Lions, Leopards and the Lipault Ladies

[michael-ibk]

Lovely sighting! Did James give you an age estimate?

[Kitsafari]

@@michael-ibk i think he said 6-7 months at that time.

[Game Warden]

Super sighting. @@Safaridude and I drew a blank last year in the gorge, about the same time.

[graceland]

I don't need to add any photos, as @@Kitsafari captured our first leopard beautifully, I do remember that day, the morning when James said we were going to Leopard Gorge the anticipation was palatable ~ I mean "Leopard Gorge" exudes the possibility of....leopards!

 

As @@Kitsafari mentions, we picked out way out......after driving slowly back to where we began-wishing, praying, hoping...a bit disappointed...James turns and says, we should move on; I don't think we are lucky this morning....all of us disappointed, but hey, its only the FIRST drive though as we are looking.

 

Turning the jeep, moving out, no one says a word...James stops, and we know. He has spotted something; he grabs my binos; looking up on the rocks; and we are holding our breath...just a shadow and a flick of white...... It was so exciting for us; my heart is pumping now as it did then.

 

Yes we all took a million shots. Such a gorgeous leopard, with expressive eyes, paws of strength; and an attitude that he need not run.

 

This was his leopard gorge and he was waiting for his mum.

 

A terrific morning!

[armchair bushman]

@@armchair bushman, if i recall correctly (my brain cells are rather scattered these days), we took AirKenya from Wilson to Ngerende, and waited to transfer to a much smaller plane to bring us to Mara North, which I vaguely remembered was a very short flight.

 

Ah, that makes more sense. And I may have gotten that if i had read all the posts rather than just skimming through!

 

Great photos and trip report so far. Serian and Ngare Serian are special to me, having spent 2 months there in 2007 - my first exposure to working in the Mara. Learned a lot from Alex and the rest of the team at the time.

[Kitsafari]

Mara North is pregnant with game. The density is ridiculous.

Lions were around every corner, although not as large prides. They were dripping everywhere in small groups often with Cubs.

 

And so were the elephants - breeding groups and solo bulls were so calm. Twice we found ourselves surrounded by a breeding group with babies, and they walked by and around the vehicle stopping to grab a little shrub and using their legs to help uproot it and shake off the sand. it was heartwarming just watching the babies as they kept close to the jumbo pachyderms. and i'm sure we sent our prayers to the skies to keep them safe from harm.

 

 

 

 

a profile of a baby

 

 

 

an offering of peace and goodwill - same back to you baby.

[Kitsafari]

and other eles we came across in Mara North

 

 

 

A beautiful Big Bull Tusker, collared

 

 

[Kitsafari]

another elephant family

 

 

and a series of pix of an exhausted baby trying to rest but getting up as the mother moves on

 

 

 

 

 

 

May you both stay safe and sound. Always.

 

[SafariChick]

I don't have many leopard cub photos to add from that day at Leopard Gorge that are any better than yours, @@Kitsafari , I agree with @@graceland there - you got beautiful ones! That was a very happy day for me as all through the trip I kept saying "enough of the cheetahs and lions, show me some leopards!" Well, not really, but I am a huge leopard fan so they were really on my wish list. And I think it was THREE different cars with guides who stopped and told James that they'd been through the Gorge and not seen any leopard just before us so we were REALLY impressed with James' eyes. He was just really a great guide, perfect tone, so knowledgable but never braggy and really listened to us and what we wanted but also had his own great ideas.

 

I also really loved the eles we saw and agree, just the amount of animals and the beauty of the landscape combined with the fewer vehicles made our stay in Mara North really spectacular. I will just add a few photos here:

 

one more of the lion cub who went to the top of the little mound and waited for other cubs to join it.

 

 

One leopard cub photo:

 

 

rock hyrax:

 

 

mongoose peeking from behind a tree

 

 

James fixing our flat tire:

 

 

Edited March 11, 2015 by SafariChick

[SafariChick]

A few of my favorite ele photos from that day:

 

 

 

 

[twaffle]

Did I you have a driver as well as James guiding?

 

It doesn't matter where I go or what I see or even what other people report on, in my eyes, the Mara ecosystem cannot be bettered for stupendous sightings and animal overload. If we could just remove a bucket load of tourists and camps, it would be perfect! Maybe it would be going broke, but it would be perfect nonetheless. IMHO.

[Girlsnstilettos]

 

@@graceland - ."I am telling you seriously, you do NOT need more."

 

I need to see your packing list complete with video!

I will do that....once I have my morning coffee, totally caffeined out; it will last all of 30seconds!

 

The others can chime in too....I talked them into carry-on and heard no complaints....at least to my face

 

You do have to get out of your mind, the one phrase that will not work....."I might need this"

You either do or you don't. And usually you don't.

 

Perhaps we need a packing thread?

 

 

I'm loving this TR, especially since I'll be going in 11 months Great photos and info posted by you Graceland, SafariChick and Kitsafari. I like hearing everyone's perspective on a TR, as we all see things a little differently. Those lion cubs are all so precious, and the young giraffe is adorable! Love all the wildlife, I'm in awe of how beautiful Kenya is.

 

I vote 'yes' to a packing thread! Many of us newbies have no idea what we'll really need, what are 'must haves', and 'don't bother'. I want to take only a carry-on too. Any packing tips would be helpful! Looks like I'll be getting a Lipault Carry-On

 

Can't wait to read the rest of this TR!

Edited March 11, 2015 by Girlsnstilettos

[SafariChick]

@@twaffle no, only James was guiding and driving - no one else in the car with us. I agree that it would be nice if there were fewer people in the Mara but when we were there, it really wasn't crowded at all in the conservancies. We were the only ones at that leopard cub sighting. And the only ones watching those tiny 3-4 week-old cubs with their mama and papa. Only I think 2 other cars watching the 11 lion cubs with us. There WERE more cars in the actual reserve, yes, and that was at times frustrating.

 

@@Girlsnstilettos I'm sure @@graceland would love to start a packing thread. At the camps that do your laundry for you, it really is quite easy and I used to be one of those who said I will bring this because I might need it. You just don't need that many of each item since they will do your laundry daily!

[Kitsafari]

@@SafariChick - we were so happy with the leopard cub sighting that we weren't even perturbed that our vehicle had a flat tire, although poor James had to handle that by himself. I still recall we were milling about in that gorge and chatting about that cub. A happy memory among others like the singing too! ahhh but that comes much later...

 

you have a stunning pix of the cub there as well!

 

@@twaffle we had expected a tracker or ranger in addition to the guide, but james was the entire package, as @@SafariChick said. it was great though as it gave us more time to get to know him, and it felt intimate and cosy to have a small group having breakfast or lunch together. and it gave @@graceland a chance to sit next to James to protect her back.

 

I think early February is a perfect month to go to Mara than go during the migration season, unless you want to see more wildebeests and more killings. we had perfect weather in Mara north, then drizzles in the reserve. It starting to rain more heavily towards the end of our trip in Olare Motorogi conservancy and the evenings were wet and at times very chilly.

[Kitsafari]

 

@@armchair bushman, if i recall correctly (my brain cells are rather scattered these days), we took AirKenya from Wilson to Ngerende, and waited to transfer to a much smaller plane to bring us to Mara North, which I vaguely remembered was a very short flight.

 

Ah, that makes more sense. And I may have gotten that if i had read all the posts rather than just skimming through!

 

Great photos and trip report so far. Serian and Ngare Serian are special to me, having spent 2 months there in 2007 - my first exposure to working in the Mara. Learned a lot from Alex and the rest of the team at the time.

 

 

@@armchair bushman unfortunately Alex was prob in tanzania trying out his new drone (!) so we didn't get a chance to meet him. But the managers Roishin and Adrian were marvellous and guiding at that camp is superb. they had a volunteer at the main camp when we were there, a sweet young girl who entertained us no end. and they also had two volunteers who were guides from a Namibian tour and guiding company. it's a long story, but it showed me that Serian was very open to helping non-Serian staff to gain more experience in the bush. that is quite an admirable feature in a very competitive industry.

[Kitsafari]

@@Girlsnstilettos at first i thought there was no way i could survive on a carry-on bag. i mean i needed the clothes, the moisturizer, the face cleaning lotion, the shoes, the torches, etc etc. but after i bought the Lipault bag, i kept throwing out non-essential stuff. i checked with the camps to make sure they have shower gels and moisturizer so i didn't need to take them. But I marvelled at how there could be room left in @@graceland's 19inch bag (mine was 22-inch and i still needed another small carryon bag)! in the end, I took more clothes than what I really needed. I just learned to reuse a small number of clothes over and over and over again.

[graceland]

The elies were abundant that day in North Mara. @@Kitsafari captured them beautifully. I sat and watched. I have thousands of elies on my computer; with the babies I decided to just be in the moment. I may have one or two replicas of the above - no where near as clear.

 

Everyone is spot on; in February there was very little traffic in the conservancy; of course it changed a bit in the Reserve; but with the right guide...it can be easy to avoid, or just leave.

 

I had a driver when visiting Serian in 2010 along with our guide; four eyes...but James' two were perfect, and there was barely a moment when there wasn't a bird, a cat, an ellie, leopard, lion, giraffe, zebra in Mara North. Enough for all to enjoy! Having been previously I totally enjoyed keeping the camera down and just LIVING and BREATHING what amazing sightings we were having.

 

Both @@SafariChick and @@Kitsafari were so good at taking notes....my sheet was empty so I am happy they are getting our days in order!

 

Leopard Gorge was indeed a highlight. All the babies in the conservancy as well. Seeing the baby elie so exhausted was emotional for all of us; though we smiled as one does with babies; we wanted to get out and give her a push. But that happened quite a bit for us - craving to give encouragement, praise, and even a sausage to a hungry cheetah. (No, we did not - but wondered if she ever found her meal.)

 

I loved taking breakfast out in the bush; some mornings there were so many sightings we had to tell James to stop as we were all starving!

We'd rush through so we could get back out quickly, but also a lovely time to sit and chat with our guide. Just us four; the plains surrounding us; observing a few animals grazing happily. I take myself back there quite a bit. Heaven.

 

@@Kitsafari, great sequence of the small one!

 

And I am delighted you were all happy with the Lipault! I stumbled over it on a packing forum and it certainly worked for us.

 

My fav. elephant photo.... Family heading across the plains.

 

 

 

[Marks]

Truly a Safaritalk All-Star trip, both in wildlife and members. Many great photos and experiences so far, hopefully there is much more to come.

 

The second morning, we found our way to Leopard Gorge. The place rang notes of familiarity. Before my trip, I was three-quarters through The Marsh Lions, a book on Jonathan Scott's experiences as he filmed the Big Cats Diaries for the BBC. And names like Miti Mbili, Leopard Gorge, Rhino Ridge, Fig Tree Gorge, Marsh Prides brought it home to me when I saw them in person.

Such a great book. I also read it while I was in the Mara. It's just a fantastic sensory experience to read.

 

Also as a fellow carry-on traveler, I'd be interested in seeing the packing thread, too.

[dinkdunk]

@graceland

 

 

And I am delighted you were all happy with the Lipault! I stumbled over it on a packing forum and it certainly worked for us

 

Do you take the lipault on safari's in all countries, especially where you are in small Cessna bush planes? We have been told no wheels, so I have the ebags motherlode suitcase/backpack, but would like to be able to just wheel everything around!

Edited March 11, 2015 by dinkdunk

[Game Warden]

And there I was thinking lipault was a pop star...

[graceland]

@graceland

 

 

And I am delighted you were all happy with the Lipault! I stumbled over it on a packing forum and it certainly worked for us

 

Do you take the lipault on safari's in all countries, especially where you are in small Cessna bush planes? We have been told no wheels, so I have the ebags motherlode suitcase/backpack, but would like to be able to just wheel everything around!

Yes I have carried it on small bush planes. the wheels are strategically placed so they really don't take much room.

 

No way I could actually carry anything on my shoulder! I'd not be able to travel. I do go with a lock, just in case someone decides I need to check it; but at 19" it fits everywhere.

 

I think the NO wheels refers to the really large ones, like above 25". There are several styles and sizes if you go on the website. Good luck!

www. Lipault -Us.com

[graceland]

And there I was thinking lipault was a pop star...

 

Well, we all know Li @@pault is a safari star

 

I thought we was designing on the side. With those earnings he'd have his own plane to travel Africa and beyond....and take us as well, his groupies

[Kitsafari]

Lil @@pault is very much a pop star, wherever he goes in Africa, the people come out from their homes to take pictures with him. Even the witch doctor eagerly grants him an audience.

 

Even I was Thrilled to have a picture taken with him. ☺️ And rightly so. He weaves magic in his lyrics, and sings songs through his pictures.

[Girlsnstilettos]

The elies were abundant that day in North Mara. @@Kitsafari captured them beautifully. I sat and watched. I have thousands of elies on my computer; with the babies I decided to just be in the moment. I may have one or two replicas of the above - no where near as clear.

 

Everyone is spot on; in February there was very little traffic in the conservancy; of course it changed a bit in the Reserve; but with the right guide...it can be easy to avoid, or just leave.

 

I had a driver when visiting Serian in 2010 along with our guide; four eyes...but James' two were perfect, and there was barely a moment when there wasn't a bird, a cat, an ellie, leopard, lion, giraffe, zebra in Mara North. Enough for all to enjoy! Having been previously I totally enjoyed keeping the camera down and just LIVING and BREATHING what amazing sightings we were having.

 

Both @@SafariChick and @@Kitsafari were so good at taking notes....my sheet was empty so I am happy they are getting our days in order!

 

Leopard Gorge was indeed a highlight. All the babies in the conservancy as well. Seeing the baby elie so exhausted was emotional for all of us; though we smiled as one does with babies; we wanted to get out and give her a push. But that happened quite a bit for us - craving to give encouragement, praise, and even a sausage to a hungry cheetah. (No, we did not - but wondered if she ever found her meal.)

 

I loved taking breakfast out in the bush; some mornings there were so many sightings we had to tell James to stop as we were all starving!

We'd rush through so we could get back out quickly, but also a lovely time to sit and chat with our guide. Just us four; the plains surrounding us; observing a few animals grazing happily. I take myself back there quite a bit. Heaven.

 

@@Kitsafari, great sequence of the small one!

 

And I am delighted you were all happy with the Lipault! I stumbled over it on a packing forum and it certainly worked for us.

 

My fav. elephant photo.... Family heading across the plains.

 

 

 

IMG_1961.jpg

Awwww, that's how I'd feel too about the baby ele! Poor little thing is so tired, but mama knows best. I'm right there with all of you, I get emotional about stuff like this too!

[Girlsnstilettos]

@@twaffle no, only James was guiding and driving - no one else in the car with us. I agree that it would be nice if there were fewer people in the Mara but when we were there, it really wasn't crowded at all in the conservancies. We were the only ones at that leopard cub sighting. And the only ones watching those tiny 3-4 week-old cubs with their mama and papa. Only I think 2 other cars watching the 11 lion cubs with us. There WERE more cars in the actual reserve, yes, and that was at times frustrating.

 

@@Girlsnstilettos I'm sure @@graceland would love to start a packing thread. At the camps that do your laundry for you, it really is quite easy and I used to be one of those who said I will bring this because I might need it. You just don't need that many of each item since they will do your laundry daily!

 

I think it would be great if @@graceland started a packing thread! *hint, hint*

 

It sure makes it easier to pack light if the camps will do your laundry. Major bonus!

 

@@Girlsnstilettos at first i thought there was no way i could survive on a carry-on bag. i mean i needed the clothes, the moisturizer, the face cleaning lotion, the shoes, the torches, etc etc. but after i bought the Lipault bag, i kept throwing out non-essential stuff. i checked with the camps to make sure they have shower gels and moisturizer so i didn't need to take them. But I marvelled at how there could be room left in @@graceland's 19inch bag (mine was 22-inch and i still needed another small carryon bag)! in the end, I took more clothes than what I really needed. I just learned to reuse a small number of clothes over and over and over again.

 

 

That's good to hear! Fortunately I've always been a light packer. I have the tendency to wear the same small number of clothes over and over even when I'm not on Safari I like what I like, and if it's comfortable and decent looking I'll wear it all the time. Definitely not a 'clothes horse' here! lol