Everyone has a role to play in our lives. Some support us whilst others stop us from moving forward. Blinded by envy, they fail to realise that they make our journey far more enjoyable. They help clear cobwebs. Fruits of hard-earned success always taste sweeter.

My life, I daresay, was quite different from many. The challenges that came our way were different, putting it simplistically. My brother and I were the last of the generation that saw the erstwhile golden era of Indian royalty. Yes. we saw all its pomp and splendor. Though constitutional assurancea were given by the Dominion of India to the 555 states that merged to form the two dominions of India and Pakistan, India rescinded on its assurances plunging Indian royalty into a dreadful collapse. My grand mother and parents who would sleep as kings and queens normally, one day in 1972, woke up to find that everything was gone. What Mugabe did to his white settlers using the gun, Indira Gandhi did to india using Parliament. 5000 year old culture and tradition was vanquished in the blink of an eye leaving the people confused and the royalty left wondering what had hit them. Continue reading →

The Royal Migration Camp (RMC) had evolved from the many safari experiences that our camp team shared over the years. We decided that we would start this camp with great aplomb.

Those of you who know Tanzania would probably know that it rained nonstop from September 2019 in the Endulin rain ward side of Ngorongoro Highlands. Our RMC camp was situated between Matiti hill and Ndutu Lake. It was the most perfect location. Completely exclusive with not a camp around for miles. It’s like having a large part of the Serengeti carved out solely for us. We established camp overlooking a gorge formed by the Ol Dupai River around eight kilometers from Ndutu Lake. The valley was brimming with migrant animals. We drove around and discovered we had our own lion pride and cheetah too. We would often drive along the gorge looking for leopards, lions in trees and elephants. We would often find them as we neared Lake Masek. Continue reading →

Circa 2017

By July of that year, we had established camp near the Kuka Hills, on the border of Kenya overlooking the Sand River. We preferred the unspoiled wilderness of these hills to Kogatende. Being closer to the Mara River at Koga was a bonus but once the guests had seen the crossing they wanted more and only the Nyamalumbwa and Kuka Hills offered that extra excitement that would make a difference to the overall safari experience of our guests. The Mara River was a 45 minute game drive from camp and we were able to show our guests the great wildebeest crossing the Mara with comparative ease. Continue reading →

Circa 2016 – The Lion Pride

We have both seasonal & mobile camps in the Serengeti. Seasonal camps is when we take a few weeks to establish camp and ensure running hot and cold water, bath tubs etc. Mobile Camping is exciting to say the least. Smaller tents with bush showers and a tighter supporting unit. You move camp, guests in tow. Most times everything goes according to plan but at times it uh.. kind of gets challenging.

Circa 2016 – We were moving our mobile from Ndutu to Seronera. We had one day to do so and come day break the guests departed for the endless plains. After a full days game drive with packed lunch, they would drive in to camp with a beautiful sun downer awaiting their return. The grass was high and prey was spread thin. It would be a challenge for the large Seronera prides to keep themselves properly fed. Continue reading →

Circa 2015

The bush is where i have lived all my life and its here that i wish to die. Life and death in the wilderness is a continuing process. Some have to die for others to live and this is quite apparent when the great migration herds consisting of wildebeest, zebra, elands and tommies decide to get to the other side of a crocodile infested Mara River.

One cool August morning,  one of our guides decided to head for the Mara River. We are in Tanzania and with us, normally on safari, one gets maybe 10% or less of the vehicles that you would on a normal Mara River crossing in Kenya. On any crossing with us, one needs to play it by the rules. The guide will always sit back a few hundred yards as the wildebeest gather, preparing to cross. He will allow them to play out their pre-crossing ritual as the river is infested with crocodiles. They do a few mock approaches to test the waters and gather courage. They approach the river time and time again but do not cross. And then suddenly it’s on. Once the crossing starts you could go up close and take your pictures. Continue reading →

My camping adventures in Africa started in Kenya, on the shores of the Mara River.

I was guiding a very highly placed group of VIP’s from Delhi. We had blocked a camp on the river and I was quite looking forward to my time in the Mara in Kenya. A week before arrival we got the news that bandits had hit the same camp and even shot a person. A local resident of Nairobi was celebrating his birthday when the bad boys walked into camp fully armed.

I could hardly afford that to happen to us. I chose to go a week ahead and meet the Maasai chief of the region. We were given two strapping lads with AK47’s. They were to protect us. Mission accomplished we set up camp and awaited the clients. Continue reading →