15th - Samburu NP – Lake Naivasha

An early departure at 0700 was to take us from Samburu and down to Lake Naivasha. It was going to be quite a long drive (we wouldn’t arrive until in the afternoon) and at 1230 we arrived at Thompson Falls for lunch.

Our lunch was had at the lodge located at the falls, but to actually get to the falls and see them fully you had to pay admittance. I was disappointed to say the least – it was a worse tourist trap than anything else I have seen on the trip, or on any other trip I have been on here in Africa. The other group that was travelling the same way as I chose to pay to get to see it, but the moment they stepped past the entrance they were aggressively approached by two people who were dressed in traditional garbs who tried getting them to take photos with them followed by demanding payment which was double the entrance fee. Per photo. They even tried sneaking into the picture when they were trying to take photos of the fall so that they could demand even more money. The group took some quick shots and then left in a hurry, obviously not having the best time on the trip, and I am very glad I stayed on my side of the fence where you could see the upper half of the falls. It wasn’t even that impressive which was also confirmed by the others.

We soon departed and kept going to Naivasha. We arrived at around 1630 where we went on a boat safari for a couple of hours before going to the lodge. While on the water we saw mainly hippos, a few giraffes, water bucks and plenty of birdlife. The drive to the lodge was a short half an hour one. My room was huge, and because of the location close to the lake it would be possible to see hippos come up during the night and graze on the lawn, clearly viewable from the room. This also meant that if we had to go out during the night, like when going to have dinner in the restaurant, we would have to call reception for security to escort us. Under no circumstances were we allowed to go outside during the night without being escorted. On the walk to dinner we actually saw a quite large hippo walking around, the there was a reason why we needed the extra security.

Pelicans.

Marabou stork.

African jacana.

African spoonbill.

Hippo being sneaky.

Pied kingfisher.

Hippo getting caught being out of the water.

Great egret.

Hadada ibis.

From here on there is not much said about the trip itself but rather about the groups and social interaction on this trip. If you can’t stand reading a (very) long rant, feel free to skip it, you will not miss anything regarding the trip itself.

We are three groups travelling with the travel company on two different routes. We all arrived in Nairobi with the same flight and had the day in the city together, and we will all also depart on the same day. The first group is a group of 6 almost-retirees, a card club travelling on their 40^th anniversary. They were also the people I went to the bar with on the first night, and they are all very nice people. They go their separate way after Nairobi, but will meet up with us (the two other groups) again when we reach Masai Mara.

The second group is going the same way as I. They are two boys (14-ish and 17-ish), their parents and the mother’s father. The kids are… kids. The father doesn’t understand English at all so he needs everything translated, and the grandfather understands basic English but replies in Danish (if at all) followed by a “how silly they don’t understand what I am saying”-laughter/snicker. He is also very loud. Awkwardly loud. None of them seem to be used to travelling and some of them are more verbal about how they prefer things to be like at home. The grandfather was shocked – almost offended – when he found out that there was no TV at the Samburu lodge. The oldest kid prefers buns and rice and is annoyed there isn’t more ketchup in his life, and the youngest will aim for the fried/breadcrumbed fish at the buffets (buffets for all meals (with only a few exceptions). Training for the trip to India just got a bit harder) and not much else if he can get away with it. The discussions at the meals don’t seem too bright, and they are from Lolland. Say hello to family Redneck. And the kids brought iPads to use as cameras. For a safari. I am rolling in my grave in advance.

The third group is me. This means I have my own rooms and the only passenger in the vehicle. Some of the rooms hold up to 4 people and the vehicle is a modified Toyota Hiace so despite it feels a little weird being alone under these circumstances it gives me a lot of room to move around on.

Because the second and third groups are going the same way we have had the same table at Samburu. I wasn’t able to sit anywhere else; when I came down for breakfast and tried to get my own table to have a meal in peace I was quickly stopped by the staff and referred to the “correct” table. It wasn’t until today my driver realized that I didn’t actually know these people before and that we were just separate groups who happened to be travelling the same way. I don’t know if that has something to do with me getting my own table here at Naivasha. In any case it is a pleasant change.

The reason why this suddenly is bursting out is because of the minute long (short) walk to the restaurant tonight. Security had picked up a group of 4 before reaching my lodge and they were chatting away like they had known each other forever, just like it feels after a couple of days in a group when travelling with G Adventures. On this trip we get picked up in the morning at departure or for a game drive and at the end of the drive we get unloaded and informed when we will be picked up the following day, and from then on we are on our own. That in itself is fine, though if having the choice between dining with group 2 or alone, if there is any doubt, I would prefer the latter. On these kinds of trips I very much prefer equal-minded people. People who love travelling, meeting new people and cultures despite those are different and have different traditions that we have at home. People who don’t make me cringe and wanting to apologize to the staff and the locals.

The reason why I decided to travel with this company was because it was the only one who had a safari in Kenya during the Easter holiday. I love travelling with G Adventures and Kipling Travel (the latter for the summits and technical treks (with the exception of Kili)), because they all start the trip with a briefing with the entire group where the guide(s) go through the itinerary and get people to present themselves to each other. On almost every trip every day is concluded by a briefing where we go through the day’s activities and what the following day will bring. That in itself strengthens the social bonds much more than this (the combination of group 2 & 3) ever will.

It is important to mention that this trip is not a disaster despite I might be making it sound like one. Locations, game drives, weather, living conditions, sightings, food, etc. is still not bad. The only thing really dragging it down is the groups of the trip (saying this taking into consideration I haven’t had much interaction with group 1 due to our different routes). I don’t think it is until now I full understand the true meaning of “The trip would not have been the same without you”. The social level and interaction in the groups one (I) travel in is so much more important that I believe I have ever been aware of. With that I need to give a shout-out to Stephan & Jaco, Ina, Mira & Thomas, Elaine, Veronica, Matt, Bo, Monica & Maja, Tashi, Keri, Jules & Melina, Jack, Choloe, Gary & Anne, Rob & Laura and everyone else not mentioned. The trips I have been on with you would not have been the same without you. I miss you all.