An Africa odyssey

JohnM · Monday at 6:09 PM

Next morning we made an early start and took a picnic breakfast to have near the main crossing where we were to spend quite some time in the hope of seeing a crossing.

Despite a bit of milling around in the distance, it was not to happen this day.

There had been a crossing the previous day, but that’s when we were hot air ballooning.

The creek near our lodge that we needed to cross each outing and where the Egyptian goose family was resident.

There they go again.

Hyenas having a buffalo breakfast.

And one hyena looking rather comical running away with a severed leg.

JohnM · Monday at 6:40 PM

JohnM · Monday at 6:56 PM

Then to the river to have breakfast and await the hoped-for crossing.

We were having our breakfast away from the crowd building at the main crossing point. The wildebeest and zebras on the other side were toying with us.

A crossing was not to be.

However, this is from my 2013 visit.

After a lot of milling around, when one takes the plunge, the rest rapidly follow.

JohnM · Monday at 7:28 PM

We abandoned the wait and went back to the lodge for lunch before venturing out again on a late afternoon game drive.

Cute bushbucks in the lodge grounds.

JohnM · Monday at 7:40 PM

Lions had killed a zebra.

Storm brewing and it rained as we made our way back to the lodge.

drron · Monday at 10:15 PM

When went to the live cam of the main crossing the fellow with horns standing on the mound was at the main crossing with a mateLots of crocs swimming round. Must have had a kill or 2..
Tonight the only crocs were out of the water. plus the hippos.

JohnM · 2026-10-20T15:09:12+1100

Next day and it was back into the bird for the final leg of our aerial safari, to Nairobi.

Blasting out of Ol Kiombo airstrip for about an hour run to WIL.

On the deck at WIL and it was bye-bye birdie.

bPeteb · 2026-10-20T15:20:43+1100

JohnM said:
Then to the Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary. It’s the only place in Kenya that houses and cares for rescued chimpanzees. Chimpanzees are not native to Kenya, their natural distribution being primarily tropical forests of equatorial West and Central Africa.

The sanctuary was created when a rescue centre in Burundi had to close because of the 1993 civil war. It was founded under an agreement between the Ol Pejeta Conservancy, the Kenya Wildlife Service and the Jane Goodall Institute (Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary: 2026/2027 Visitor Guide, CHIMPANZEES - Ol Pejeta Conservancy).

In many ways it was distressing. The rescued chimps were all traumatised and carrying the emotional scars from conflict zones or other forms of maltreatment. But they are trying to save the animals, rehabilitate them and raise awareness at this centre.

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We then went to see Baraka, the 31-year-old blind black rhino. That was on 1 August. We found out later that he died of old age on 16 August.

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Next day, we returned to Nairobi, bringing to an end the Northern Circuit safari. We stayed at the Four Points by Sheraton, NBO and prepard for an early flight to Kigali, Rwanda the following morning. It was to be the first of four stays at the Four Points as we came and went through NBO over the next several weeks.

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This brought a few tears to my eyes John. Never in our wildest dreams did we ever think we would be able to hand feed a rhino. All three of us were very sad to read of his death in an email from the sanctuary. Like you, we found the chimp centre distressing.

Your trip is bringing back so many wonderful memories of last year.

JohnM · 2026-10-20T15:45:26+1100

bPeteb said:
This brought a few tears to my eyes John. Never in our wildest dreams did we ever think we would be able to hand feed a rhino. All three of us were very sad to read of his death in an email from the sanctuary. Like you, we found the chimp centre distressing.

Your trip is bringing back so many wonderful memories of last year.

I have you to thank for that part of our trip.

We had booked everything else apart from the Northern Circuit tour, but after your TR, I added that.

JohnM · 2026-10-20T17:23:52+1100

Off to the historic Sarova Stanley Hotel (Stanley Hotel, Nairobi - Wikipedia) in central Nairobi for the night.

It’s the first luxury hotel in Nairobi, established in 1902 and named after Sir Henry Morton Stanley, a Welsh explorer who is best known for his explorations of central Africa and his successful search for missionary and explorer David Livingstone.

Since the early 1900s, the Stanley Hotel has been known as the traditional meeting place for those going on safari in Kenya.

The Thorn Tree Café on the ground floor is named for the original acacia tree used for years as a message depot, while the Exchange Bar, named for the Nairobi Securities Exchange, is the successor to the Long Bar, where local stocks were first traded in Nairobi.

It is the birthplace of Tusker Beer in 1922 (of which a few were consumed on this trip) and is the site of Queen Elizabeth’s first declaration as Queen, following the death of her father while she was visiting Kenya in 1952.