When Caroline lived in Whistler, Canada for many years, the Smythe family looked out for her as though she was family. We were therefore over the moon when Hugh, Debbie, Adam, Chanel and Andrew decided to joun us for a Christmas 2005 safari. The old Christmas stockings were dragged out, eggs benedict was put back on the Christmas Day menu, and only the morning skiing would be missing from the usual Christmas Day rituals.

The Smythe safari began with two nights of luxury mobile camping in Lake Nakuru National Park in the Rift Valley, followed by two nights of pampering at Mutamaiyu Mugie, a private house on an equally private 50,000 acre game sanctuary on the Laikipia Plateau, and finished with four nights of luxury mobile camping over Christmas in the Masai Mara Game Reserve.

Debbie watching the wildlife at the waterhole from our private campsite - cape buffalo, zebra and the endangered black rhino

More wildlife at the camp waterhole - male waterbuck and the rare Rothschild's giraffe

Rhino are one of the many highlights of Lake Nakuru National Park - there are only 13,000 rhino left in Africa (3,000 black rhino and 10,000 white rhino), and Nakuru boasts around 100 of them. The above bottom and heads belong to white rhinos.

Kenya's version of big game hunting. Hunting was banned in Kenya in the 1970's, and the only shooting allowed is with a camera. We found this big male white rhino taking a stroll along the edge of Lake Nakuru, with flamingos in the background.

A young zebra dust bathing in Nakuru	Adam, Andrew, Debbie and Chanel having lunch in the Luxury Mobile Camp

Down on the lake shore just after dawn. This spotted hyena was scavanging amongst the flamingos, looking for the recently deceased. With up to a million flamingos visiting the lake there is plenty of natural mortality, and always fresh pickings.

A maribou stork also looking for the recently deceased	A black-winged stilt resting in one of tributaries of Lake Nakuru

Showdown on the Lakeshore. Debbie, Chanel, Adam, Hugh & Andrew	Great white pelicans flying over Lake Nakuru

The Smythe family rediscovering their origins in our campsite	Male white rhino crossing the track just in front of camp

On this safari, as on many of our trips, we flew from region to region in a private charter aircraft. While this ofen seems a little indulgant, it saves a huge amount of precious holiday time, and means everyone arives fresh and ready for the next adventure.

Our destination after Lake Nakuru was Mutamaiyu Mugie, a beautiful private house on a 50,000 acre wildlife sanctuary. While we luxuriated here the luxury mobile camp was packed up and moved to the Masai Mara, where we would rejoin it two days later.

Mugie Ranch is a place of endless activities, whether it be meeting the bloodhounds and doing a "trail", trekking with camels...

...visiting the local villages, enjoying a surprise picnic breakfast after a walk through the bush...

...sharing the swimming pool with a flock of glossy starlings, or watching a giraffe cross the horizon as the sunsets.

After a couple of nights at Mutamaiyu Mugie, the private aircraft collected us and we headed for Christmas in the Masai Mara.	This cheetah was waiting for us as we landed in the Masai Mara - under a small tree just by the runway.

Sun-down in the Mara, with yellow billed storks settling for the night..	..and sun-up as a jackel is warmed by the first golden rays of the sun.

We often leave camp at dawn, in order to try and find lions, such as this mother and cubs, finishing their breakfast.

Evenings in the private camp are spent around the campfire and under the stars, and occasionally with the local masai tribesmen.

We watched this lioness run down this baby warthog - she was not keen to share it with her pride-mates, and fled with her spoils as the male lion approached	Debbie watching an elephant from the top of the Land Rover

Spotted hyena with a bloody collar and the remains of her dinner	Moses, one of our Masai guards during a walk in the Masai Mara

Watching hyenas feed on a wildebeest. Contrary to popular opinion, hyenas are very successful hunters and kill most of what they eat.

These hyenas killed this wildebeest, and then the scavanging lion stole it!

Hugh photographing a very full male lion, close up.	Chanel, Hugh and Debbie on the Mara plains during breakfast

Yoga on the Masai Mara plains - Chanel and our Masai spotter, Sopia, with wildebeest passing by

Christmas morning in the luxury mobile camp - Christmas stockings, presents and eggs benedict

Visiting the local masai village on Christmas Day - Hugh with the ladies, and Debbie appering from a masai hut

Christmas dinner in the mobile camp - Christmas hats and turkey	An unusual sight on Boxing Day morning - a pink hippo

Debbie watching wildebeest dodging crocodiles, crossing the Mara River

Watching wildlife from the Land Rover	Hugh sitting with Caroline, who joined us for Christmas in the Mara

Chanel doing the Masai version of yoga	Sopia & Moses at sunset on our last evening on safari