Samburu to Lake Naivasha
This part of my journey takes me from Samburu in the north, down through the Aberdare National Park and on to Lake Naivasha. Its normally an early start after breakfast when I say a fond goodbye to the staff at the Ashnil Samburu Camp, settle into the Landrover and head for the gate on the main road that runs from Nairobi to the northern border and beyond. The road is long but in good condition, it is initially bounded by low scrub acacia trees. Lots of charcoal sellers stack their goods at the road side and sell to passing trade. The area at the side of the road becomes greener with farms and tea plantations as we approach Mount Kenya. Eventually I drop down into Neyri. My connection with India involves visiting Corbett National Park and Jim Corbett who lived his later life in Kenya. His grave is at the Baden Powell memorial in Nyeri so I took a detour to visit Jim Corbett’s grave. It was a bit overgrown so one of the attendants and I spent some time clearing the vegetation and cleaning the gravestone.
Into the Aberdares National Park offices to get permits before heading to the park gate and onwards to the famous Treetops Hotel for the night.
The hotel is not the original one that Queen Elizabeth II stayed at when she was informed of her fathers death and that she was to become Queen. She was staying in the original two bedroom Treetops that was destroyed in a fire, and Jim Corbett was her guide.
The new hotel has all the memorabilia from that visit. It is a multi bedroom hotel built around a waterhole so that guests can watch the wildlife come for water. At night the manager will wake you, if you want, with a buzzer system that identifies what is at the waterhole. Only saw a visit from a small herd of elephant that night.
After a hearty breakfast I headed off to travel down the spine of the Aberdare mountains. The track is bounded by a variety of environments. Starting with large bamboo forests changing to dense tropical forests and then into familiar Scottish highland moors with spectacular waterfalls. The area has some wildlife, forest elephant, hyena, buffalo and various antelope.
At one of the waterfall stops I sat down to enjoy a packed lunch prepared for me by the Treetops kitchens and was joined by a bushbuck. It just strolled across the grass towards me and demanded that I share my lunch. After it had had enough it just strolled away into the forest, how surreal.
Exit from the Aberdares National Park is through the Mutubio gate and on to the main road to Elsamere at Lake Naivasha.
Arrive at Elsamere mid afternoon to a friendly welcome by the staff. I’m taken to my lodge for a wash and tidy up after the long and dusty journey and to prepare for dinner. Glad to be back at George and Joy Adamsons old holiday home for a few nights while photographing the fish eagles on the lake. Its almost like being home again.
