Sweetwater Serena Camp

Denise

Three definitions I had to learn:

  1. Kenyan National Park: fenced, government owned and slightly maintained, e.g. Samburu Park
  2. Kenyan National Reserve: unfenced, government owned and maintained enough, though perhaps more by local hotels on the property, e.g. Masai Mara
  3. Conservatory: Private land/funds, generally fenced (though Ol Pejata had special fences that kept rhinos in but allowed elephants roam in and out at will), focused on combinations of animal conservation, education, reproduction, etc.

We stayed in Sweetwater Serena Camp, a privately owned camp, in the Ol Pejeta Conservancy for two nights, and I tried to make the most of that time. [Fun note: the camp straddles the equator and we went back and forth over the latitudinal line several times during our visit.]

The camp itself was exciting for two reasons: 1) we were finally staying in tents (“tents”, as in attached full bath and all the conveniences, much nicer than even Hermione carried around in her little purse), and 2) the tents were wrapped around the perimeter of a very popular watering hole.

Right away, we saw our first rhino, just across the yard.  I was so excited, I Instagrammed…a rare occurrence.

The next evening, after getting back from another game drive, we witnessed this at the watering hole—and the picture doesn’t do justice for all the animals that were streaming in.  By dinner, it was mostly deserted.

The waterhole at Sweetwaters on our second evening after the afternoon game drive might be my favorite shot of safari thus far.

There was a brief attempt to go swimming, but it wasn’t a hot enough afternoon to enjoy an unheated pool, so the kids found archary instead.

And just to add a touch of colonialism, there was this outside the dining room. It reads, in the most Brittish accent:

“This European Oak Tree was planned in 1930 by EDWARD the PRINCE of WALES in the presence of LORD DELAMERE when he was invited for Tea by SEAGAR BASTARD who was the owner of Sweetwaters Ranch then.”

And I’m so glad I am taking a hiatus from my bird apathy because splendid starlings are more numerous than robins back at home–and they are…well, I was trying for radiant or shiny or irridescent, but I think splendid is the right adjective.

My pics didn’t turn out nearly this well, so another screenshot of Bing images.

Sweetwater Serena, you are as wonderful as your name!

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