Kenya: Maasai Mara National Reserve: Aug 15, 16, 17

The Maasai Mara National Reserve is in south-western Kenya, and just north of Tanzania Serengeti Nation Park. It is named after the Maasai people, the ancestral inhabitants of the region. The word "Mara" means "spotted" in the Maa language; a description of the landscape dotted with Acacia trees and shrubs.

It is approximately 1,500 sq. km, 1/10th the size of Tanzania’s Serengeti Park.

To get here from Tanzania’s Serengeti Park, we had to take 2 small flights. First one to the border, then short bus ride, customs/immigration and then next flight to Maasai Mara. The roads are rough and it would take more than 10 hrs, hence small planes.

It has a large population of Lions, Cheetahs, Elephants, Rhinos, Buffalo, Wildebeest, Zebras, Giraffes, and hundreds of bird species.

Our first encounter was with Giraffes, Zebras, Wildebeests and Elephants:

We then encountered Lion's pride, consisting few females and many cubs. The male lions were drinking beer and playing Bridge, not far from there.

We later spotted a single Cheetah.

Soon, she started positioning herself for the hunt.

In the Photo below, you can see she is hiding in the tall grass and awaiting for the right opportunity to kill an antelope. We waited for 30 minutes, it seems she didn't have any confidence, we than left that location.

As we were returning to our lodge, we saw elephants, Zebras and Cape Buffalos, walking towards a safer place for the night.

Below an Eland, the largest ( 2000 lbs) Antelope

Below an Topi, highly social and fast type of antelope

Below an Marabou Stork, trying to create nest

Below Lions in a Mating ritual.

Below Hippos in a Mara river

Note: We couldn’t spot Rhino as they hide in the bushes and are not necessarily near the trail roads. 

Wildebeest and Zebra Migration:

The Wildebeest Migration is an annual circular migration of over a million wildebeest, along with zebras and other herbivores, across the Serengeti in Tanzania and the Masai Mara in Kenya. 

This spectacular event is driven by the search for fresh grazing and water, making it a continuous movement dictated by rainfall and seasonal changes. The migration is famous for its dramatic river crossings, particularly at the Mara River, where wildebeest face perilous journeys through crocodile-infested waters.

The total number of animals participating in this migration is estimated to be over 1.5 million wildebeest, along with hundreds of thousands of zebras and other herbivores.

They typically move from one area to next every 2 to 3 months. They eat grass and once they are finished grazing (like a Lawn mower), they then move to the adjacent area where fresh grass is ready to be eaten. The terrain, altitude, wind conditions are different in each national park, hence the vegetation season slightly varies and hence Wildebeest and Zebra migration. 

Accommodations: There are over 100 accommodation options in the Maasai Mara. The accommodations range from large, permanent safari lodges to smaller, more intimate tented camps. They also vary in terms of price, from budget-friendly options to high-end, luxury safari camps (including JW Marriott)

We stayed in “Sarova Mara Game Camp”, a Safari Lodge. It is a luxury tented camp, with 4-star hotel type of facilities. The tent is placed under a permanent roof (to protect against rain), and over a wooden floor platform, with canvas walls and a roof. The bathroom is in adjacent connect structure with all amenities.

Below is a photo the structure of the tent:

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