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buffalo, and rhinoceros). It forms part of Birthday" in Masai.
the northern extension of the Serengeti As with the Serengeti, the best times to
ecosystem, and together with Tanzania’s visit are July to October, coinciding with
Serengeti, is where visitors flock to see one the Great Migration. November to June is
of the great natural events on the planet— popular with those looking for lower rates
the Great Migration. outside the peak season. The Masa still
We would start our game drives before provides bountiful wildlife experiences, in‐
dawn or late in the afternoon to have a cluding the calving season from late Janu‐
greater chance of seeing animals at a time ary to February.
when they are most active. We saw leopard
families on the hunt, prides of lions resting Relaxing in Nairobi
after some kills, and animals mating every‐
where. We learned that the king of beasts
with the best manes were preferred mates, We recommend spending a day or two
as happens with other animal species and in Nairobi on the way into or out of East
colorful birds. We saw evidence of this with Africa. We stayed in a classic hotel, Hem‐
one pride, where an older male with a ingway’s Nairobi, a plantation-style luxury
mangy mane covering only part of his head hotel with excellent dining, pool area, bar,
was rejected as a suitor by one female lion. and spa. The ride-hailing apps are best for
getting around, followed by recommended
Guides from the different camps would taxi companies, tour companies, and pri‐
radio each other when they found animals, vate drivers. Traffic is horrible, and direc‐
leading to a mini traffic jam, such as six tional signs and addresses are unclear, so
Land Cruisers circling a big tree in the mid‐ renting a car isn’t advised. We arranged for
dle of a plain with a single leopard a private driver for a day so we could pack
stretched out on a branch and watching for as much as possible into one day and have
dinner to come by. As the day warmed and a ride to the airport with our luggage safely
the animals became less active, our guide aboard.
stopped by the edge of the river and set up
a table for us to enjoy breakfast – coffee,
eggs, fruit, yogurt, juices, and assorted We visited the Giraffe Center, which is
bread. We would go back to camp at mid‐ like a fancy petting zoo, with an elevated
day, then go on the evening drive and the platform where you can feed the friendly
traditional Sundowner, where the guide and always hungry Rothschild's giraffes, an
would park in a colorful, active spot, such endangered species. We had lunch in The
as a pond full of hippos, and offer different Garden Restaurant nearby in the Karen
South African wines and snacks as we ex‐ community, named after Karen Blixen, au‐
perienced some of the most spectacular thor of “Out of Africa.” From there, we vis‐
sunsets we’ve seen anywhere. ited the Karen Blixen Museum, her former
Dinners in the camp dining room in‐ home. The tour of the house and gardens
cluded fresh local ingredients, different brings the book, the movie, and the history
meat, fish, and fowl entrees, and several of colonial Nairobi to life. You can imagine
vegetarian options. The staff surprised us being there in action with Karen and the
one night when eight of them in traditional assorted characters in the different rooms
red and black Masai clothing and jewelry and wondering how they dealt with the
bounced into the dining room with a cake, challenges of that era.
danced around our table, and sang "Happy Our last dinner on the African continent
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