No we weren’t eaten by lions! We have been out of phone and internet for a while so no blog for a few days- a couple of posts to catch up on. Internet still not strong so having trouble uploading pics- so if you want visuals, sorry, will add ASAP.

Day 1:
Left the beautiful Sweetwater Camp at 6.30 to head north to Sambaru. Less than than 1km Down the road we were stuck by nature at its most incredible and terrible. A giraffe fending off a pride of 9 lions who had killed her baby. After an hour of kicking and spitting the lions backed off- we like to think that they didn’t come back, but didn’t stick around to find out. There is now a special place in our hearts for ‘Lucy’ the giraffe (or so we have named her).


The drive north saw some interesting transitions in geography and climate. We left the relatively lush, red-earth terrain, through agricultural areas that included corn and wheat crops and huge glass houses for vegetable farming, into increasingly arid, baron and rocky areas.

The Sambaru Park is in central Kenya, on the main highway to Ethiopia. It is currently in drought (no rain since last year) so very dusty, sandy and dry.
Our camp Sambaru Sentrim is in the Sambaru game park on the banks of a (croc infested) river which has water and so is a haven for wild life and grazing animals (goats & camels).

It also hosts the ‘special 5’ – the grevy zebra (with dominant white rather than black stripes) the Gerenuk gazelle (very tall & long necked) the reticulated giraffe (special pattern but we think all giraffes are special, the oryx (antelope with long straight horns) and the chetah. We saw 4/5 just on the way in. Also impressive were the Somali Ostrich (famous for its blue legs) and the dic dic (the chiuoua of the deer world).

Weather is very hot up here (well into the 30s and dry). Luckily it cools a little at night, but still tough sleeping. We are limited in how much we can open up for airflow because of mozzies. Our little cabin is very cute and has great mozzie nets over the bed, so we sleep in out net cocoon.

Day 2
Set off at 6am with packed breakfast to try to catch animals before they hunkered down in the heat.

A long drive along the river was really fruitful – big herds of giraffe and zebra, a huge array of deer and antelope and
a quick glimpse of a leopard.

We stopped for a bush breakfast of boiled eggs, cheese sandwiches, banana and mango juice, then headed for a Sambaru village where locals put on a traditional dance ceremony (with Naomi taking one for the team and joining in- sorry no pics allowed)
Arrived back at camp at 2 hot, dusty and ready for our hearty lunch (beef stew) and a long afternoon siesta.
Cold showers are the only relief from the heat. Showers are shared with very cute little geckos- or so we thought, until Cyrus told us that geckos love to chew tooth brushes! This was enough to send R&R scurrying to their cabins to secure brushes.
Finished the day with a late afternoon cuppa by the river, and camp fire. If we were any more relaxed we’d be unconscious.