Safari Animals (first set)

We began with an afternoon game drive at Tubu in which we saw more species than can be reasonably names in a short space.. Suffice it to say, over the next several days in the different camps we saw hundreds of species of animals in this amazing wild habitat.

Life on safari is something to experience - beginning with early (5am) wake up calls, followed by breakfast and the morning game drive which lasts about 4 hours - but properly has a stop for tea in the middle. Back at camp it’s time for brunch and then siesta. In the afternoon, tea with a snack (one savory, one sweet) and then the afternoon game drive - another 4 hours, with another proper break, this time a sundowner (gin & tonic of course). Driving back to camp at night it’s a night-drive, spotlight in hand the guide finds nocturnal animals like wildcats, owls, hyenas, and other critters not typically seen during the day. Back at camp it’s time for dinner (the 6th meal of the day, including snacks) and finally to bed.

We had several incredibly memorable wildlife sightings the highlights being: the lioness protecting her cubs; cheetahs on the plains; cape buffalo busting through the brush; baboons crossing the water; baby elephants playing; but more often than not, it was the “every day” events that to us, as visitors, were just as special, if not more. Just seeing (and hearing) the thousands of birds taking off at sunset; seeing animals like the aardwolf or the bat-eared fox; watching an elephant chew on a tree or sniff the air - seeing these animals on their own grounds was an incredible privilege, one that I am thankful that I was willing to partake in.

On our last drive out to the airstrip both Meghan and I were filled with sorrow knowing that our experience had come to an end. But both of us were already thinking about how and when we would return.