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Your Timeless Journey Awaits...

What more could I ask for than spending time with my family (wife, children and grandchildren) on safari in Africa? I suppose I could also ask for divine food, great wine, abundant game viewing and time for introspection.

Lucky me – I really did have it all in one of my favourite safari destinations in Africa – Angama Mara Lodge in the Maasai Mara, Kenya, East Africa. I have just returned home and feel rejuvenated and inspired – I wish for all of you to create an opportunity for yourselves to be immersed in the magic of an East African safari.

​Read all about my family’s experience below:

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WHAT IS IT LIKE TO TRAVEL IN AFRICA WITH KIDS?

My daughter Casey, documented all aspects of her family’s travels from Cape Town to Kenya. She travelled with her husband and 2 kids, ages 3 and 6. Have a look at her blow-by-blow Instagram report on the experience: Their transits, international flight, running with a Kenyan, napping on the safari vehicle and so much more. View on Instagram »  or  YouTube »


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A RIVER CROSSING

On our first safari, on our first day in the Mara, Gwen & I saw 300 zebras crossing the Mara River. The zebras accumulated at the river’s edge and we sat and waited for 60 minutes for them to start crossing. There was a lot of stop-starts and much drama! One zebra took the plunge and the rest followed, surrounded by 35 crocs waiting for their bounty.

Watch my video of the crossing »


My daughter Casey and her daughter on a game drive. 3 generations of safari lovers.

A FAMILY AFFAIR

There is so much for families to do and learn on a safari. Surrounded by nature, immersed in new sensations, new people to learn from… no screens!

Watching my grandkids experience the secrets of the African bush was such a treat. From a budding love of birds to a daily safari drive nap – experiencing a safari with them was an absolute delight.

Some of our favourite moments from our trip:

My daughter Casey and her daughter on a game drive. 3 generations of safari lovers.
There was a lot of bonding time for these 2. Playing games in the vehicle. Running around with the wonderful staff at the lodge. Cooking in the kitchen. Learning so much on the way.
The safari napper.
This is my favourite view. Possibly on earth.
Sophie looking for termites.
Leah’s trip was permeated by a fascination with birds. Wilson, our excellent game ranger, taught her all about birds, their markings, habits and helped her identify the feathers she found.
Not much more one could want in the world.
My Maasai moment.
A beautiful gift from the Angama family.
Casey and Dan ‘Running with a Kenyan’.
“Do not go gathering fruit when a dance is taking place” – Maasai Proverb
The moonrise over the Masaai Mara
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OUR EPIC LIST OF WILDLIFE

This is our epic list of animal sightings and some of our photos.

East Africa is known for the great wildebeest migration – but the wildlife in Kenya is spectacular all year round – as proven by our fabulous list!

On day 1 in the Mara we had an epic sighting:

Approx. 150 Zebra and 12 Topi, crossed in a different place. There were at least 14 huge crocodiles lying in wait.. 2 zebra and 2 topi were taken out during the crossing. These are Zebra from the Mara Conservancy area making their way South to meet their “friends” from the Serengeti.

Special sighting, maybe once in a lifetime:
  • Friday, early morning family drive with Adam (the photographer) to take pictures.
  • Approx. 10:00, the radio crackled with the news of 2 Puff adders mating alongside the road, Wilson, our guide did a quick U-turn and sped to the spot.
  • 2 puff adders mating alongside the road, an up-close sighting.. the female then scurried off to the long grass and the male slithered about, close to us, picking up the scent of the female…a fine specimen.
All the wildlife we saw:

The game viewing was abundant and incredibly diverse, we went out each day and could not get enough of the Mara.

  • Multiple herds of elephants, some with babies of only a few weeks old
  • A number of lone Elephant bulls
  • Multiple Buffalo Dagga boys
  • Many small to medium herds of zebras all over the triangle
  • Impala – plenty, harems, bachelor herds and females and young
  • Thomson’s gazelle
  • Eland
  • Warthog (pumbas)
  • Topi
  • A few prides of lion
  • Lions climbing in and out of a tree (and lazing about)
  • Hyena
  • Baboons – large families with many babies
  • Bat-eared fox
  • Dwarf Mongoose
  • Ringtail mongoose
  • Serval cat
  • Many hyrax all around the camp
  • Hippo – large pods as well as a few Hippo out and about
  • Giraffe – saw dozens, with one very special sighting of 32 giraffes standing in a field of grass along the side of the road.
  • Wildebeest
  • Black Rhino
  • An old Male Leopard looking hungry and walking fast across the grasslands.
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A PHOTOGRAPHER'S PARADISE

We loved our morning with Adam Bannister – who took some wonderful photos of us. Even more exciting was how our own photographic passions were inspired. Have a look at some of the photos taken during our trip -  and some of Leah’s too.

Casey's Photography
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Leah's Photography
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IT'S LUNCHTIME, HOORAY!

Our favourite meals were the picnics out in the Mara. There is something completely magical about eating a meal in the wilderness – the delicious food is even more delicious. And the quiet offers an opportunity to connect and listen.

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BIRDS FLYING HIGH, YOU KNOW HOW I FEEL

Young Leah’s newfound love for birds had her lost in a “birder’s-paradise”. The number 1 sighting was her Dad’s favourite – the Malachite Kingfisher.

Have a look at some of our bird photos:

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Hammerkop
Grey Heron
A Pied Kingfisher in flight. He was too fast for the amateur photographers to capture him in focus.
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Proof that we saw the Malachite Kingfisher 🙂
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Lappet-faced Vulture
Southern Ground-Hornbill
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“Do not go gathering fruit when a dance is taking place” – Maasai Proverb

WHY WE KEEP GOING BACK

Whoever you are and whatever you are celebrating, Kenya offers the beauty, space, and experiences to create memories which will be with you for your lifetime. And the Kenyan people – well, we all fell in love, including Leah, who was devastated to say goodbye to every person, every animal, every insect.


In this article
  • Introduction
  • What is it like to travel in africa with kids?
  • A River Crossing
  • A family affair
  • Our epic list of wildlife
  • A photographer's paradise
  • It's lunchtime, hooray!
  • Birds flying high, you know how I feel
  • Why we keep going back