Our second and final day at Amboseli started at the ripe hour of 5:30 AM. For two people who consider early mornings an absolute offense, we’ve surprisingly given up complaining—turns out trading your snooze button for a sunrise game drive is actually worth it!
We spent the early hours on a mission to track down a leopard before pulling over for a proper bush breakfast. There is nothing quite like sipping hot coffee out in the open wild, watching the morning sun paint the sky behind the mountains while wildlife casually grazes around you.
On our last safari back in 2024, we managed to see four of the famous “Big 5”—a term originally coined by big-game hunters (and now loved by safari-goers) for the five most difficult and dangerous African animals to track on foot: the lion, elephant, rhino, Cape buffalo, and leopard. We missed the leopard last time, so finding that sleek, spotted phantom is our ultimate goal on this trip!
Speaking of massive wildlife… remember Michael, the giant 12,000-pound tusked elephant from yesterday? Well, our group travels in two jeeps, and today, Jeep #2 got an up-close-and-personal lesson in African elephant body language.
African elephants are fascinating creatures—their massive ears act like built-in air conditioners, flapping to cool down the blood vessels behind them. But when a 6-ton bull starts aggressively flapping his ears, slinging his head, and stomping his feet, it’s not because he’s hot. It means you’ve officially stepped into his bubble, and he is totally annoyed!
Michael gave Jeep #2 a full warning display, getting close enough that they could have practically high-fived his tusks. For the folks inside that jeep, it was terrifying. For us watching safely from the other jeep? Absolutely thrilling! I’m pretty sure Paul from TemboWild was sweating bullets thinking Michael was about to flip one of his fleet like a pancake—which those tusks could easily do. Luckily, Michael decided to spare them. (I’ve got some priceless video footage of this whole ordeal that I’ll have to post over on YouTube later!)
Between our morning and afternoon game drives—with a brief pitstop back at camp for lunch and a much-needed power nap—we saw an overwhelming abundance of animals roaming free in their natural habitat. Honestly, after seeing them like this, going to a zoo will never feel the same again.
Our guides are absolute miracle workers. Not only do they spot animals hidden in the brush that we’d completely miss, but they also feed us endless fun facts.
Fun Zebra Fact: Did you know that no two zebras have the same stripe pattern? Their bold black-and-white coats are as unique as human fingerprints! Beyond looking stylish, those stripes serve a brilliant purpose in the wild: they create an optical illusion known as “motion dazzle,” which confuses predators like lions when a whole herd starts running. To top it off, those stripes actually act as a natural bug repellent to keep pesky biting flies away. Talk about fashion meeting function!
We wrapped up the day with a stunning evening drive, a golden African sunset, and a wonderful farewell dinner with the incredible team at Tortilis Camp.
Another amazingly blessed day in the books. Now, on to the next camp!
May God Bless you always!
Chuck & Lea Ann
WorldTravelReynolds 