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Thursday, March 02 2017 / Published in General, Sidelines Feature

A Magical Safari: Kenya’s Elephant Quest – Sidelines’ Writer Heads To Africa To Ride, Visit Orphan Elephants and Photograph Wildlife

Elephants and giraffe grazing together in the Masai Mara.
Photo by Lauren R. Giannini

By Lauren R. Giannini

When I visited Kenya for the third time, accompanied by several friends who were first-timers to Africa, I knew they were in for the trip of a lifetime. Our safari, Elephant Quest, surpassed all of our greatest hopes and expectations.

Elephant Quest guests, Suzi and Rosalie, viewed wildlife during their camel trek from Sabuk Lodge to a feast-worthy breakfast in the bush with spectacular views of Mount Kenya.
Photo Courtesy of Karen K. Jackley

The wildlife was absolutely amazing. We didn’t see one lion — we saw a pride of 17. A cheetah mom helped her two nearly grown cubs learn to hunt on their own. Groupings of giraffe and elephant grazed together. Fierce-looking Cape buffalo served as snack bars for birds, which landed by the dozens on their backs to devour ticks and flies. Hippos wallowed by the dozens in rivers and rested on dry land not far from huge, lethal-looking crocodiles. There were more brilliantly plumed birds than I can begin to identify. Every day was full of surprises, but the day I rode a horse through the bush filled my heart with joy.

Shukuru, fresh out of the mud hole, looked so cute that Lauren simply had to foster a second elephant orphan.
Photo by Lauren R. Giannini

Elephant Quest

Elephant Quest was a special safari that Tamsin Cocoran and I designed. Throughout her 25-year career in tourism, Tamsin has been involved with helping local communities and with wildlife conservation, which Kenya Wildlife Services recognized by appointing her an Honorary Wildlife Warden. We wanted Elephant Quest to provide a total immersion experience, starting with elephants and ending with the incredible wildlife in the Masai Mara. Kenya did not disappoint. There were five of us, plus our leader: Chris Brennan, excellent wildlife guide, photographer, raconteur and consultant for televised wildlife documentaries, including BBC’s “Big Cat Diary” and Disneynature’s “African Cats.”

Elephant orphans at David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust’s Ithumba unit enjoy a dust bath after wallowing in the mudhole.
Photo by Lauren R. Giannini

Elephant Quest began with three nights at Ololo Safari Lodge, overlooking Nairobi National Park across its southern boundary, Mbagathi River. There’s nothing like recovering from long flights while being pampered with outstanding food and hospitality by Ololo’s owner, Joanna, and her wonderful staff. With Ololo’s wildlife guide, Ernest, at the wheel, we viewed lots of animals and birds in Nairobi National Park and visited the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Foundation’s nursery for elephant orphans. We all loved meeting the foster elephants and their caring, dedicated keepers.

Grevy’s zebra, the largest and most threatened of the three species of zebra, featuring big rounded ears and unusual stripe pattern were viewed during Elephant Quest’s stay at Sabuk Lodge.
Photo by Lauren R. Giannini

Next we flew by charter flight to a remote region in Tsavo East National Park for three nights at Ihumba Hills, available only to supporters of the Sheldrick Trust. It’s an amazing experience to be that close to elephant orphans after they graduate from the Nairobi Nursery. Ithumba provides more advanced stages of the reintegration process that teaches them how to be wild again. Sheldrick Trust has several units in different locations to accommodate the needs of each orphan. It was unbelievably exciting to be so close to the orphans, who were joined by ex-orphans and their new families, plus huge wild elephants. Elephants can communicate over long distances by a sort of sonar stomach rumble. Matriarch-led families with aunties pitch in to raise their young. It was magical to watch totally wild elephants emerge from the bush to join the orphans and ex-orphans at the midday waterhole and mud wallow.

Elephant Quest enjoying Sunday lunch at Ololo Safari Lodge (clockwise from left): Karen, Chris Brennan (wildlife guide), Lauren, Suzi, Tamsin Corcoran (director New African Territories), Rosalie, Heather.
Photo Courtesy of Suzi Worsham

One other highlight of Ithumba Hills, a self-catering camp, involved Tamsin, who planned, shopped, packed and supervised the preparation of the most amazing meals. Every time we sat down, it was a feast. Tamsin works with and books the best, so everywhere we went, at every lodge and camp, wonderful staff from local communities made incredible efforts to ensure our stay was comfortable, our meals delicious, our adventures fun and exciting, but still safe.

Riding In Africa

Sabuk Lodge, the third stop on our itinerary, offered special activities, including a cultural visit to the local school, meeting members of the local community, river walks, camel treks and horse riding. I felt totally blissed-out to be back in the saddle. Even though I hadn’t ridden in two years, I had a lifetime of muscle memory and spent a wonderful half-day on Hob, a sturdy Somali pony. With our guide, Paris, leading the way on another pony, we walked and trotted, as I wasn’t in any hurry to get to the bush brunch where we met the rest of my group.

Lauren totally enjoyed her first-ever horseback ride in the bush on Hob and didn’t want it to end.
Photo by Chris Brennan, AfricanTerritories.co.ke

Along the way we stopped for me to get a photo of a very tall nearby giraffe, nibbling leaves from a treetop. It all happened rather quickly. I had my arm through the reins, the smartphone in position — I touched the shutter the moment the giraffe picked up its head for a better look at us and Hob spun a 180. I stuck the spin and turned the pony back, but the giraffe was already vacating the premises. My photo came out too blurry to use, but I was pleased I didn’t buy cheap real estate or drop my smartphone. Other than that one little startle, Hob was a perfect gentleman.

Lauren, Heather, Suzi, Tamsin, Chris, Rosalie and Karen — on safari with Elephant Quest —at the 1,000 year old baobab tree.
Photo Courtesy of New African Territories/AfricanTerritories.co.ke

Brunch took place at a fully set table with freshly brewed hot coffee and tea, cold juice, water and all sorts of brunch dishes to delight taste buds while we feasted our eyes on the panoramic vista stretching to Mount Kenya and beyond. We even had a little tented comfort station and a place to wash our hands.

Crazy About Kenya

I’m crazy about Kenya. It’s at the top of the list of my favorite destinations. I’m not into cities, but I absolutely love being out in the bush and rural areas. Much of rural Kenya looks like wilderness beautified by amazing panoramas, hills and valleys, mountains and spectacular vistas that seem to reach forever. Out in the bush, there’s little to no electricity and no city lights to dim black velvet night skies that glitter with the diamond sparkle of zillions of stars, unless there happens to be a full moon.

A brilliant sunset in the Masai Mara.
Photo by Chris Brennan, AfricanTerritories.co.ke

We finished Elephant Quest with four nights at Speke’s Camp in the Masai Mara. We witnessed the dramatic rise of a fabulously large full moon — the first super moon since 1968, and it totally outshone the stars. The Mara was, of course, fascinating with wildlife. That’s where we saw the 17 lions, cheetahs, leopard, giraffes and elephants and much more. We explored every quadrant of the Mara. Weary but elated, we embarked on a farewell drive through the Mara to catch our Safarilink flight to Nairobi. We spent the rest of our last day meeting Tamsin for lunch, shopping, then dinner with Tamsin, Chris and their daughter Kyela before catching our international flights home.

One member of Elephant Quest, Suzi Worsham, provided professional feedback. She and her husband, Travis, have 25-plus years in the restaurant, catering and hosting business with Riverside on the Potomac their latest venture. They’re also horse people, and Travis played polo for many years.

The wildlife was so abundant throughout Elephant Quest for photo opps: Lauren was especially pleased with this image of a nearly adult cheetah cub chasing vultures away from its dinner.
Photo by Lauren R. Giannini

“Kenya was more than I ever expected, one of the most superb trips I’ve ever taken and we’ve traveled all over the world,” said Suzi, summing up her safari experience. “The food everywhere we stayed was spectacular. I couldn’t believe the quality, freshness and variety of the ingredients. The cooking was great, with different approaches, all superb, at the various lodges. I never expected to see all the wildlife that I saw. The camel ride was fun and a neat experience. This was probably my favorite trip.”

Cheetah family on a kopje (rocky outcropping) – the fastest “big cat” daytime hunters, renowned for achieving speeds of 68 -75 mph in short bursts.
Photo by Chris Brennan, AfricanTerritories.co.ke

My favorite trip, too. I love Kenya and can’t wait to return. There’s so much more to see and do and photograph. I want to experience all that Kenya has to offer. Of course, riding is at the top of my new wish list.

 

A nicely posed pair of Plains zebra, which remained plentiful in Kenya’s Masai Mara even after multitudes of all the grazing species followed the Great Migration back to the Serengeti in Tanzania.
Photo by Lauren R. Giannini

A few lionesses of the 17-lion pride that Elephant Quest observed in the Masai Mara.
Photo by Karen K. Jackley

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Tagged under: africa, elephant quest, kenya, lauren r. giannini, masai mara

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Marie Meyers has been around the world because of Marie Meyers has been around the world because of dressage, but it’s her farm in Moorpark, California, that has captured her heart. The farm and the business that thrives there represent Marie’s lifelong journey—a journey made up of good friends, spectacular horses and relationships made to last.

Marie was raised in Southern California, and spent her childhood playing just about every sport under the sun, but she didn’t discover riding until she was 14 years old. “I loved animals so much, so I started taking lessons. I did jumping at first, but I was very bad at that, for sure!” Marie laughed.

After some time, Marie moved on to take lessons at Foxfield Riding Academy and began riding dressage. “I fell into dressage by accident,” Marie said, “At the beginning, I thought it was extremely boring, but then I got hooked. By the time I graduated from high school, I had plans to travel to England to work for Franz Rochowansky, a former head of the Spanish Riding School.”

In 1988, Marie’s hard work paid off, and the pair was selected as alternates for the 1988 Summer Olympic Games. “They didn’t take the alternates that year, so we didn’t go to Seoul, but the experience, the training and the European Tour afterwards set me up for the 1990 World Equestrian Games in Stockholm, Sweden,” Marie said.

In addition to having success representing her country, Marie was busy with her life—marriage, a business, teaching lessons and clinics. 

Learn more about Marie in this month's edition of Sidelines Magazine. Click the link in our bio for more 🦄

📸Photos by Lindsey Long Equine Photography, www.lindseylong.com

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We are starting a ‼️new series‼️ here on o We are starting a ‼️new series‼️ here on our socials where we share some of the lovely stallions, and their breeders featured in each month's magazine. Our first feature on this #STUDSunday is...

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You can find ALL of the stallions featured towards the back of the magazine in the equestrian gallery. Keep a look out EVERY Sunday for a new handsome STUD muffin🧁 and don't forget to subscribe to get your very own edition of Sidelines Magazine, the magazine for horse people, about horse people 🦄

📸  SAS Equestrian
‼️ROB JACOBS COLUMN‼️ The purpose of this ‼️ROB JACOBS COLUMN‼️

The purpose of this month’s column is to help the young equestrians of our sport develop and maintain healthy friendships within the industry. Cultivating healthy relationships with other members within the industry is not as easy as one may think. As a young equestrian, it may be difficult navigating friendships at the barn and at horse shows. Typically, kids have friendships within the barn they ride at but also friendships with others from different barns in their area. 

Initially, it may seem as though making other friends in the sport would be easy and ideal; after all, there is the common interest of horses. However, because of the natural therapeutic benefits of horses, the sport has a history of attracting all types of people, with a wide range of personalities. This can be both an advantage and a drawback. We are now in an era that acknowledges the growing need to discuss and manage one’s mental health. 

One thing I have learned is that we are likely to notice mental health challenges at an age younger than most people may think. Some of the friendship dynamics I have observed over the years have caused me to pause and really think about the future of our sport. Without looking for a source to blame for the cause of this, i.e. social media, parents, school, teachers, etc., I think if all adults involved worked to encourage, affirm, love, and respect our youth, the likelihood of them developing authentic friendships with their peers may increase.

Both humans and horses were designed to have connected relationships. These relationships allow a greater sense of security when one experiences challenges in life. Cultivating the quality and authenticity of these relationships requires intentional work. 

Thank you Rob for providing your helpful insight on developing healthy relationships. Check out his tips in his column you can find in the link in our bio.
Never miss a story by subscribing to Sidelines Magazine🦄 

Photo by Blenheim Equisports

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