White Rhino at Nakuru lake Kenya
Africa,  Kenya,  Photography,  Wildlife

Stage Three: Lake Nakuru to Amboseli

Early starts are par for the course when you’re on safari, so by the time we hit Saturday the alarm is going off at 5:15am for the fourth morning in a row and is going to carry on doing so for a few days yet. A dense mist lies over the lake, obscuring most of it from view, and a heavy dew hangs in liquid baubles from plants bent over by the weight. Birds sing and baboons talk: wildlife doesn’t need an alarm clock.


When we chose the itinerary for our safari week, we opted for the one which would take us to five of Kenya’s great safari regions, an option which is currently proving to be both a blessing and a curse. A curse because we underestimated the distances involved and there are some long journeys; a blessing because it’s already obvious that each region will have its distinct characteristics and no two will be the same. 

Birds in Nakuru lake, Kenya
Lake Nakuru
Marabou Stork in Nakuru lake, Kenya
Marabou Stork
Birds in Nakuru lake, Kenya
Pelicans at Lake Nakuru

It’s also a slightly strange feeling having such little time at these very attractive safari lodges, it’s pretty much a case of check in-shower-eat-sleep-eat-check out, except of course on the few occasions when it’s a two night stay, when the only difference is that “early game drive” replaces “check out”. This is never more evident than at Lake Nakuru, where we check in after dark and leave before the morning mist has cleared. The Lodge is obviously splendid, the views are reportedly fantastic, but we see little of either.

Flamingos in Nakuru lake, Kenya
Flamingos at Lake Nakuru
Flamingos in Nakuru lake, Kenya
Flamingos at Lake Nakuru

However, the game drives are utterly thrilling experiences with sighting after sighting to get the pulse racing. Nakuru is roughly 15 miles from the Equator, the closest overnight stay that we have experienced so far on our travels, and really does bring home the variety element of the different areas, dense greenery surrounding the large lake. And it’s here that we see the rhino – in fact we see both the black and white rhino, meaning we’ve already completed the so-called Big Five early on Day 4.

White Rhino in Nakuru, Kenya
White Rhino
White Rhino in Nakuru, Kenya
White Rhino

As it happens Day 4 turns out to be the longest day, and longest journey, of the week, with a lengthy morning game drive followed by a fairly gruelling 8-hour slog across country to Amboseli. We are amazed and a bit concerned for our driver-guide Stanley : by the time he’s picked up our group members from different lodges, completed the game drive and driven to Amboseli, he’s been at the wheel for 14 hours with only a couple of short breaks. That’s demanding, not to mention potentially dangerous. He does long days yet his infectious enthusiasm never seems to wane.

Black Rhino in Nakuru, Kenya
Black Rhino

During the course of the long journey, we lose Ashlan from Delhi who heads off on to a different tour, so now there are six. Our base near the village of Kimana, and Amboseli as a whole, are dominated by fabulous views of Kilimanjaro. Tonight it’s obscured by the clouds of dusk, but we are told the views will be great tomorrow.

Jackal in Nakuru, Kenya
Jackal
Lion in Nakuru, Kenya
Lion in classic pose

Sunday morning. It’s still dark as we take our now customary early breakfast, so the mighty mountain still plays hide and seek. Amboseli awaits, and at this point we have no inkling of the exciting day which lies ahead, only the park itself knows those secrets for now. Kilimanjaro is to prove to be far from Amboseli’s only surprise.

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