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Maasai Mara

A herd of Gnu or Wildebeest

......sweeping plains of lush green grass, tips tinged golden by the early morning sun, crisp cool air biting at my neck as I huddle into a coat........

Yet Kike the cheetah stretches luxuriously aboard the bonnet of our tour truck, enjoying the warmth from the still warm engine, looking out for her breakfast. This is the Mara, home to the newly-crowned wonder of the world- the Wildebeest migration. Soon July will be here, and the ground will thunder to the sound of myriad hooves heading to the swirling Mara river for a much-needed drink, unaware that in the murky depths scaly mighty beasts await eagerly, their deceptive crocodile smiles knowingly anticipating this burst of fresh warm flesh come to their territory…

Let the sun now rise over the plains stretching to distant low-lying hills that kiss clear blue skies. A perfect background to herds of rainbow-coloured Topi and frisky Impala, curious giraffe and elusive warthogs. This is the majestic, magnificent, marvelous Mara.

Getting there

Drive to Maasai Mara using the scenic old escarpment route of the Great North road up until Mai Mahiu. Then turn left at a clearly marked junction that shows the distance to Narok as 87 km. Drive onwards on a road that takes us past the Longonot Earth satellite station. This was the first satellite station in Kenya and it led to the improvisation of the telephone system years ago.

On past Suswa town and after an hour we arrive in Narok, a small district town that is the main access point to the Masai Mara Reserve. This is the last place to refuel or get a cold drink for over 100km. It also has banks and a post office. Because this is a popular place to stop and stretch your legs, there are plenty of souvenir shops and hawkers selling Maasai artifacts.

The road out of Narok is smooth and leads past green scenery before getting to a rough stretch of murram road for about an hour before getting to the Maasai Mara National Reserve Sekenani gate. This is one of the two entrances to the park. The entrance fee to the Mara is higher than that into other parks manned by the Kenya Wildlife Service. The difference is that the Narok County Council runs this reserve.

Our first sighting of wildlife is a pride of lions. A family of lionesses and adolescent lions laze around next to a cluster of bushes, calmly observing us curious tourists. A teenager breathes heavily because as an adolescent he is very active and uses much more energy than his older counterparts. So his way of cooling down is by breathing heavily- at first we thought he was sick but were assured that no, aside from rolling over and sticking their paws in the air this is another way in which lions relax. The other lions continue to primp and preen themselves in a manner that suggests they are a worthy center of attraction, as indeed they are.

A drizzle starts as we make our way through the reserve. The roads are slippery, the black cotton soil soaked from previous showers. The roads alternate between this slippery soil and a mixture of sand and stones, so it's advisable to use a four-wheel drive vehicle when driving in the Mara.

Almost 5 hours since our departure we arrive at the Mara Intrepids tented camp. After the usual check in procedure I head to my tent for some much-needed rest.

Bush breakfast

In the morning we take a break from the confines of the camp and head out to the open lands for breakfast in the bush. Bush breakfasts come as a supplement if you want to experience the outdoors as you eat your fresh fruit, pastries, juice, bacon, freshly made eggs and brewed coffee, among other delights. After breakfast enjoy the view of hippos playing in the nearby Olarorok River, while a giraffe peaks through bushes on the opposite shore.

Hippos in the Mara River

Now for a closer look at the Mara Intrepids tented camp. The camp sits astride a sweeping bend in the Talek River , at the very confluence of the Mara's four main wildlife-viewing areas. With its 30-riverfront tents divided into 3 self-contained areas, Intrepids offers an intimate ‘small-camp' atmosphere. The tents are currently undergoing refurbishment; the canvas is being changed from green to a warmer beige that allows more light in, while the wooden furniture has a wood-wash finish instead of varnish, which makes it look more natural. The verandahs are paved with Keekorok stones.

Special 5 star upgrades and romantic honeymoon retreats are also available upriver at Intrepids' sister camp, the Mara Explorer- widely regarded as the Mara's most luxurious camping experience. This is certainly believable; I got a chance to enjoy the facilities. 10 luxurious tents are decorated in a distinctive ‘Explorer' style, with outdoor bathtubs that offer a view of the surrounding countryside and hippos frolicking in the river. Relax in a bubble bath and later sit down with a book from the wildlife and Africana library.

Later David the resident naturalist is on hand to teach me how to play bao, a traditional game that requires wit and foresight and for which it soon becomes obvious that I need more practice.

Many visitors to the Mara travel by air. An all-weather airstrip is located very close to the two camps and is frequented by daily charter flights, enabling guests to be at the camp within 45 minutes of leaving Nairobi.

The Wildebeest migration - latest wonder of the world.....

The Maasai Mara is the most popular Kenyan game park, with the largest number of game and visitors. Visitors abound especially during the annual wildebeest migration that takes place between July and September. We missed this migration; by now the wildebeest have already moved back south across the border to the Serengeti Park in Tanzania. When you do plan to come to the Mara, make sure your trip coincides with this spectacle of nature.

Game viewing is excellent all year round. Game drives are best either in the early morning or evening when animals are most active. Even before we begin the drive our guide Paul assures us that we are guaranteed to see the Big Five- that is the elephant, lion, leopard, rhino and buffalo; as well as plenty of birds.

The world-renown landscape unfolds before our eyes. Mile after mile of open savannah grasslands and gently rolling hills.

“The sun stares upon the lands;

As I look upon nature

the quiet is deafening

the beauty blinding.

We are one soul with this nature

Of trees, bushes, hedges and prey

Making a wholesome world….”

We see birds like the Lappet-faced vulture, which is the largest of the vultures found in the Mara. Other birds are the white-bellied bastards, Black bellied bastard, Kori bastard that eats snakes, black breasted snake eagle which is an aerial feeder- that is, it eats as it flies; the crested crane- cranes mate for life; and Maasai ostriches- males with black feathers and females with brown feathers.

Did you know that male Birds are more attractive than their female counterparts?

There are Egyptian geese, called so because their eyes resemble the paintings of ancient Egyptian pharaoh's eyes. They also keep one mate for life.

The Mara is also home to a number of migrant birds, flying in from as far as Northern Russia such as this Pallid Harrier, and these Abdim storks from Sudan.

All the camps in the Mara have vehicles that you can use for game drives, as they are best suited for the terrain and what's more, there are no directional signs within the reserve. So if you are not familiar with the territory it's easy for you to get lost. Use your own transport to get to and from the reserve and then use the camp's transport on game drives.

The first of the Big Five animals we come across is a family of Savannah elephants, with two grown males hovering in the background. The males only join the main herd when it's time to mate; otherwise elephants are led by a matriarch.

A colourful member of the antelope family is the Topi. Some people say that the top of its legs looks like jeans, suddenly changing into orange socks. They are found only in the Mara and Ruma National Parks in Kenya, plus the Serengeti in Tanzania.

Waterbuck Defassa graze, while in the background one male Impala happily grazes around all his females. Male Impalas fight for the right to be with their females, so you'll usually find one male with up to 15 females.

Close by is a Maasai giraffe. Apparently Giraffes have high blood pressure, which enables blood to be pumped all the way up to their brains. The downside to this is that they should not bend over for long periods of time otherwise all the blood will clog in their heads.

Buffaloes give us suspicious looks as we stop to analyze them, so we drive on towards the friendlier looking Thomson's gazelle, another member of the antelope family.

Other animals spotted include the silver-backed jackals and the elusive warthog.

Later we come across two male lions lying in the shade of a leopard tree. Their manes change colour as they age, darkening from yellow to grey.

Another member of the cat family is the leopard. Leopards have features that make them climb trees easily. First, they have retractable claws that are directly proportional to their weight. Other wildcats like the lion are too heavy for their claws. This enables leopards to drag their prey up trees with ease. They also choose trees with soft barks, which is why their favourite tree is called- the leopard tree.

Now a cheetah is a beautiful animal. Kike the cheetah, calmly lying atop an anthill as her eyes scan the horizon for her dinner. Cheetahs are the most social of the Big Cats. In fact Paul our guide tells us that sometimes Kike will climb onto a tour van and peacefully lie there, enjoying the heat of the vehicle. So we patiently wait, hoping that she'll do just that. Unfortunately it seems today she is more than comfortable on her anthill. Cheetahs can be differentiated from leopards by the black tear mark that runs down both cheeks. Cheetah spots are also complete as opposed to leopard spots that have a space within the spot.

Mother and daughter look out over the plains...

“The birds talk to the grass stalks

As the cats tread to their evening dine

The expanse, vast as it may be

Dare not escape my eye.

The harmonious violence that is the wild

Is what God has bequeathed this wholesome world….”

As evening sets in it starts to rain, so we slowly make our way back to the camp.

And to end the day, some entertainment from Maasai dancers after dinner.

Other activities

The next day wes have some fun courtesy of the Adventurer's Club, for the ultimate African adventure for the young and wild at heart.

The bows and arrows are made from the flexible Orange leaf crouton tree. Accompanied by some guest children we take turns shooting arrows- not as easy as it looks on telly! With a free membership available to all visitors under the age of 12, the club offers a unique opportunity to entertain and educate children in the company of some of its most hospitable and knowledgeable hosts.

After the lesson in shooting arrows we head to the Information center within the camp for a lesson in nature, where an informed guide informs us about signs of the wild and the differences in animal skulls.

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