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Saved: November 30th 2021
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Simba!
This male and his buddy walked right in front of our van and then so close beside, I could have reached out the window and touched his back - WOW! Wow! What can I say? The Masai Mara ... the fabulous, awesome, amazing, wonderful Masai Mara.
The pictures will say more than any words can, but I must say that although we have done different safaris already, nothing quite compares with the landscape and the animals of the Masai Mara. It is the open savannah grasslands that stretch for as far as the eye can see. We all have seen this in nature programs or National Geographic magazines, but there is something truly special about experiencing it, smelling it, hearing it and seeing it with your own eyes. Amazing.
We arrived into Nairobi early in the day, full of apprehension that was completely unfounded. In fact, we couldn't find a taxi to save our lives and ended up walking to our hotel, which was probably faster than being in a car anyway. No one paid us any mind, except for the odd glance at two mzungus loaded down with bags. Not the introduction to Nairobi that we were expecting, not that we are complaining mind you, we are very happy that no one tried to rob us as soon as we got off the matatu!
The following day
Nairobi City
View from the roof of the Kenyatta International Conference Centre. being Sunday meant that it was like being in another city altogether. The streets were quiet, most shops were closed and we were free to wander around the city centre and get our bearings easily. Our first stop was to another budget lodge just down the street from our budget hotel to inquire about safaris. The safari guy gave us a deal, the trip was leaving the next day, so we booked. Just like that. Just like what you are not supposed to do, book the first trip you inquire about. Oh well, we decided to forego the hassle of the hard-selling safari touts and go with this one. It was a good choice!
That afternoon we made our way to the Kenyatta International Conference Centre as we heard you can go to the top floor and view the city of Nairobi from here. It is not the top floor at all, it is the roof! It was Peter and I and Flavia, the staff person in charge of taking people to the observation deck. We were next to the only heli-pad in the city centre and had a 360 degree view of the entire city. Flavia was a
great guide as she pointed out all the buildings of interest and expertly answered any questions we had. It was a great way to see Nairobi and we would recommend it to anyone visiting the city. Besides, it is probably the only time we'll ever be on the roof of a building that tall again!
The next morning, Monday, we met our fellow safarians (probably not a real word ...). Micah was from Hawaii; Anton and Maria from Slovenia. Maria is Anton's 69-year old mother. She was a doll! Our driver and guide was Joseph and our cook was Jones (pronounced "Jonas"). This was our group in our eight-seater, pop-up top safari van, anyone that has done this before will know exactly what type of van we are talking about!
The drive to the National Park is longer than we thought and on a much rougher road than anyone of us expected. Considering that the Masai Mara is the number one tourist destination in Kenya, we expected a smooth, paved road. Oh well, not to be. I'm sure the rough road adds some authenticity to the whole experience, instead of arriving to the park on a 6-lane super
The Great Rift Valley
Taken from a viewpoint on the way to the Masai Mara. highway.
Considering we were on a budget safari, we had low expectations for our camp, but were excited to find that it was more of a midrange option than budget. The food was good, the tents and beds comfortable and ensuite (bonus!) and the location beautiful and peaceful.
Just to give a brief overview of the safari, we did an evening drive the first day, a full day drive the second day (started at 7:45am and returned to camp at 7:00pm) and a sunrise drive the following day starting at 6:00am. Joseph was a great guide and driver that went above and beyond the call of duty to get us to the animals. The only one of the big five that we did not see was a rhino, and they are predominantly black or hook-lipped rhinos in the Masai Mara and are very difficult to see.
A list of the animals that we saw on our three day safari:
Zebra (Common or Burchell's)
Blue Wildebeest
Giraffe
Hartebeest
Warthog (Pumba!)
Spotted Hyenas (5 in total)
Silver (or black) Backed Jackal
Topi (antelope)
Impala
Thomson's and Grant's Gazelles
Meercats
Kirk's Dik Dik (very small antelope, 35cm to 45cm tall)
Leopard!
On our very first game drive, we saw this elusive cat, the photo is a little out of focus, but you can still see how beautiful he is! Bush Buck
Buffalo (Forest or Woodland)
Vervet Monkeys
Bat Eared Foxes
Hippos
Crocodiles
Mongoose (is plural Mongeese? or Mongooses?)
Elephants (including babies around 1 & 1/2 weeks old!)
Cats:
Leopard
Serval
Cheetah
Male Lions (4 young males + 2 mature males)
Lionesses (5 on one day)
Lionesses and Cubs (2 female adults at first and then later 3 adults and 4 cubs)
Birds:
Crested Crane
Black Stork
Helmeted Guinea Fowl
Ostrich
Secretary Bird
Ground Hornbill (in a tree!)
Walhberg's Eagle
Jackson Hornbill
Black Bellied Bustard
White Bellied Bustard
Crested Heron
Long Crested Eagle
Lilac-Breasted Roller
Kori Bustard (possibly the heaviest flying bird, but have also heard the same thing about the Secretary Bird)
Speckled Mossbird
African Fish Eagle
Bee Eater
The Masai Mara, of course, is also the home of the Maasai people. The tall, elegant, graceful, and colourful Maasai people. We chose not to visit the touristy Masaai Village, but rather just enjoyed watching them herd their sheep and cattle, arrive to the busy market day and wander through the villages. It is amazing to see this culture continuing almost as it always has.
We hope you enjoy the photos, we are definitely enjoying sharing
On Safari!
Love the pop-up top on the van! them with you!
Until next time,
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone!
Love,
Laini and Peter
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Charlene
non-member comment
Again sooo jealous what a great experiance