Days 2 & 3: Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya

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Getting To the Masai Mara

This morning depart from the regional Wilson Airport and take the charter flight to the nearest airstrip. The lodge or your safari operator will arrange this for you. They are generally under an hour, but sometimes make a stop or two before your final destination.

Expect to see the Big Five

Covering nearly 600 sq miles in southwestern Kenya, the Masai Mara is an immense reserve dotted with acacia trees, which probably gave it the name ‘mara’, meaning spotted in the Masai language. Essentially the northern continuation of the Serengeti in Tanzania, these plains are home to an astounding array of animals, providing prime game viewing year-round. This land of breathtaking vistas, deep river and lush forests is also home to the Masai people. Wrapped in vibrant red cloth, wearing elaborate hairpieces and beaded jewelry, the Masai have maintained their traditional nomadic, herder lifestyle in the face of a modernizing world.

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Where to Stay in the Masai Mara:

Kichwa Tembo Tented Safari Camp is a phenomenal lodge for accommodation, service and game tracking.

Most of the cozy Hemmingway-style tents have en suite bathrooms and verandahs overlooking the savannah and the warthogs amble about the grounds

If you can indulge, upgrade to Bateleur Camp at Kichwa Tembo. Ultra-luxurious tents, a dedicated butler and George’s gourmet meals exceed all expectations of life in the bush.

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Each camp has a pool to cool off in the afternoon and antique-filled lounge areas to mingle with other guests and personnel.

The gracious staff and thoroughly knowledgeable guides at each camp ensure your stay is comfortable, educational and life-changing.

A Day on Safari

With a stay at any lodge, two game drives are normally included in the rate.

Typically you are woken up around 6 am with coffee, tea and cookies to get ready for your first drive.

Pile into your 4x4 vehicle (some have canvas tops, others are open) with your experienced guide and head into the Mara.

Expect to see the Big Five: lion, elephant, buffalo, rhino and leopard (although more difficult to spot) as well as masses of wildebeest, giraffe, zebra, Thompson’s gazelle, warthogs, baboons and beautifully colored birds.

At the river, watch the stealth crocodiles and listen to the deep snorting sounds of the hippopotamus, but don’t be fooled by their lumbering size and seemingly slow pace – hippos have killed more people in the bush than any other animal!

As the migration is one of the most concentrated animal viewing times, you will undoubtedly witness a kill and be amazed at the raw power of nature.

Return to the lodge for breakfast and relax at the lodge’s pool or sit on your verandah reading or searching the plains for animals (binoculars usually provided)

Depart for the afternoon game drive around 4 pm when it is cooler and the animals are more active. You’ll perhaps see nocturnal creatures such as the porcupine and civet.

End the drive with sundowners (gin & tonics are a favorite to keep the mosquitoes away) at a picturesque vista before heading back to the camp for a lavish dinner.

Other Excursions in the Masai Mara

As it is forbidden to leave the camp compound on foot for safety reasons, you may feel a bit cooped-up. I recommend going on a guided safari walk with a trained naturalist and armed tracker. This was one of my highlights, not for the animal viewing, as they tend to skitter when they hear you approaching, but for the edification on local flora and the vista from the escarpment.

A visit to a Masai village is a must. Not only is it fascinating to meet Masai warriors, women and children, to enter a archetypal home and shop for handmade beaded jewelry and woodcarvings, but your nominal donation helps fund schools, irrigation projects and other needed amenities.

For a real treat, book a sunrise hot-air balloon ride over the Mara. The morning stillness over the plains is mesmerizing and you’ll finish with a champagne breakfast in the bush, cooked on the balloon’s burners.

If you plan in advance, the staff may be able to arrange a private breakfast or lunch in the bush, or romantic dinner in your tent.