In the morning we were scheduled to take a walk (up and) around the kopje on which the camp is built. Almost immediately we stumbled over a buffalo (understandably, perhaps, I only managed to get off a quick photo (), before Gabriel, our guide, managed to chase it off).

The 'walk' turned out to be more of a rock climb, but it was worth it when we got to the top and could enjoy the views from up on top (), below, including that of the camp far down below us (), below.

     

After breakfast we were then picked up by two Maasai guides from our next destination, Offbeat Meru Camp, not forgetting to say goodbye to the rock hyrax who we'd got quite friendly with (). On our way we observed some elephant, busy browsing in some trees ().

Then, to my delight, we came across some more lions (or even the same ones - who cares?) () (), below. And then, not very much later, an (accompanied) herd of cattle wandering along the road ahead of us ().

     

On arrival at Offbeat Meru Camp () we were met by its owner, Piers, who also runs a similar camp in a Conservancy bordering the Mara (more later). It is always good to stay in an owner-managed camp, rather than one that is simply hosted, and this certainly proved to be the case here.

Offbeat Meru is very stylish (), below, and opposite (), with its own pool (), below.

     

Our first sighting on the afternoon game drive was that of a couple of camels by the side of the road (). Seeing camels out in the wild like this never fails to surprise me, although I'm not sure why. Certainly I haven't seen them south of Kenya, but I guess we're not all that far from North Africa, where there are plenty of these to see (more of camels later!).

Then I make no apology for showing yet a further picture of a Doum Palm tree (). The Doum Palm is the only multi-stemmed palm tree in Africa, and I think is very striking. Following on from this we noted a vervet monkey watching us closely from a tree (), below, together with a young gerenuk hiding in the undergrowth (), below (I'm beginning to regret describing the gerenuk as a rarely seen antelope!).

A much rarer sighting was then that of a school bus (), a timely reminder that in Kenya, as distinct from most other safari destinations, the world of the local villagers is closely interwoven with that of the wild.

     

The final (new) sightings of the day, following afternoon tea, served in the bush () were an African Jacana bird (), below, together with a green terrapin (), below.

     

Then, as so often, a dramatic African sunset () rounded off our day, following evening drinks around the campfire that had to be rather abruptly concluded when a buffalo paid a surprise visit into camp.

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