The Maasai Mara, also called “Masai Mara” or just “The Mara”, was the inspiration for Disney’s The Lion King. And because of my trips in 2009 to the Masai Mara I know why. This vast area is breathtaking. There’s so much wildlife and you can see incredibly far, because many areas are only covered with high grass. Despite knowing that you’re very close and you’re standing on top of it, spotting animals is still quite hard though.
You almost don’t notice the lion underneath the tree 
My first safari in the Maasai Mara
During my first safari in the Maasai Mara, we drove from Nairobi to the park and we witnessed how the drought affected the landscape and the conditions for the Maasai. We counted at least 53 dead cows and that were only the ones close to the road.
Sleepless nights
After a 5-hour drive we arrived at our ‘campsite’, just outside the gates of the park, and the tents were appointed. I was the lucky one to sleep in the treehouse. What a great experience! Even though I didn’t really sleep those nights… It squeaked and cracked all around us and we heard a lot of alarming sounds. At about 5:30 am I heard very intense noises, so I couldn’t wait to ask our guides what the sounds were. At 6 am it was light enough to descend the ladder from the treehouse. Our guide told us that elephants visited the camp that night. So the sounds were not in my own imagination… That night the guards had seen a hyena and two elephants just outside the camp (which is no more than a nameplate and has no fences to keep animals out). Eeeehm, that was only 10 metres from our treehouse!!
Ook de volgende nacht zat ik om 5 uur rechtop in bed, want ik hoorde weer van alles kraken in de buurt. Nu wilde ik hetzien, dus keek ikvanachter ons gordijn naar beneden, maar het was te donker om iets te zien. De sterrenhemel was prachtig en er waren veel vallende sterren, dus bleven we daar een tijdje naar kijken. De volgende ochtend bleek dat we deze nacht bezoek hadden gehad van buffels… Wat een geruststellend idee dat de bewakers van het kamp volledig waren uitgerust met wapens: maar liefst 2 SPEREN!!!
The next night was the same: I was woken up at 5 am by a lot of noise very nearby. This time I wanted to see what it was, so I took a peek from behind our curtain, but unfortunately it was still too dark. Nonetheless, the starry night was beautiful and there were a lot of falling stars. The next morning the guards told us that the sounds that night were buffalos visiting the campsite… Such a comforting thought that the guards were fully equipped with weapons: just two SPEARS!!
Lion King and Jungle Book Safari
Safari the next day was fantastic! Within 2 hours we had spotted 4 out of the Big 5. The Maasai from the day before was our guide and he knew exactly where we had to go. He was a specialist in finding lions: we spotted 14 lions that day! Our guide told us that he was attacked by a lion a couple of years ago and was in a coma for 3 months because of the attack. He even showed us his scars on his arms and back; very impressive (and scary as well). We also saw a herd of 13 elephants, including some very small babies, walking in line exactly the same as in Jungle Book!
We waited a while for the wildebeests and zebras to cross the river (the great migration), but they also spotted the crocodiles and decided not to cross the river. We had lunch just in the middle of the herd. The Maasai was looking out over the savannah from the roof of the car, watching for lions and other dangerous animals. At our left and right sides the wildebeests ran to the river bed. Very exciting to have lunch in this spectacular environment. And so happy that we spotted 4 of the Big 5 (except the leopard); this safari was the best experience!
Tweede safari in de Maasai Mara
My second safari in the Maasai Mara was at the end of December 2009. This time we booked two nights at the Fig Tree Camp. This is camping, but next level luxe: “glamping”. Fig Tree Camp is located at the river bed of the Telek River and provides you with a stunning view from your tent. Although, it was a little absurd to see this camp, in the middle of the Maasai Mara, completely in Christmas decorations.
Locations:
Fig Tree Camp
Maasai Mara, Kenya
Website: http://www.madahotels.com/fig-tree-camp-maasai-maraUnfortunately I don’t remember the name of the campsite of my first safari, but it was near the Talek entrance. If you ever have the chance to sleep in a treehouse, do it! It’s so cool!
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