KENYA - HEIA SAFARI

We learn about the animal kingdom as early as childhood through fairy tales, picture books and pets. Visits to zoos and animal parks expand this knowledge. But seeing and experiencing animals in the wild is something special for young and old alike. That's why we combined a summer beach vacation with a safari. After gathering information, KENYA, with its magnificent wildlife in the vast savannahs and beautiful beaches on the Indian Ocean, seemed particularly suitable.

It should be noted in advance that this was a beautiful, interesting and relaxing vacation. However, as I got into a very dangerous situation, which I can only remember with a shudder, it is reported here in"somewhat adventurous travel experiences".

We, my wife, our son (seventeen years old at the time) and I, set off on this trip full of joyful anticipation. A flight, it was during the vacation season in July, took us to Mombasa in Kenya on the Indian Ocean. MOMBASA is the most important port on the East African coast and the second largest city in Kenya with a population of 1,200,000. During a tour of the city, the first thing that impressed us was, of course, the city's landmark - the giant elephant tusks that line the roadside of Moi Avenue. These four gigantic replicas of tusks form an archway and are made of white sheet metal.

We traversed the labyrinth of narrow alleyways in the Arab old town with magnificent wooden balconies on the houses. We also visited part of the large harbor and in particular the area where the picturesque DAU ships with their triangular sails dock. Most of the people here are Muslims - photography was strictly forbidden. I dared to do so and was threatened with angry shouting and raised fists. Finally, we visited the FORT JESUS fortress built by the Portuguese. As a souvenir, we bought some simple but artistically carved small statues of animals made of ebony.

We set off early in the morning with the appropriate trekking clothing and the necessary equipment for our project to the starting point of the safari in the direction of TSAVO WEST to the TAITA-HILL lodge. The guide, who led our entire safari, greeted us warmly with"JUMBO KAIBU" - hello, welcome. We were given our accommodation and at a briefing we were informed about dangers during the safari and the appropriate rules of conduct for our protection.

After dinner, we went on a game drive in the nearby area of the game reserve. The drive was carried out in an off-road vehicle suitable for safaris, with a sheltered body that also allowed good visibility. We did not see many animals, apart from a few gazelles and springbok, which soon took flight when they saw us. Nevertheless, the evening game drive through the bush was an exciting experience.

We spent the night at the TAITA-HILL Lodge. The next day, we extended our safari further into the TSAVO West Park, a hilly savannah region. A hike took us to the foothills of the mountains in front, the CHYULU Hills. Here, crystal-clear water flows through the lava mountains into the spring area of the MZIMA SPRINGS. We stopped at the outflow