Search

home  |  why Aardvark?  |  pricing and planning  |  news and articles |  sitemap

• Countries

  • Africa Map
  • Botswana
  • Kenya
  • Madagascar
  • Malawi
  • Mauritius
  • Mozambique
  • Namibia
  • Rwanda
  • Seychelles
  • South Africa
  • Tanzania
  • Uganda
  • Zambia
  • Zanzibar
• Activities

  • Game Drives
  • Walking Safaris
  • Riding Safaris
  • Birding Safaris
  • Elephant Safaris
  • Water Based Safaris
  • Self Drive
  • Luxury Train
  • Scuba Diving & Snorkelling
  • Fishing
  • Mountain Climbing and Trekking
  • Private Guides
  • Special Interest
• Honeymoons
• Family Safaris

  • Introduction
  • Accommodation Styles
  • Things to do
  • When and Where
  • Questions and Answers
  • What Now?
• Riding Safaris

  • Introduction
  • About us
  • Riding styles
  • When and Where
  • Questions and Answers
  • What next
  • Riding in Botswana
  • Riding in Kenya
  • Riding in Namibia
  • Riding in South Africa
Beach
• Accommodation
• Contact Us

From the flat savannahs of Kenya to the wild bush land of Zambia

Author: Jo Netscher

The most recent recruit to Aardvark’s sales team is Jo Netscher who has spent the last couple of years working in Africa. Here she recounts a couple of incidents from her time in Kenya and Zambia

Although I was only in Africa for just over a year and a half, I seem to have accumulated a life time of memories. So, I thought I’d share some snippets from my journal …

12th December 2005 Kenya – The Masai boardroom

‘Ricardo (the owner of my camp) had to pop to Nairobi today and so I was left holding the fort, or should I say the Boma. It was a peaceful day in camp as all guests, staff and grazing buffalo were content and happy, and then the phone rang. It was Ricardo phoning from Nairobi. He’s been having discussions with the local Masai about a community project that he’s hoping to establish in 2006, and wants me to pass on a message to the Masai elders of the Aitong community. I grab Saruni, one of our smiley Masai waiters and my part time translator, and we jump into the Land Rover and bounce along the mud track towards Aitong. We pull up at the village, which is no more than a strip of wooden huts, and a young Masai boy points in the direction of a group of Elders sitting cross-legged under a large Desert Date tree. I greet the elders with a handshake and ‘Soba’, which is the extent of my Ki Masai.

My bad attempt at their language cracks a grin from all of the elders, and the once intimidating group of ex-warriors now warmly welcome me and Saruni to take a seat in their boardroom. The Masai conduct all of their meetings here underneath the shade of a tree. This wall-less room not only gives them privacy but also protects them from the heat of the African day. Although I’ve been in the Mara for five months now, I never tire of discovering the similarities and differences between my own culture and that of the beautiful Masai tribe.’

2nd November 2006 Zambia – The Nsefu sector’s animal end of season party

‘After five and a half months of amazing game viewing, it’s sad to say that Tena Tena is finally closed. The tents have come down, our excellent team of staff are heading back to their families, and the camp seems to be missing one vital ingredient, guests. My manager Kerri and I are enjoying our last breakfast in camp. I’m staring out at the sandy river bed which, when I first arrived was covered by the Luangwa River, when suddenly something catches my eye. It seemed we were not the only ones who were feeling rather peckish this morning. A lioness was in hot pursuit of a puku. We stood there mouth a gape, as the feline chased the antelope up on to the island in front of camp and back down again. The nimble puku managed to escape the claws of the lioness and once again peace returned again to Tena. We only had two sips of our tea before our neighbours the baboons began to bark, and this only meant one thing - there was a predator on the prowl. Sure enough, the Tena Pride had taken down a young buffalo and were feasting on the carcass in the lagoon behind the camp. With cameras at the ready Kerri and I jumped in the vehicle and headed out for one last game drive. The animals of the Nsefu sector gave us such an amazing send off.

There were families of elephants around every bend, giraffes creating beautiful reflections by the river, hundreds of carmine bee eaters and my favourite of all, the red billed queleas. We had the view of the beautiful Luangwa River on one side, the wind in our hair and the beautiful sound of a large colony of queleas swooshing through the air and creating their wave-like pattern directly above our heads. Surely game viewing doesn’t get much more awe-inspiring than today.’

It’s almost impossible for me to compare Kenya and Zambia. Kenya is perhaps the most beautiful and diverse country that I’ve ever visited. From the savannahs of the Mara to the emerald green Lake Turkana, the landscape didn’t fail to impress me or my camera. I saw more game than I could ever count but the special thing for me about Kenya is its people. The tribes, like the landscape in Kenya, are so diverse that it cannot fail to fascinate.

My time spent in the Nsefu sector in the South Luangwa Valley in Zambia was my fauna and flora learning curve. I was working with some of the most talented and inspiring guides that I’ve come across so far in my time in Africa. Although Zambia didn’t have the cultural draw as I found in Kenya, for me Zambia was my chance to experience Africa on the wild side. This game rich area of the South Luangwa is a hidden treasure, and I am just grateful that I got to call it my African home for five and a half months.



>> Back to Newsletter Stories

The content of this website is © Aardvark Safaris unless otherwise stated.