As a child who grew up in the 90’s watching Disney’s blockbuster The Lion King, I had no idea that some day I’d be so crazy about animal safaris that my enthusiasm would take me right to the home of The Lion King. My first visit to East Africa was on assignment in 2017 on what can only be described as a surreal trip to the Maasai Mara. I vowed to be back with the people I love to experience the magic of the Mara and some 8 years later that’s exactly what happened.
For those that don’t share the same mental enthusiasm of sitting in a jeep for hours on end driving around the jungle in search of wildlife and animal movement – it might seem odd to want to revisit but those that fall in love with the wild know exactly what I mean.
Maasai are a tribal nomadic community in Kenya and Tanzania that can trace their origins to South Sudan. Maa is the common language these tribes speak and hence Maasai translates to those that speak the Maa language. Mara means spotted land in their native language. The land is full of the African alocasia tree which isn’t very tall (that typical African tree you’ll see in movies or pictures) and a bird’s eye view shows the entire land spotted with these trees – Hence the Maasai Mara – the Spotted land that belongs to the Maasai people.
For many wildlife and safari enthusiasts the Maasai Mara is the pinnacle of wildlife. It’s home to the incredible African Big 5 (Lion, Leopard, Elephant, Buffalo and Rhino) and a plethora of birds, insects, reptiles and other animals. The added advantage is that since the African savannah isn’t dense with foliage like the Indian jungles, it is far easy to spot animals and you often hit jackpot multiple times. While most will give up after 1 or 2 safari rides if they’ve managed to see everything, I’d encourage you to do as many as possible because not only is the Mara beautiful with pristine blue skies and bright green as far as the eye can see, but each safari is different. Each sighting is unique and special and you just never know what the jungle wants to show you.
I flew in from Nairobi on a small 12-seater plane (terrifying for those who are scared but exhilarating for those who want to see the Mara from the sky) which lands on one of the several landing strips in the middle of the jungle. We were whisked away with our bags into our safari jeep towards our hotel only to stop en route and be treated to our very first sighting. A young male and female resting after having devoured lunch. His face covered with flies that could still smell the blood from his kill and both lions panting furiously as they posed for us. Noone was expecting to witness this 10 minutes after landing but then again – the Mara will surprise you.
You can choose to stay at a range of accommodations but we opted for a luxury hotel that had the added advantage of being location in the middle of the Mara ( so no need to go in and out of the park gates we are INSIDE the main park ) and home to what is possibly the most gorgeous view from a hotel I have ever seen. The reception of common area opens out onto a viewing deck with a panoramic view of the Maasai Mara which honestly took our collective breath away.
The excitement continued when we learnt that each and everyone of their 74 rooms has the same view and at any given point no matter where you are at the hotel, you can look out into the park. Such is the beauty of the Mara Serena Lodge.
Our 3 days in the Maasai Mara we spent on safari drives, picnics in the wild in the middle of nowhere (common practice when you’re on a full day safari) a trip to a local Maasai village and even a night safari which I think sounds more exciting than it actually is (you can’t see much but it’s still wonderful to be in the jungle at night).
Having had multiple lion elephant and hippo sightings (and I do mean multiple) along with spotting cheetah, zebra, giraffe, wildebeest, antelopes and so much more you’d think I’ve had my fill of this Kenyan jewel. The truth is, if I could – I’d be back every year to witness magic.
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