5 Porini camps. October 2 to October 16

[CDL111]

Thanks @plambers, it was a pleasant surprise to be told that Fig is resident there. We did go back to see the leopard in the NP but there were too many vehicles there so we just carried on. We do see Fig again, but my laptop which has all the photographs on is in for repair, so, sorry that l cannot do any more reporting at present. Hope you see leopard next year.

[modleski]

@CDL111 Thanks for the tip! We'll be sure to check it out, if we're allowed to go.

[CDL111]

@modleski, the exit from Samburu is the entry to Buffalo Springs, so l would be surprised if they said no.

[CDL111]

Day 13

Porini Lion, morning drive

 

Sunrise with two secretary birds

 

Tawny eagle

 

Female Jackson's hornbill

 

Bat eared foxes

 

Ostrich

 

African white-backed vulture

 

Pride with Blackie in charge

 

Topi

 

Need help on this please

 

Bateleur

 

This is a very large leopard tortoise

 

Agama lizard

 

Nile monitor

 

Warthog

 

Grey-crowned crane

 

Grants gazelle

 

Eland

 

Young ground hornbill

 

Ground hornbill with skinks

 

Fighting fish eagles, apologies for some out of focus.

[CDL111]

Porini Lion Day 13

 

Afternoon drive, after a while we found Fig and her cub and then we moved on a saw one of the prides.

 

Woodland kingfisher

 

Spur winged plover

 

Dwarf mongoose

 

Little bee-eater

 

Fig

 

The pride

 

Three- banded plover

[CDL111]

 

Day 14 and our last game drive.

 

An eventful morning for us, so it was throw the luggage in to the back of the vehicle and off we went.

 

Bit late on the sunrise.

 

Hadn't been driving long when we came across these hyena with a leopard kill. 

 

This one was on its way to join in on breakfast.

 

We were soon to find this lion with a hyena kill and quite close to the camp.

 

It was time to move on to try and find fig and her cub. 

 

Topi

 

Zebra

 

Side striped jackel

 

Secretary birds

 

Then we see Fig and her cub

 

It was time for us to leave and head towards the airstrip and have our last bush breakfast.

 

And our last big cat sighting.

 

Tawny eagle with vultures

 

Impala

 

Blue-headed agama

 

 

And that is the end of our report. A trip that for us has given us sightings that we could not have envisaged and a very enjoyable time at all the camps we stayed at. A trip that we will be doing again.

Lastly, a Happy New Year to everybody.

[michael-ibk]

And a great 2018 for you as well. You had a fantastic trip with lots of very special sightings. Thanks for sharing it with us, I really enjoyed your report a lot.

[Wanderlust4evermore]

Wow what a great report. I was at Porini Lion camp in Feb. Fig was not pregnant then, I didn't know the gestation period is only 3 months for a leopard.  How lucky to see a cub, and five together too.  Amazing.

I am planning a trip back in two years and taking my granddaughter when she graduates high school. I can't imagine anything better than Porini Lion camp, but interested to know what was your favourite?

 I may combine two.  I would really appreciate your input.    I did a home exchange in Banbury 12 years ago. I loved your town.  

[CDL111]

Thanks for your kind comment @Wanderlust4evermore on the report. You ask a difficult question to answer, how do you judge a camp? in all fairness the managers, staff, food and accommodation were to a high standard and are very similar. The guides at each camp are very knowledgeable, so is it down to sightings? what you see on one trip may not be there on the next.

If we were restricted to just going to two camps, our international flights would arrive in Nairobi late afternoon/early evening and we would stay two nights at Porini Nairobo tented, this would give a full day in Nairobi NP with the opportunity of seeing rhino. As this is the only camp within the NP I am sure that the guides are in contact with the park wardens and therefore know where the rhinos are.

We would the probably go to Cheetah and then onto Lion as the transfer from Cheetah to Lion is by road and therefore you are still seeing wildlife. However if you enjoy seeing birds then it would be Amboseli not Cheetah as the day trip to Amboseli is wonderful.

As you can only book an international flight within one year of the flight date, keep reading reports because people have different opinions. 

[wilddog]

I have really enjoyed this report covering the 5 Porini camps you visited. You had some amazing sightings; thank you for sharing it with us.

 

This and other recent reports on these camps reassure me that my decision to go with Porini  (Amboseli, Lion and Mara camps ) in October this year is the right one.

 

Thanks again @CDL111

[CDL111]

Thanks @wilddog, we met 2 ladies from Sweden who have been to Amboseli 9 consecutive years and a couple from Nottingham (Philip and Carol) who have been to various Porini camps for 7 consecutive years, so I am sure that you will enjoy your trip. Just hope that the wildlife will be there for you to see. Cannot be there this October as we have just booked our flights to do a whale watch in Australia in October, however we will be going to Porini camps October 2019.

[Wanderlust4evermore]

Thank you for your quick answer. Yes we spent a night at Nairobi tented camp and saw two Rhinos right beside the truck so i would probably do that again.  I will look at Cheetah park, not a huge birder.    I will keep reading for sure. Thank you. 

[Dawnvip]

Thanks for sharing! Great trip report and some amazing photos!

[Atravelynn]

On 11/10/2017 at 4:52 PM, lmonmm said:

Blows my mind seeing these pictures with Nairobi in the background

 

To me that is the classic Nairobi National Park shot.  And you got it, repeatedly, @CDL111

Another classic of the ele in front of Kili!  Love the baby jacanas all fuzzy and fisher's sparrow lark feeding the youngsters.  Baby leopard, way to go. 

Wonderful ground hornbill with lunch.  I was following your sprinting cheetah wondering if it was going after the gazelle, then the wildebeest, then the topi.  Sorry about the battery change.  Happens to us all but you got the chase scene.

You win the prize for best posing dwarf mongoose.

Your photos show the abundance that can be found in Kenya at the Porini camps!

 

Edited March 25, 2018 by Atravelynn

[CDL111]

Many thanks for your kind comments @Atravelynn, just reading what you are saying reminds me of each individual photo and which camp we were at when they were taken. 

It was a very enjoyable time and we will be returning to the camps in the future. 

[Ginny]

@CDL111

@wilddog

 

Quote

 

 

It looks lke we will possibly overlap with CDL111 and Wilddog at Porini Camps

in October. We arrive in Nairobi on the 3rd, spending

 

2 nights at Nairobi Tented Camp  10/3&4

3 nights at Porini Amboseli   10/5-7

3 nights at Porini Mara   10/8-10

3 nights ar Porini Lion   10/11-13

Hoping to see either or both of you somewhere along the way.

Ginny

 

 

[CDL111]

@Ginny, the wife and l @CDL111, are not going out again until June 2019, @wilddog is going out this October.

[wilddog]

@Ginny I will be reaching AmboselI on 3rd and you will be a couple of days behind me which, if my calculations are correct, does mean we will meet up

 

Probably a day at each camp. See you there.?

[Game Warden]

Ah, @Ginny and @wilddog, a ST GTG in the bush. Hope you'll both be writing trip reports. Lots of photos please. And, if you see @JakeGC, send him my regards.

 

Matt

[wilddog]

47 minutes ago, Game Warden said:

Ah, @Ginny and @wilddog, a ST GTG in the bush. Hope you'll both be writing trip reports. Lots of photos please. And, if you see @JakeGC, send him my regards.

 

Matt

 

Will do Matt.