A day in the Maasai Mara

  • by Jacqueline van Strijp
  • 07 Nov, 2022
Home of the classic safari, Kenya has been a prime safari destination for many years. Undoubtedly its most famous attraction is the renowned Maasai Mara, home to rich resident wildlife and magnificentMaasaiwarriors. However, Kenya also has a range of other wildlife attractions, ranging from perennially popular and easily accessed reserves to more remote and secluded retreats
Our Carmen was fortunate enough to embark on a 1 week experiential safari visiting the beautiful Kenya. Every day was filled with heart-stopping moments of joy and awe for the incredible natural surrounds I was traveling through.  This is East Africa – abundant wildlife, vast wild open spaces, great lakes, giant craters and the warmest, most welcoming people!

Instead of writing a day to day review, since the entire trip was one amazing experience after the next, I have picked my favorite safari destination, theMaasaiMara.To visit theMaasaiMara is to experience the original spirit and essence of ‘safari,’andwith every new sunrise over the grassy savannah and forested hills, the potential for incredible moments to unfold and memories to be created is refreshed, as each day is so often dramatically different to the next.

My day in theMaasaiMara began with a wake up call at 05:30 AM and after a refreshing cup of coffee overlooking the banks of the Talek River and biscuits to help me fully wake up, I left for my first game drive with our knowledgeable guide Paul, aMaasaifrom the area at around 06:30 AM. If the coffee hasn't woken you up yet, the crisp morning air certainly will!

Not long into our journey, we came across two Spotted Hyenas,in theMaasaiMara, spotted hyenas territories are stable, but not large, averaging 12 hyenas per 100 sq km.  We were very thrilled about our first sighting, and a few moments later on the riverbed of the Talek River, a Herd of Elephants chowed down on a few bushes for breakfast while the calves were kneeling down, to lick the salt from the riverbed with their mouths, as Mom stood by to teach the little ones how to use their trunks – an interesting sighting!

In front of me, eight balloons hung above a golden sunrise with the silver stripe of theMaasaiMara river far below. A silent view of heaven waiting for a shutter snap.  A Hot Air Balloon Safari gives you a unique vantage point of the abundant wildlife living below. There's really nothing quite like it, the view is unparalleled and the experience is unforgettable  but the Topi a.k.a Blue Jean, Yellow Socks Antelope could not be bothered and simply carried on with their early morning grazing.

TheMaasaiMara Region is unrivaled with for its big cat viewings, and our next sighting confirmed this statement. Hauling his pray up into a tree out of reach of other carnivores was a majestic leopard!  Leopard's behaviors are  interesting to watch yet difficult to capture, and because they are very territorial animals by nature, this leopard is often seen in this area, and put on a star performance with a few poses!

Our safari continued through theMaasaiMara only to find our next big cat – a cheetah enjoying his ‘kill’ in a fairly open space with a group of zebras and warthogs surrounding him, naturally very aware and afraid of the predator around them, but grazing through their morning nonetheless. 

Next on the cards, was a delicious bush breakfast in the bush, honestly, I don't think anything beats a meal in the bush. Between the birds chatting and visits from a few wild friends. It really is an experience you'll never forget.  Our safari continued over the grassy savannah and forested hills as we stopped to swoon over the herd of buffaloes a few meters away from our safari vehicle. Not far away from this great sighting was a pack of lions, relaxing in the shade trying to escape the extreme heat of theMaasaiMara.

A Herd ofMaasaiGiraffes amble through as we continued our way through theMaasaiMara, extremely picturesque and known for their graceful movements even when running at their fastest speed of 50 to 60 km per hour,MaasaiGiraffes can be distinguished from reticulated giraffes by the jagged spots on their bodies.

As midday draw to a close, we spotted another cheetah, relaxing in the shade of a ‘desert date’ tree before we enjoyed a simple yet satisfying picnic lunch  in a scenic setting that made this a truly memorable meal.  Full of excitement, our safari continued over the grasslands and we came across a lot of Zebras and Red Hartebeest enroute to Tanzania in search of water and grazing.

TheMaasaiMara has an incredible range of of birdlife with over 1000 species to be spottedand we were not disappointed! One of our many sightings included a red-billed buffalo weaver – a symbiotic relationship of Buffaloes and Birds where the Buffalo provides bugs for the Bird to eat and the Buffalo receives a bug cleaning.

We also got to see a flock of Grey-headed kingfishers, Yellow billed stork andMarabou Storks. At a first glance, judged by size and strength, a Marabou Stork could easily kill a vulture, however vultures have the tools to cut prey into small pieces, whereas the bill of the Marabou Stork is useless for cutting thusthe storks patiently wait for the vultures to produce snack-size bites.

During our safari, we were blessed with rain but this did not bother one male lion when he approached a pride of lions, where his presence was not welcome. Approximately 850 to 900 lions live within theMaasaiMara  and surrounding conservancies. The Mara-ecosystem is one of the world's premier locations to spot this mighty beast in the wild.

However the great thing about rain is, it eventually stops! As the sun started to set and the skies of theMaasaiMara cleared a colony of carpenter ants and termites left their moulds to release their reproductive members. These reproducers are equipped with wings and are more commonly referred to as swarmers. The act of swarming occurs when these winged reproductive members of the colony come out of their nest en masse and begin to mate. The female or queen will then fly to a new location, shed her wings, lay her eggs and begin a new colony.

The highlight of my trip to theMaasaiMara was far from over, and next on our agenda was a visit to a localMaasaiVillage, these are also called bomas and are circular in structure with a handful mud homes on the perimeter. The center is kept empty and livestock is brought in at night in order to protect the cattle from lions and thieves.

TheMaasaiMara is an enchanting world that is full of natural beauty, vibrant wildlife and inspiring people. From gorgeous safari lodgings to unforgettable animal encounters and unique experiences that can be romantic for honeymooners and fun for families, this wild place has something to offer everyone. Our evening came to a close and I had a profound feeling of happiness sittingas the stars lit up the sky with the most stunning view, I hope I encouraged you to pack your bags and explore the beautifulMaasaiMara.

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