Here we are at the end of February and I can hardly see out the window of my tent as the grass is so long. You wouldn't believe the change in scenery that has taken place since I last wrote. The whole reserve is emerald green and lush and wet. The Ruaha River is flowing again and there are lots of very happy hippos - not to mention everything else. Walking around camp is a little disconcerting as the grass is now shoulder high - well for me anyway (no rude comments now). I was watching a tiny Kirk's Dik-Dik on the road the other morning. It hesitated a good long while, enjoying the early morning sunshine before launching itself into the long, wet grass which towered above its head. Sort of know how he felt…

We had a busy few months and now we are getting ready to close the camp for the 'Big Rains'. Can't imagine what that will be like. The rain so far has been incredible - real proper African rain which envelopes the senses. The clouds build up, the temperature rises, everything goes a little quiet, and then there is a little, distant rumble of thunder. The wind then starts and as you look up, you can see the rain moving towards the camp, down from the escarpment in a solid curtain. Within minutes, there are puddles everywhere. Sometimes it has rained for a whole day, but normally it is short, sharp and over as quickly as it began. Most of the time it rains in the afternoons but we have had some really good storms at night. Lying tucked up in bed with the rain thrashing on the canvas above you, is a great way to fall asleep…

Even with the vegetation being so dense, the game viewing has been good. It is quite difficult to see anything more than a few metres off the road. In some places, where it is more open, it can be difficult to see herds of elephants in the long grass. It's only the giraffe who are really still standing proud. Luckily, the big cats don't like getting their feet wet (just like their smaller domestic cousins) and so early in the morning, we'll often find lions lounging in the middle of the roads just waiting for the grass to dry before retiring under a now shady tree for the rest of the day.

The rains have been a bonus to the camp too. During the dry season, we had to bring in all our water from the Ruaha River near to the Park Headquarters at Msembe. As it got drier, it meant we were competing with hippo for every drop. Now with the rains, it means we don't have to leave camp. As soon as the clouds start building, everyone knows that the bucket run is about to begin. We put out buckets along the edges of many of the tents and it is amazing how quickly they can fill from the run-off. We put big 160l drums along one edge of the mess tent and these can fill in 10minutes if the rain is heavy enough. After a good storm, we can harvest over 1,000l of water which keeps the camp going for a few days. I don't think I'll ever be able to hear the rain again without running to put my bucket out…

The camp closes early March and we all will be going on some well-earned leave. There will always be a few members of staff in camp to keep an eye on things and to make sure that the hyenas, mice and other four-legged guests don't have too much fun while no-one is looking. We've got a bit of work to do too to make sure that everything will be bright and shiny for when the camp opens again in June.

We've had a great first season. From all the team here, we'd like to say a big thank you to all the guests who visited us and made it possible. We hope you had as much fun as we did. Everyone at Kwihala is looking forward to next season and hope to make many more new friends - as well as possibly welcoming back some old ones!

Wishing everyone safe travels. Take care.

Colleen, Owen and all the team in Ruaha