Our first day on the road started with a game drive through Nairobi NP. The park is on the outskirts of this 5 million people thereabouts African city. It is almost an urban park but holds lots of animals. The idea in going here is to try to see a rhino. Our guide, Julius, tells us we are unlikely to see Rhinos on the rest of the trip, so that is why we have come here! Having seen Black Rhinos at Victoria Falls it was good to hear that it is the White Rhino we might see.

So, not long after we started, sure enough some White Rhinos put in an appearance for us. They are bigger than Black Rhinos and have a wider squarish jaw line rather than the more pointed one of the Black Rhino. We are told that the name ‘wide rhino’ has morphed into ‘white rhino’. Who knows but it is a good story.
Following the short drive around the park we stopped at the nearby Sheldrick Animal Orphanage. This was established in 1977 and rehabilitates orphaned elephants and rhinos, ultimately reintroducing them back into the wild. The organisation does a lot of other conservation work.

We saw an impressive parade of inmates. First was a baby rhino, followed by 20 elephants in two groups. The MC gave us a potted history of each animal, by name, without drawing breath. Pretty impressive!

After this we returned to the hotel for lunch before departing for Amboseli NP for two nights. The drive was slow down the highway towards Mombassa on the coast, truck after truck in both directions. Ultimately, we turned off towards the south, still slow as we navigated through numerous small townships and villages. Some hectic passing manoeuvres as well. It took us 5 hours, getting to the lodge around 6.30pm in time for dinner!

Next morning we were off on a 6am game drive through the Park, famous for its elephant population and Mt Kilimanjaro that looms large over the landscape. Unfortunately, it is shrouded in mist and cloud while we were there. So, couldn’t get that classic photo of the elephant in front of the mountain in clear blue skies. Had to settle for a herd of elephant massing beneath the shrouded table top of Kilimanjaro. Not bad!

The other animals, I’ll call them the usual suspects, were in abundance; but no lions came our way. Hippos grazing were a standout.

We left Amboseli for the lengthy slow drive to Arusha. This involved the Tanzanian border crossing and a change of vehicles and guides.

We had no dramas. Our party of 9 was split into two vehicles, travelling mostly in convoy. Along the way we stopped for a short walk to the Kilimanjaro Falls, pretty but not spectacular.

A short break for lunch in Moshi before resuming the trek and arriving in Arusha. Arusha is a major centre in the country. The Tanzanian Vice President was in our hotel, The African Tulip, a fair bit of security was around.

It had been a long day as we settled into the hotel. In the morning we would be leaving for Tarangire NP.