- The Amazing Ololo Safari Lodge
- Nairobi National Park – a treasure on the edge of the city
- Sheldrick Nursery & the Giraffe Centre
- A first glimpse of the amazing Masai Mara
- A very full day in the Mara
- A day in (and above) the Mara Triangle
- Helicopter Day
- Big cats and the Masai village of Andasikr
- Saying khwaheri to the Mara and habari to Samburu
- A very special day in Samburu
- A photoshoot with Samburu warriors
The Masai Mara is located in south western Kenya and is a very small part of the Serengeti ecosystem. Every summer its the home to what many say is the greatest wildlife spectacle on earth – the great migration. Millions of wildebeest, along with gazelles and zebras, make their annual pilgrimage from the Southern Serengeti north to Kenya and back again in search of greener pastures.
You can get to the Masai Mara one of 2 ways – a very long bumpy drive or a short flight on a small plane…
One of the things I enjoyed most about Kenya is the people -always friendly and smiling. It really makes you feel welcome.
As we were landing at the airstrip there were many vehicles waiting, some dropping off, others picking up.
The Masai Mara consists of the Mara Triangle (bordered by the Oloololo escarpment to the west, the Kenya-Tanzania border to the south and the Mara River to the east) and the Masai Mara National Reserve on the eastern side of the Mara River. My home in the Mara, Mara Bush Camp, is located on the Olare Orok River, and pretty much in the middle of the reserve.
The Mara Bush Camp is located very close to the airstrip, so in no time we were at the camp. It was one of the two times that we would see it in daylight!
The Mara Bush Camp is very much in the bush, but not exactly roughing it!
After quickly getting settled and having lunch it was time for our first Mara game drive. It’s hard to explain what you feel when you see those big Mara skies…
It doesn’t take long to realize that there is no shortage of wildlife here.
No trip to Africa would be complete without a lilac breasted roller, my favourite African bird. One of these days I will get a photo of one in flight! Just not this day…
In the fading light of our first afternoon we were lucky to find this cheetah family – a mom and her 3 sons. Unlike the other big cats, cheetah don’t hunt at night. Their night vision isn’t very good and they can fall prey to the larger cats; as a result they hunt primarily during the day.
They wandered in and around our vehicles, seemingly oblivious to our presence.
And if that wasn’t enough, we were treated to a spectacular Mara sunset to end our first game drive. A sign of things to come…
