Hakuna Matata – Masai Mara, Kenya
Today we departed Djibouti for Nairobi, Kenya, for our first African Safari of the trip!
We landed in the chaos of Wilson airport, accompanied in the sky by many commuter flights, coming and leaving for different parts of Kenya. Commuter flights were similar to a bus service in Kenya, passengers would board the flights, would make several stops, until it was your time to get off. And we were about to join in on the fun for our 45 minute flight to Masai Mara.
The looks on the faces of our fellow passengers and Carol, our pilot, as we boarded the Cessna Caravan in our pilot’s uniform was quite funny. We joked that the other passengers could have their pick at who they wanted to fly the plane! They all looked perplexed.
We were the second stop on the flight, making our approach over wild elephants and zebras, landing on the gravel runway…we had arrived in Masai Mara. As we unloaded the plane, we were surrounded by antelopes, gazelles, and giraffes all roaming the runway freely. We heard the pop of a champagne bottle…it was for us! What a way to be greeted in the bush!
We loaded into the land rover with our game driver Bennedict and headed to the Bateleur Camp, our home for the next 4 nights. Within minutes we were on our first game drive, seeing zebras, elephants, gazelles, antelopes, baboons and so much more. Bateleur Camp is stunning. Friendly faces greet you as you are led to your “tents” that offer luxury accommodations and views overlooking the bush in front of you.
The next couple of days were filled with game drives galore. Everyday was different and our luck with the animals and sights was unbelievable. Lions resting in the tall grass then walking less than 4 feet past the car, a mother cheetah with her cubs huddled in the shade of a bush, a herd of elephants crossing the road with our car smack in the middle…we experienced incredible game drives with only a few feet between us and the animals.
One of the mornings we woke up early for a hot air balloon sunrise safari. This massive balloon, captained by Peter, led us through the bush overlooking magnificent scenery as the sun rose over the bush before landing next to a herd of elephants. To our surprise a breakfast was set up for us right there, next to the balloon and next to the elephants. It was incredible.
We also enjoyed a barbecue in the bush right over the Masai River. We were instructed to not venture into the bush too far…and no one tempted their luck. Especially since we had just seen a hippo and hyeena as we were pulling into the area. Then, as we enjoyed our desert, we were surprised by a ceremonial dance by the Masai Tribe. Dressed in their traditional wear, the Masai men had a jumping contest, their way of impressing their women.
There was no hope for our guys of winning the contest!
Our last day in Masai Mara took us to a Masai Village where we experienced the lifestyle of the Masai people. We were taught how to make fire with just sticks, learned about the women’s role in the village (they do most of the work and even build the houses!), and enjoyed the traditional chant of Masai women. As we made our way back down to camp, we spotted 25 giraffes making their way up the hills. (Giraffes, and many animals, move up in the hills at night for the abundance of acacia trees). An unbelievable sight! Male, Female and babies alike beautifully lit by the sunset as they slowly ate their way up the hill.
Our visit in Masai Mara was one that we will all remember. We witnessed unbelievable animals, saw beautiful scenery, and met great people – Milka, the hotel manager, was incredible.
Greeting us everyday as we returned from our game drives with a huge smile. At night, we would gather around and listen to her incredible stories about her growing up Masai and the different obstacles she encountered – Milka and her stories, alone, made this stop one we will always cherish!
Tomorrow its off to Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania for some more game driving…
