Day Three of our East African Safari: Exploring Tarangire National Park in Tanzania, Crossing the Tanzania-Kenya Border, Game Drive in Amboseli National Park.

Sunday, July 13, 2025

Day Three of our East African Safari

Exploring Tarangire National Park in Tanzania, Crossing the Tanzania-Kenya Border, Game Drive in Amboseli National Park.

It was another lovely dawn in Tanzania. Llew and I had a 6.00 am wake-up call which left us enough time to eat a hearty breakfast. He and I were usually the first to arrive at the Dining Halls—which left us adequate time to order our eggs, request decaff coffee (we were usually given instant coffee powder) and enjoy our repast without hurry. Just after I placed by order for an Omlette With The Works (except chillies), I checked my phone to find myself reeling with shock.

Yet Another Hiccup—a Medical Emergency:

After dealing with the nuisance of their relatives’ lost baggage (which had been delivered to them only yesterday, i.e. on the fifth day of their travels on Kenya Airways), our dear friends Doreen and John were presented with yet another crisis. They had come through a late-night adventure of sorts. Or so Doreen’s text informed me. Poor John, who had looked dreadful by the time we’d reached our Lodge last night, was simply heaving with discomfort and told Doreen that he needed to see a doctor immediately. Long story short, John received the emergency treatemnt he needed and the safari continued for the two of them. Phew!

Eventually, I was able to return to the serious business of relishing my breakfast. I chose overnight oats which were topped by a really delicious rose syrup—I saw this bottle on almost all buffet tables near the maple syrup. It was studded with blueberries and banana slices—so delish! As for my Omlette, it was divine—with half a grilled tomato, sauteed mushrooms, baked beans and bacon. Replete with our meal, we made our way into our safari vans and settled down for another exciting morning of wildlife scouting.

A Word About My Van Companions:

By the third day in the company of my van companions, all ice had been thawed and everyone felt fully comfortable with the other. Llew and Albin discovered that, as fellow-bankers, they also happen to be in a similar area of expertise—Trade Finance. Albin discovered that his Uncle Eddie lived in the same Reserve Bank of India Colony in South Bombay in which I had grown up as a ‘townie’ (having arrived to live in Bandra only when I was 18). In fact, his Aunt Grace (Eddie’s wife) was a distant relative of my Dad and his cousins were my playmates during my childhood and teenage years! We also discovered that we knew several of Albin’s relatives in the US—in Long Island and New Jersey. Louella told us about her profession as a pediatrician and I made the passing remark that it was so good to have a doctor in our midst. Ooh, truly…more prophetic words were never spoke! Because it would not be too long before Louella’s skills would be put to the test. But I am getting ahead of myself…

We also discovered that Albin has a delightful sense of humor and a very easy way with words. He is able to pun quite effortlessly and through most of our drives, we were treated to his wit and humor as Louella smiled on. Our long drives educated us on the manner in which the three couples in our van had met and the comedic aspects of their courtship and dating. It all made for so much laughter during the hours that we drove through miles of deserted landscape only occasionally punctuated by the presence of a herd of gazelles or beautifully-horned impalas. Llew and I felt as if we had fully lucked out with our travel companions as we talked about our own journey from the USA to India and the factors that had motivated our repatriation to our beloved motherland.

A Sight for Sore Eyes—The ‘Pride’ of any Safari!

And then, not even five minutes after we had left the main entrance of Tarangire National Park, we spotted them! It was a whole pride of lions, not even eight feet from the main road. How splendidly regal they looked, almost camouflaged by the tawny grass as they sunned themselves and enjoyed a full-stomached rest! We were besides ourselves with joy! To be able to pause and take in the movements of this entire feline family, to watch them yawn, stretch, wander, roll over on their stomachs (there was a couple of frisky teenagers in the pride), eye us with open curiosity and not the slightest hostility—as if they were a batch of kitty-cats—was simply too much to enjoy. Our cameras could not stop clicking as we watched them move, change position, stroll several feet away then return to the family fold, gambol in utter freedom. Wow! Truly, the family that plays together, stays together! It reminded me of the lioness, Elsa in the film, ‘Born Free’. How marvelous it was to see these great big cats in their natural habitat, unconcerned about danger and free to grow up and grow old in the company of their doting parents. It was indeed one of the most un-fur-gettable sightings of my entire safari

After we’d had our fill of leonine laziness, we moved on. The day had begun brilliantly and we expected to be floored in this way for the rest of the morning. And we were not disappointed! Just a little ahead, we passed by a huge herd of Cape buffalo, grazing serenely on the plains, once again unperturbed by our presence. Sprinkled in their midst were a few hungry zebras also feeding in focused manner and oblivious to our presence. In the distance, we saw a few wildebeest, giving truth to Hemingway’s description of them as “big headed dots, seeming to climb as they moved in long fingers across the plain” (“The Snows of Kilimanjaro”). Even further in the distance, we saw a wart hog that scuttled off, its tail straight as a flag post as it disappeared among the acacia trees. The harmony of these herbivorous creatures as they shared space sans conflict was deeply moving to me.

In this manner, our game drive meandered on, There was perfect camaraderie inside our van as jokes were bandied about, legs were gently pulled and laughter erupted frequently. And outside, on the great plains of Tanzania, we passed scores of impala minding their business, pairs of giraffes (those gentle lolloping giants that stole our hearts away), any amount of zebras in their funny striped pyjamas and graceful gazelles whose coloring was worthy of a paintbrush and who scampered lightly away with a spring in their step. Mussa kept up a steady commentary as he also kept in radio contact with his cronies in the customary courtesy that exists on safaris—drivers informing each other about really prize sightings. And we were about to get very lucky…

Sighting Cheetah Siblings in the Grassland:

Word had it that cheetah had been spotted—pun unintended! And so began the mad race to arrive at the spot in time to catch them—on our cameras, of course. It is during these phases that one encounters the bumpiest, dustiest phases of game drives. In their hurry not to miss a sighting, drivers race on with the determination of Grand Prix champs, tearing across the Savanah for all they are worth, their radios going crazy with static as the excited tones of fellow-drivers mount.

And soon we were right there! Gazing in the distance, with their backs turned to us, was not one but two cheetahs—young adolescents on the prowl. Imagine, if you can, our sentiments! It is well-nigh impossible to see a cheetah…they are famously shy and determined to remain elusive. And here, we were…feasting our sights not on one, but both brothers, according to Mussa. Recently weaned off from their mother, they were testing their own predatory skills as the focused on the far distance in the hope of spotting a baby wart hog or a tasty gazelle. Off course, we kept hoping they would abandon their hunt and turn to us instead, the better to enable us to immortalize them with our cameras. Or indeed that they would find a fitting target and enable us to enjoy the thrill of the chase. But again, they were not so obliging. And the best we managed to come up with were pompous profiles of the pair. They left us enough time to take a fair share of photographs before they ambled away, at leisure, into the undergrowth, to be hidden forever from our sight! But what a treat! If only momentarily, we had garnered enough pictures to share, earned major bragging rights and were provided with a bonus sighting—cheetahs are not one of the Big Five (leopards are—and we had seen one, albeit in the far distance yesterday). This left us just one more creature to complete our score of all five Big Five—the elusive Rhino. And indeed, we’d have to cool our heels patiently in our quest for that one!

Right after this magical encounter, a lone hyena crossed our path, another snoozing lioness was sighted catching up on her zzzzs and a number of smaller animals played hide and seek with us.

And then, along they came!

Elephants Up the Wazoo:

Nosing away from the cheetahs and deeper into the plains, we caught sight of long trails of elephants. In the far distance, we watched them trundle towards us, thrilled with the possibility that they might actually cross our path. What struck me, as I watched them progress slowly towards us, was the utter silence of the Bush. There was simply not a sound to be heard. The complete lack of sound automatically induced us to speak in whispers, if only to hold on to the enchantment of the moment. Second by pin-drop silent second, they inched towards us and then…glory be…there they were not even a few feet from us, these amazingly grand Bulls, followed by their quiet females whose enormous girth sheltered the littlest ones as they huddled under those imposing legs seeking to be hidden. At that point in time, they seemed like the most adorable sight on earth.

Just as this lot of about eight pachyderms wandered into the plains away from us, another lot followed. And then a third! And before we knew it, we had spied, photographed and marveled at no less than 25 elephants in tight family groups, clearly on their way to a swamp—going by their determined progression in the same direction. That they had been so close to us—almost close enough to be touched—was simply awe-inspiring! This is the stuff of which an African Safari is made, I thought to myself, as the last group moved away in stately procession.

By this point in our morning game drive, we had more than the fulfillment we had expected. We were ready to move on…and indeed we would. It was time for us to leave Tanzania behind and cross the border to say “Jambo (Hullo) Kenya” as our African Adventures would continue.

Crossing the Border from Tanzania into Kenya:

Arriving at the Tanzania-Kenya Border at Namanga took us a good couple of hours. Yes, en route, we stopped to use rest rooms which involved the mandatory looksee into tourist traps in the form of handicraft shops which, we soon realized, quoted atrocious prices.

And then, our approach to the border crossing was announced by a long stretch of covered lorries that were filled to the brim with commodities in the form of fruit like oranges and veg such as onions and potatoes. As we moved closer towards the check point, Mussa explained that these trucks carry essential goods across the border daily to meet the needs of the inhabitants of both countries. At the Namanga check point, we used rest rooms, then went through Security. This was the first point at which we were asked to show our Yellow Fever cards and as our passports were checked for coordination, we were allowed to enter a hall where our bags were put through Scanning Machines. Our drivers took care of all of these aspects of our travel. Amani was active in directing us into the correct queues and instructing us to make sure that we had two stamps on our passport—once to prove exit from Tanzania and one to prove entry into Kenya. They two windows were, literally, side by side, not even two feet from each other. Our progress from one window to the next was slow but steady and, at any rate when 28 people need to fulfil immigration formalities, you can just imagine how much time is necessary. While I had a rather surly man dealing with my exit from Tanzania, I had the sweetest woman at the Kenya window, welcoming me warmly into her country with the most dazzling smile.

And so, with both stamps obtained and all immigration paperwork accomplished, we walked into a new country and said, “Jambo Kenya”.

Meeting the Most Amazing Maasai Vendors:

Not even five minutes later, after we’d located our safari van, now under the authority and control of new drivers—for we had bid Mussa goodbye at the entrance of the Namanga check point—we made acquaintance with a Kenyan driver who called himself Steve and led us to our vehicle.

Once inside, we were delighted to find the most beautiful handwoven throws in vivid red on each seat. We were told that these were traditional Maasai blankets and a most unexpected gift from Faith Holidays. How every generous of them! We were charmed. Indeed, from this point on, we are deep in the heart of Maasai Country and we saw scores of these towering tribesmen and women all over the place. In fact, we did not just see them, we actually rubbed shoulders with them.

As we settled down in our seats and while waiting for the rest of our party to accomplish their border formalities, we were surrounded by a group of vibrantly-dressed Maasai female vendors. They were carrying all sorts of portable trinkets—mainly jewelry—and urged us to buy. I was struck by the close and very neat beadwork on their necklaces and bracelets that they carried. There were also bookmarks and keychains and while it was very obvious that a certain amount of haggling would be necessary, I was struck dumb by the sales techniques of these enterprising and shrewd women who had more admirable business salesmanship than graduates from Wharton! While some of them had only a smattering of English, one of them latched on to me with a vengeance. Using every possible method to cajole and pursue and urge, she implored me to “support” her. This weighty word always does the trick, doesn’t it? Of course, I felt obliged to assist her in her efforts. I bought several beautiful Maasai bead necklaces with large horn pendants to give away as gifts and I felt very pleased with our deals. Best of all, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to interact with these tribeswomen in their native land, to chat with them about their goods and to wish them well. It was the same kind of thrill I had felt when haggling for antique brass coffee and pepper grinders in the Grand Market in Istanbul, Turkey, with a wily only crone who didn’t give an inch. But these encounters, to my mind, bring experiential learning to a course in Cultural Studies.

By the time we’d finished doing business with these colorful Maasai women, dripping with beaded jewelery and shrouded in their blood-red blankets, the rest of the members of our party had completed their border formalities. We were ready to roll and our next port of call was a lunch stop. No marks for guessing that we were starving by this time and ready to dive into a substantial meal.

Another “Packed” Lunch at Paradise Gallery:

Our hopes were sadly dashed. It would be yet another dratted “Packed” lunch with which we’d be presented—only this time we had a choice between chicken sandwiches and beef burgers. Orders were royally messed up and several people who had ordered the burgers in the morning had to make do with chicken. But, by that stage, few of us cared. It was enough to be able to enter a place called ‘Paradise Gallery’ where, as in the case of IKEA, you had to walk through a very dimly-lit showroom filled with ethnic handicrafts before emerging into a courtyard garden where African music was blaring.

Seats were quickly arranged for our party and as we took our places at table, our drivers distributed our lunch boxes. Same old, same old. Think a wrap or a burger, chips, fruit and a juice box. Nothing was more unappetizing and we went through the motions of eating just to live. Meanwhile, we enjoyed the moves of a group of African dancers who were swaying to the music and keeping us entertained.

But then, when our boxes had been cleared away, some of us moved into the shop to buy a few knick-knacks. I found ear-rings to match the stunning Maasai necklace I’d bought for myself as well as a magnet—for Llew and I collect them from every place to which we travel.

Encountering Caravans of Camels!

Soon, it was time for us to leave Paradise and re-enter our vans to speed off to our next destination: Amboseli National Park in Kenya, which is reputed to have the largest collection of elephants anywhere in the country. And yet, as we dashed ahead, some nodding off dozily, we began to see camels. Yes, camels! I thought I was seeing things! What were camels doing in the Bush? Had we left the Savanah and strayed into the Sahara? It was inconceivable. But then Steve, our new driver, whose English was far more limited than Mussa’s and far more heavily accented, explained that they were captive on camel farms, set up to provide milk and meat to local villagers. Yes, we did take many pictures because it was a most incongruous sight! But see them we did! We also passed by large flocks of cattle—cows and goats-- as Steve explained that we were passing right through the heart of Maasai Country and that the tribe make their living from cattle farming. Their wealth is measured in the number of cows they possess and the animal is intrinsic to their economy and well-being.

Deep in the Home of Kenyan Elephants—At Amboseli National Park:

Eventually, we arrived at the gates of Amboseli National Park. It is renowned as a place for the conservation and study of the African elephant. In fact, my close friend Virginia Dean in Fairfield, Connecticut, had sent me the contact details of her friend who is actively involved in the elephant conservation program here and is passionate about her project. Virginia had hoped I would be able to meet her—but given the schedule and pace of our itinerary, I knew we’d never be able to deviate from it.

Suffice it to say that we were inundated by elephants in this corner of the world. We saw simply dozens of them, in all sizes, totally unnoticing of our presence, as they carried on with the serious business of grazing, pulling at the branches of trees, protecting their young and moving on. Everywhere they went, snow-white egrets followed them to feast on insects lodged in the mud they’d picked up during their frequent and habitual mud baths. Indeed, we saw so many elephants and yet, we did not tire of them at all. Once again, I was struck by the stark silence of the landscape, the only sound being that of an occasional bird screeching.

Yes, Amboseli is also chockful of bird life and we saw ostriches, Marabou storks, flying cranes, lapwings and plovers everywhere. Among other members of the animal kingdom, we spied loads of zebra, wart hogs, gazelles, antelopes, impala and even, to our utter delight, a jackal—our first one and caught in the act of dining. Rather shy, he did not wait long to be scrutinized, but dove into the bushes with his prey.

It was here that we saw, for the first time, vast numbers of wildebeest marching in the distance, to some unheard drum. They had a steady gait as they walked in a straight line. This was perhaps the beginning of the signs we saw of the Great Migration. While most of them were serene, the long march had surely taken its toll—we saw some locking horns with each other—a sure sign of hostility. We also saw a calf trying to suckle and while its mother did allow it a few moments to do so, she pushed the calf away very quickly. Gamboling around them were frisky zebras for the two species seem to live in blissful harmony together, their habits happening to coincide beautifully.

After a few hours of animal-stalking, we were ready to call it a day and our drivers made tracks towards our next refuge for the night, the Kibo Safari Camp.

Camping out at Kibo Safari Camp and Glimpsing Mount Kilimanjaro—At Long Last:

Kibo’, by the way, is the Maasai word for Mount Kilimanjaro. And our next home away from home was located at the very foothills of the great mountain. As we drove towards us, I kept my eyes peeled—hoping to catch a glimpse of it, But Steve, while pointing in the direction of it, told me that it was completed enshrouded by cloud cover and would probably remain hidden tonight. What a tragedy! I felt very disappointed. I really did want to see the mountain before we left the area. I could only hope that we’d have clearer skies tomorrow.

But, miraculously, as we neared to our Lodge, the clouds parted enough for me to be able to see the monolith towering right in front of me. It was overwhelmingly large and my camera captured a few shots of it before the cloud cover obscured it again. Still…mission accomplished!

On our arrival at Kibo Safari Camp, we saw the entire staff lined up in two orderly rows to welcome us in. I must state that each time we entered a new hotel for the first time, we were presented with a Welcome Drink and a Hot or Cold Towel. Seriously, nothing could be more welcome after our long, dust-ridden drives. Whoever, in the hospitality industry, had thought of these little touches to comfort and cheer, he/she is a true genius. I totally appreciated these little aspects of our travel.

Another Mini Conference in the Lobby:

Amani gathered his troops around him, upon our entry into a sprawling space, decorated in primitive fashion, in imitation of a rustic Maasai habitation. The main structure housed the Reception, Lobby and Gift Shop, minor structures housed the Bar and Drawing Room as well as the huge Dining Room. Amani put us through the paces, explaining what the next few days would entail. He distributed our keys and invited us to return to the Dining Hall for supper.

I have to state that from the time we had left our last Lodge (Tarangire Sopa Lodge) to the time we entered this one at Amboseli, we had spent about 7-8 tedious hours on the road. We were tired and disgruntled and dying for hot showers and a lie-down. Hotel staff led us to our individual tents—unique because they were opened and closed by a full-length zipper. There was a lovely porch that led us inside, but, unfortunately, we did not have the opportunity to enjoy any of the properties at which we were based, to explore any of their facilities (including pools and spas) or wander around their beautifully landscaped gardens. This, we thought, was a great pity, as these properties were truly one-of-a-kind. It’s a very good thing that we had taken a walk in The Retreat at Ngorongoro because it was unlikely that we would have such time hanging on our hands again.

b>Dinner and Much Longed-For Rest in our Tents:

Llew and took swift showers and then joined the rest of our group for dinner. It was amazing how run down we all felt after merely sitting in a car for 7 hours! Our showers had revived us, somewhat, but most of us were only interested in ordering a relaxing cocktail at the bar before adjourning to the Dining Room for dinner.

Glancing at the Drinks Menu, Llew chose to have a glass of red wine from the Wine List while I debated about getting either a margarita or something called a Jumbo Crush. Ultimately, I chose the latter. But when I received my drink, it tasted suspiciously like a margarita. I did not say anything, but later, when my new friend, Frances, joined me and asked what I was drinking, I confidently informed her it was a Jumbo Crush and quite delicious. She ordered the same. Only when her drink came, it did not resemble mine in the slightest! A question to the cocktail waitress confirmed that she had brought me a margarita and had charged me for it! When I told her that I had not ordered a margarite but a Jumbo Crush (made with gin and passion fruit juice), she offered to replace my cocktail. Hence, I ended up sipping two for the price of one! A good deal, after all.

Drinks consumed, we walked into the Dining Hall where there was another bit of fanfare in the celebration of another birthday. By this point, we had become accustomed to this practice and had begun to think of it as “old hat”. Still, the buffet was huge and very substantial. There was pizza on offer and we ordered one for the table. Plus, around a tree that grew right in the middle of the tent was the Desserts counter with a plethora of sweets. We were truly spoiled for choice!

Watching a Maasai Cultural Program:

After dinner, we hurried out to the spacious patio of the hotel to watch a Maasai Cultural Preogram that was free of charge for residents of the Camp. The setting was just lovely. A huge circular fire pit in the center sent out a soft romantic glow over the space. Chairs were arranged all around for the audience. In front of us, a group of about 12 Maasai trpibesmen, garbed in the distinctive red blankets of their culture and holding long, sparpened sticks in their hands, were about to begin entertaining us with their traditional song and dance. We watched them, these gigantic black men, whose genetic composition has remained pure (as inter-marriage with other tribes is not permitted) and gives them their towering height. They sang in their local languages (not Swahili), brandishing their sticks menacingly in imitation of their hunting moves and making acoustic sounds that accompanied those moves. Next, they encircled the area, whooping happily, climbing on each other's backs, forming circles and dissolving them, moving back and forth in neat rows, then falling into circles again. All the while, we were kept enthralled by their act. This was the closest we would come to native Maasai culture and we were all delighted to have the opportunity to do so. The embers in the fire pit were waning as we left, about a half hour later, thanking them and showing our appreciation by clapping enthusiastically, as we made our way back to our villas with their amazing thatched roofs.

It had been another memorable day and we were still eager for more.

Until tomorrow, Hakuna Matata (No Worries, No Troubles).