Masai Mara - The land where wild dreams roam !

An African wildlife safari had been a long dream of mine, growing stronger each year with my journey into wildlife photography. While searching for a good budget-friendly tour package during the quieter months of January and February, I found the perfect itinerary for the world-famous Maasai Mara National Reserve with Share Your Safari group(One of the finest tour organisers I have worked with). After a quick discussion with some of the wildlife enthusiast friends, the three of us decided to grab the opportunity and done the bookings well in advance.

It was a five-day tour, featuring three full days and one half-day game drives across the vast savannah landscapes of the Mara. It was going to be totally different and lifetime experience compared to indian jungle safaris and all of us were thoroughly prepared and exited for the adventure.

On 17th February, we (Myself, Anup and Anuradha) began our journey from Pune and met our fellow photographer, Mr. Harjeet at Mumbai airport. We flew out together and landed early the next morning in Nairobi, where our Maasai guide, Mr. Kane, warmly received us. From there, we set off towards the iconic Masai Mara in a well-equipped Land Cruiser

After a tiring six-hour drive, finally we reached the Sand River Gate of Masai Mara National Reserve. Entering into the park was a dream come true moment for all of us and we were thrilled to drive through the biggest Savannah which we had seen on TV from our child hood. We continued the drive towards our stay at Keekorok Lodge, located about 10–12 km inside the reserve. Along the way, we spotted distant herds of Zebras, Impalas and few giraffes grazing across the plains, along with a variety of beautiful bird species.

Since it was already late, we resisted the temptation to take out our cameras and headed straight to the resort. The resort staff warmly welcomed us in traditional way.  After check-in formalities we went to our rooms which were very comfortable and nicely designed. We freshened up, had lunch, and quickly geared up for our first game drive.

Kekorock resort, Mara reserve main gate and the WILD Gang !

Day 1 - Introduction to the African Wilderness

Since photography was the heart of this trip, all of us were fully prepared with gears and setups.

I carried two Nikon camera bodies paired with the 200–500mm and 70–200mm lenses, to  cover everything from distant wildlife to close-ups and portraits. Our safari vehicle was perfectly configured for photographers, with wide open windows and a low-level opening that allowed for unique shooting angles. It even had electric points to charge our equipment on the go.  I had imagined countless compositions and dramatic frames already in my mind and now it was time to make them live. But Mara had its own plans of welcoming us.

Within minutes of starting our first ever game drive, the skies suddenly turned dark and a heavy thunderstorm rolled in. While rain was pouring like anything across parts of the park, we could see patches of clear sky at the distance — our small ray of hope.
Just as suddenly as it began, fortunately the rain eased within next 15 minutes, and the light started to return. Kane, our guide, smiled and assured us that this was typical Mara weather - changing every few kilometres - and that it would hardly affect our sightings. 

The storm had passed, but the drama had just begun...

Reassured by Kane’s words, we continued and almost instantly, his confidence proved right. Just beyond the resort junction, a pair of Spotted Hyenas emerged from the tall grass and crossed the road right in front of us, as if Mara was welcoming us in its own wild way. Starting our journey by seeing Africa's most fascinating predator was special.  As we moved ahead, herds of Topis - the famous “Blue jeans, yellow socks” antelopes and Water-bucks grazing peacefully across the lush green grasslands.

Gems of grasslands

We then began our search for predators, heading to the favourite spot of a female leopard named  Kazuri. When we reached there, we could spot her kill safely stashed high up in a tree, and a few vehicles were patiently waiting for her return. She had eaten half of it in the morning and now she might be resting in the bushes nearby. We also waited there for some time but she did not return and hence we decided to move on.

Not far from there, we encountered the group of five lions sitting atop a small hill keeping an eye on the area around. Kane told that these are sub adults from Survey pride which is very active in this area. Seeing lions in the wild for the first time and that too a group of five was pure joy. We waited patiently, and soon a young male got up, followed by his sisters. One male and a female walked little closer and sat aside, while other two sisters sat together nearby — almost like a perfect family portrait. With beautiful light on our side, we could capture some unique frames.

Suddenly we could see a change in their body language. All of them got alert, eyes focused deep into the grass. After looking carefully, we saw a Wild boar (Pumba) unknowingly walking straight towards the lions. Within a moment two of the lions started the chase. Realizing the threat, the Pumba sprinted for its life and plunged into a deep burrow beneath a bush, with one lioness fearlessly following inside. 

Within minutes, the rest of the pride arrived and started digging around the burrow. After an intense 15–20 minute struggle, they finally pulled the Pumba out and made the kill. We could hear desperate squeals and powerful roars from behind the bushes and then saw the whole family enjoying the hard earned meal together. It was raw, dramatic and unforgettable experience and to witness such high-voltage action on our very first game drive felt unreal. 

Prey and the Predators

As if that wasn’t enough, later when we returned to the same spot, we found the beautiful Kazuri resting on a tree, near her half-eaten kill. It was already too dark so unfortunately, we could not photograph her. While coming back to the resort, we spotted an elegant Black-bellied bustard and a few Superb starlings as well. Overall it was an extraordinary first game drive and a perfect introduction to the African wilderness.

Day 2 - African Predators in action

After heavy rains overnight, the next morning looked really refreshed and pleasant - a perfect conditions to begin our second day in Mara. With very high hopes, we first returned to the same tree where Kazuri had stashed her kill yesterday. We waited patiently for quite some time, but the queen chose to stay hidden.
Meanwhile, the sun began to rise, painting the horizon in stunning shades of orange and gold. Making the most of this magical light, we tried to capture a few dramatic silhouettes of an African elephant standing tall against the skyline. We still did not manage to get the iconic silhouette shot of Mara but it was a good start to the morning.

Beautiful morning shades of Mara!

As we moved on, sudden movement in the grass caught our eye - an elusive Serval cat was jumping through the tall grasses. With her ears alert, she definitely looked in a hunting mood. Watching its sharp focus and lightning reflexes was a rare and special. Because of her sudden movements and tall grass it was getting challaning to get her clear shots. After some intense hunting attempts she disappeared into taller grass far away and we continued our drive.

The morning kept getting better as we soon encountered six different members of the same Survey Pride - this time, two males and four females. They were on a relaxed morning stroll, walking gracefully in a single line along the safari track, cutting through the tall grass like true rulers of the savannah. This “Masai express” went on for nearly half a kilometre until they stepped inside a small water stream near the bush settling down for some rest.

Just behind the stream, a magnificent Bateleur eagle perched atop on a big tree scanning the plains like a silent killer. Being the most famous snake eagles of Africa, we could recognise him by its vibrant colours glowing with beautiful morning light.

As we went on to explore some new areas of the park in search of other wildlife and we stumbled upon an unexpected roadblock. A massive male from the Kaskaz brothers was sleeping quietly right in the middle of a muddy track, completely unbothered by the vehicles around him. While his brother was seen equally relaxed in the nearby grass.

The Big Brother from Kaskaz pride

There was another male lion from same Kaskaz pride seen romancing with a lioness near the bush at a short distance. As we approached, we could hear their loving growls, and for a moment, we thought we were about to witness a rare mating scene in the wild. But luck wasn’t entirely on our side. After a few rounds of spray marking and gentle nuzzling, both of them just lay down at a distance. That moment reminded us, we are in the wild and here everything happens on their terms and we are just spectators.

With the little disappointment, while we were moving ahed we saw few vehicles gathered at a place and looking at something interesting. Our spirits lifted instantly as saw a hyena family, with two tiny cubs resting in the middle.The cubs were very small may be a month olden are very curiously. They were trying to move around exploring new area under the watchful eyes of the parents. We got some memorable clicks of cubs climbing onto the mother’s back. It was another rarity seen in the wild. 

Family bonds in the wild

While we were still engaged with the hyena family, Kane received an urgent message over the walkie-talkie - some action was happening elsewhere. We rushed to the spot where a few vehicles were already lined up, all focused on a nearby tree.
As we edged closer, we saw glimpse of a leopard swiftly climbing down the tree and vanishing into thick bushes. For a moment, it felt like we had missed the opportunity but Kane was confident. Anticipating the next move, he quickly repositioned the vehicle to the other side of the road.

After just five minutes of wait, the famous leopardess Luluka emerged from the bushes right in front of us. Calm, bold, and beautiful, she started walking straight toward our vehicle . Fearless and gracefully, she walked between all the vehicles, at times coming very close to the vehicle. It was a treat to witness her long royal catwalk until she reached the edge of a stream, effortlessly jumped across and disappeared into the thickets leaving us in the awe of her grace. This was first time i saw such a bold leopard and thankfully got my dream head on shot as well. 

The bold and beautiful Luluka

We thought of heading back to the resort for lunch, but the morning wasn’t done yet. On our way, we spotted four subadult lionesses from the famous Rongai Pride. They looked hungry and intensely focused, stalking at the Topis and wild boars around.
There were times when the wild boar came dangerously close and we all got excited and all set for the next action but surprisingly none of the lioness made an attempt to kill. This tension in the air kept us on edge for quite a long but when we noticed the prey slowly moving farther away we chose to move on. It marked the end of a truly eventful morning.

Evening Game drive

While we were at the resort having our lunch, the weather changed drastically again. Dark cloud cover and few passing showers brought some disappointed. With the hope of getting  at-least a clear sunset we started our evening drive.

This time, we chose to explore the remote stretches toward the Tanzania side in search of the elusive two-horned African rhino. The landscape here was bit different with 
denser vegetation, taller trees, with a water stream flowing through - an ideal habitat for Rhinos. Despite scanning the area carefully, we couldn’t spot any.

Just as we started thinking that it would be little dull evening today, we were rewarded with an extra ordinary sighting of a famous female cheetah Nashipai with her four tiny cubs. 
With very few vehicles around, we were able spend some good time this family and observe them carefully. The cubs were full of energy, climbing up and down a small tree, chasing and tumbling over one another. It was a pleasure to be with these cute little bundles of joy in the wild. Their mother was relaxed and calmly lying down the tree. 

While cubs were still busy in playing, she suddenly stood up, and started staring in one direction. Within moments, she started walking briskly the other way. She might have sensed some danger (may be a lion) in that direction and she did not want to take any risk with her young ones. With just a quick flick of her tail, she signaled her cubs and all of them ran towards her and started walking closely with her. While walking, she continued to look back and make sure they all are safe. It was a great display of a maternal instinct and survival in nature. 

Nashipai showing maternal  instinct

While coming back from that area, we paused briefly at the border point and at the Sand River bridge - one of the crossing places during the Migration to capturing a few memorable photographs.  After crossing the Sand River, we returned to the open Maasai plains and soon encountered a herd of African elephants near the road.. It was a group of mother elephants along with their young ones purposely kept in the middle. Once a little one tried to go out, mother pulled him back with the trunk immediately - Another powerful display of maternal instinct.

Keniya - Tanzania border and Sand River bridge.

After some surprising sightings this evening, Cherry on the top was this last sighting of a jackson's widowbird. It was mesmerising to see its long tail flowing with the breeze as it flew from one bush to other. It was a best way to conclude our second day in the land of Mara.

Back at the resort we relived the special moments from our safari, exchanging stories and excitement with fellow guests over a warm cup of coffee. Then we had a delicious dinner followed by a vibrant cultural program of local Madai tribes. Dressed in their traditional red shúkà robes, these guys welcomed us with their rhythmic traditional songs and the famous Adumu  - masai jumping dance. Trying few of the steps along with them was really fun. It was a truly an authentic and memorable Maasai cultural night.

Masai traditional Attire and Adumu  - masai jumping dance

The Mara had already exceeded our expectations in just two days. We had spotted three of Africa’s legendary Big Five - and the adventure was only halfway through. With two full days of game drives still remaining, the big question lingered in our minds: would we be able to complete the iconic Big Five checklist?

Stay tuned - because the next two days brought even more drama, rare encounters, and heart-stopping moments in the magical land of Maasai Mara.

To be Continued ...