Kenya a land of roar beauty

NOTHING compares to the adrenalin surge of a first game drive while witnessing one of the world's wildest wonders.

A playful lion cub is among the wild wonders you can see on a Kenyan safari / Supplied

SAFARI guides have a secret code word for him.

When they talk on two-way radios or pull up their vehicles to share wildlife locations, they refer to the great one as "kichwa kubwa", meaning "big head".

Destination guide: Africa

They refrain from using the common Swahili title, "Simba", because clearly too many people have seen The Lion King and it would tip off tourists, sending pulses racing and hopes soaring.

This also might lead to disappointment if the sighting failed to materialise, an obvious concern in a land where events change in the click of a shutter.

But Kenyans, as we discovered, are not very good at keeping secrets and our passion for learning local words exposed the truth about big head.

Every visitor who makes the pilgrimage to Kenya hopes to see Simba in all his glory. There may be a Big Five, comprising lion, leopard, elephant, rhino and buffalo, but he rules supreme – the top cat, king of the jungle, Pride of Africa ... the mane event.

”I'm here to see a lion in the wild to tick off one of my life ambitions,” declares 62-year-old English grandmother, Val from Bournemouth, a safari newcomer.

She is not alone.

The group gathered at Satao Elerai camp on the fringe of Amboseli National Park, has come from all corners of the globe to witness one of the world's wildest wonders.

Despite some travelling days by air, bus and car, there are no signs of fatigue, only excitement.

This is fuelled by the adrenalin surge of a first game drive – and a cup of Kenyan coffee so strong it could float a hippo.

It's time to enter a real-life documentary and our guide Khan feeds the hunger for adventure telling of his family's chilling affinity with Simba.

His forefathers came to Kenya to build the Uganda-Mombasa Railway, a project halted in 1898 when a blood-thirsty pride of lions attacked and devoured 135 workers over nine months.

The massacre was portrayed in the Hollywood film, The Ghost and the Darkness, starring Michael Douglas as American big game hunter Charles Remington.

Amboseli is a three-hour drive from Nairobi, on dusty, washboard roads that are a chiropractor's delight.

Covering almost 400 square kilometres, the reserve sits below Africa's most famous landmark, Mt Kilimanjaro, on the Tanzanian border.

After more than a year without significant rain the region is in the grip of a grim drought, but the silver lining for visitors is most wildlife is gathered around a series of swamps, fed by underground streams, at the centre of the park.

There would be no kichwa kubwa on our first day, but surprises at every turn: grunting warthogs outside reception, hungry elephants stopping traffic, hyena cubs taking bold early steps, vultures tearing at a zebra carcass, mad baboons, and wildebeest sharing the savannah with gazelle, giraffe, cheetah, ostrich and buffalo.

We met adorable tiny antelopes called dikdiks, with a Shakespearean take on love. Inseparable, they mate for life and when one dies, the other seeks out a plant with poisonous leaves and follows their soulmate into the afterlife.

There are at least five prides of lions prowling around Amboseli and we eventually tracked down Simba.

While cool in the morning and evenings thanks to the altitude (1100m above sea level), daytime temperatures soar into the 30s. Nearing noon, we found kichwa kubwa in blissful slumber, snoring like a sailor, giant chest heaving, and tail flicking in and out of a cooling waterhole.

He would not be seen pulling down a wildebeest for dinner because, as we learned, this was not his job. The head of the pride has two roles – to protect and procreate. He is not a good hunter because an imposing stature reduces his stealth, so as Simba rests, his lionesses hunt and kill, inviting him to dine first. A king indeed!

We sat and marvelled at the 220kg lion enjoying the prime of his life and were treated to the bonus of seeing two lionesses nearby with their playful cubs.

Their antics would dominate conversation into the late afternoon, when it was time for a “sundowner”, an African tradition where the brilliant sunset is celebrated at a remote spot with a “Dawa” cocktail. Swahili for “medicine”, this is a bracing mix of vodka, more vodka, sugar, honey, ice and fresh quartered limes you crush yourself with a jumbo-sized swizzle stick. There seem to be few mild flavours in Africa.

Sundowners at Satao Elerai are made even more memorable by the breathtaking backdrop of Mt Kilimanjaro, which cast off its cloak of clouds for us right on cue.

Elerai has five large cabins and 10 luxurious mountain-facing tents, all with ensuites and hot showers.

The elevated main lodge offers commanding views, and guests can enjoy quality dining and a glass of South African red while watching zebras and elephants drinking at a waterhole just down the hill.

Elerai also has a heart. It is community project created by the owners, The African Wildlife Foundation and the local community. The concept is to provide a sustainable income from tourism for the Masai people in the area and protect wildlife for generations to come.

A visit to the nearby village is an uplifting cultural experience, full of smiles, song and dance.

Spear-carrying Masai warriors also are employed as guards at the camp. As there are no fences at Elerai, they are on hand to lead guests back to their accommodation in the evening when animals roam the grounds.

Visitors may want to see kichwa kubwa during the day from the safety of a four-wheel-drive, but not at night standing between them and their tent.

The writer travelled to Kenya as a guest of safari specialists Bench International, Cathay Pacific and Kenya Airways

Destination guide: Africa

FAST FACTS 

Getting there: Cathay Pacific flies to Hong Kong from all mainland capital cities, and then you can take Kenya Airways to Nairobi. For more information visit www.cathaypacific.com.au or contact Kenya Airways on [phone] or 1300 787 310 or email [e-mail]

Stay: Bench International has been taking Australians to Africa for 41 years and has a range of safari packages. Details: 1800-221-451 or www.benchinternational.com.au.

An eight-day Kenya Highlights safari that includes Amboseli and Tsavo West and Tsavo East National Parks, Masai Mara, and Lake Nakuru, costs from $2135 per person, depending on season. This includes luxury tent accommodation, transport once you get there, all meals, game viewing drives and park fees. A three-day stay at Satao Elerai Camp at Amboseli costs from $1370.

 Activities: See the Big Five – lion, leopard, rhino, elephant and buffalo _ as well as many other African wildlife wonders, including the Great Wildebeest Migration and learn about the fascinating culture of the Masai.