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Lobo Lodge: An excellent base from which to explore the wildBy Elisha Mayallah When the twilight was setting in, buffaloes were returning to their base, and giraffes blend black with the zebras seemingly to disappear. Furtive hyenas were ready to invade the plain and assured to get food. The first lion finally roared, which seemed to say AHere is where I come from and this is where I go@ The 300 metres track built between the acacias seems to be sprinkled with black boulders, but when you get closer, you can see these boulders are moving and discover that they are actually buffaloes. Forty buffaloes slowly leave the stripe of brown earth as the light aircraft approaches. It seemed rather apt looking at the wild animals in their hundreds, it was hard to believe that these beautiful animals were a threat and yet protected! When the wheels of the light aircraft touched the ground, we were quickly picked by a 4-wheel drive car flanked by our guide and driver, John Elisa. The car darted forward on a track on the way to a larger rocky outcrop. Two wild eagles accompanied the four-wheel drive for an instant, as if they were about to touch it. The rocks were getting closer and a small gap appeared between them. The track led into it and ended in the courtyard of a superb lodge, Lobo Wildlife Lodge!
That happened recently when we flew to Lobo, just a stone throw from Kenya, in the Serengeti National Park, 3 degrees south of the equator at 2000 metres above sea level. The sleepy Lobo Wildlife Lodge bursts out of its seams every year as tens of thousands of tourists flock to one of the Africa=s best lodge. Almost unnoticed Lobo has become an important tourist lodge, attracting visitors from a far and near. Nothing is lost if such places continue to exist in the World, says one of the tourist in our group. It has viewing spots which allow guests to experience the warmth of the lodge and >wild animal=s visitor= feeding nearby freely. It is wonderful and emotional to see how these animals are contented in this environment, which is so natural. The wildlife are the magnets for tourists in this area, and our visit was a clear expression of this setting. After breakfast the next day, we accompanied John our driver guide and found the surrounding areas to be overflowing with animals. In the space of an hour we saw lions in tens, elephants, hartebeests, giraffes, buffaloes and wildebeests. Smaller antelopes were abundant and the gazelle=s herds were full of spring-born kids. Many tourists visiting the Lobo area describe their affection for wild animals in simple words B it=s amazing to watch, it appears they present themselves to be watched! Lobo derives its name from a Maasai word meaning >the place belonging to one-man=: It is believed that the Lobo springs found few metres nearer to the east of the lodge was once owned by one old Maasai warrior for his personal use, a rare thing in a nomadic tribe. And this is how the name Lobo was found. Lobo Wildlife Lodge is a little of humanity in the middle of an animal empire: human beings and wildlife living in perfect harmony, better than anywhere else. Baboons seem to play drums on the roofs by running after one another on the cornices with undefinable barking. From all the crevices in the rocks strange grey creatures spring up. Far cousins of the elephant, although very close to the groundhog, round, sweet, and agile: thanks to their prehensible palms, they can run up vertical walls. They show the foreigners a lot of goodwill, they are the rocky hyrax. Almost home animals at the lodge. The lodge is certainly a pleasure and an excellent base from which to explore populating wild animals, which makes the area one of the most fascinating in the >endless land= park. The animals in hundreds are drawn by the area=s seemingly endless band of small forests and short grassland pastures. The small forests are home to small antelopes, and the tranquillity of the open spaces is a perfect mix for nature lovers. >Find and build a lodge of 150 beds somewhere between Keekorok and Seronera=, were the instructions given by Hallmark Hotel [Tanzania] Ltd to the architect= in 1967. Construction started in 1968 and the lodge was ready for business towards the end of 1970. The ridge in which the lodge was built was explored on foot by Robert Marshall, the Architect, and Peter Campbell, the Engineer. The site was selected after various encounters with buffaloes, who mainly patronize the area until now. It is believed that selection of the area was to hide the lodge as much as possible from visitors in the Serengeti National Park, to conserve the natural surroundings, and yet to give the residents of the lodge B the feeling of camping out on a safari B in a natural setting while in fact their standard bedrooms are close by. Today, Lobo defining assets are the quality of its wildlife and appeal of its huge, underused landscape for safari >purists=. The lodge is 1 degree and 50 seconds south of the equator and enjoys a temperate climate with cool mornings and warm afternoons. Rain is slight throughout the year apart from the seasonal wet periods of November and April / May. In a country still awash with big game, few people know of this eerily quiet lodge, or if they do, it represents a place of dreams or nightmares. If you are wondering where to go on holiday, and looking to be pleasurably excited B look no further, Lobo is the destination!
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