I enjoy a game drive as much as the next person, though this form of travel was only practically introduced to me by my husband. Being Kenyan, it is slightly embarrassing to say that my very first wildlife safari was not to our world famous, Maasai Mara. No, it was in South Luangwa, Zambia. You might wonder why a Kenyan would ignore a coveted safari destination for a less known location. Well, it so happened that I was on a short visit to Malawi. A long weekend presented itself because in Malawi, Mother’s Day is taken seriously. So much so that it is a public holiday.

*A sneak peek of our campsite in Nanyuki*

It created the perfect opportunity for a road trip across the border to explore what the neighbours had to offer, a lot I might add. Since then, I added Maasai Mara to my bucket list, ticked it and added a few more parks to my belt. Am I up for a short trip to the Amboseli in the next few weeks? Sure, elephants are some of the most awe-inspiring creatures to watch when they are not trying to attack you. The sheer size of them largely contradicts the sense of calm with which they move. It is also endearing to observe their tendency to move in numbers. Strong family values, methinks.

What does all this have to do with Ol Pejeta? Well, that’s the park I visited on the last day of 2021. On a mildly chilly New Year’s eve, we awoke at the crack of dawn and groggily piled into the car to make a short trip to Ol Pejeta. Having set up camp in Nanyuki, it wouldn’t be a long trip. We arrived so early that the booking office was not even open, so the guard noted down our car registration details, to make sure we paid on the way out.

The upside to starting really early is you get a few treats for your effort…for us it was a misty morning glow with the sun rising in the background. An adorable young Jackal seemed to lead the way, as if to say “Welcome friends, I’ve been waiting for you!’’ She tagged along the first stretch of our trip, stopping every so often to make sure we were still on track!

*Ms Jackal making sure we’re still on her trail*

Driving ourselves through the park was a novel experience. It is common to get a package deal that includes an experienced driver and, or guide, but for a change we chose to venture out on our own. Our designated driver, Tommy, was up to the task. He drove us around for most of the road trip. The rest of us could relax and really enjoy the scenery and every once in a while, we would stop for a better view or to take a photo. I enjoy capturing moments in general through photographs. It is a way to lock beautiful, simple and sometimes ordinary moments into a time capsule.

In the wee hours of the morning and generally in the wild it is easy to spot the herbivores, the prey. So we saw giraffes, buffalos and an antelope that was quite the stunner and certain of it! He gave us supermodel poses, making sure we captured the perfect angles and the lighting was just right!

You might wonder what the difference is between antelopes and gazelles, like I did for a while. Gazelles are the smaller species of the Antelope family. So all gazelles are antelopes but not all antelopes are gazelles. The Impala pictured above is an antelope. Impala are naturally graceful animals, with the males featuring elegantly curved, spiraled horns perfectly capable of causing harm to a fellow male during a fight. They are also a polygamous lot, herding female impalas while jealously protecting them from potential foes. They are really fast fleet runners, they leap in the air while in motion and can reach 33 feet in one leap.

At some point, on our leisurely drive in search of interesting activities in the wild, we saw an elephant mom and her calf trudging along behind her. She hesitated for a short while before deciding to continue on her journey. No mere humans were going to stop her morning stroll. We, on the other hand, were both fascinated and frightened. 'We' here, refers mostly to me.

Having heard tales of their distaste for cars blocking the way, I wasn’t sure what to expect as they drew closer. We stayed quiet as the little mice we must have surely looked like to this giant creature. Although I have heard, and not sure if the rumours are true, that elephants see us humans as cute in the way that we view pets like cats and dogs. I hope that it is mildly true!

As we held our breaths, our eyes transfixed on these mighty beauties, they casually strolled past us. When they were really close to the car, mama elephant paused and turned ever so slightly, to inspect our vehicle and its occupants. In our mild state of distraction, we barely noticed the little kiddo shift past her from behind, and walk on. As soon as she knew her babe was safe, she moved on, leaving us to finally catch our breathe and exchange our versions of the event. That is the closest any of us had ever been to an elephant, or so we thought.

Join me next week for part 2 of the Ol Pejeta adventure!

Ol Pejeta: A Unique Wildlife Conservancy (Part 1)