Camping at the Masaai Mara
Big cats, acacia dotted grasslands and the annual Great Migration of preys and their attendant predators, help to make the Maasai Mara one of the “Seven Natural Wonders” of Africa and one of the “Ten Wonders of the World”. Located southwest of Kenya, close to the Tanzania border, the drive from Nairobi to Kenya’s finest game reserve took hours. I was picked up and met the other participants of the safari tour. The drive itself was an adventure as I watched vehicles driving on pavements and others areas aside from the road to avoid traffic. On the way, we made a stop for those who wanted to buy souvenirs then had a traditional buffet-style lunch. I really enjoyed the spinach dishes in Kenya.
After hours of travel, we finally arrived at the tented camps. We were greeted by a friendly staff who showed us our dwelling: a tent with only a zip at the front. Each family had a tent. Though I was alone in my tent with two beds, I realized I had roommates by the droppings they left behind.I put my belongings on the bed then dashed out to begin the evening part of the game drive.
The time had come to be amongst majestic creatures in their humble abode, and I was especially looking forward to meeting my feline friends. Gazelles, zebras, buffalos and lions were amongst the first set of animals I saw. As I surveyed the vast sweeping plains, the sunset welcomed me and I was feeling ecstatic about the next day.
Inside my tent was comfortable, but cold because I didn’t pack enough warm clothes for the weather. Hot water and electricity were only available at specific times and there wasn’t any Wi-Fi, understandably. I had a delicious buffet style dinner in the dining hall then prepared for bed, unaware that there would be a bonfire later on in the night with the Masaai people. Had I known, I would have considered joining, but it was time to retire to bed.I untied the mosquito net and climbed inside most delicately. The net fabric covered every inch of body and I felt like I was in a scene of a romantic novel. In the wee hours of the night, I could smell smoke from the bonfire and heard people talking as if they were right next to my tent.
The next day started with an early breakfast to see the animals by sunrise.
I hopped in the van and was ready for a real wildlife documentary series, but this time, I’d be one of the narrators.
The roof hatch of the safari bus and the open plains lend to viewing the animals in their natural habitat. I saw a plethora of animals including the Big 5 (lions, leopards, rhinoceroses, elephants, and Cape buffalo) and watched swarms of wildebeests thunder across together with a dust cloud trailing behind them. One would have thought something was chasing them. I stuck my head out, inspecting and scanning the animals I came across and whenever the driver mentioned an animal, I whipped out my camera.
I observed a cheetah running away from a descent of vehicles and was happy it got away safely. I wondered how much we were disturbing the animals. We continued and drove passed hippos taking a muddy bath in the river and even a leopard with its kill in a tree.
There was a total of 6 of us on the safari tour; a family of four from Europe and a young man of Indian descent. I sung and the mother sung along with me! We were the Safari Band!
I’m an animal lover and being in their presence was one of the highlights of my trip to Kenya.
More Adventures
The first extreme sport I did was bungy jumping. I signed the waiver, got ready, then made my way to the jumping platform…
“1-2-3 Go!”, were the instructor’s words as he counted for me to jump off the cliff. It was the biggest jump at 60ft+…
Donned in Arabian attire, I was ready to have a spectacular evening. This time I’d be having a dinner in the sky…