My Kenya and Rwanda EcoTour – August 2021

Note: One way you can help save endangered species like many of our animals living at the Zoo, is by supporting eco-tourism in places like Africa.  Former El Paso Zoo Education Specialist Sarah Murphy shares her wonderful story of a recent trip to Kenya and Rwanda. 

On May 16^th, 2021, I received one of the best emails I will ever receive in my life – an email from my aunt inviting me to go to Africa on an ecotour to Kenya and Rwanda. The trip was being coordinated by Terra Incognita EcoTours and would be led by the president and CEO of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International, Tara Stoinski. I had no idea at the time, but this trip was going to be not only a dream come true but truly an inspiration and learning experience. It took about 60 seconds and a quick call to my husband (because, please keep in mind, I was to move to Korea less than three weeks before the start of the tour) to make the decision and start preparing for my African adventure.

Fast forward to August, my bags were packed—camera gear, binoculars (probably the most important thing you can pack for a safari), sunscreen and insect repellent, and plenty of khaki apparel in tow— and I was finally on my way to Africa! It took a full 24 hours to travel from my little town of Waegwan, South Korea to Nairobi, Kenya, from where we would take a small plane ride to our first stop: Little Governor’s Camp in the Maasai Mara.

“Mara” is a Swahili word meaning spotted, and it refers to the visual pattern of the landscape, especially as seen from above. While making the one-hour flight from Nairobi, it became obvious that this area was perfectly named—as I watched from my window, I saw many spots below us composed of either trees or bomas. I was amazed by the beauty of the landscape from above and knew that the following days on safari would be just as amazing!

During our four days in the Maasai Mara, we went on eight game drives, soared over the Mara by hot air balloon, and enjoyed our final evening with festivities that included a sundowner by the Mara River (full of hippos) and a traditional performance by Maasai warriors. Each day began with an early morning wake-up call by the incredibly sweet Muli, one of the staff at Little Governor’s Camp. He would cheerfully say “Good morning, good morning…” as he delivered some of the best coffee I have ever had.

Our game drives usually began around 7:30 am, as the morning and late afternoon/evening is the time when animals are most active. Oliver, our incredibly knowledgeable and friendly guide, drove us along the (sometimes really) bumpy roads through and around the park to find the animals. Of course, it always took us longer to get to where we were going because we would spot different animals along the way. These animals were often birds spotted in the tops of trees, each of which Oliver could easily identify.

During our drives, we also witnessed many interesting animal behaviors and encounters: a lion (and later her three cubs) eating a hippo carcass, a hyena carrying off a dead hyena, jackals eating a hare, cheetah cubs playing with each other, a hyena snoozing in the middle of the road (on its back), a giraffe lying down (something I have rarely even seen in zoos), a field with over 100 elephants grazing on the long savanna grasses, the great migration during which thousands upon thousands of wildebeest and zebras travel from the Serengeti in Tanzania to the Maasai Mara in Kenya, and a river crossing by a brave zebra. I do have to say, though, that my absolute favorite part was the family of elephants that visited camp almost every day at lunch. I sat on my deck and enjoyed watching up to twelve elephants drinking and eating from the marsh right in front of me. Once, a mom and her calf passed in front of my tent, just feet away. When she heard me snap a picture, she stopped, rumbled at me, then slowly continued on her way. I think I held my breath the entire time she stood there! 

Stay tuned for Part 2 on Wednesday, October 6

Photos by Sarah Murphy