What started as a journey in the wee hours of the morning turned out to be an unforgettable adventure in the wild that will forever be etched in our memories. The previous night I went over my checklist to ensure every item was packed and checked off as done. Aware of how early I needed to be up, I decided to retire to bed early. The next day was Saturday, so I had to ensure I put my phone alarm on as my body clock is always turned off on weekends. To make my plan more airtight, I asked my traveling partner to call me immediately after she got up.

I was up at 4 am. Needless to say, every living, breathing creature was probably on their seventh dream of the night. The air was cold and loud with silence, which was immediately interrupted by my phone ringtone. I assured my friend I was up and on course to get ready. We were meeting a bunch of other travel lovers at 6 am in the CBD so that we would head to Amboseli on the road.

The concept of African timing is second nature to most Africans, if you are not familiar with the concept, let me break it down for you. Most human beings, especially in the African continent, take time commitments as suggestions, so if I meet my friend at 2 pm for lunch, she will probably show up 30 minutes later, and we will laugh it off, call it African timing, and proceed with our engagement. The concept is widely practiced but can be quite costly.

It was now 6:30 am, the sun was up in all of its glory and we had been waiting in the bus for the last batch of African timers to make their way to us. When the clock hit 7 am, we left the CBD to head to our destination. I took the window seat and my friend took the alley seat, yes, this only does not only apply in planes, but we also have window seats while traveling on road.

The bus was quiet, probably everyone wondering how their guts allowed them to travel with a bunch of strangers to a destination that is so far from civilization. Suddenly, the air was filled with some smooth jazz music from the bus stereo and this was my cue to catch some of that much-needed sleep I missed on in the morning.

My friend nudged me awake, it was now 10 am and we were in Machakos for a breakfast stopover. That one-hour break was much needed and we all returned to the bus at 11 am to continue with our journey. It is funny what human beings can do on a full stomach, energy levels were now up and one person took over the music playlist and played tune after tune with everyone else joining in to sing along. The transition of the atmosphere in the bus, from the setting of a high school dormitory in the wee hours of the night to a club’s karaoke night, was surprising, to say the least.

The lively atmosphere was mixed with singing, snacking and chitchatting with others. The trip’s organizer who also doubled as the tour guide, regularly stood and informed us of the various landmarks we were passing. At midday, we made another stop at a fueling station for a bathroom break for most of us. This was the last of civilization that we witnessed as we embarked on our trip.

Elephants at Amboseli national park against Mount Kilimanjaro

Elephants at Amboseli national park – by Amoghavarsha JS amoghavarsha.com – via Wikimedia Commons

The next one and a half hours were marked by large tracks of seemingly semi-arid land. Occasionally we would see grass-thatched houses, and like you, we were curious if that meant actual people lived there. Well, we did not stick around to find out, we had an hour-long journey awaiting us. About thirty minutes later, we left the tarmac road to a murram one that had signage written Amboseli National Park, 8km, with an arrow strategically pointed in the direction we were headed. Excitement levels were rising, evidenced by the loud chanting of song lyrics by everyone on the bus.

The tranquillity of the wild was our warm welcome to the Amboseli National Park. We disembarked from the bus and offloaded the heavy jackets and other warm clothing we had on from Nairobi. The skies were now blue and the air was so crisp and clean, ushering us into our home away from home for the night. After confirming our reservations for the night, the gates of Amboseli National Park were open wide and our bus snaked its way to start our adventure in the wild.

We got a proper tour guide who told us to be on the lookout for wild animals. It was now 3 pm, and he made a disclaimer that most wild animals had gone to hibernate away from the scorching sun and would be back strolling in an hour or so. No sooner had he finished his statement than we saw some gazelles lounging on the grass. They looked so unbothered, with no bills to pay, no deadlines to meet, just basking in the glorious sun. Well, their relaxation was quickly disrupted when a Lioness came by, strolling casually. The tour guide mentioned she was female, and everyone was so excited, though he cautioned us not to make too much noise that would frighten the wild animals away.

Also, I need to mention that pictures or even Natgeo don’t do justice to how huge the Lions are. I now understand why they are referred to as the King of the jungle, the Lioness was joined by her cubs and three other Lions and they continued strolling with such steadiness, reinforcing their authority in the Park. The tour guide mentioned that they do this to mark their territory.

Our eyes were in for a wild feast. Next, we saw two giraffes feeding on some shrubs. What was more surprising was how they were beautifully cohabiting with three Zebras. Our driver, who was driving very slowly so that we would observe all the wild animals, now came to a halt as the Zebras made their way seemingly to our bus. It was pin-drop silence in the bus as we all were waiting to see where this was going. They then passed right in front of our bus to the other side never did I imagine I would ever get to witness a zebra crossing, literally!

We made our way to a stopover inside the park, a restaurant where we would have our lunch. It was now 4 pm, and we had lunch with a view of Mt. Kilimanjaro, its snow-capped peak, and how it stood in majesty was indeed a welcome sight. After lunch, we were ready to continue the adventure. We hopped back into the bus and continued the journey. We caught a glimpse of an elephant from afar making its way toward our direction and the driver stopped so we wait for it. As the Elephant drew closer to us, we saw how it continuously flapped its ears; the tour guide explained that it did this to cool itself. The elephant was magnanimous and so confident. It walked all by itself. We continued our journey and saw hippos, antelopes and other wild animals, which I honestly did not even know existed.

It was getting darker now, and we had to make our way to the lodgings where we were meant to spend the night. We were met with the friendliest smiles from our hosts, who were Masaai, who have resided in the Amboseli for generations. We went, refreshed, and came back to a huge bonfire. We ate and had a good time getting to know each other, played games, and watched the numerous stars in the sky, which we do not get to see in the city. And in that instance, strangers turned into friends and friends into confidants. From a distance, we could hear the faint roaring of Lions, probably startled by the dreams they were having.

In Conclusion, my experience at the Amboseli is one I would highly recommend. You get an intimate encounter with the wild animals and the closest you might have ever seen them is in Natgeo.  The Amboseli also has lodge rooms which means you can extend your stay for as long as you want. You also get to interact with the locals, who give you a detailed history of the Amboseli as they have lived there from generation to generation. If you are a lover of nature or are mildly curious about wild animals and the jungle, this would definitely be the plan for you.

Planning a trip to Paris ? Get ready !


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