

2011-12-20T13:05:00.002+02:00

A South African probably would have gone the route in 5 days. In Malawi, there was no faster progress possible and also in Mozambique, we drove the highest possible speed. One must not forget that in these countries people live always and everywhere on the street. We drove 5200 km in 11 days.

Day 111 – 25.7.2011 Kisolanza Old Farmhouse - Chitembe Beach Lodge - Malawi - km 528, 10 h, 29 °, 1400 MKW

The border crossing into Malawi goes smoothly, the Third Party Insurance, however, is expensive, about R 400. Then there is a roadblock every 10 km, but we are waved through everywhere. At Chitembe Beach Lodge is still no hot shower. We made the mistake to order food for 7 o’clock, we got it an hour later than expected, there is indeed one hour difference between Tanzania and Malawi. So we wait 2 hours and the food is not very good and also too little.

Day 112 – 26.7.2011 Chitembe Beach Lodge - Nkhwazi Lodge - 222 km, 5 hrs, 12 ° - 29 °, fresh, 1300 MKW

A whole new experience in Malawi, we are almost the only car on the road, there is no fuel in the country. When we were two years ago at the Nkhwazi Lodge, the owner Jim wanted to sell the lodge, he's still there. The driveway is a little bit overgrown, the last visitors were there two months ago. It's a wonder that the staff is still working. The ablutions are clean and the shower is hot!

Day 113 – 27.7.2011 Nkhwazi Lodge - Lilongwe Golf Club - 360 km, 7 hrs, 34 °, hot, 10 U.S. $

Clean, quiet, were the only campser, if only the night watch would not be annoying. Every half hour we went to the bushes behind our tent to get supplies for the fire. Tiring.

Day 114 – 28.7.2011 Lilongwe - Blantyre - Comfort Inn Hotel - 330 km, 6 hours, 24 ° 12 ° at night, rain, 10,000 MKW

Since we had to get visas for Mozambique at Blantyre (transit visas are not available at the border) we stay in Blantyre. Expansive, cold, bad matresses.

Day 115 – 29.7.2011 Blantyre - Caia - Mozambique - Cua Cua Lodge - km 443, 10 h, 24 ° Partly cloudy, 600 Metricais

At 8, the Mozambican embassy opens on time. In less than an hour, we have the visas. The drive through the tea plantations is great. On the border to Mozambique, we need only 15 minutes. Until the turn to Murrumbala, we can only drive slow on the bad gravel road. After we turn right, the road is smaller, but much better. A scenic delight. We take the side track, thus saving 50 km. Well on the way up that we had spied out the CuaCua Lodge, it is pitch dark when we arrive there.

Day 116 – 30.7.2011 Caia - Vilanculo - Baobab Beach Camp - 726 km cloudy, 11 h, 26 °, muggy, 400 Meticais

We already know Baobab Beach Camp very well. Nice as ever.

Day 117 – 31.7.2011 Vilanculo - XaiXai - Camp Paradise Magoo - 650 km, 8 hrs, 28 °, cloudy, 650 Meticais

You have to let the air out of the tires to come over the last dune. We are all alone in the camp and we are thinking about staying another night. The restaurant food is quite good.

Day 118 – 1.8.2011 XaiXai - Nelspruit RSA - Lake View Camp Site 463 km, 9 hrs, 25 °, rain, night, 5 °, 190 Rand

Nelspruit is completely booked out, its freezing cold and we stay at the camp site. 5°. We skip the shower.

Day 119 – 2.8.2011 Nelspruit - Johannesburg - Benoni - Airport en route - 323 km, 16 °, -5 ° at night (minus!), 350 Rand for a charming wooden cabin.

Marion and David are welcoming us as always. Normally we camp here. At night it is freezing cold, -5 °? We use the electrical blankets. The car is white in the morning. First time since we ar in Africa that we have minus degrees. Scary!

Day 120 – 3.8.2011 Benoni - Gariep Dam - Boschrand Guest Farm - km 634, 360 Rand for a double room

A beautiful Guest Farm, but not much heat. Well we have our heater. Breakfast is good.

Day 121 – 4.8.2011 - Gariep Dam - Cape Town - km 837, 11 h, 17 ° It is cold! At Worcester is still snow on the summits of the mountains.

Welcome back!

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Day 110 – 24.7.2011 Pictures

2011-12-20T12:57:00.000+02:00

Day 110 – 24.7.2011 One last day in the bush of Tanzania

2011-12-20T11:40:00.001+02:00

During the last two days we had enough opportunity to discuss on what route and in what time frame we go back home to Cape Town.

First, we decide to drive across Malawi, we have about R 3000 in Malawi Kwacha and we do not need to pay anything for the visas in Malawi, visas in Zambia would cost 100 U.S. $. There are fuel shortages in Malawi, but we can drive through the country without refueling.

That was easy, then we must decide at what pace we go. Do we go through in a week or do we still stop somewhere for sightseeing? After all the disasters, we actually want to go home.

Today we spend some last time cruising through the Ruaha National Park, at half past 11, we go out of the park, we take the "Never ending Road to Iringa", along the road there is a new church every few kilometers, I stop counting at 12 churches (before Iringa!). Soon we are at Kisolanza Old Farm House, which we already know. Tomorrow morning we will leave early and so we go to bed early.

218 km in 8 hours, 30 degrees hot, 12 ° at night
TSH in the 15 000 ** Kisolanza Old Farmhouse

Tags: Tanzania, Malawi, Cape Town, Ruaha National Park, Iringa, Kisolanza Old Farmhouse

Day 109 - 23.7.2011 Pictures

2011-12-18T21:47:00.005+02:00

Day 109 – 23.7.2011 Birds, lions and birds at the Ruaha River

2011-12-18T21:27:00.000+02:00

We drive from Mdonya Camp to the Ruaha River, there we are alone and have a great view at the Ruaha River. Birds, birds, birds. Above all, Saddle Billed Storcks, I can count up to 20 birds at one time. We have such a great sunrise. The Lions are no longer at the water hole, but it was pretty clear. Well, they can lie behind the next bush and we do not see them. It is so dry that even the euphorbias grow in the baobab.

Arrived at the New Public Campsite Nr. 2, we quickly wash some laundry, put our table and chairs out to mark our “territory” and drive off along the river. There is an abundance of giraffe, impala, elephants and birds. African Fish Eagle are sitting on every corner. Lions roam through the river bed. A paradise. A Kingfisher plunges down the water's edge, a pair of White Crowned Plover coo loud on the shore. We are alone one the road.

Around noon, we find three lions having fun at the edge of the river, a lioness and a male are flirting, another, younger male is sleeping close by. The youngster comes a little too close to the older, he catches a splash on the ear. Then they just do nothing and go back to sleep.

The lions are full of flies. Nearby a couple of jackals hangs around. Surely there's more below on the river bank and ther’s surely a lion kill, but unfortunately we can not see it. After one hour watching the trio, we drive back, there are birds, birds, birds.

The sunset is gorgeous.

The neighbours, a tour group camping right under the sleeping tree of a giant baboon herd, we can see them waiting at the river, as its getting dark. Wildlife TV! The animals are clearly in conflict, after half an hour, they give up and move across the river, the loud tour group has not noticed anything. But in the night, the negligence of the tour guide takes revenge after all. A hyena steals them a box full of food. Tanzania's just no Disney World.

90 km, 30°, hot, humid
$ 60 for the Public Camp Site No. 2 at Ruaha National Park,
$ 40 to park entrance for us, $ 40 for the car.

Tags: Ruaha National Park, Mdonya Camp Site, Ruaha Old Camp Site No. 1, Ruaha New Campsite Nr. 1, Iringa, Tanzania

Day 108 – 22.7.2011 From Baobab Valley Camp into Ruaha National Park

2011-12-18T20:57:00.000+02:00

With heavy hearts we leave the valley and make a short shopping stop in Iringa before we turn right to the Ruaha National Park, we look forward to getting back to see animals.

We book the new Public Campsite No. 2, it lies on Mdonya Riverbed, which is unfortunately dry. On the map of the park it is not well marked, but we find it anyway. The campsite is beautiful with huge old trees, shady and there is a caretaker of TANAPA.

The camp site is already well populated, a group of South Africans, Belgians and Americans is armed with long lenses. In the vicinity there is a small water hole, they tell us there would reside a lion family. See you there!

In fact, we find the family, two lionesses, a male lion and 7 pups are hidden in the bushes. Extremely unphotogenic! We look at the comings and goings of many safari trucks and continue then, the cubs are indeed sweet, but there is so little space to stand, that we have only a few minutes for photos before the next vehicle comes behind us.
Too bad. Maybe tomorrow morning?

We are tired and drive back to camp, after a quick dinner, we sit at the high fire and enjoy a night in the open, not fenced nature. Soon we will have to get away from Tanzania.

271 km in 8 hours, 32 °, hot, sunny
$ 60 for the Public Camp Site No. 2 (Mdonya) in Ruaha National Park,
$ 40 to park entrance for us, $ 40 for the car.

Tags: Ruaha National Park, Camp Site Mdonya, New Camp Site No. 2, Iringa, Tanzania

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Day 107 – 21.7.2011 Baobab Valley Camp

2011-12-18T20:45:00.001+02:00

In less than 2 hours, we drive from Tan-Swiss Lodge to the Baobab Valley Camp, the valley is dry and all the green, what we saw on the trip, is gone! We spend a day with our friend Darrin and indulge in a grand dinner. The Baobab Valley shines in a fantastic sunset. Unfortunately, we have to move on tomorrow. The Ruaha National Park is calling!

61 km, 29°, sunny
U.S. $ 10 at Baobab Valley Camp ***

Tags: Baobab Valley Camp, Tan Swiss Lodge, Baobab Valley, Ruaha National Park

Day 106 – 20.7.2011 The TanSwiss Lodge

2011-12-17T21:15:00.000+02:00

After a long day of driving we reach Mikumi and book us in at Tan Swiss Lodge, which is, as the name says, under Tanzanian-Swiss management. After putting up tent and a good, hot shower, we treat ourselves with a delicious dinner, prawn cocktail, tomato and mozzarella salad and beef steak with garlic.

It is no longer as hot as in Dar es Salaam and not as cold as in Nairobi, just perfect. The last 50 km through the Mikumi National Park were tiring, it was already dark and the park administration has laid out some new bumpers every few kilometers. They are probably urgently needed, just before Mikumi we saw a burning bus at the roadside. The bus drivers drive crazy in Tanzania, whether day or night.

320 km, 9 hrs, 29 °
10 U.S. $ in the TanSwiss Lodge, Mikumi

Tags: TanSwiss Lodge, Mukumi, Dar es Salaam, Mikumi National Park, Tanzania

Day 105 – 19.7.2011 A day at South Beach

2011-12-17T20:32:00.000+02:00

We spend a rest day in Kipepeo Camp, do our washing, update our websites and relax. The camp offers wireless internet, it works quite well.

It's a great workplace to sit under palm trees, right on the Indian Ocean, overlooking the beach. We are glad not to have gone to the Sunrise Beach, in 2009 that place was still really great, in 2011 it was run down, there was no hot water and the price has doubled.

But somehow we need to continue, the Ruaha National Park is waiting for us.

32°, sunny
15 500 TSH in Kipepeo Camp, Dar es Salaam

Tags: South Beach, Indian Ocean, Kipepeo, Ruaha National Park, Sunrise Beach

Day 104 – 18.7.2011 At Kipepeo Camp in Dar es Salaam

2011-12-17T20:19:00.000+02:00

On well-known paths we drive from Honey Badger Camp in Moshi to Dar es Salaam, passing again the Kilimanjaro (without seeing him), the Pare Mountains and the Usambara Mountains. Past countless sisal fields, many of them newly created, sisal seems well to come back into fashion. When we were last here in 2099, the old, formerly most German sisal plantations, had fallen.

From Chalinze to Dar we forward only slowly, the last kilometers to the ferry over to Magogoni Kigamboni to the South Beach it is criminal. Two hours for 4 km, thank you. by 8 o’clock we are finally in the camp, have pitched the tent and some food on the table in front of us. It's muggy and warm, still over 25°, a temperature shock.

The moon shines brightly over the Kipepeo Camp, the ocean roars, and we dead tired after a long day on the road.

572 km, 12 hours, 32 °, humid
15 500 TSH at Kipepeo Camp, Dar es Salaam

Tags: Dar es Salaam, Kipepeo Camp, Moshi, Honey Badger Camp, Kilimanjaro, Sisal Plantations, Mogogoni Ferry, South Beach, Kigamboni, Usambara Mountains, Pare Mountains

Day 103 - 17.07.2011 Snow at Mount Kilimanjaro

2011-12-17T19:50:00.001+02:00

That was f … ing cold in Nairobi, 5 °, we are glad that we have our thick (-10°) sleeping bag. The shower is hot in the morning, but its no fun coming out of it whith that outside temperature. Let's get out here!

Well it's Sunday, we are quickly out of Nairobi. Just before the border into Tanzania at the height of the Amboseli National Park, the ice-covered peak of Mount Kilimanjaro appears out of the nothingness. Finally after three years, three times Tanzania, two times Kenya, we have seen it. We briefly discuss whether we should go back to Amboseli, but then let it be.

At Namanga at the Kenyan border, we purchase the necessary insurance for Tanzania, here it is 15,000 TSh more expensive than it was on the other side of Tanzania at the Unity 1, but we want to drive on. Driving without insurance in Tanzania is too risky and even Sunday right after the border we are promptly stopped by a traffic control. Lucked out.

In Moshi we see still the Kilimanjaro flashing out from the clouds. At Honey Badger Camp, we are again alone at the campsite, we are housed in a cool, green garden, we camp with some huge leopard tortoises.

369 km, 8 hrs, 25 ° and sunny
$ 10 at Honey Badger Camp, Moshi

Tags: Kilimanjaro, Nairobi, Amboseli National Park, Tanzania, Kenya, Unity 1, Naiberi River Camp, Honey Badger Camp, Moshi

Day 102 – 16.7.2011 Nairobi to the Fourth

2011-12-15T21:43:00.000+02:00

The Eldoret road is pretty bad, but we knew that before. Parallel ruts are turning the street into a mountain and downhill. I thought it would be worse. From Nakuru we are traveling on a well known road, in 5 hours we are in Nairobi.

Since we already camped three times in the JJ's, this time we go to Karen Camp, located at Karen district, named after the famous author Karen Blixen. In the Karen Camp are probably mainly Overlander groups, while in the JJ's Individuals are amongst themselves. Luckily the Karen Camp has a lounge with open fireplace, it is even colder than the night before.

320 km, 5 hrs, 29 °, 5 ° at night
KSH 1100 in Camp Karen, Nairobi

Tags: Nairobi, Karen Camp, JJ's, Karen Blixen

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Day 101 – 15.7.2011 Cheese paradise Eldoret

2011-12-15T21:32:00.001+02:00

Good thing we have not moved on yesterday, we would have been driving deep into the night. We need nine hours for 377 kilometers from Kampala to Eldoret. With regret we left Uganda already after 6 days. After all, we do it before 17 o’clock to Eldoret, where we just run into a small cheese factory, we founf on the tracks for Africa maps.

We got to try eight varieties of cheese and buy eventually four varieties, + - 1 kilo. Someone who lived long in Africa, will understand that, in the few supermarkets tasteless cheeses are expensive and local or tasteful, extremely expensive and imported.

A few kilometers behind Eledoret lies the Naiberei River Camp, an institition in the traveller community. Situated on the River Naiberi it has a cave-like restaurant serving delicious meals for little money.

In the middle of the cave, an open fireplace adds a little heat, friendly staff makes us realize that we are back in Kenya. We enjoy sweet and sour pork and beef chili sitting near the fire, then go early to bed, it's damn cold here.

377 km in 9 hours, 30°, cloudy, night 9 °
1000 TSH on the Lower Camp Site in Naiberi River camp near Eldoret

Tags: Naiberi River Camp, Kenya, Uganda, Eldoret, Kampala

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Day 100 – 14.7.2011 Kampala again

2011-12-15T09:39:00.001+02:00

We are quickly back in Kampala and for lack of reasonable alternative in camping, we take a hotel room. So good, in Uganda the roads are so bad are the accommodations. The Hotel Sojavalo is a recommandation from Ziwa Rhino, secure, but not cheap.

Uganda has left hardly a particularly good impression on us, only Ziwa Rhino was a beautiful place.

189 km, 5 hrs, 31°, sunny
U.S. $ 100 in Sojavalo Hotel, Kampala

Tags: Kampala, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Ziwa Rhino, Hotel Sojavalo

Day 99 – 13.7.2011 Good by, Uganda!

2011-12-15T08:47:00.000+02:00

On a very good road we drive to the Murchison Falls National Park, having only a short stop at a MTN shop to unlock our SIM Card for the internet. At the entrance of the park, we discover, we should pay $ 150 for the car and $ 70 park entrance fee for us, which would be U.S. $ 290 without camping fees. Per day! We ask the young lady if she is not mistaken, we do not have a truck, that would be more than we payed in the Serengeti or the Maasai Mara, even without camping fees? But today is not Friday the 13th but only Wednesday? And also not the 1. April?

Yes, per day, from 1. July 2011 the fees did go up and she shows us a brochure, there is actually $ 150 for a 4x4. Truly per day? Yes, truly per day, she tells us. And the new fees will apply to all parks of category A, we want to visit. We would spend our money, which was planned for 4 or 5 weeks, in 6 days . So more or less we would have a day per park. So great may not be any park in Uganda to pay more than at Serengeti or Masai Mara. The young lady is standing there with her mouth wide open when we leave.

We decide to boycott these fees and we will leave Uganda. We drive back to the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, they also did hear nothing about that increase. As a consolation, we treat ourselves once again with a great three-course meal, as we talk with our hosts, what the price increase is likely to have consequences for Uganda's Toursimus. Too bad, but now we'll spend our U.S. $ not here.

Later, when we investigate in the internet, we get an email message from the UWA (Uganda Wildlife Authorities), the fee for the car is only to pay once per stay per park what is not shown on the brochure or somewhere on the website of the UWA . What can I say? We are disappointed on the one hand, happy, on the other side, because now do not need to make the three-day trail along Lake Tanganyika on the way back, that saves us time and we continue on good tarred roads to Kenya and Tanzania, we have both had enough of bad roads .

186 km, 5 hrs, 28 °, cloudy,
U.S. $ 10 in Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary in Nakitoma, 3-course menu $ 20 pp

Tags: Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, UWA, Uganda Wildlife Authorities, Serengeti, Maasai Mara, Murchison Falls National Park, Masindi, Nakitoma

Day 98 – 12.7.2011 A wonderful day at Ziwa Rhino

2011-12-15T08:22:00.000+02:00

Before we drive further through Uganda, we have one day off in Ziwa Rhino and a three-course meal in the evening, which is a real highlight, it is very good and the young cook a fantastic artist.

At a huge fire on the campsite, we end the evening under a full moon. The management of Ziwa Rhino sancturay comes from South Africa, you know it immediately. The fire is a real hell-fire. The White Rhinos are guarded day and night of the Rhino-rangers, each animal has its own security service!

Unfortunately, we see none of the animals near the camp site, but we've already seen soooo many Rhinos, at last, even the still rarer Black Rhino in the Masai Mara. For a rhino tracking on foot but then we are too lazy.

29 ° and sunny
Camping U.S. $ 10 in Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary in Nakitoma, 3-course menu $ 20 pp

Tags: Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, Uganda, Black Rhino, White Rhino, Masai Mara, Nakitoma, Rhino Tracking

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Day 97 – 11.7.2011 Eco in Kampala?

2011-12-14T21:10:00.000+02:00

As quick as possible we pack and leave Red Chilli.

We drive to Kampala Hostel, here they are busy building. The entrance area and the bar look good, the camp site is green and big, but are we really lucky? Then I look at the toilets and I quite have a stroke, there are two for all guests, some so called eco toilets. The eco toilets are nothing more than ordinary toilets that function normally with flushing, but instead flushing you get a small bucket with water and the whole thing is declared to be eco. It smells like hell.

We give up and decide to leave Kampala and head to Ziwa Rhino, our next stop. It's also only 2o’clock. Quick an expensive purchase at Shoprite and we get out of town. Fortunately, the roads are good in Uganda and in 2 hours we are at the Rhino Sanctuary, where the in the 70s of last century extinct rhinos are reintroduced to Uganda.

The facility is beautiful, everywhere there is green and lush, we're alone at the campsite, which is secured with an electric fence, let's see if we can see a Rhino? After all we have a tame crown crane and and a beautiful African Bambi at the campsite.

20 km, 4 hrs, 28 ° and sunny
U.S. $ 10 in Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary in Nakitoma

Tags: Kampala, Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, Nakitoma, Mitsubishi Kampala, Uganda, Shoprite

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Day 96 – 10.7.2011 Kampala - dream or nightmare?

2011-12-14T20:32:00.000+02:00

For 92 kilometers, we need 3 hours, we are in a terrible traffic jam in Kampala. The Red Chili, one of two camping opportunities in Uganda's capital, it is full, but heck, we squeeze on the parking lot, it's only for one night.

A friendly bartender gives me, even though it is Sunday, a phone number, a computer expert repairs me one of the two broken laptops, by making one out of two. That was the plan as we bought two of the same make…..

The Red Chili is under new management, the manager an idiot, that accomodation is the worst of the whole trip, there is a devastating tone and guests were even robbed when arriving in mini-buses in front of the door. The staff is although very helpful.

The laptop is repaired, but I can’t us it, electricity is rationed. The manager! Well we will leave tomorrow and spread the word.

92 km, 3 hr 31 °, muggy overcast,
USH 20 000 in Red Chillie, Kampala

Tags: Kampala, Red Chilli

Day 95 – 9.7.2011 To Uganda!

2011-12-14T09:03:00.000+02:00

We set off early after a good breakfast at Macedonia Resort Club and head directly to the border at Busia, after one and a half hours we are through, the only problem we have is purchasing the Third Party Insurance, they have it only for 4 months, it costs about 110 U.S. $ or 12,000 KSH, which I had to get back at Busia in Kenya at the ATM, including a bicycle transport. On the Ugandan side, it looks not different than on the Kenyan, the roads are only slightly better.

In Jinja we are at 2 o’ clock, we eat in the famous Chinese Restaurant LingLing, its not great at all. There is no real supermarket in Jinja, in an Indian store I purchase a loaf of bread and some cookies. The bread is better than expected.

Then we drive up the White Nile to the Bujagali Falls, you don’t see much. We stay in the much-lauded Haven, we manage to discuss the price of U.S. $ 12 per person down to U.S. $ 7.

The beautifully designed showers are either boiling hot or freezing cold, the staff is loud, even at night at 12 they walk across the Lodge grounds, debating loudly. That is Ugandas best Lodge?

354 km, 7 hrs, 28 ° Partly Cloudy
USH 36 000 at the Haven, Jinja

Tags : Uganda, Kenya, Macedonia Club Resort, Jinja, China Restaurant LingLing, White Nile, Haven, Bujagali Falls

Day 94 - 8.7.2011 Pictures

2011-12-14T08:48:00.000+02:00

Day 94 - 8.7.2011 Good by Masai Mara - Hello Lake Victoria

2011-12-14T08:39:00.000+02:00

After a furious sunrise over the Mara Triangle, we pack up quickly and make another game drive to the Mara Serena Lodge, we still have a half day in the park. A Ranger parks on a slope close to some lions, but when we are up there, the two males are gone, whether these were the troublemakers from tonight?

Then we see a rare Oribi and a few elephants, topi anyway. The male lion of yesterdays small rpide is patrolling alone beneath the Mara Serena Lodge, his females are far away and sleep under a bush doing digestion.

A jackal chews on his prey, the head of a Thomson's gazelle, which he then carries around yet photogenic. Then we must unfortunately continue, the clock is ticking. After a quick breakfast at the Mara River and another picture of the escarpment we jet off to Uganda.

At the gate a ranger tells us the “shortest” way up onto Escarpment, a mud track of 30 km. 50 cm deep water pools on the road make the driving very slow. Only from Kilgoris the route is paved. We reach Kisumu on Lake Victoria, there is no campsite and we take a room in Macedonia Resort Club. We eat out at Kiboko Resort and sit at the Lake Victoria, enjoy Beef Schnitzel and Chicken Cordon Bleu. Hippo's neither here nor at the Hippo Point but heck, we've already seen soooo many hippos. Tomorrow we will leave Kenya.

265 km, 9 hrs, 28 °, sunny, cloudy,
4500 KSH (including breakfast) in Macedonia Resort Club, Kisumu

Tags: Mara Triangle, Mara Serena Lodge, Kilgoris, Kisumu, Lake Victoria, Macedonia Resort Club, Hippo Point, Kiboko Resort, Uganda, Kenya

Day 93 – 7.7.2011 Pictures - Cheetahs on the hunt

2011-12-14T08:34:00.000+02:00

Day 93 – 7.7.2011 Into the Mara Triangle – the Mara Conservancy

2011-12-14T08:25:00.000+02:00

So far, we were twice on the eastern side of the Mara River, had already seen one crossing and enjoyed the fantastic scenery of the Siria Escarpment, now we want to camp there. The road through the Conservancy is anyway in direction to Uganda, so we pack our bags and head a last time to the Talek Gate. Goodby Aruba Mara Camp.

The day begins with hyenas, in the meantime we know the family on the “main road” almost by name, then we discover two cheetahs relaxing. It seems to be a couple. The two are just lying around, we proceed and make a small detour through the hills, let's see if we find the lions of yesterday? In the Mara you are pretty lost without GPS, but fortunately we have tracked all the sightings, and with luck we find the carcasses, but no lions. Today it is again very hazy and you can hardly see the landmarks in the distance, only hills, hills, hills. The computer is still broken. God thanks we have the Garmin to get any direction. There are NO signs.

On the next hill we see some minibuses and we naturally go to that direction and see - cheetahs! And there are again the 7, they are on the hunt in our direction, a warthog family has it done to them. The minibuses take the race course over the hills and dale behind the cats. The hunting is a failure, but we have the best pictures.

On the way to the Mara bridge, we stop at a huge herd of buffaloes, so it's after 11, until we are at the border of the Conservancy.

Well, a quick breakfast behind the bridge and off we go. A ranger shows us a small pride of lions under a tree, a pasha and two lionesses kip in the shade, next to it is a water hole. A topi stands as guard. We let the three sleep and drive back to the Mara river. Only a couple of hippos and a lone croc are lying around on the shore. OK, than to Oloololo gate. What a luck, we spott another black rhino, we have never seen one since we are in Africa and now we see two in 24 hours.

At the Oloololo gate we pay for the day and the campsite. The view over the plains from the campsite is breathtaking. We are alone. Unfortunately the weather chanmges, it even rains and the evening drive is very short.

By 9 o’clock we hear a loud rumbling nearby, two male lions compete, so we quickly disappear in the tent, it is not very cozy after the rain. The lions keep on roaring very near by. An adequate farewell from the African bush.

115 km, 5 hrs, 28°, sunny and rain
U.S. $ 60 for the Oloololo Public Camp Site, Mara Conservancy
Park fees U.S. $ 140 and 400 KSH for the car

Tags: Mara Triangle, Mara Conservancy, Olololo Gate, Mara Bridge, Aruba Mara Camp, Siria Escarpment, Talek Gate, Oloololo Public Campsite

Day 92 – 6.7.2011 - Pictures

2011-12-14T08:10:00.001+02:00

Day 92 – 6.7.2011 Who needs a leopard if he can get hyenas?

2011-12-14T07:44:00.001+02:00

Very late, after 7 clock we go through the Talek Gate, we go despite the rain last night, the migration is too exciting. Rita goes with us, we know her already from Tanzania and we have met her here again two days ago.

At the very beginning we are lucky, students of the Michigan State University have darted a young hyena and examine her, we are allowed to go there and they explain everything and we may even touch the animal. WOW. The young students work here as part of a long-term research program of the university. The hyenas are well known and studied since many, many years.

A little later we again have incredible luck, we discover a black rhino, without any fear the imposant bull is nibbling grasses and leaves, our first ever black rhino, Rita brings us luck!

On the road to Keekerok we meet another one of the huge lionesses, she is hunting alone, her victim is clear, a herd of wildebeest, which comes down from the Sand River. There shall be also a leopard nearby, but we do not find him, but you can not have everything. We drive back to the Talek River, not without a break for lunch under a tree, surrounded by zebras and wildebeest.

On the road again we find the usual suspects, elephants giraffe, eland, wildebeest, zebra, marabou and vultures. After having reached Talek River, zebra and wildebeest now cross the river at the so-called crossings. We follow the river, stop at the hippo point, later we come to a place where three lionesses wait at such a crossing, a mother with her adault daughters. Again a huge lioness. Again no male to see. Ok they do not really wait, they sleep and hang around.

It is clear there won’t happen much this afternoon, the wildebeest and zebras still do have enough food on our side and they sense the danger. The young lionesses trot to their mother, lolling in the shade, only 2 meters away from our hood. They deliver a great show.

We are already on the way home, suddenly the 7 cheetahs appear on the main road. There are 30 minibuses, we are in the rangers area, and nobody dares to go offroad, everything is stacked on the roadside, the cheetahs make an attempt to an eland herd, unfortunately, they fail. The kittens are now on the track, they are little bit shy, but they are interested in the cars and suddenly one sits on the bonnet of a car full with locals, seconds before someone even looked out the sunroof, now the giant paw of the cheetah is splashing into. The people look quite pale, so Africa is not for sissies, also not for locals. Seconds later, the sliding roof is closed, now two cheetahs are on that – giant can?

Overwhelmed with many new impressions we go back to Aruba Mara Camp, tomorrow we must continue our journey, so we have a farewell party at the camp fire. While Rita is flying to Zanzibar, we head deep into Mara Triangle, to the Conservancy side, to spend one last night out in the wilderness of Kenya.

85 km, 11 h, 33 °, sunny
900 KSH in Aruba Mara Camp, Talek, Masai Mara
Park fees $ 160 U.S., 400 KSH for the car

Tags: Aruba Mara Camp, Talek Gate, Mara Triangle, Kenya, Tanzania, Keekerok, msuhyenas.blogspot.com

Day 91 - 5.7.2011 pictures

2011-12-14T07:24:00.000+02:00

Day 91 – 5.7.2011 Vultures, kings of the great migration

2011-12-14T07:18:00.000+02:00

At 5:30 we drive to the gate and the ranger is so surprised, that he only takes the money and let us enter. That was the plan. The balloon pilots are also on their way. We watch the rising of the balloons over the Masai Mara. What a sighting!

A few kilometers behind the gate, we discover the 7 Cheetahs, we have them for ourselves, they are on the hunt. I take some quick pictures, before they disappear over a slope. Mr. National Geographic comes to the scene, as we try to follow them, he doesn’t believe his eyes when he sees our pictures and follows us, but the area is shrubland and the beautiful cats can be anywhere. We don’t find them, for the moment.

We discover a hyena den, 11 of the unloved robbers (I like them!) are catching the first sunlight, they all have fat bellies, no wonder, with that meat supply. What interesting animals.

The first bunch of minibuses brings us a to another cheetah, a single, strong female is surrounded by them, the photogenic lady lolls on a termite mound. We meet Mr. National Geographic again, we chat a little bit, the Maasai spotter is only an observer, the photographers team is yet to come. On that sighting we see the first and last time in Kenya a real guide, that explaines something, he talks about the differences between leopard and cheetah in appearance, behavior and hunting to its passengers. With patience he answers the kids questions more than half an hour. Unfortunatly we did not note the companies name. Estimated 100 Safari Companies we have seen now, they do not have guides on board, but mini-bus drivers, they race from sighting to sigthing, encircling the animals and continue racing after 3 or 4 minutes.

We turn to another round, leave the wonderful cheetah to find lots of raptors, vultures, elephants (yes, there are some elephants still hanging around in the Mara), and then we scare a young male lion, he is carrying a wildebeest carcasse into the bush, with fear in his eyes. He pulls the heavy prey over the road and quickly down the slope to the safety of the bush. Hes still very young, but surely had some bad experience with vehicles.

Back to our cheetah, which has since moved to a shady thicket, an Overlander truck with young and old guests comes along, how can you do such a trip in such a truck in that age? Some of them are surely over 60? Let's get out here, we break for lunch, eat once again under a tree (one can get used to that, really), then we are looking for a place for a break, away from the masses. We find a bush, where a lioness has hidden two cubs. We stay there for an hour, these cubs are so charming. In the next bush, 50 meters away, the mother lies with another kitten, this is another of those huge, really HUGE old Mara lionesses. After we had a nap next to her little ones, we drive towards her, not a meter away, she looks us directly into the window. WOW.

We eventually are exhausted and head towards the gate, vultures have catched a wildebeest calf, that must have happened a few minutes ago, a predator is not in sight. At the gate we get our permit. Back at the Aruba Mara Camp we manage cooking, before it starts to rain, it pours for more than an hour and we are not sure whether we should really go back into the park next day. We don’t think so. Last time after such a rainy night it was so slippery we could only use the main road. We’ll see!

84 km, 12 hrs, 31°, sunny
900 KSH in Aruba Mara Camp, Talek, Masai Mara
Park fees $ 160 U.S., 400 KSH for the car

Tags: Aruba Mara Camp, Talek, Wildebeest Migration, National Geographic, Cheetah, Hyena, Lion, Masai Mara

Day 90 – 4.7.2011 Rest day

2011-12-14T06:54:00.000+02:00

We are having a deserved rest day, although I really don’t know what to do without any laptop. Even the laundry is washed and the car refueled in Talek at some stage. We enjoy a nice and quiet dinner and watch the migration from the gate.

Km 3, Cloudy, 28 °
900 KSH in Aruba Mara Camp, Talek, Masai Mara

Tags: Aruba Mara Camp, Maasai Mara, Talek

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Day 89 – 3.7.2011 Cats and hyenas in the land of milk and honey

2011-12-13T17:57:00.002+02:00

We are earlier than yesterday, just give our money to someone at the gate, the guy will give us the permit later, now we are well known, there are not many cars on the road, actually a Landy is on its way in front of us, that's it. The Lodge cars don’t get in the park before 7.

Shortly after Sunset a hyena family is approaching a lion's dinner last night, the wildebeest migration is only 4 km away from Talek. The hyenas are fat, really fat.

A little further a bunch minibuses shows that there is something to see. On a hill lion and lioness have settled for mating, they rather slow down with their business, but it is a nice guy with a flowing blond mane and a few photos worth.

We find lion family Nr. 2 of yesterday, all around, where yesterday stood some 1 meter tall grass is all eaten and the wildebeest carcasses pile up. Situated next to the track to a young male is laying on a half eaten wildebeest carcass and although there is a good sight, even large buses drive around him, although that is prohibited here in the Mara National Reserve. But we are out of the Rangers area and there is nobody stopping them.

The wildebeest are crossing at a small riverbed, they are anxious. The hills are full with hundreds and thousands of wildebeest. Gnu, gnu, gnu. We are looking for a tree to eat a late breakfast. All around us moo wildebeest. The elephants probably emigrated for the time of migration?

In the afternoon we are back at the lion family No. 2, the carcass is picked clean, the vultures have taken command, we see even the rare white headed vultures and we are all alone, the lions are lazing in the bushes. A little further we find the honeymoon couple again, and here we are also alone, the mini bus drivers and their impatient guests have probably lost interest to wait three quarters of an hour between two acts of love. About noon we are still traveling alone.

On the way home we find the three cheetah brothers again, one of them unfortunatly has been killed until I have time to write this report, very sad. The cheetahs are again close to the lions, all predators only wait until they stumble on a wildebeest. This is the cats paradise.

Back at the hyena den the family is back on the road, the wildebeest are now distributed throughout the plane, within a day, the migration reached Talek.

118 km, 12 hrs, 33 degrees, sunny
900 KSH in Aruba Mara Camp, Talek, Masai Mara
Admission $ 160 U.S., 400 KSH for the car

Tags: Aruba Mara Camp, Talek, Masai Mara migration, wildebeest migration

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Day 88 - 2.7.2011 Pictures - Blood rush at Masai Mara

2011-12-13T17:09:00.000+02:00

Day 88 – 2.7.2011 Lions in the blood rush in the Maasai Mara - a bloody day

2011-12-13T11:09:00.002+02:00

At 6:30 we go through the Talek gate with Edward, the Masai guide. Soon we discover a lioness dragging its prey, a wildebeest, into the bushes. She is soaked in blood. A little later we reach the wildebeest migration, an estimated 10 kilometers away from Talek, here is an entire pride of lions in bloodlust, cadavers form the last night are located in three places, all are wildebeest.

The 9 animals are busy eating and resting, beating the vultures, somehow we are also hungry and look for a tree for breakfast. Erward guides us through the hills that all look the same, without a GPS one can be stucked in the Maasai Mara. We enjoy our breakfast with an incredible view, zebras and wildebeest no 15 m away. They are really used to humans.

Then we finally find the first cheetahs, three brothers, but so late in the day they only doze in the shade and are surrounded by many mini-buses. Also, an observer from the National Geographic Magazine is here. After half an hour we move on, only to find near the Talek River, the next Cheetah family, 7 Cheetahs, a mother with 6 young cubs. They are draped in the shade of a large tree and observed by another car from National Geographic.

We go again across the park, to Mara Bridge and back, in the afternoon we found Lion Family No. 3, again, the lioness smeared with blood, the cubs romp through the bushes.

Erward wants to continue, there shall be two leopards at the Mara River, but we have had enough of driving and just want to stay here and watch the family with their kill, the Maasai is disappointed and pouts, but what the heck.

An hour later, after maaaaany images of the overfed lion cubs and the lionesses, we just want to start back to the Talek Gate, the Pasha emerges from a nearby bush, far from all mini buses, he stretches, markes his territory, drinks, and then runs directly along our car to meet his family, Edward creeps into the farthest corner of the seat and mutters something like "careful", but the splendid fellow, like the rest of the family, has only his food in his mind.

We drive back to Aruba Mara Camp, tired, with over 500 photographs, fortunately, we have applied for a dinner and not have to cook for ourselves. In the restaurant we meet the German Rita, we know her from Tanzania and so we sit an chat, and it is getting late, after 11 o’clock, as we go to bed. To the mooing of the cows slowly comes the bleating of the wildebeest, the migration is in close by now.

126 km, 12 hrs, 34 °, sunny
900 KSH in Aruba Mara Camp, Talek, Masai Mara
Park fees $ 160 U.S., 400 KSH for the car, the guide is free (its services cost KSH 1500)

Tags: Maasai Mara National Geographic, Cheetah, Aruba Mara Camp, Mara River, migration, wildebeest migration

Day 87 – 1.7.2011 The wildebeest migration in the Masai Mara is waiting ....

2011-12-12T09:11:00.003+02:00

Actually, we were already in the Masai Mara and we have experienced the wildebeest migration in the Serengeti. The Mara, however, has fascinated us and we change our plans, instead of driving to the Lakes Bogoria and Baringo, we drive back to Narok.

Everything would be fine, if not the second laptop would have crashed, the hard drive breaks on the way from Sekanani to Talek. The keyboard of the first laptop had stopped working some days ago at Nairobi and we had no chance to get another one there (German layout). The probability that two like-new laptops will break within a week, is so small, yet it has happened and we are without a computer for the next 10 days. But what shalls? We are in the Mara!

As we navigate without laptops (usually we use T4A on the laptop to navigate and the Garmin GPS as a GPS reciever), we take the wrong course without noticing it and end up unwillingly in the park, in the middle of nowhere there is a barrier and we have problems to escape without paying. WTF? What a rip off! But we get there, without paying. At 2:30 we are finally at the Aruba Mara Camp. This time we really want to see the Cheetahs and we hire a Masai guide for the next day and go early to bed.

248 km, 8 hrs, 28 ° cloudy,
900 KSH in Aruba Mara Camp,

Tags: Samburu National Reserve, Schokoladenfluss, Thomson Falls, Nyahururu, Lake Naivasha, Fish Eagle Inn, Maasai Mara, Migration, Wildebeest Migration

Day 86 – 30.6.2011 Pictures

2011-12-11T19:56:00.001+02:00

Day 86 – 30.6.2011 On the road again ….. Back to Masai Mara

2011-12-11T19:00:00.001+02:00

We get up early to be away before the baboons are awake. A last time we drive through Samburu National Reserve, some very bright Tawny Eagle fight over their prey, and we finally find a blue-legged Somalia Ostrich. At 11 we leave the Chocolate River.

We want to got to Nyahururu where the Thomson Falls are, we wanted to stay here, but it is so cold that we decide to leave and turn off towards the Maasai Mara, we have had enough of bad weather.

We stay at the Fish Eagle Inn at Lake Naivasha, of course, its raining again. Let's get out here. The Wildebeest Migration calls.

384 km, 13 h, 32° / 12° Rain
KSH 1000 at Fish Eagle Inn, Lake Naivasha

Tags: Samburu National Reserve, Chocolate River, Thomson Falls, Nyahururu, Naivasha, Fish Eagle Innn, Maasai Mara, Migration, Wildebeest Migration

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Day 85 - 29.6.2011 - Pictures

2011-12-11T18:58:00.002+02:00

Day 85 – 29.6.2011 Run on the lions – Kudus at the Campsite – Baboons attacking us at Samburu National Reserve

2011-12-11T13:49:00.000+02:00

With the right aggressive baboons as neighbors, we play safe and take the tent down before we go on a game drive, yesterday a baboon male attempted, while we were driving, he tried to open the handle of the back door, fortunatly the door was closed, we would have had him in the car.

Shortly after 6, we are on the road along the Ewaso Ngiro Rivers, unfortunately with more than 20 mini-buses and lodge cars full of screaming, loud tourists, the minibus drivers have found a pride of lions and surrounded them in a bush, the park rangers try to move them forward (the minibusses, not the lions), but they are powerless and stuck in the traffic jam.

We pass along the river and are lucky, a lioness escapes and flees to the Chocolate River, passing directly by our car, while her daughters are looking for protection at the hillside.

The vultures in the trees are discovered only by a few still photographers, the hunt continues for the lionesses. We leave, that must not be real. A young Bateleur Eagle sits completely undetected on a branch, a strong male baboon comes along from breakfast at a waste bin, one can see that he is feeding often in the "civilization", a piece of plastic is still hanging out of his back.

At our campsite we have breakfast under the watchful eyes of his pals. A herd of kudu visits us, they are not shy at all. They have breakfast in the bushes around the camp. We build a shade umbrella and I work on my pictures, at least until a Baboon is sneaking from the car roof and short before almost atacking us from there, now it's enough, we leave and go over to the other side of the chocolate river into the Buffalo Springs National Reserve, the park entrance fees are fortunately valid for both Reserves.

There are pretty Grevy zebras, another new species for us, which look somekind strange, almost like a cross breed between zebra and donkey, they are threatened with extinction. Now only the blue-legged Somalia Ostriches are missing on our list of animals to find.

The roads are noticeably worser over here and suddenly our deep cycle battery (which is for the fridge) shows a fault. We stop underneath a shady tree, the control box for the dual battery system has fallen off and the whole battery mounting said goodbye, with cable ties the battery is tied up and the damage is repaired. So we think.

One asks me what you may need the most in Africa in any case, these are cable ties, wire, duct tape and plastic wrap, so you can repair just about anything on the car or tent.

It's getting late and we leave Buffalo Springs without having seen a buffalo, the side is visited far less, the roads are bad, there are fewer animals.

It is only Dikdik everywhere, every 5 or 10 meters, we see a pair of the mini-antelopes.

Guarded by the Rangers we see a huge male lion, amazingly having almost no mane, he is sleeping to under a tree, the mini bus drivers must abide by the rules and continue after a few minutes, the next will have to wait at a distance, the Leo is unfazed by the traffic around him, the lions grow well here in the next mini-buses, and he is well fed, you can see the round tummy.

The sunset comes quickly, we build up our tent again, all around us the baboons are sitting in the trees, the night is probably the only thing that can hold them in check, they probably wait until the next morning to return to harass tourists . Whether the park administration knows well that they have got some problem animals? We were told that we should throw the trash a few feet further into the pit, which is then the self-service counter for the monkeys, who has got more brains here?

Tonight is the hell going on around the camp site around, roaring lion nearby, where the kudu have eaten lunch, now young elephants are nibbling on the green, the monkeys are making lots of noise in the trees and on the other side the zebras are neighing. Very late we fall asleep, it was nice to just sit by the fire and enjoy the African night.

67 km, 33°, sunny
$ 40 at the Public Campsite of the Samburu National Reserves in the Ewaso River Ngiro
to U.S. $ 120 park fee and 1000 KSH for the car

Tags: Samburu National Reserve, Ngiro Ewaso River, Buffalo Springs National Reserve, Chocolate river

Highlights from 29.6.2011 and 30.6.2011

Day 84 - 28.6.2011 Samburu - the Chocolate River - Pictures

2011-12-06T15:19:00.002+02:00

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Day 84 - 28.6.2011 Samburu - the Chocolate River

2011-12-05T18:42:00.003+02:00

We start early in rain and fog and manage to get out of Nairobi before the usual morning traffic jam. We pass the Aberdares the second time, this time on the eastern side, here in over 2000 m height it is hazy, cold and so we will probably not visit this park.

At 10 o'clock we cross the equator, quickly take a photo, we refuse the obligatory test with the water bowl, the lad is disappointed, he'll find other tourists today, where he can explain the Coriolis force.

Two hours later we are at the gate to the Samburu National Reserve, pay quickly and drive to the Ewasi Ngiro, the so called chocolate river. The earth seems to be chocolate brown and colours not only the river but also the elephants in a pleasant coloration. Soon we discover the first of these mouth-watering animals, they are really dark brown.

Oryx, gerenuks, impala, giraffe, waterbuck and Thomson's gazelles cavort on the river, the road leads to the campsite along the river and we see giraffes crossing the river, elephants drinking and playing. The park is very dry, as the whole of Kenya beyond the equator. What a difference to Tsavo, where it was very green along the river.

There are many animals to see, the warthogs are bold and at the end before we put up the tent, we discover some of the bright blue Kenya guinea fowls.

The camp is on the chocolate river is a dream, just the aggressive baboons tarnish the image a little and we build up our tent after it gets dark and the troublemakers have moved back into the trees.

355 km, 6.5 hr, 30 fog, hot, humid,
$ 40 at the Public Campsite of the Samburu National Reserves in the Ewaso River Ngiro 120 U.S. $ park fee and 1000 KSH for the car

Tags: Samburu National Park, chocolate river, Ewaso Ngiro, equator, Nairobi, Coriolis force, Tsavo, Aberdares, Kenya

Highlight Gallery (27.6. and 28.6.2011)

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Meet the Oceans - 7 Monate durch Afrika 2009 - 2011 - Die Reise geht weiter

Day 83 – 27.6.2011 Rob's Magic - there are more than shock absorbers

2011-09-30T21:53:00.010+02:00

Already in the Tsavo National Park our fridge did not work correct. We pack our groceries in the fridge in JJ’s kitchen and visit Rob's Magic, where we already purchased new shock absorbers a few days ago.

Our Soleonid is broken, the part which ensures that the second battery which powers the fridge with energy, is indeed loaded, but simultaneously prevents dasss the refrigerator empties the starter battery. As tiny as the replacement is so high is the price, 400 € / +- R 4000, but we have no chance, another victim of the bad roads of East Africa.

The new system comes from Switzerland to Australia and now we even have a display in the car, indicating that everything is in order. Luckily, the fridge is fine, we clean it and then fill it up again at Nakumatt.

The weather is moderate, the camp site a muddy field, we reserve the luxurious room for one more night. To make things worse one of our two laptops does not work any more…..

37 km, 22 °, cold, rainy
KSH 3500 (double room) in the Jungle Junction, Nairobi

Tags: Jungle Junction, Nairobi, Rob's Magic, Tsavo National Park, JJ's, Nakumatt

Link zum deutschen Afrika Reisebericht von Beetee und Fred

Bees Webdesign in Cape Town
The New Africa Juice and Fruits Bar
Our Travel Blog - Meet the Oceans 2011
The German Mobile Cocktailbar in Cape Town