Sightings in Naboisho & the Mara Reserve
As a regular on safari I like to be able to tick off a couple of new experiences that I haven’t encountered previously on each trip. Naboisho allowed me to see an aardwolf on two occasions, which was definitely something on my list. Unfortunately, the sighting was done with not enough light for photos and the car was moving. I also managed to see a very large python we think we think with a recent kill due to the size of it but it was slithering away back into its nest. This was a particularly amazing sighting for myself but Evelyn found it to be a very superstitious sighting and was hoping we wouldn’t see it again. The close proximity to the leopard cubs was a first for me on this trip. I had seen cubs in the Seronera area of the Serengeti in April, 2015 but they were on a kopje. We tried and failed to see rhino in the reserve when we went down for a days drive but couldn’t find them after looking for about two hours. We also failed to see a crossing in the Mara Reserve down near the Serena Crossing where we were lucky to be alone until another car joined us and the guide allowed his guest to get out of the car and then they continued to talk loudly to each other which spooked the herd of wildebeest and zebra.
My main reason for going into the reserve was to find Malika and her 3 cubs at the time which we achieved. I had visited the Mara three times to achieve this and each visit I was told by guides that it was not possible. An added bonus was seeing Lipstick in fantastic light who is a lion that I have followed on a number of different Facebook pages. Unfortunately, I didn’t get the chance to do any walks at Naboisho which would be my main reason to visit this conservancy again. The day before my walk I ended up pulling a muscle in my shoulder and found the pain nearly unbearable unless heavily sedated with pain meds. I didn’t want to cause any problems for other people on the walks or be a hazard incase something went wrong so I opted out.
During my stay the camp was relatively full for November due to many last minute bookings. Ivan Carter and his team were there filming Carter’s WAR which was an unscheduled visit. His original plan to film elsewhere was cancelled when permits/licenses fell through. He ended up filming an alternative story about lions and their interaction with the Masai with help from Asilia who provided the crew with transportation and contacts which aired on the Outdoor Channel last week. Although I don’t agree with everything he does, he was certainly a very charismatic man with incredible stories, photos and footage from his time as a guide, hunter and documentary maker. Other guests were mainly from the US and about 30% from Europe. Everyone apart from the film crew were all first time Africa visitors who were very impressed with Asilia and the other camps they had visited.
My experience at Naboisho Camp were excellent. The conservancy is fantastic, the proximity to the reserve is good so day trips can be arranged, the sightings are great, the staff were brilliant, the room was super glamping comfortable, the food was some of the best I have eaten whilst on safari and Evelyn my guide was a treat. It was a privilege to enjoy about 70% of my time with Evelyn alone which allowed us to just sit and enjoy the animal behavior, gossip and laugh. The only thing I would definitely do next time is organize to do some walks and fly camping.
