Spoffords Travel

Day 8 May 13, 2025 Tarangire Reservation to Lake Manyara

Today we are off to the Lake Manyara National Park. Looks like another wonderful day. The sunrise was not as impressive as expected. The staff is right there to take the bags to the vehicle. Sure is nice when we don’t have to do it.

Not far from our lodging we encountered three young children on their way to school. We stopped so one of our fellow travelers could give them tootsie pops. She is from Chicago where they are made. All children wear uniforms until high school. Different schools have different colors.

Further down the road is a village specializing in woven rugs and baskets. They are hanging on display along the road. We didn’t stop to check them out.

Zebras are grazing along the road. They don’t seem the least bit concerned.

A colorful bird is in one of the trees. It maybe the national bird of one of the other African countries.

In about two hours we arrived at the park. This was our first bathroom stop for the day. You really need a good bladder for this tour. On the plus side they have all been clean and always have had a western option.

A monkey is sitting in one of the trees. Good thing our guide is accustomed to spotting them. They just look like part of the tree.

Lots of trees and brush in this park. A large congress of baboons is walking along the road and climbing in nearby trees. This congress is made up of all ages of baboons. Some of the teenagers are wrestling. Some of the babies are so tiny.

We came to the lake. The water is quite high since this is the end of the rainy season. Lots of ripples in the water even though we don’t feel the wind. The water is coming further onto the shore and killing some of the plant life. The lake is home to many kinds of waterfowl. The grassy areas nearby support the antelope population.

Further down the road is a large black bird with red on its face. It has a large beak. I think it is called a southern ground hornbill. They are found only in Southern Africa. They can live to be 50-60 years of age.

Sitting on a rock beside the road was a blue ball monkey. That is a nickname for the male. His balls seem to glow in the dark. The actual name is a vervet. We didn’t see a female to compare.

A few giraffes are in the area too. They move rather fast even through the brush.

We saw pelicans on the lake on our way out of the park. Also a medium size lizard was sunning himself near the river. A leopard tortoise was near a small pool. It looked just like a rock. The spots on the shell resemble the pattern of a leopard so hence the name.

One tree has several small bird houses hanging from the tree limbs. They are made by some of the warblers. They hang from the end of the branch so predators cant’ get them. Pretty smart. Also good that they are small birds.

We are off to our lodging at Acacia Farm Lodge. We will be here for two nights. We had lunch pool side. Luckily we only had a brief shower. After lunch we were introduced to the staff that would be helping us. The afternoon is free time. Our rooms are large with a living room and walk in closet. A small patio is off the living room and the bedroom. Very nice place.

They have a farm here that grows fruit and vegetables used in the meals. They also have lots of chickens, hogs and sheep. They do buy beef. The grounds are beautifully maintained. Someone is working on them constantly.

Dinner was at the restaurant and was served family style. The chef came out to describe the dishes. They were all first class. Way more food than we could eat. It’s not the tourist season yet so we had the restaurant to ourselves.

Day 7 May 12, 2025 Nairobi to Tarangire Resevation, Tanzania

We had to be up exceptionally early this morning in order to arrive at the airport 3 hours before departure time. The hotel gave us box lunches which were a let down from the buffet breakfast they normally have. We thought the three hours seemed really early since the airport didn’t seem all that big. What we didn’t know was that Precision Air was having system problems so checking in was a nightmare. They were entering everything into a lap top connected via the very slow internet. The passport scanners weren’t working either. They also needed three people to get the job done. The person entering used only one finger and hunted for every letter. The flight the day before had been cancelled so those passengers were also trying to get on. Immigration and security weren’t too bad but the gate was a mile down the concourse. We made it but not by much. We had to get to the plane via a bus that drove about 30 feet. We could have walked faster. Precision Air is not on our recommended list.

The flight lasted about an hour. We flew near Mount Kilimanjaro. Clouds surrounded it so we couldn’t see much. They actually served water, tea or coffee plus a choice of cake or croissant.

We landed and before we got inside the terminal a group of folks asked for our passports. Don’t know why because they didn’t look at much. The others in our group said they were asked for proof of Yellow Fever vaccination. We think they saw our COVID record and thought that was it. Our paper visas were accepted without a problem. We picked up our bags which had to go through another x-ray and met our guide outside. His Gate 1 sign was hand written which is not normal.

We got in another of the four wheel drive vehicles and headed for the Tarangire Reservation. The roads here seem in better condition than those in Kenya. The traffic isn’t as thick either. Therefore we made pretty good time. The sights along the way are much the same. Small towns with outdoor markets with farmland in between.

We stopped for lunch at a lodge overlooking a river. We had a table outside and luckily the weather was nice. Lots of clouds but no rain. I think we were the last to eat because the food on the buffet line was depleted and warm but not hot. Only water was included but Connie had already ordered a lemonade. Turns out that lemonade was a virgin Mojito and cost $5.00. It was tasty but not that tasty. A bottle of Diet Pepsi was $3.00. A big part of the population counts on tourism for their livelihood. The average personal income per year is $250.00.

This reservation is known for its large elephant population and the huge baobab trees. These trees can live to be 1,500 years old. Most are hollow on the inside providing homes to birds, snakes and other animals. The reservation also has a large population of termites. These build large mounds called castles. The king and queen termites spend their lives inside the castle producing more termites. They can live 50 years or more.

We saw a few elephants, giraffes, lions, warthogs, monkeys, baboons, birds and antelope. The land is more forested then Kenya. Lots of places for animals to hide. That seems to be what most were doing because this is the hottest day yet. Don’t know the actual temperature just guessing in the mid eighties. The highlight was the lions in the tree sleeping. Well the adults were. The cub was wide awake and curious.

Our lodging tonight is at the Sangaiwe Tented Lodge just outside the reservation. These tents are scattered up the hill side. A “cobbled” path winds up the hill. Sure glad someone is bringing the bags. Once again the beds are inclosed in mosquito netting. I was so tired from three nights of little sleep, the early morning and the heat that i laid down and only got up to shower and brush my teeth. Rob made it to supper.

Day 6 May 11, 2025 Masai Mara to Nairobi

Another early breakfast with departure scheduled for 7:30. The drive back to Nairobi takes about 5.5 hours including two bathroom stops. Traffic is terrible again but not as bad as when we left Nairobi. It’s Sunday and still lots of trucks on the road. Some of our route is the same and some is different. Unfortunately at this point a lot of it looks alike. Still local markets but some businesses are closed for Sunday. About 45% of the population is Christian.

We did see one truck on its side. That slowed things down a little bit. Didn’t look like anyone was hurt. Only saw one vehicle so the driver may have lost control or fell asleep.

We are on our own for lunch. They dropped us off at a large shopping mall. Very upscale complete with a Burger King, Dominos and Cold Stone Creamery. Today is Mother’s Day. They celebrate it here as well. Lots of families were out to celebrate. They only gave us an hour so no time for shopping. That was just fine with us. We got a local pizza which as expected was different from home but still good.

After lunch we went to the Karen Blixen Museum. Karen was the subject of the movie Out of Africa. The museum is her house. Many of the furnishings were hers. Some of the clothes hanging in the closet were used in the movie. We didn’t really have long enough here because it was threatening to rain and the guides wanted us to get to the giraffe center. The museum did not allow photos to be taken on the inside. Several books that Karen wrote were on display as well as many of her paintings. It is a beautiful home even now. The home was built in 1912 using the very best materials. Now we need to see the movie again.

Off to the Giraffe Center. This is really crowded. Lots of local people are out. We are given a small bowl with treats for the giraffes. Two kinds of pellets are inside. One is sweet and the other more bland. The giraffes like both. Then you go on a platform about the height of the giraffe. You have to be careful to feed them one pellet at a time because they like to reach in and take more. The pellets are about the size of a large almond. Their tongues are long and a little rough. After feeding the giraffes we went in for a short presentation about giraffes and the center. There are actually three different kinds of giraffes. The ones here are Rothschild giraffes. They are the fewest in number. The center raises these to be released into the wild. One of the giraffes is currently pregnant and another gave birth a week ago. It’s been a successful program.

Several wanted to go to the bead factory so off we went. The place chosen was the Kazuri Bead Factory. Local women are making the ceramic beads and then making jewelry from the beads. Very time consuming work. The clay is shaped and painted by hand. The beads are in different sizes and shapes. Some beads are a solid color and some have designs. After the beads are fired in a kiln they are strung into bracelets, necklaces and other items. The factory employs over 100 women. They greet us with song before showing what they do. Don’t come here looking for a bargain. Compared to home the price is most likely good.

We checked into the same hotel. Tonight we will have a farewell dinner. Four of us will continue to Tanzania, two will go home and three will remain a few more days. We had so much food for dinner. The waiters served each dish and then left the bowls for anyone wishing more. We had fish, chicken and beef dishes. We had several kinds of vegetables and rice. It ended with a plate containing three small pieces of cake and fruit. I sure hope the guides took home the leftovers.

Day 5 May 10, 2025 Masai Mara

Rob is to be in the lobby by 5:20 to get picked up for the balloon ride. About half our group is going. Connie got up shortly after he left to go to the lobby for internet access. Good idea but it was down more than up. Even when it was up the speed was too slow to do much of anything.

The balloon ride was a little different from others in the past. We did not gain much altitude but we could clearly see the many animals that from the road were hidden in the tall grass. Most animals can be 10 feet of the road and be invisible. However, It would have to be really tall grass for the giraffes to hide.

Those of us who stayed behind had breakfast beginning at 6:30. They always serve fresh fruit to include pineapple, watermelon, oranges and papaya. After the server cleared the fruit plates he put them on the nearby counter. Shortly afterwards one of the small local monkeys came in, grabbed an orange peel and ran out of the dining room. He was really fast! Pretty soon he returned for more.

At 7:30 those of us who stayed behind left for the park and to meet up with the balloonists. It’s another beautiful day. Sunny but with big fluffy white clouds. The farmers are taking the herds of cows, sheep and goats out to graze along the road. The Masai people are the majority of the nearby population. Whenever it is cool they wrap a black and red cotton blanket around their shoulders and upper body. Occasionally they wear a different color but that is rare. Some kids are walking to school. The Masai are not great supporters of education. Many of the kids are caring for the livestock instead.

Just inside the park are lots of various kinds of antelope. Many are in the distance so they look little. This portion of the park is fairly flat and goes for miles in all directions. It’s peaceful and quiet with an occasional bird call. The large birds are usually single birds while the small ones are in flocks.

We headed for the lion kill from yesterday to see what is left. We could see a large rack of bones but not much else left. The lions that weren’t allowed to eat yesterday are eating today. The remainder of the pride is not to be seen. The jackels and hyenas are missing as well. I’m sure they are around somewhere. They are responsible for eating the bones.

Our guide is sure the remainder of the pride is in the brush not far from the kill. He took us over there and sure enough laying in the bushes sleeping are the other lions. We counted at least nine. They are surprisingly well hidden. Good thing the guide was there to spot them. He drove right up into the bushes so we could see and helped to point them out. He took several different angles so we could see them. A couple of times one got up and moved a few feet to get in more shade.

Time to go meet up with the balloonists. They are having breakfast in the park. Great set up. They had a bar serving champagne and other nonalcoholic beverages. Tables and chairs were available. Off a ways from the eating area was a “Lou with a View”. They had erected a canvas outhouse with a camping style porta paddy. The zippered front faced out to incredible view. Outside the structure was a wash stand. Quite upscale. An attendant cleaned after every use.

Off we all went in search of more wildlife. This time we came upon a few ostriches. I thought they were only in Australia. Actually there were quite a few here.

A group of jeeps marked another interesting spot. A male lion was devouring a wart hog. You could here him crunching the bones. The scavengers are going to be out of luck. We were so close we could have reached out and touched him. That is of course if you don’t value your hand. He did move in order to get in the shade of the jeep. Some other females are nearby but he doesn’t share.

We came upon some vultures this time. Another of the scavengers. They are just sitting on the ground since there are no trees in the area. Not as large as some of our vultures and perhaps not as ugly.

We came across lots more antelope. Large herds of mixed members. This isn’t even the great migration season. That happens in July. Can’t imagine how that must look. There are so many you almost start thinking oh just some more. Quantities like the large herds of bison in Yellowstone.

We came upon three more female lions. Two were in the middle of the road. One was drinking from one of the large puddles of water. All three were panting from the heat and its not that hot. Not sure what they do when it does get hot.

A few more zebras and then back to the lodging for lunch. We also have a couple hours for a nap. The balloonists were very glad.

At 4:00 pm we head back to the park again. The guides have heard of a cheetah spotting so we are off to try to find it. They certainly gave it a good try but we never saw the cat. It had been seen in the brush in another area of the park. We drove in and around that brush but never saw it. We finally had to give up. They hide from the lions because lions have been known to kill cheetahs.

We did see a few hippos in the river. The banks were too muddy to get close. No one wants to get stuck out here. Not even many tourists here. The balloonists had seen them early in the morning. They do just look like big rocks. One was in the middle of the river. That one would dive under and then resurface. The rest are just sleeping along the opposite shore.

More elephants and antelope. You don’t have to look very hard to see those. This reserve has so many animals to see. They seem close together at times and other times far apart. They all stay a safe distance from the lions.

Some wildebeests are in the distance except for three males. A male lion is is the grass a safe distance away. The wildebeests are watching closely. As the lion gets closer they go a little further away. The wildebeests are reasonably safe because they can out run a lion. Not only are they faster they have more endurance. It was interesting to watch them play cat and mouse.

We must go back to the lodging for dinner. Everyone is supposed to be out of the reserve by 6:00 pm. Another beautiful sunset as we left. More rainbows and threatening clouds but we did get rained on most of it the way home. The small nearby town has a bar called the Hard Rock which gave us all a chuckle.

Day 4 May 9, 2025 Lake Elementaita to Masai Mara

Breakfast this morning begins at 6:30 with departure at 7:30. We have about a six hour drive to Masai Mara which is a huge national park. The park borders the Serengeti in Tanzania and is home to the great migration of wildebeest which occurs in July. Thankfully they do stop for the wash room. Of course it is at a shop and snack area. Lots and lots of carved and homemade items.

It rained heavily in the night so everything is wet. At least it didn’t rain while we were out yesterday. We had only gone a short distance when we encountered a van stuck in the mud. It was blocking the road. The passengers had begun taking items out of the van to lighten the load. Our guides got out to help. They had a brand new tow rope that they used to pull the van out. It seemed a little touch and go at the time but they did succeed. Surprisingly the guides remained clean. They road was definitely more muddy today.

The sights along the way are interesting. Schools don’t seem to be in every village. Some have bright yellow buses. These are the private schools. The public schools don’t have buses so most of those kids walk to school. No bikes or scooters. There are still lots of trucks delivering goods to the outdoor markets. They are very loaded. The markets look to be selling just about everything. One town was having a special market where livestock could be sold.

Lots of farmland along the way. The fields look well cared for. Often people are out working by hand. We don’t see many tractors.

We made a short stop at a hot air ballon shop so those going on the balloon ride tomorrow can sign the waiver and receive their briefing. Rob is going but Connie is not.

Road construction is a little different. The ruts are being patched in one stretch. The workers wear bright vests and are scattered along the way. Not a flagger in sight. No warning signs and no heavy equipment. Not sure how long the repairs will last.

Our accommodation for the next two nights is at Mara Leisure. We ate lunch here before going to our rooms. We are just outside the park so we are not to cross the bridge. A small river runs along the units. The units are very large tents complete with bathrooms. Hardly what one would call roughing it. The beds are covered with mosquito netting which at this time of day is held up.

At 4 pm we get in the vehicles and head for the park. We are met at the gate by numerous ladies selling items they have made. Once inside the park the sales ladies are gone. Lots of four wheel vehicles here. Lots of tour companies but the vehicles all look similar. They all put their tops up just after entering. The park is large with only a few trees. Lots of tall grass that waves in the breeze. Some is taller than others based on animals in the area.

A baboon met us just inside the gate. Then came a few lone male antelope of one type or another. Too many types to keep them all straight. They are all close together and seem quite peaceful.

Some of the roads in the park are good dirt roads. Others are a couple of tire tracks. It rained here last night also because some of the ruts are full of water. In the distance we could see several vehicles in the same location. So off we go. The drivers talk to one another but some are better about it than others. We nearly got stuck trying to take a short cut. When we got close a park ranger was in the road. Our guide says we were not to go cross country without permission of the rangers. Lucky for us that they gave their permission.

When we go the sort distance to the top of the rise we could see all the lions and their kill. Two of the young males had killed a full grown water buffalo. At least six lions were eating on the carcass. The ones that made the kill weren’t allowed to eat yet. They were laying off a ways from the kill. We were so close we could have reached out and touched them. At least six vehicles were in the area. Of course they all wanted front row seats. The sight was so remarkable. We didn’t see the kill but impressive all the same. Hyaenas and jackets were in the distance. They wanted in on the feast but the lions weren’t ready to quit. Hyaenas and jackels often work together to clean up once the lions quit. We watched for quite some time before leaving to look for other animals.

Next came a large male elephant. Like most males he was not with the females. They weren’t far away however. Several young ones were with them also. A really little one was so cute. Our guide guessed it to be less than a week old.

Another herd of giraffes was making its way along a ridge. Beautiful sight against the cloudy sky.

The sky in the distance looks threatening. At one point a double rainbow appeared. The rains did come for a few minutes on the drive to the lodge. The sunset was gorgeous. Somehow it never rained on us during the time in the park.

Dinner was a buffet at the lodge. When we returned to our tent, the beds were turned down and the mosquito netting was in place. Internet access is only at the lobby so no posting. Tomorrow for Rob is a very very early morning so off to bed early.

Day 3 May 8, 2025 Nairobi to Lake Elementaita

We started the day with a very nice breakfast in the hotel. We met the group and our tour manager in the lobby at 8:00 am. We were given water bottles, hats and light blankets. There are only nine of us on the tour. Definitely off season. Our transportation is two four wheel drive vehicles. Five ride in one and four in the other. Our tour manager is David and the assistant is Philip. They have African names as well but the Christian names are much easier for us. The drive out of the city took 45-60 minutes. Traffic is incredible. Hard to believe there aren’t more wrecks. We drove through several suburbs with markets and numerous trucks. Lanes in the road are of no significance because everyone drives wherever they can squeeze in. By the way they drive on the left mostsome of the time. Besides trucks, cars, jeeps, buses and motorcycles there are significant speed bumps and potholes. It’s best to look out the side windows and not the front. Of course then you see how close the vehicles are together. You can easily shake hands with someone in the vehicle beside you. There are no traffic lights only traffic police. They don’t seem to do much. We were told that they do take bribes in lieu of traffic tickets. Out of the city the road becomes more narrow and winding. Then we got into fog as we drove along the Rift Valley. In a couple of places we were able to see down into the valley. It’s a long ways down but very beautiful. Passing is difficult because of all the oncoming traffic. The shoulder isn’t there either. The elevation is about 7000 feet.

We passed near a fresh water lake. We see lots of sheep, goats and cows along the side of the road eating the grass. Some are tethered but most are not. The landscape is very green and lush. Some of the herds have all three animals while some have only one. Occasionally there is a donkey or two. The colors are mixed with no one color being dominate. We did see a few zebras scattered along the way.

Nairobi’s population is about 5 million and Kenya’s is about 50 million. The bus system is well utilized. The buses have lots of paintings on them and are very crowded. In some the passengers dance and sing. About 45% of the GDP comes from agriculture with coffee, tea and avocados leading the way.

We made one bathroom stop at a souvenir shop. We passed an area where the locals were grilling corn to sell. The baboons were here waiting for anything someone might give them. Several stands are selling onions. They are in red bags if they are red onions and yellow bags for white onions. The stands are quite colorful.

Eventually we turned off the highway onto a dirt road. Then the fun really began. These roads have lots of ruts as well as places where the water has carved deeper ruts in the road. The road is barely wide enough for one car let alone two. Sure glad the traffic has decreased. Then we started up. Quite a climb. Seat belts help hold you in your seat. The soil looks like a red clay. Small farms are on both sides of the road.

We finally arrived at the Lake Elementaita Mountain Lodge about 1:00 pm. The view out the dining room window is incredible. We can see all down the mountain and across to the Lake Elementaita. We had a nice buffet lunch and then were taken to our rooms for a short rest. The rooms are individual houses scattered all down the mountain. The road is very steep and built of pavers. We were lucky and got the first house. Those further down the mountain took the hotel van.

After our short rest it was back up the hill to the lobby. We are going to one of the game reserves. That means back down the mountain in the vehicle. Walking up the hill feels like a 45 degree angle. We took a somewhat different route down the hill. Not much improvement however.

This is the Soysambu Conservancy. We stopped at the gate to pick up one of the rangers employed here. The terrain is more jungle than we expected. Everything is very green and lush. The Conservancy goes along the shore of Lake Elementaita. The lake is alkaline so during the dry season the lake changes color as the water evaporates.

We don’t have to go far before we spotted our first animal which was a monkey high up in a tree. In the clearing is a herd of impalas I think. There are so many different antelope its easy to get confused. A little further is a waterbuck which is a larger antelope. These are darker in color.

Several different birds inhabit the area as well. At sometimes during the year large flocks of flamingos live here. These are not nearly as pink. The water is too high so the algae they feed on is more difficult to find.

Domestic cattle are also here. They are many different colors and look like small Brahmans. We got out of the vehicles and walked along the lake with the ranger. He described the environment and pointed out different plants and wildlife. We even saw an abandoned nest with three eggs.

Back in the vehicle and down the way we found a couple of male water buffalo. The horns on the males meet in the middle. The females on the other had have a small gap between the horns.

It must get dry here some of the year because here and there are huge cacti that are as tall as some trees. They have wicked looking thorns.

More antelope of some kind and then some zebras. The vehicles don’t seem to bother them. I figure they see them often enough. In the same area is a herd of female water buffalo and some antelope. Plenty of food for everyone.

Next is a small herd of giraffes. It includes one male several females and a couple of youngsters. The male is much darker in color due to his age. Male giraffes have three horns while females have only two. They are eating leaves from a tall bush that has the most awful looking thorns. They must be at least two inches long. Somehow the giraffes get their tongues around these. The bush however has another survival mechanism. It secretes a bad taste so the giraffes only eat a few leaves from a bush before moving on.

We have a welcome and get acquainted dinner at the lodge before retiring. Breakfast is early in the morning so its early to bed.

Day 1 & 2 May 6 & 7, 2025 Boise Idaho to Nairobi Kenya

We left Boise at 10:40 am on May 6 and arrived at our hotel in Nairobi Kenya about 9:30 pm on May 7. We flew from Boise to Seattle on Delta Airlines. Then from Seattle to Paris France on Air France and on to Nairobi on Air France. All flights were close to on time with no serious problems. When we landed in Paris we were way out on the tarmac and had to be bused to the main terminal. From the time we stopped until we got to the gate for our next flight was more than an hour. We were at the back of the aircraft so we were on the last bus to go to the terminal. That meant waiting for the need assistance passengers. Then the drive to the terminal is long due to construction. Once inside the terminal its a long walk to the security checkpoint. Luckily they let us go in the priority line. After security it was another half mile to the gate. Thank goodness for moving sidewalks. No thanks for all the retail stores. The flight to Nairobi was not even close to full so we each had a row to ourselves. It must truly be off season. We were still not impressed with Air France. We got through customs in a reasonable amount of time and then both bags were at the carousel. Gate One was waiting for us outside. The drive to the hotel took about 30 minutes. Sure glad we don’t have to drive in this. They drive on the left side and cars, trucks, buses and motorcycles drive all over the road. Lines have no meaning. We went to bed as soon as possible.