We crossed the equator several times on this trip, and finally made a brief stop to take some pictures and listen to a demonstration on magnetic fields.
At around 11pm, the relative calm around the waterhole outside the Ark (which is floodlit at night), was shattered by a huge herd of elephants charging towards the waterhole – we counted at least 21.
Among them were babies (several still suckling), all carefully protected within the centre of the herd. The elephants seemed on edge – at night they can’t see well, so they need to be on guard for predators looking to grab one of the babies!
We spotted at least seven hyenas on the edge of the clearing, but one elephant would occasionally storm off to chase them away. The herd is usually led by females, but the largest elephant by far was a giant male with huge tusks – one was broken. The guides told us that he was originally part of another group, but had been accepted by this family on account of his size!
The elephants seemed to charge away anything that got close; fairly dopey buffalo were chased off, and even the mild-mannered geese pottering around the mud seemed to spook the elephants. Our whole group was mesmerized by the sight.
It was hard to take photos at night, but check out the video:
Staying in the Ark in Aberdare National Park is an adventure in itself, and the only way to really appreciate the wildlife inside the reserve.
Special buses trundle between the Aberdare Country Club and the specially designed lodge (which is 90% wood), perched on the edge of a waterhole and muddy salt-lick – it does look a bit like the Noah’s Ark of popular imagination, with a boat-shaped bow, long body and flat ‘stern’.
Rooms are compact but cosy, and the four levels all have views of the waterhole – and heaps of animals that root around in the mud looking for salt.
When we arrived there were five long-tusked elephants, a herd of buffalo and a handful of warthogs and bush bucks, while a sleek-looking mongoose ran through the rocks.
At 5pm we strolled out to the wooden catwalk while the staff piled bread and fruit onto two hanging bird tables; because of the cooler, misty weather, only a few species turned up to the feast, while three tiny Suni – Africa’s smallest antelope – played on the forested ground beneath us.
Our feathered visitors included the yellow breasted common bulbul, the long, willowy tailed speckled mousebird, and the tiny streaky seed-eater.
Most of the action happens at night here; the hotel uses a buzzer system to wake up guests when animals approach:
One ring = elephants
Two rings = rhinos
Three rings = leopards
Four is for any other ‘unusual’ animals
We only got to see elephants, but that was a truly magical experience.
Our third national park encompasses the Aberdare Mountains, home to the Kikuyu tribe and named in 1884 by explorer Joseph Thomson in honour of the president of the Royal Geographical Society.
It was made into a park in 1950, and Elizabeth II famously became Queen here in 1952 (her father died while she was staying at Treetops Hotel). In the 1960s many Mau Mau rebels had hideouts here, but today the only danger is posed by the odd leopard (sadly, we didn’t see one!).
On the way to the park, we stopped at Thomson Falls near Nyahururu, a famous training hub for Kenya's champion long-distance runners. Samuel Wanjirŭ, the first Kenyan to win the marathon at the Olympics, calls Nyahururu home. Along the way, we saw a few atheletes training along the road.
The Aberdare National Park is home to 250 types of bird and 44 different mammals, from elephants to striped mice, but lions are no longer among them – they were relocated after concerns they were killing too many animals, especially the rare Bongo antelope.
Black rhinos are also endangered here; thanks to illegal poaching - their numbers have declined from 450 in the 1970s to just 20 today (we didn’t see one of those either). The park is now surrounded by a 400km high-voltage fence to keep out the poachers.
Access to the park is strictly controlled via just two unique lodges, Treetops and our hotel, the Ark. To get to the Ark you start at the Aberdare Country Club, an English-style stone complex built in the 1920s, where we had lunch.
Most of the park is over 7000 feet up, and when we visited it was chilly, misty and damp – but very atmospheric!
Here's the video clip of the lions (yes, plural) we saw in Masai Mara. You can see how close they were to our minibus! Please excuse the wobbly camera and whispered Cantonese :)
And here are a few more photos (simply because I can't resist sharing them!)
The annual migration of wildebeest between Tanzania and Kenya is one of world’s greatest natural wonders – and we got to see it on one of our game drives!
These first groups from Tanzania's Seregenti plains are nicknamed ‘inspectors’ by the tour guides, as they seem to be checking out the Masai Mara savannah for the rest of the herd.
Now, at the end of June, the Masai Mara is dotted with thousands of wildebeest, but by August there will be 3 million here!
After a day spent meandering through the sweaty streets of Stone Town, we stopped at a beach-side restaurant called Mercury's -- named after the Queen lead vocalist who I found out today was born in Zanzibar. After a meal of fish in coconut sauce and roast chicken with chapatis, we had a beer and enjoyed sunset over the Indian Ocean.
That's when the local boys came out to play. Perhaps inspired by the World Cup starting in a few days in South Africa, Zanzibar's youth hit the beach in droves to play footie -- from practice drills among small groups of friends, to a full-fledged 11-a-side match, complete with small goal posts at each end.
Everyone was bare foot and seemed to be having a good time, though taking their drills pretty seriously -- perhaps hoping a soccer tout would scoop him up for the Premier League?
It's not a bad way to spend a Wednesday evening.
Here's the video clip (I found a broadband connection at last)
Rooms are compact but cosy, and the four levels all have views of the waterhole – and heaps of animals that root around in the mud looking for salt.
At 5pm we strolled out to the wooden catwalk while the staff piled bread and fruit onto two hanging bird tables; because of the cooler, misty weather, only a few species turned up to the feast, while three tiny Suni – Africa’s smallest antelope – played on the forested ground beneath us.
On the way to the park, we stopped at Thomson Falls near Nyahururu, a famous training hub for Kenya's champion long-distance runners. Samuel Wanjirŭ, the first Kenyan to win the marathon at the Olympics, calls Nyahururu home. Along the way, we saw a few atheletes training along the road.
The Aberdare National Park is home to 250 types of bird and 44 different mammals, from elephants to striped mice, but lions are no longer among them – they were relocated after concerns they were killing too many animals, especially the rare Bongo antelope. 
That's when the local boys came out to play. Perhaps inspired by the World Cup starting in a few days in South Africa, Zanzibar's youth hit the beach in droves to play footie -- from practice drills among small groups of friends, to a full-fledged 11-a-side match, complete with small goal posts at each end. 
Everyone was bare foot and seemed to be having a good time, though taking their drills pretty seriously -- perhaps hoping a soccer tout would scoop him up for the Premier League?
