🙂 Fantastic Camps in Kenya – perfect for the photographer!
We were very excited to return to Kicheche as we had loved Bush Camp and now we were trying Mara Camp.
Safarilink operate several flights daily and we enjoyed a hassle free transfer. We were welcomed at the air strip for our transfer by our guide Sirhuni.
Each tent is comfortably furnished with an en-suite bathroom with flush loos, hot safari style showers and low wattage lighting is supplied 24 hours a day. The camp lounge is known as Nyati and is the main hub of the camp offering a comfortable seating area as well as a library. Meals are al fresco whenever possible and are a mixture of African and International Cuisine.
Early morning and late afternoon game drives are taken in open sided vehicles, which offer you the perfect platform to watch and photograph the wildlife without encroaching on their space. You can also experience the Mara on foot by doing a walking safari exploring the little things, smells and sounds missed on a vehicle.
Our safari tent was wonderful. Walking to it we passed some VERY fresh buffalo dung. We then spotted the lone bull and also an elephant in the distance – so good to be back in the Mara!
After our welcome drink and lunch we headed off on our game drive…and almost immediately we found a leopard! 🙂 Woo! Hoo! Magic.
Then we realised, not ONE leopard but TWO – a Momma and her cub! Then an elephant photo bombed the sightings! Got to love the Mara!
Climbing trees is really an effortless task!
Then she spotted some impala and down she came with intense focus… unfortunately we lost her in the bush…magnificent sitghing!
What a wonderful start to our game drive! Around the very next corner we found a cheetah with her cubs on a kill!
We spent a good hour with them and then Momma decided to move her cubs on… it was really apparent how nervous she was – a big job raising little ones with so much danger about in the shape of other predators who would kill them…
Quite a lovely way to enjoy a sundowner!
We enjoyed further game sightings… including a cute giraffe nursery.
We headed back to camp feeling very blessed with such wonderful sightings. Dinner was delicious and we were ready for bed!
The next morning we were up before dawn and headed out. The sunrise was spectacular…. and we found ourselves a pair of mating lions!
Here you can clearly see the flehmen reflex… The behaviour facilitates the transfer of pheromones into the Jacobson’s organ located above the roof of the mouth via a duct which exits just behind the front teeth of the animal and indicates whether the female is ready for mating.
An amazing sighting.
We then spotted our cheetah Mother on a mound…she was with one of her cubs who was calling for his sibling – adorable.
We really could spend all day with them…adorable.
What a splendid morning – we headed to the open savannah to enjoy our breakfast whilst surrounded by a small herd of buffalo! In the background a Maasai herder was tending his cows …this conservancy is owned by the Maasai so they benefit from tourism and the environment benefits from them as slash and burn is now longer required as the cows graze the land.
After breakfast we found four more cheetah cubs – they were waiting for their Mom. She was stalking and unfortunately they got impatient and went to join her, ruining her hunt!
We had more general game sightings which were very peaceful…and then an unexpected rain shower just in time for us to head back to camp to relax, eat, snooze, read and chill before our afternoon game drive.
In the afternoon we found our mating lions again but they were being photo bombed by a herd of elephants!
Paul had some nice shots of bird life. Maribu storks are so ugly!
Another wonderful day in the bush…followed by dinner and chats around the fire before bed…
Another stunning sunrise…
The morning heralded a great hyena sightings … boisterous squabbling … hierarchy clear with a youngster running off with a trophy and mamma suckling two tiny cubs … adorable… and a group of riders passing by!
Fluffy hyenas
This youngster is happy with his pickings … but then along comes a younger cub from a superior ranking and takes it from him! We could watch hyena all day long!
Just look at these two !
Then even younger cubs … too cute!
Hyena watching is just fab.
How cool to have school under a tree in the bush!
We had a nice jackal sighting.
Taking off with his loot!
Gorgeous general game
Breakfast was in a lovely spot … so tranquil.
Another successful and memorable stay at the wonderful Kicheche! We cannot wait to be back!
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