Feedback From Shannon’s Private Family Safari In Kenya

Dear Raza,

What a year this has been! If you remember my family went to Kenya last June. Since our return it has been very hectic and it all the more makes one appreciate the Kenyan countryside with its majestic beauty and much slower pace. On the positive side, I had a 50th birthday party that was absolutely fabulous and started a new job that I am enjoying!

The trip from Dallas to Nairobi went well and even though we had to change flights in Uganda (remember British Air wouldn’t fly into Nairobi) it was rather exciting and my son can also report to his friends that he has also been to Uganda! The Safari Park Hotel was nice and they did a wonderful job on Kevin’s Birthday cake. It was waiting in his room when we arrived. It was beautiful and he was surprised. It was also huge and we gave half of it to John Mugo (our driver and guide) to take home to his family when he arrived to take us to dinner at Carnivore’s that 1st night.

Let me say John was wonderful and he made the trip extra special for us. If I am able to return to Kenya anytime soon I would ask for him as my entire family enjoyed his company so much. Not only is he knowledgeable and have a great since of humor but he would go out of his way to find animals that we really wanted to see but were not easy to find. Animals like the lions and cheetah.

All of the places we stayed were very nice, actually beyond nice, incredible is more like it. We stayed at 5 different safari camps and I’m glad we did as we got to see so much and each place was different. On my next trip we will probably go to less camps and spend more time in each place, just so we can spend less time packing and more time just relaxing and maybe reading a book in such a peaceful and beautiful place.

My husband’s mother back in the states was ill when we left for our trip but she insisted we go and she got critically worse and many phone calls had to be made at our very first stop, Samburu Intrepids. The staff was very helpful, keeping the office open so my husband could make and receive phone calls. The staff also convinced my 16 year old son to dress up as a warrior one night for dinner and this helped to cheer us up over the bad news about Clark’s mother.

The chef there also made Kevin a birthday cake, something chocolate this time. Kevin discovered an unusual type of pie/cake at lunch one day and got the last piece. I asked the manager if they thought they could make another one just for Kevin before we left and they did. (No extra charge) This camp was also nice because of its park location in Samburu. The baboon’s were just across the creek and were so fun to watch. I also took advantage of the hotel’s informative educational sessions and their masseuse!

I’m glad we added Sweetwaters to the trip. We enjoyed the location around the watering hole (lots of animals up close), great food, the night drive was fascinating (saw elephants playing in the the creek, zebras running in the dark and a couple of lions hunting). The drivers seemed to be helping the lions however and we asked them to stop pointing out the lions prey with their lights, which they did. So we did not see a kill but that was fine with us as it did not seem natural to be there and keep shining lights on them.

Seeing the lioness stalking was enough excitement for us and we are glad the drivers found them. Ol Pejeta also had a couple of camels that we all rode and of course we got out our cameras and made our ’03 Christmas card with Kevin holding the camels and Clark and I sitting on them. It was great and got rave reviews from most of the 150 people I sent it to. Most still have it on their refrigerators. We also got great photos of us petting a tame rhino…. which surprises everyone as who has ever heard of a tame rhino.

We did end up explaining that this one was sick and abandoned when it’s mother was killed by poachers. Now it’s used to people and they keep it safe as it would not make it in the wild. The Jane Goodall Chimp facility is worth going to and one of my mothers favorite places as she is a big, big, fan of any kind of monkey. We all enjoyed it and recommend a stop there.

Lake Nakuru was nice and I’m glad we went as we saw wild rhino and those flamingos on the lake. What a sight that was! We missed seeing a Leopard as we went one way and another jeep went another. You just never know. That was the only animal I think that we did not see.

The Kichwa Tembo Camp was great! John’s driving skills are unbelievable and we could not believe some of the roads we took to get to this place. We elected to take a short cut and it was an experience we will never forget. Once at the camp, we enjoyed the educational presentation and dances from the Maasai, the food, the animals. I want to go back to the Maasai Mara when the animals are migrating next time.

From everything I have heard and read it is something to make a special trip for. Maybe next year? and with John Mugo! The balloon safari is worth every cent and more. It is truly an experience of a lifetime. That cute little Australian balloon pilot is sitting on a gold mine in one of the most beautiful places on earth and she knows it! What a job she has! I highly recommend the balloon safari. I do not recommend the visit to the Maasai Village. We felt like it was a tourist trap for lack of a better way to put it.

First of all you see villages all along your trip and you meet Maasai everywhere so why pay a person to go spend a few minutes in a village. A few women literally danced for about 3 minutes, a couple of men tried to get a fire started with two sticks (they finally did). This is not easy but something my son learned in Boy Scouts. We did get to go inside one hut which was the only positive thing about this experience. After our few minutes in the hut we were escorted outside to shop. All the women were sitting in a big circle and had all their beautiful hand made items laying in the grass in a big field. We did buy some wonderful pieces but we felt pressured at the village. Also the same items were on sale outside the park (the Masaai women sit there all day as you know) and the Maasai dancers also sell their mothers things at the camp after they perform so you don’t have to go to the village to get their crafts.

Purchasing from the warriors at the camp was very enjoyable and since a few of them could speak a little English we got a lot of information about how things were made and how long it took. An interesting thing also, the same items in the Kichwa Tembo gift shop cost far, far less than the Maasai would take in person on that village tour. Back to the animals, there were far less animals in the Mara than I expected, miles and miles and miles of open spaces with no animals at all. It was beautiful just different than what I expected.

Our guide knew I had been expecting to see herds of animals and this is one place John went especially out of his way to find animals. He found our only sighting of a cheetah (my son’s favorite animal) and I bet Kevin shot 3 rolls of film. We left the Mara by plane and met another guide in Amboseli and drove to Tortilis.

Tortilis Camp is a keeper for sure. I will go back there! What a view, what food, what hospitality. We were there I think for 3 nights but it was not enough! I would not recommend this camp however to anyone that is not very physical fit. My mom did not like the steep climb from the tents to the lodge area and would not choose this camp again because of that. She loved everything else about it though.

The animals were not the stand out feature in my head during this part of the trip, Mount Kilimanjaro was. Also, maybe I told you already but Kevin took a landscape photo there (not of the mountain) that won 1st place in the youth landscape category at the Texas State Fair. This contest is very hard to even place in as there is so much competition. This says a lot about Kevin and Kenya.

Well, I hope this helps. Sorry it is so late in coming. I am planning another trip now and thought I better get this info out before I go away again. This time I’m going with my mom to meet Vicki and her daughter for a 2 week tour through Turkey and then we will go spent about a week with them and my brother in Cairo.

I am serious about going to the Mara during migration and then maybe flying down to stay at Tortilis. It is hard to go during this time? Is it something you book in advance and take your chances or is it possible to book once the migration has started and go immediately? Let me know. I want to go back.

Thanks for your help last year and now.

Kay Shannon
United States

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