Lions, Leopards and the Lipault Ladies

[graceland]

@@AKR1

 

I totally agree with you - I loved the Mara reserve...even with other vehicles around. With the right guide and camp one can avoid all the spectacle that takes place....even in high season--Sept. when we went years back. Again with Serian whose guides knew the ins and outs of the Mara and kept us away from most of it.

 

To me Serian if a very affordable and terrific alternative to the higher end Mara Plains/Mara Toto; but for those that have the money it seems a great and beautiful option.

 

For me as well, my second visit to Serian reinforced how the staff and managers manage to pull you in as family.

No its not as slick as MP, but I much preferred the guiding (as you know Ping was not at MP) but other than that.. I love the slightly worn but happy ambiance of Serian; I felt I was - totally in Africa. No the loo was not in the room with a million dollar bathroom, there was no "sitting area/desk/wardrobe/etc" but I don't need that.

 

Those who do will LOVE Mara Plains; it is exquisite. I highly recommend it for its beauty, style and area. But I do not require such....Staying there two nights was special, but a once in a while treat. I can say My Dh would not have loved it; he'd felt superficial. so perhaps that is the difference in camps that we've experienced.

 

Obviously this is an area for quite a bit of debate. Five years ago I 'd say take me to Mara Plains..now I want to walk out my tent and put my feet on the earth.

 

But that is only my personal opinion!

[graceland]

@@Girlsnstilettos

 

Thank you for watching.....youall will have so many opportunities to witness the beauty of Africa and its wildlife. Esp. the elies that you love.....take videos, they are hilarious!

 

I can't wait to keep up with your trip....though a bit away you have time to see and hear all about in from the members here.

[twaffle]

@@AKR1

 

I totally agree with you - I loved the Mara reserve...even with other vehicles around. With the right guide and camp one can avoid all the spectacle that takes place....even in high season--Sept. when we went years back. Again with Serian whose guides knew the ins and outs of the Mara and kept us away from most of it.

 

To me Serian if a very affordable and terrific alternative to the higher end Mara Plains/Mara Toto; but for those that have the money it seems a great and beautiful option.

 

For me as well, my second visit to Serian reinforced how the staff and managers manage to pull you in as family.

No its not as slick as MP, but I much preferred the guiding (as you know Ping was not at MP) but other than that.. I love the slightly worn but happy ambiance of Serian; I felt I was - totally in Africa. No the loo was not in the room with a million dollar bathroom, there was no "sitting area/desk/wardrobe/etc" but I don't need that.

 

Those who do will LOVE Mara Plains; it is exquisite. I highly recommend it for its beauty, style and area. But I do not require such....Staying there two nights was special, but a once in a while treat. I can say My Dh would not have loved it; he'd felt superficial. so perhaps that is the difference in camps that we've experienced.

 

Obviously this is an area for quite a bit of debate. Five years ago I 'd say take me to Mara Plains..now I want to walk out my tent and put my feet on the earth.

 

But that is only my personal opinion!

Very nicely put. Different things for different people, but you expressed your changing needs from safari very well. And there is no judgement for people who want a different experience.

[SafariChick]

Whoa lots of replies since I left earlier today! Let's see: When I requested Hobbs, it was simply a request that if he's got room, I'd love to be in his car. It was not a PV request, just a request like we did for Ping, if he were free (though at MP we also asked if it were possible to have a PV as well, but we were 3 people, when I went to Little Kwara I was only 1). They did end up giving me Hobbs, but I shared him with others part of the time and at least one or two game drives happened to have him to myself, but I think that was just the luck of the draw - I was never asked to pay anything for that.

 

I agree that it was lovely to be able to have the experiences of both the conservancies and the Mara - I didn't value one more than the other. But I haven't been there at the high season, and as we saw with a few sightings there were more cars than seemed ideal in the Reserve even at this time of year, I can imagine how at high season it could be more troubling.

 

@@graceland I do agree with your assessment of the differences between James and Dan as guides, as I think we discussed. Your video is adorable and it's perfect because I think it took over about when mine left off - then I was taking photos which I posted of the same part you videoed - it's so cute in your video when the cub slides off!

[graceland]

@@SafariChick, thanks for the info on Hobbs, I knew you were with him....but never heard of a fee associated with him. Of course DH and I were not so lucky and had the crazy lunatic fill in guide...but we laugh about that now.

 

And yes, the videos...I think all of us could have been with Nat Geo with all the videos we took...

 

I did love that dear cub trying with all his/her might to get SOMEONE to play!

 

Sort of like our dear furballs at home

 

Quite a great time we had!

[johnkok]

Loved going through this report. Looks like Feb is a great time in the Mara (I went to Ndutu in the same time frame). I'm finalising a safari to Kenya in Sep/Oct this year, and was originally thinking of Serian and Mara Plains so this is a timely read for me.

[Kitsafari]

whoa so much discussed and so many topics already covered while I was snoring away.

 

@@SafariChick, you got the best pictures of the lions and cubs. mine were all totally underexposed and yours are so good, so i won't add any more pictures of the cubs. But I'll add something we saw while watching the cubs. We didn't notice the batelur and the vultures because that adorable cub was keeping us entertained. Dan noticed the birds before it flew off.

 

here it is:

 

 

 

 

[Kitsafari]

did i say i won't add any more pix of the cubs? i was looking at my pictures and I can't resist a few more of the tumble in the rumble, although I have to apologise for the lack of quality. I can't handle anything more than my simple point and shoot camera!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 22, 2015 by Kitsafari

[Kitsafari]

since the topics of guides and camps have been well discussed above, I won't say much. suffice to say that I'm happy to stay in simple tents which bring me very close to the ground and wildlife, and just as happy to stay in uber lux lodgings which sometimes can also put you right in the middle of the wildlife (as in Little Mombo).

 

Unfortunately Dan had a lot to live up to coming in the shadow of James, but two things that James reminded me were 1. patience, 2. don't go with the masses.

 

Dan was trying to please us and catch as many big cats for us as possible. he had a good eye like James, as he saw the cheetahs and the pregnant lioness.

 

But while Dan is just as good as James in number 2, he didn't have a lot of number 1. he's a good guide, but he'll be a great guide when he gets number 1 right.

Edited March 22, 2015 by Kitsafari

[madaboutcheetah]

Ladies,

 

Just catching up with your report. Is Dan the same Dan that guided me I wonder? or a different Dan? Just shows how guides gel differently with different folks. If the same Dan, I am very surprised with the "lack of patience" analogy. Simply because any guide who puts up with me for a week has patience as a virtue. Not sure, he felt obligated to show you plenty in the short stay had something to do with it.

 

Oh and on the topic of Hobbs ....... He just shifted to Lagoon. So, I bet there will be plenty of new animals popping up there including covering the unexplored Northern half of the concession. Good Times ahead!!!

 

Cheers

Hari

[Kitsafari]

@@madaboutcheetah we were told there are two Dans at MP and apparently they both guided you. I think this was the Dan who guided you on an earlier trip, not your latest one.

[madaboutcheetah]

Hi there @@Kitsafari - Nope. Only ever been guided by one Dan (3 times) - Daniel Koya or his Masai name - Tirian Koya.

 

EDIT - I went off air with @@Kitsafari and this happens to be some other Dan. Still sorry that the ladies didn't connect as well ......

Edited March 22, 2015 by madaboutcheetah

[Kitsafari]

thanks @@madaboutcheetah at least we got that clarified! it isn't the same Dan who guided him.

 

I still enjoyed OMC and its cats!

[Alex The Lion]

Great trip report ladies. In terms of your OMC experience, it sounds like you did not venture too much towards the Motorogi side? This area is rugged, hilly with small rivers and valleys, a complete contrast to the main reserve.

 

@@madaboutcheetah - I didn't think it sounded like Tirian. I did notice he has been enjoying his time in the USA over the last month.

[graceland]

thanks @@madaboutcheetah at least we got that clarified! it isn't the same Dan who guided him.

 

I still enjoyed OMC and its cats!

I enjoyed as well, there was always action just around the corner

 

...and your rough and tumble series "cub" series, @@Kitsafari!

 

I remember you catching the birds as well. Quick on that Canon you were..

[graceland]

Great trip report ladies. In terms of your OMC experience, it sounds like you did not venture too much towards the Motorogi side? This area is rugged, hilly with small rivers and valleys, a complete contrast to the main reserve.

 

@@madaboutcheetah - I didn't think it sounded like Tirian. I did notice he has been enjoying his time in the USA over the last month.

 

@@russell

 

Although I did not handle the Canon long lens handed to us by Mara Plains very well, I did take a landscape shot...maybe the Ladies have more; but this pretty much sums up what we saw....long distance of plains, interrupted by trees/shrubs - but mainly flat - a few rocky areas - finding the cheetah and lions as we drove through.

 

I felt we were headed back towards the Mara Reserve, but I have no sense of direction! When with James I'd ask him everyday where we were headed- as he had a great laminated map that would explain our location to us: where we'd been and where we were headed.

 

I don't recall rugged,hilly areas with small rivers and valleys. I suppose I should return But we could have passed all that as I stared at the Canon trying to figure out what ISO, f-stop, and all those other buzz words I should have be adjusting.

 

Sticking with my Canon 50powershot now!

 

[Kitsafari]

Great trip report ladies. In terms of your OMC experience, it sounds like you did not venture too much towards the Motorogi side? This area is rugged, hilly with small rivers and valleys, a complete contrast to the main reserve.

 

@@madaboutcheetah - I didn't think it sounded like Tirian. I did notice he has been enjoying his time in the USA over the last month.

 

it looks like we stuck very much to the south side. but to be fair, we really only had a full 1.5 day at OMC so perhaps it was too much a distance to travel to Motorogi side, which I assume was more northwards? which is a pity as it could have changed my mind about OMC looking similar to the reserve.

[SafariChick]

The batteleur photos are great, Kit! Sorry I am behind on posting - still more to cover in our Mara Plains stay - hope to get on it today. Yesterday was busy with my daughter's track meet all afternoon.

 

No this was a different Dan - he said he thought he had guided you but apparently not. He told us his full name and it was Daniel Saningo Kasaine - we were trying to figure out if it was the one you had liked a lot, @@madaboutcheetah , so glad to sort that out! I will get back to the reporting as soon as I wake up a little more here!

 

Oh and very interesting about Hobbs moving to Lagoon - hmm, so then folks will have their pick between him and Spencer!

Edited March 22, 2015 by SafariChick

[Kitsafari]

@@SafariChick no hurry. Take your time.

[SafariChick]

The next day was our one full day at Mara Plains. We set off and it wasn't long before we encountered Malaika and her cubs, playing. It was lovely to spend time with them just playing and not hunting this time! As interesting as the hunt is, it is also of course sad and some pure play time was very entertaining. Their play time included some climbing on the spare tire of another vehicle which is fun to watch, but Dan told us that the park is strongly discouraging this now. We had another encounter with them the next day where this behavior was even more pronounced, but I'll mention that when I get to it. A lot of my photos of this encounter came out on the dark side but a few were decent as they were, or worth lightening up. Have to figure out what settings I used that made a few better than others!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This one of the cubs chasing each other is blurry but I'm going to call it artistic!

 

[graceland]

Great captures @@SafariChick, mine did not come out - you knew your ISO better than I

 

I did love seeing them play after the big hunt!

[SafariChick]

Another great installment and photos! Love those cubs!!!

 

What bridge cameras did you take?

 

@@KathBC sorry I forgot to respond to this - mine is a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ 200 and just coincidentally, @@Kitsafari has the same one - it wasn't like the Lipault where we were convinced by one another to get it! @@graceland's is a different kind and she mentioned it in the report in a recent post.

 

Our next sighting was of a lioness and cubs. Dan said they were part of the Double Cross pride.

 

 

 

 

and then we passed by Malaika and cubs again on our way to wherever Dan was taking us next - I will only post one more photo of them since there have been a lot already but I managed to get all four of them in this one being relatively still, which felt like an accomplishment!

 

Edited March 22, 2015 by SafariChick

[SafariChick]

Ok I lied - a few more

 

 

 

[SafariChick]

As we moved on, we ran into yet another cheetah - this one was the son of Narasha, a well-known cheetah in this area.

 

 

 

 

We followed him for a while and he was obviously looking to hunt and there was plenty of prey around. But they seemed to see him every time before he got a chance to hide and sneak up on them.

 

Then we came across, strangely, a sole lioness trying to hunt also. This sure was a busy area!

 

 

 

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We followed her for a while, but she gave up and sat down. We then realized she appeared to be pregnant. We felt bad for her, hunting alone and being unsuccessful while carrying a baby (or two).

 

[KathBC]

@@SafariChick - hey I also have the FZ200 and am trying to learn more of the bells & whistles it has other than just "Intelligent Auto" mode. Am defintiely on a learning curve here.

 

My older camera is a Canon Powershot SX10 IS and so far am not convinced the FZ200 is any better really. Maybe it's just the operator!! haha