Visiting Kenya: Part 2

We arrived at the Chyulu Hills – the setting for Hemingway’s Green Hills of Africa – after going to Amboseli. What a gorgeous landscape with Mount Kilimanjaro in the background. I have sent clients to the beautiful Campi ya Kanzi for years and finally received my chance to visit. What is unique about this boutique lodge (with just eight tents) is that it is located on a Maasai-owned land, and the local community with the owners of the lodge work together to protect this beautiful wilderness. Being leaders in ecotourism, you will find wildlife on the reserve with their highly acclaimed lion project, schools, and healthcare for the local community. The lodge offers so many different activities! Horseback riding, authentic Maasai village visits, rain cloud forest walks, Kilimanjaro flight, fly camp, and special dinner venues. A stay of three or four nights can be filled with all the activities they offer. I loved my stay at Campi ya Kanzi!

After our visit in the Chyulu Hills, we made our way to the Maasai Mara where you will find an amazing concentration of wildlife in East Africa any time of year. We split our stay at two properties with the first one being Little Governors’ Camp. I spent my first safari ever at this camp and always enjoy going back. They have three camps, which are Little Governors’, Governors’ Camp (the main camp), and Il Moran.

I have always felt that they have the best location in the Mara, and all the tents have been refurbished. Based on your needs and budget, each camp has its own flavor.

Our next stay was at the fabulous Angama Mara, which is located on the hill above the Mara. The views are amazing, the accommodations are luxurious, the staff is amazing, and we had the best food in East Africa while staying here. They have many activities to offer, and one of the favorites is a picnic on the hill where they filmed the picnic scene in Out of Africa. I can’t wait to return to this paradise in Kenya.

The wildlife in the Maasai Mara is beyond amazing. You can expect to find the Big Five here along with many plains animals and birds. I have never been disappointed no matter what time of year it is. Most people have heard of the “Great Migration” which is typically in the Mara from July through early October, but it has been changing. It is all based on the rains and when the grass is long in the Mara for the herds of wildebeest and zebra to arrive. Last year, it was later in the year, and this year in June, we saw some of the first herds arriving at the border of Kenya and Tanzania due to the rain they were receiving at the time. I have been lucky to see the herds and witness a river crossing, which is amazing, but no matter what time of year you visit you won’t be disappointed with the wildlife viewing in the Mara.

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Nancy Decker Davidson