Blog Post
African Safari, a photographer's Wife's Perspective
Sheri Williams • August 10, 2023
African Safari, Kenya and Uganda, the perspective of a photographer's wife
Our Kenya trips : July 31-August 14, 2021
After 26 ½ hours of planes and airports we arrived in Nairobi, Kenya. A few hours of sleep later, we were welcomed to Nairobi National Park by giraffes roaming freely against the skyline of the city. This National park is significant because most reserves are located in remote areas, this one is 10 mins from a big city. Next stop was the Baby Elephant Orphanage where we were in close proximity to 20 orphans with the ability to pet a few. The workers are responsible for keeping these beautiful creatures alive until they can be put back into the wild.
Day 2 had us driving 4 hours south on bumpy, dirt roads to arrive at Amboseli, a reserve famous for elephants. One evening we were able to watch about 20 elephants eat and interact with each other.
At one point, they walked so close to our vehicle that I could have reached over and touched one.
While at Amboseli, we went to the Maasai Village and met Joseph, the chief’s son. We thought the village would be a great photography opportunity but it turned out to be a place to buy their goods. They had many rugs covered with bracelets and such so we bought a few trinkets to help the village. In the end, we took pictures of them in their unique clothing.
For the next reserve, we flew back to Nairobi to head North. Driving out of Nairobi was so chaotic we were surprised there were not more accidents. The traffic was slow and I noticed a bus in the middle lane stop and a lady got out and walked across a lane of cars. Other people walked on the lines against traffic to sell their goods. Outside
of Nairobi, I noticed a street sweeper. He consisted of one person with a broom and dustpan.
The poverty was amazing. Driving through each town, I noticed themes; some vendors sold fruit and bananas, the next town sold coal and potatoes in small stands that look like 2x4’s hammered together for a 4 feet wide shanty.
This brought us to a reserve with the largest concentration of rhinos in the world. Over 100 of them. Rhinos aren’t very exciting but they have a cute trot. Here, we pet and fed Baranka, a blind black rhino.
We took another small airplane south to the Masai Mara instead of driving 10 hours. The Mara is grassy with tall trees sparsely interspersed. Our accommodations are magnificent and our driver, Antony, is fabulous. He goes off road, goes fast when needed and anticipates what the animals will do before they do it. He’s been driving the Mara for 15 years. He’s Maasai and wears the Maasai garb complete with machete.
We were required to be at the hotel before dark, but sometimes a good photo op made us late, forcing us to drive back in the dark. To avoid getting a ticket, Antony turned off the headlights and drove back through the Mara in the dark. An adventure to say the least.
To find lions the drivers tell each other via radio where they are. One time we saw Morani, a famous male lion. When we arrived, he was lying down. Soon, he stood up and started to walk away so Antony repositioned the vehicle. As a result, we watched the lion head right to the back of the van. For a moment, we thought he was going to climb in the vehicle on top of Dave. Instead, he walked calmly into some bushes.
Not only were the animals an adventure but the terrain was as well. We traveled down muddy ravines with rocks and water that I didn’t think we would make it out of, but we did.
Our last hotel is where the largest migration of wildebeests in the world takes place and the main reason we are in Kenya. Between August and October every year, two million wildebeest move from Tanzania to Kenya to find new areas of fresh grass. Their journey forces them to cross the Mara River many times where the crocodiles await their next meal. The appeal of the migration to photographers is to get a picture of thousands of wildebeests running down the steep, dusty embankment, crossing the river, and running back up the other side. Unfortunately this crossing always ends with casualties to the wildebeests. This crossing, it turns out, is hard to capture. We struck out twice.
Kenya/ Uganda July 30 - August 17, 2022
On our next trip to Kenya, we had the option to continue onto Uganda to see the Chimpanzees and Silverback Apes. We thought that sounded adventurous and decided to do it.
The travel schedule in Kenya was the same as our prior trip with the exception of The Ark. The Ark is a small lodge with 3 balconies overlooking a water hole and salt lick. Upon arrival it was foggy and cold but we watched elephants splashing and trumpeting in the water hole from the top balcony. The bedrooms are small and equipped with a buzzer so the night guard can alert you when nocturnal animals appear. This is where I celebrated my 54th birthday, Kenyan style.
After 2 weeks in Kenya it was time to venture onto Uganda.
To get into Uganda Charles arranged for a small plane. During the flight, we learned we couldn't just arrive in Uganda. We had to check out of Kenya first and then fly into Uganda. Two flights later, we touched down.
Uganda is surprisingly green. As we drove, I noticed how lush the landscape of banana and tea farms is. As we continued on rudimentary roads, the poverty became more evident and was as obvious as the landscape. We thought the poverty levels in Kenya were disturbing but Uganda went to a whole new level. It was mind boggling.
Uganda is a very young country with high unemployment. Young meaning 50% of the country is under the age of 18. The unemployment among people ages 17-34 is 80+%. By contrast, Kenya has 40% unemployment. The government is trying to give more funding so more children can attend primary school but the success rate is low. Parents can only afford to send one child.
There are no cars and only a few motor bikes which can carry up to 5 people. “Pebbles and Bam Bamm” scooters were often seen. Locals waited by the roadside trying to sell bananas or wood carvings. As we drove by, the children jumped and yelled with big smiles to get the tourist’s attention and some money. We are told not to give money to them because the country is trying to teach them a work ethic instead of begging from tourists.
Our first excursion, the chimpanzees, was less eventful than expected. It was almost a non-event. The few that were there didn’t cooperate by climbing out of the trees so we could see them. The potentially rainy weather was keeping them too high. We saw a couple of chimpanzees climb up into the trees but they were too fast so minimal pictures were taken.
That same day we caught a plane to see the Silverback gorillas. Our lodging, at the top of a wet, bumpy road, required 4x4 access. The next morning we drove 2 hours to meet the rangers who would take us into the mountains to find the gorillas. To provide jobs, the company hired people from nearby villages to carry our gear into the jungle.
After 2 hours of trekking and waiting with the rangers and guides we finally saw the gorillas. There were five. They climbed out of the trees and started eating the leaves on our level, we all scrambled for a good view point. When the mother gorilla climbed down the tree we noticed she had a baby on her shoulder. She made her way to a tree 6 feet in front of us. The guides let us know where to sit and do it quickly so we were on their level. We watched for an hour as she fed her baby and he played on her shoulders and arms. Then the large male gorilla started walking in front of us. I was to the left of the group and a foot closer when the male silverback walked in front of me on his way out. It was amazing to be this close without a cage between us. He let out a loud grunt and the family followed. It was time to move on. It was time for us to move on as well. It was a great ending to a great trip. Back to Kenya and back home.
Uganda is a beautiful place to visit. It's been 18 days of non-stop adventure, especially the Uganda portion. Five flights later we arrived in Phoenix. We were so grateful to return to the USA and grateful for a wonderful experience.
