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Juvenile Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis in Flight     Taken on 29 June, 2023 at 4:149 pm in Manyeleti Game Reserve, Buffelshoek Camp, using an EOS 1D X camera with an EF 400mm f/2.8L IS II super-telephoto lens   ISO 800, f/4.5, 1/1600 sec., handheld Manual shooting mode in a safari vehicle in late afternoon light   **********************************************************************************************************************************************************   ~ This young saddle-billed stork flew by on steady yet gracefully slow wing strokes, quietly passing by.   Beauty in South Africa takes a variety of forms, including the understated greys of a young stork in flight..

@Zubbie15- We left the morning of Feb 16th so we just missed you!! Thanks for your comments on the pics. I haven’t even looked at my husband’s so I guess I’m technically only halfway through as well. LOL And I’m glad to hear some of the info is useful. 

Thanks for sharing @HeatherY, I have to laugh that you consider this report a bit late. We were in Kenya in February also, I think I'm only halfway through the photos!   We were also at Porini Lion in February, I had wondered if we overlapped but looking at your photos I don't think we had any of the same sightings. We were there 3 nights starting on the 16th.   In any case, lots of useful info here and some very nice photos.    We're actually going to be in Ol Pejeta next year, and we were leaving toward not seeing the chimps. It's good to hear your perspective! 

Thank you all for your kind words! My husband thought it's too many tiger pics, but I think you can't ever have too many tiger cub pics. Such cuteness!   Here a few pictures of animals seen on our subsequent game drives in Ranthambore. Our guide blamed the weather for not having any more tiger sightings. it was rainy and overcast, even cold. But we had such an explosion of tigers the first ever game drive, it kind of sustained us until Bandhavgarh NP.  I'm not very versed with identifying birds, so feel free to chime in or correct me. As mentioned, CB is an expert birder, so we stopped a lot for birds.    Scops Owl?   Ruddy Mongoose   Sunbird Fruit Bat   Ibis Chicken?!Francolin? Peafowl To me, this is the Indian equivalent of Impala and Baboon. Rufus... Glowing Langur All I remember is that CB was excited to see this bird Mr. Spotted Deer Always enjoy seeing mothers with babies     Rose-Ringed Parakeet, the only reason I remember is because they were numerous.

Porini Rhino, Ol Pejeta We flew from Selenkay to Nairobi and from there to Nanyuki Airport. Fortunately, no issues with the weight of our luggage and they didn’t weigh our carry-on, but again, the flight was nowhere near full. Unfortunately, the air strip in Ol Pejeta had been damaged from rains and no flights were landing or taking off from there. We were met by our guides in Nanyuki and it was just over an hour drive to the conservancy gates. Although not ideal, it gave us a great opportunity to see a bit more of the countryside and life in Kenya so we had no complaints.    We signed in at the conservancy office before making our way to Porini Rhino camp. The camp is quite a distance from the main entrance (I believe one of the furthest), but the location is great, and of course has the water hole, which is a wonderful benefit to this camp. There’s also a blind overlooking the water hole, which gives a great opportunity for a more up-close-and-personal view. We were met in camp by Edwin, the camp manager, who was always available and spent time with the guests in the evening around the campfire.  The routine in camp is very similar to Selenkay - early wake-up with coffee, biscuits and warm water to freshen-up, out on a game drive between 6:00am and 6:30am, bush breakfast around 9:00am, back in camp around noon, lunch at 1:00pm, free time after lunch to rest or perhaps spend time in the blind, then out on a game drive again at 4:00pm until anywhere from 7:00pm and 7:30pm, with sundowners at some time between. Dinner was at 8:00pm but there was always time visiting around the campfire, either before or after dinner.    Guides - David (I’m 90% sure I have his name right but can’t find my notes and feel really bad about that!) was our driver.  David has been guiding for a long time but only more recently with Porini.  He’s extremely knowledgeable, with a laid back and calm nature. Paul is a student so still learning, and though quiet, we could tell he enjoyed what he was doing.  He was also able to share his knowledge and spot some good sightings.    Game Drives - David really seemed to enjoy driving off the beaten track, so we had some fantastic game drives.  We saw both black and white rhinos within the first 30-45 minutes of arrival and many afterwards. There were three oryx in the area and we were also fortunate to have seen them, since I understand they’re not common to the conservancy. We also saw a striped hyena thanks to the great off-roading by our guide!  He (or she) was in the tall grasses and I was on the wrong side of the jeep to get a decent picture but it’s possible my husband did (I still haven’t had the chance to go through all his pictures yet!). The reticulated giraffes are beautiful and were plentiful.  While we didn’t see any kills, we did see a bit of a chase when a lone buffalo wondered close to the lions. It was amazing to watch the entire pride perk up as it neared - all on alert and ready to pounce!  We were trumpeted at by an elephant (if that doesn’t wake you nothing will). She had been in a gully with her baby so I think we startled her, but David’s knowledge of their behaviour and his calm nature was really beneficial during this encounter and we had no issues. For us, and probably momma elephant, it was more of a surprise than anything else.   We spent time with and had the chance to feed Baraka, the blind black rhino living in protection in the conservancy. We also visited the chimpanzee sanctuary, and although interesting, we don’t feel the need to do either again if we return to Ol Pejeta in the future.  We saw the last two living Northern White rhinos - Najin and Fatu - from a distance. We learned of the efforts to impregnate a southern white rhino - science is truly amazing and we hope for success, though understand a recent attempt failed.  We didn’t do a night drive, but were quite late returning to camp one evening and stopped along the way to see some lions in the dark.    The Camp - Our tent (#3) had a similar layout and amenities to what we had in Selenkay. I believe it’s one of the farthest tents from the dining/lounge tent, but still had a front row view of the water hole, though not as close to it as the neighbouring tent was. We really liked the location, very quiet and private.  We were quite thrilled when a family of elephants decided to pass through within about 10-15 feet of our tent … an amazing and unforgettable experience!   The meals were comparable to Selenkay.  Lunches were usually buffet style and outside at a table overlooking the water hole.  For dinner, we gathered at two or three tables, depending on how many guests were in camp.  We typically had soup as a starter, the main course and a lovely dessert (it was here we had peach and date pie - not a combination I would ever have thought of but was one of my favourites of the entire trip!). Overall, the food was very good, but again, their soups and sauces were outstanding.  The staff were all fantastic and very attentive. I felt the atmosphere to be a bit more formal than what we experienced in Selenkay, with less interaction between staff and guests. It’s not a criticism, since the staff were still very kind and helpful, but it was a noticeable difference.  However, there was also less interaction amongst the guests than what we experienced in Selenkay, and I suspect that may influence the staff’s approach.       Weather - The evenings and mornings were much cooler than we expected, and first thing in the morning and after sundown on most drives we took advantage of the ponchos. We also appreciated the hot water bottles to warm up our beds at night. Although the first night my husband was a bit worried about what may have crawled into our tent and bed when he saw the hot water bottle lumps!   We had a very light rain one afternoon while we were resting in camp, and despite the storm clouds we saw, that was the only rain during our time here. But we did have a rainbow every day!  And although there wasn’t a pot of gold at the end of the it, we usually saw some form of wildlife, which on safari, is just as good!     Since we had the long drive to Nanyuki Airport for our flight to the Mara area, it meant there wasn’t time for the usual morning game drive on our departure day.  We had a leisurely breakfast in camp, with lions to be seen off in the distance (they were at the water hole earlier but we weren’t quick enough to see them there).  We did a bit of a game drive through the conservancy on our way out, though didn’t have the chance for frequent or long stops, otherwise we may have missed our flight!     Pictures from this camp are at this link.  https://hwyates.smugmug.com/Travel/Kenya2024/n-LhNf8W/Ol-Pejeta   Thanks for following along so far!  Next stop … Porini Mara.   

First stop Porini Selenkay …   Our flight from Nairobi left at 7:00am .  I was a bit worried about luggage since I knew we were over the 15kg maximum, primarily due to camera equipment. Not a lot over and we were prepared to pay extra if necessary, but they only weighed our duffle bags and not our carry-on, which was our camera bags.  We were also the only two on the flight which I suspect was likely why.  We landed at the Selenkay airstrip at about 7:45am, and after introductions with our guides, we had our first game drive on the way to camp (taking the long way), and arriving in camp just before noon.  We had our camp briefing with the manager, lunch, and then had a chance to settle into our tent before the late afternoon/evening game drive.    For each camp, I’ll provide a brief overview of our experience. Many of you are probably familiar with the camp routines and schedules, but I’ll include some of this for those like me who are new to safari and may find it helpful.    Guides  - Dan (Muli) and Thomson (Latina) were wonderful.  We felt their guiding was excellent, but we also had a lot of fun and laughs during our game drives and really enjoyed getting to know them. Fantastic people and a great introduction to the safari experience.  About half our game drives were just my husband and I; the others were with one other couple and we never had more than 4 guests on any of our drives here.  I suspect it was likely our timing and the fact the camp wasn’t full.    Game Drives - We spent our second full day in Amboseli National Reserve. It’s a bit of a drive, and on the way the intention was just to get there, so unless there was something really special on the way, we weren’t going to stop. I honestly can’t remember how long it took … maybe an hour?  I really didn’t notice the time since it was so enjoyable and interesting to see the country-side and drive through the local community.  The rest of our drives were in Selenkay Conservancy, which I really enjoyed. I wasn’t expecting to see so many different birds in the reserve and conservancy, all of them so beautiful. And I admit I fell in love with elephants … such amazing animals with so much character!  We didn’t see any lions here, although we had great fun trying with Muli and Latina following some tracks.  I honestly don’t think it would have mattered what we saw - it was our first safari experience and we loved every minute of it!  We also had a night drive, one of the benefits of staying in the conservancy. We didn’t see a lot during the night drive, but it was a beautiful clear night so we stopped at the airstrip and star-gazed and listened to the night sounds. It was fabulous!   The Camp - Our tents were very comfortable. For us, it was a perfect level of “glamping”, where we had the amenities we needed without losing the feel of what we had envisioned a traditional safari would be like. We had no issues with the bucket showers, and felt it was a great part of the overall experience.  Conserving water also wasn’t new to us having spent some time in the Galapagos on a fairly small boat. The water was hot and we had more than enough for our needs. We had been worried about running out, but because of that, whoever showered second usually got a really long shower to use what was left!  Wake up was before 6:00am, with delivery of our choice of morning beverage, biscuits, and a jug of hot water so we could freshen up. Out on safari between 6:00am and 6:30am, usually with a bush breakfast somewhere around 9:00am. Back to camp just before noon, lunch at 1:00pm, then some down time before going out again at 4:00pm. Somewhere along the way we stopped for sundowners, then back to camp between 7:00pm and 7:30pm and supper at 8:00pm. Showers were either before or after dinner.  The food was excellent. The soups and sauces were especially delicious and if Porini ever decided to put out a recipe book I’d definitely get one!  In addition to our plated meal, they usually had an African dish served “family style” if anyone wanted to try it.   Daniel was always available to make sure we had anything we needed in the lounge/dining area at any time of the day. I’m not sure what his “title” is? - I can’t say “server” because he was so much more than that!  More like a host. And he never stopped smiling!     Weather - Really quite hot during the days.  The evenings were cooler and comfortable but we never needed any extra layers, and during the night we generally only needed the sheet for cover (but we’re also used to -20 to -30 degrees celsius at this time of year!).  There was no rain while we were at this camp.   On our way to the airstrip the morning we were leaving, we came across some birds acting quite strangely. It was clear they were bothered by something and were almost dive-bombing something in the grasses.  We eventually realized what the fuss was about - a puff adder had one of the birds in its jaw, injecting it with venom. It was amazing how well camouflaged it was in the grass!  He freed it briefly, and for a while we thought the bird might get away (at least my husband and I did … our guides knew better and gave us a bit of a lesson on puff adders).  The bird died within about a minute and then we watched as the puff adder swallowed it.  Despite what was happening, we couldn’t stop from watching - it was fascinating, and though sad, a necessary part of nature. We knew it was a lucky sighting since our guides had their cameras out too - it was a first for both of them to see a puff adder with kill.     Next stop … Porini Rhino in Ol Pejeta.     Rather than trying to pick and choose some photos, I’ve included a link to my Smugmug pages for this part of our trip if anyone wants to browse (I’ll do the same for the other locations as well). Apologies in advance for some of the videos being a bit shaky - until this trip I hadn’t done a lot of video with my camera, especially with a fairly long lens attached, and next time I’ll have something to help stabilize it. Video with the phone was much easier to manage and if there’s good video, that’s probably the source.   I think I have most things labelled right. For the birds, what I didn’t remember I tried to identify with Merlin, but if anyone sees something identified wrong, feel free to let me know.  https://hwyates.smugmug.com/Travel/Kenya2024/n-LhNf8W/Selenkay-Amboseli   The puff adder experience is separate. Although family and friends were equally fascinated to hear about it, not everyone wanted to see it.  https://hwyates.smugmug.com/Travel/Kenya2024/n-LhNf8W/Puff-Adder-vs-Bird  

The water hole is a great feature in Rhino!  We weren’t right across from it, but our tent still had a good view of it.  We also had a great experience one afternoon while we were resting (or initially trying to rest!) when a family of elephants decided to saunter our way after finishing at the water hole. They ended up coming by within about 10-15 feet of our tent as we quietly sat out watching them (pictures and video to follow). 

We found that three nights was great. It gave us time to settle in for a while add not feel like we were rushing from one camp to the next. It also gave us time to see different parts of the conservancies so we didn’t feel we missed much. I would have been happy adding nights in some camps primarily because we just really enjoyed our time there!

Wonderful cub sequences. thanks for sharing.

"As long as the Tanzanian government favours instant and rich money from trophy hunters, it will never care about the continuing existence of endangered wildlife."   I consider that the above is an illogical statement because it is too much of a generalisation.  "Rich" money is presumably used to describe that obtained from trophy hunters to differentiate it from "poor" money derived from photo-tourists.  The real debate should relate to the "instant" versus the sustainable.  In the case of super tuskers, it may well be that long term income might best be obtained by protection of known individuals to the extent that genetics may play a role in tusk size along with good plain of nutrition, lack of wear and advanced age.  However, it is a distorting generalisation to jump from a discussion of super tuskers (and, possibly more importantly, emerging super tuskers) to a conclusion that trophy hunting is a threat to the "continuing existence of endangered wildlife".  The scientific consensus - to the extent that there is one - would suggest the opposite.

So pleased you went  with Gamewatchers and I am really looking forward to hearing al about it.

Great choice of camps & in a good order too - we found 3 nights the best plan as it allows you to both properly unpack/relax in each camp & also get a good feel for each conservancy. If you do a repeat trip & return to any of those camps maybe 2 nights works ok plus saves you a few $$.   Worth asking your TO to request either of the tents overlooking the water hole & salt lick at Porini Rhino (think they are numbers 5 & 6 but no sure on the numbers). Plus if you are thinking of a full day in the Masai Mara NP I’d suggest do that from Porini Lion camp as it’s a shorter transfer than from Porini Mara camp.

Sounds like a great trip, we have done 3 with Gamewatchers now over the last 6 years & been to all those Porini camps plus Porini Cheetah so will be very interested in your future updates/experiences - we are considering trip 4 for Nov 2025!   Slightly easier from the UK with direct flights on BA or Air Kenya to Nairobi so can easily see the need for buffer days for your trip - we did likewise on our Botswana trip last year & built into our one to Zambia in August.   Looking forward to your next update.

@KaliCAthis is the third trip I've booked with WWI. We had excellent tiger sightings in Rathambhore in 2020 where Rajan was our guide. We also stayed at Chambal River Lodge for a couple of nights and did 2 river trips. I was extremely happy with the service WWI provided, the knowledgeable cultural and wildlife guides and the quality of the accommodation. The trip was seamless and I would heartily recommend WWI for your next India safari!   @xelasthere will certainly be a TR but thats a loooong way off. Definitely no self-driving for me, the traffic in India would defeat me before I reached the first roundabout!    I am going to Hokkaido first, just one month away now.

Looking forward to your report.  We just booked the same camps for Oct 2025 for a group of us.  Three nights in Porini Selenkay (Amboseli), two nights at Porini Rhino (Ol Pejeta), three nights at Porini Mara and then finishing with 3 nights at Porini Lion.  Curious if you thought the three nights per camp was too long, too short or about right.