Date: Feb 12, 2007
Location: Mombassa, Kenya
Next Port: Mahé, Port Victoria, Seychelles, Feb. 15
Quick Summary: Today Regent offered a variety of complimentary shore excursions for all guests. We chose to fly to Amboseli National Game Preserve. It was a super event…well planned and executed. The other choice for World Cruisers was a flight to Nairobi that included avisit to an elephant orphanage and a giraffe center. They also visited the colonial home museum of Karen Von Blixen, author of “Out of Africa.” The Segment Cruisers were offered four choices of excursions.
Report: After a short ride to MOI International Airport, we quickly boarded our chartered 19-passenger turboprop aircraft. Flying at 8-10,000 feet, we were able to observe the way people live in the small villages, on the mountains with their terrace farming and out in the middle of the plains. We saw no paved roads once we left Mombassa.
Amboseli is dominated by Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa at 19,335 feet. Marshy areas form the heart of the park’s ecosystem. The swamps are fed from underneath by the melting snows of the mountain. Where the water reaches the surface, the otherwise dry landscape is lush and green. The presence of permanent water guarantees an abundance of animals. (In addition, recent rains have created some temporary lakes that are filled with birds.)
As our small plane descended to the airstrip, we saw three herds of elephants and some Cape buffalo. We were met by Maasai tribesmen presenting gift necklaces of carved wooden African animals and beads. Waiters also offered wet face towels and fruit juices. We met our guides and climbed into open-air mini-vans with pop-top roofs. With only six of us per van, we had plenty of room.
Amboseli is a national park, thus we had to stay on the graded roads and could not wander off into the bush. Because of this, most of the animals were only seen at a distance. We saw quite a few different species…though we didn’t see any cats (not the right time of day for them to be out) or giraffes.
Our combined recollection of what we saw:
· Elephant
· Cape Buffalo
· Common Zebra
· Maasai and Somali Ostrich (different colored necks)
· Wildebeest
· Thomson Gazelle (Tommies)
· Grand Gazelle
· Impala
· White Cattle Egrets
· Yellow-Billed Egret
· Egyptian Geese
· Blacksmith Plover
· African Jacana
· Grey Heron
· Crown Cranes (National bird of Uganda, always seen in pairs)
· Black-Winged Tilts
· Flamingos
· Baboons
Steven, our guide, described the Wildebeest as “a total mess.” He says, “It has the face of a grasshopper, stripes like a zebra, a body like a hyena and the tail of a horse.” He was right!
Several times we saw zebras marching in a trail. Steven explained that when the lead one stops, they all stop. We also saw some rolling in taking dust baths and two males frolicking after each other in tight circles.
The cattle egrets ride on the backs of the elephants and water buffalo picking off the ticks and other insects. Other birds follow closely by the elephants’ feet as they plod along and scare up other insects from the soil.
The Tommies and grand gazelles were plentiful, close to the road in many areas and beautiful. The Thomson gazelle is the second fastest animal in the world…only the cheetah can outrun it.
After about a two hour game drive, we arrived at Ol Tukai lodge set in the midst of the reserve. We were greeted by beautiful ramrod straight Maasai in colorful native dress. Some of the beadwork was amazing. There was a bazaar of their handicrafts spread on blankets under the trees.
We all enjoyed a luncheon buffet and barbeque under the tented pavilions. It was quite lavish, with linens, sterling and service by wait staff in white shirts, vests and bowties. These African safari resorts are quite elaborate.
The Maasai performed some dances (one which involved men jumping up and down like they were on pogo-sticks) and songs for us.
After lunch, it was a 10-min ride back to the landing strip for our return to Mombassa. On the climb out, through a break in the clouds, we caught a quick glimpse of the snow-covered summit of Kilimanjaro.
At the ship there was a group of 40 vendors with their crafts spread out on blankets. They were very polite, but quite insistent in having you visit their “store.” The wares consisted mainly of woodcarvings (game animals, masks, and bowls); beaded, stone and bone jewelry; ceramics, and Maasai war implements. Karen bought a small carved wooden elephant; a wooden, oval fruit bowl, and a bone necklace.
We enjoyed a late afternoon swim and decided to try out Voyager’s new informal evening dining venue – a grill and salad bar set up on the pool deck.
The ship departed Mombassa about 10:30; now it’s two sea days before arriving in the Seychelles.
Photos of are available at:
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