We’ve been flying camp to camp in a chartered Cessna C208B Caravan…coincidentally made in Wichita, KS, USA. We definitely saved the best camp for last …as far as luxurious!

Finch Hattons Luxury Tent Camp, founded in 1993, and named after the famous “big game hunter” who was Karen Blixen’s lover (played by Robert Redford in “Out of Africa”), sits on 35 acres and has a view of Hemingway’s “Green Hills of Africa”, Chyulu Hills, and the majestic Mount Kilimanjaro. They actually have Wi-Fi and a hair dryer in your tent 😃delicious food, an outstanding spa, and one of the most attentive staffs I’ve ever encountered. The Kenyan people have welcomed us at every camp with open arms, bright smiles and contagious laughter.

The spa was calling after 14 days of continuous dusty and bumpy jeep rides, so I only participated in 2 afternoon game drives while at this camp …but there was alot to see (although I did miss the leopard sighting).

Some of the animals we saw were….

• Waterbucks (white circle on butt looks like a toilet seat)
• Baboons
• Cheetah
• Hyena
• Common Zebras
• Kudos
• Warthogs
• Greater & Lessor gazelles
• Elands
• Elephants
• Giraffes

I did go on the game drive to Poachers Point (outstanding view) and Mzima Springs where clear water bubbles out of volcanic rock from an underground spring. Our guide walked down to the waters edge despite the huge sign that warns of large crocodiles🐊, and cuped his hands to gather and drink some of the crystal clear water. 😩

Back at the lodge, there’s a LARGE water hole in front of the tents and main lodge where you can sit and have your meals watching the hippos, elephants and crocodiles play😉. Connie and I were fortunate enough to have monkeys surrounding our tent and sitting on our porch due to a certain bush that produced a berry they enjoyed eating. We were intimidated by a large monkey at one point who backed us inside the tent QUICKLY as he approached us.

And, we are now back in Maasai giraffe country- the tallest of all 7 species of giraffes … their heart alone weighs 22 lbs & they can’t bend down to drink water more than five minutes or they would block the blood flow to their heart.

We also saw the Elands for the first time….they are really large and can weigh up to 1 ton. They are the largest antelope species in the world. They can jump 4 ft high.

The warriors and staff put on the best sundowner of the trip…complete with games ….and the bar setup in the bush was “over the top” …nicest I’ve ever seen in my 2 trips and 7 camps in Africa. We drank champagne from crystal glasses and ate our “bites” on fine China. After choosing teams …of course my team (Giraffes) beat Allison’s team (Elephants) on the first game of throwing a hammer made of wood into a bag with me & the warrior actually getting it in the bag😀. But, the Elephants made a comeback on the bow and arrow shooting… so it was a draw. Returning to the lodge, they presented us with a roof top dinner….4 course meal inclusive of red snapper and a soufflé….and star gazing. This was definitely UP TOWN SATURDAY NIGHT (even though it was a Sunday😜).

An interesting fact… the entire area contains LOTS of volcanic gravel…so they crush the bigger rocks and use it to make the pathways to the different buildings, pool and tents. IT MAKES A LOUD CRUNCHING NOISE as you walk (and also is hell to maneuver in flip flops) but it alerts the animals you‘re coming and they move away from the paths. The animal attacks are almost always because you “scare” them when approaching. There are NO FENCES around the camp, so your escort back to the tent is on a one-to-one basis with a warrior, but no guns here, just knives and spears.

They also have a night blooming bush called a “Midnight bush” or “African Queen Night bush” that puts out a very potent exotic smell …similar to gardenia but stronger and sweeter. I’m intent on seeing if I can find and grow one in Texas!

After 3 nights of having our every need met (well, almost every😜), we all agree this was our best overall experience in reference to lodging.

We leave in the morning and will have the afternoon in Nairobi to visit the Maasai market and spend our few remaining schillings, but I think our real treasures will be the jewelry and items we bought right off the warriors bodies 🥹 My engagement bracelet from Joel will always be a treasure…even though I could not accept his proposal to be his 3rd wife.

So sad, to see our stay in Africa come to an end. Our small group could not have been more in tune with each other. EVERYONE got along…not a single issue. Rick was a great trip planner & kept us all informed of our options and organized; Lolly’s exuberant personality kept us laughing; Sarah and Allison have never met a stranger; Darrin’s dry sense of humor kept us smiling; Lynne was a delight to visit with and Connie is so easygoing, pleasant and agreeable…great travel group. Rick & Allie & Sarah off to Uganda to track gorillas…Lynne, Darrin & Lolly headed home…and Connie and I are off to Egypt for 5 days. Look forward to make memories with everyone again soon.