Samburu

A frisky elephant following our car

in the expansive Samburu Game Reserve

This past weekend, we had a great time away with our friends Andrea, Alix and their families. We traveled together to Isiolo and into the great Northern Plains of Samburu for the Mashujaa Day long weekend.

Without a doubt this is one of the most dramatic landscapes that we’ve ever experienced in Africa:  As we descended from the lush central highlands, we were met by the wide white and tan plains,  fringed by massive kajobe hill outcroppings, intertwined by purple brown rivers and peppered with the vibrant green Acacia trees and Duom Palms. Our pictures do not do justice to the beauty of this arid region.

Beisa oryxes fighting on the arid plain

Silver backed jackals hunting stray lambs from the nearby Boran herds. We followed a group of three jackals that had just snatched a young sheep.

Erica and I walking along the Ewaso Ngiro River

in the Shaba Reserve

Stunning Grevy’s Zebra

This mother and her fowl stayed near our campsite

This proud reticulated giraffe also enjoyed

the Acacia trees near our camp

Elegant long-necked gerenuks

The kids enjoying a spotlit feeding of the crocodiles 

on the Ewaso River below our camp

One of the highlights of the trip happened one evening as we were perched on the side of a low cliff watching the crocodiles snapping, we heard great splashing moving down the river towards us. Everyone froze and the crashing sound, when all of the sudden three massive bull elephants came barging into the light. They turned and flapped their ears at us and stayed below the cliff for about thirty minutes. The crocodiles scurrying out of their way and onto the sandy banks of the river.

A great afternoon of tossing kubbs!

Hornbills near buffalo springs in Samburu

A great weekend!