Kenya day 32 - On Safari

Off we go! We had an early start picking up Jesper in Gede on the way to the Sala Gate of Tsavo East National Park. We are a party of four: ;Jesper and I are the clients, Jonathan is the guide and the driver is Safari (yes, that's really his name!), and we are using his safari van.

The road to Sala Gate - Sala Hill in the distance

The plain is dotted with red termite hills 

We got to the gate by lunchtime and came close to providing lunch for two crocodiles lurking in the river, just where Jonathan and Jaap saw one on Saturday.

Crocodile in the river

Ready for lunch...

As soon as we were inside the park we started to see animals: impala, a hare with enormous ears, and then zebras, elephants, hartebeest and gazelles. Of course, with Jonathan we got to see the birds too: secretary birds, ostriches, sandgrouse and coursers as well as eagles, vultures and some very colourful starlings.

Impala

The Hare - look at those ears!

Buff-crowned Bustard

Mother and foal

Elephant family

Dik dik

Ruppell's Griffon Vulture

Secretary Bird

Black-faced Sandgrouse

Grant's Gazelle

Grey-headed Kingfisher

Roberts' Sunbird

Somali Ostrich

Striped Hyena

Taita Fiscal

Warthogs

We called in at a camp with a doctor because Jesper's foot was infected, and then went to Voi for some fuel before heading for Tarhi Camp. On the way we found a family of lions - a male and two females, one of which had two cubs. We were able to watch them for some time as the sun was going down. Nearby there was a hippo in a small pool.

Lion and lioness

Lioness and cubs

Sundowners watching lions

Sunset

Hippo at dusk

It was nearly dark when we got to the camp. We had tents with thatched roofs over them, with en suite facilities. At dinner, there was a herd of elephants just a few metres away, and the bull came to the fence near the viewing platform...

Elephants at dinner

The big boy came very close - that bottle's on our table