It’s true, not all safaris work perfectly, I gasp! We trust machines (ie vehicles) and they are just as fallible as humans – another sigh! In August we had a trip that could have gone a little better. And, while I take a deep breath to calm my nerves about sharing a less-than-perfect safari with the big world, I hope it helps you with your own expectations of traveling to Africa.
Africa is unpredictable. We tell our guests this about 37 times in our pre-trip documentation as they prepare for their tour. The roads are bad, the police are disruptive, weather patterns are changing, and of course it’s called a “driving game” for a good reason: you either win the game or the animals do, depending on who sees who first! ! But as safari operators, we really don’t want to believe that we can’t predict (and prevent) what will happen. Of course, there are contingencies to minimize the impact of any unpredictability on the guest. But it still hurts us to have to use those contingencies.
We hosted a large family group of nine people in August: two parents, four children, and three wives. They all wanted to travel together in one vehicle, so we decided that the best vehicle for them was a small truck. The itinerary was five days, three in Maasai Mara and two in Amboseli. It had been planned for several months and everyone was excited.
Arriving in Kenya
The first problem came on arrival. The people arrived but not the luggage. Not a single piece of luggage from the entire group was in Nairobi when they landed. I’m still not sure how that could happen, but it did. The luggage was due to arrive on the same flight the next day, so they requested a later departure to Maasai Mara. We were supposed to leave at 8am, but when they got back to the airport and retrieved the luggage, it was 4pm! And in a truck it’s a long, slow ride to anywhere, not to mention the bumpy road to the Mara.
Late checkout meant we were driving at night, which is something we never want to do, especially through the bush. We finally got there at midnight and the camp staff was wonderful! We stayed in communication with them throughout the night and they prepared dinner for us and served it very kindly at that time. However, we learned our lesson: next time we won’t leave for Maasai Mara so late, and instead leave very early the next day.
safari starts
The next day our morning game drive didn’t start very early because everyone was tired from the night before. But Francis took them off around 8am and they saw lions almost immediately. A truck gives you more height and they got a great sighting of the herd in the grass. Shortly after, however, the truck stopped. And nothing Francis did would move him. Again the camp staff were amazing and provided a vehicle for our guests to continue on their safari. They then supplied another emergency vehicle to get the truck out of the park.
Francis disassembled the engine at camp and discovered that the piston had, as he described it, “become Githeri(a traditional Kenyan dish of stewed beans and corn, i.e. small round pieces in a bowl). The problem with engines is that even if you serve them regularly, there are things inside that you can’t see that will fall apart. potholes enough on these fabulous Kenyan roads (I recently found out in Australia that bushes are something that gets replaced every twenty years or so. In Kenya we replace them after almost every trip to the Maasai Mara!)
So that was the end of the truck for this trip. We arranged for a replacement vehicle for the group to return to Nairobi the following day. The itinerary continued for the guests as planned, thankfully. The only problem was that there was now no room for Francis and myself in this backup vehicle. We tried to hitchhike on the road closest to the camp, but it’s a quiet road, so we didn’t have much luck. So we got a mototaxi (WeddingWedding) through the savannah (out of the park!) to the main gate of the Maasai Mara, where we would encounter more traffic. I have to admit that the motorcycle ride has been the highlight of my time in Kenya! We’ve ridden that route before, but on a motorcycle it was something else! Beautiful landscapes, through Maasai villages, through rivers, wow that was awesome!
Somehow we got to Nairobi before the guests, even though we were expecting a lift, and then took public transport in Nairobi to your accommodation. But they had a much smoother ride, stopping at the Rift Valley lookout, visiting a Maasai village and having lunch along the way. However, they were just as surprised to see us waiting for them as we were. We made arrangements for Amboseli the next day and called it a night.
Amboseli
Thank goodness the second half of the trip went smoothly! We had to split them into two smaller vehicles and they changed their seating arrangements over the two days to spend time with everyone. They saw hyenas, elephants, a large herd of buffalo in the swamp, storks, zebras, a large flock of ostriches, and of course Mount Kilimanjaro. They also went up to the lookout hill for panoramic views of the park.
All’s well that ends well and the disruption to the safari for the guests was minimal. It was only my own mortification that kept me from enjoying myself. But Francis always tells me seriously that “Anything can happen” and he is right. Perhaps we will add that “Africa is unpredictable” in the travel preparation documents.
Share your travel experiences that haven’t gone exactly as planned; help me realize that not only can anything happen, but anything can happen to you any!