This years trip followed the same itinerary as our last 2 trips - 5 days at Samburu, 3 days at Nakuru and 5 days on the Mara - because we like Samburu and the Mara and Nakuru is a convenient break in the middle and well worth visiting.

Kenya is currently undergoing a drought. Samburu has had no rain for over a year and this was the first time we have seen the Uaso Nyiro river completely dry. Most of the animals seemed to be doing Ok but elephant numbers were significantly lower this trip and the Water Buffalo were looking thin. Conversely there were increased number of Grevy's Zebra and Gerenuk present.

Nakuru has also suffered greatly and is a shadow of its former self, mostly man made however due to the deforestation of the Mau Escarpment and abstraction of water that supplies the lake.

The Mara was Ok, but sadly the Wildebeest were on the "other side" of the Mara this trip and we didn't see a crossing although the Mara river levels are well down and we were told by a KWS Ranger that there had been no spectacluar crossings. We did however break our Mara Black Rhino and Leopard ducks!