Trip to Kenya and Tanzania -- Part I - Masai Mara .

 Finally the day came for the long awaited trip to  Masai Mara and Serengeti  .   I took off on 29th September 2023 . I was to be there for 11 days.

The late night Indigo flight from Bombay landed at Nairobi at about 6 O'clock in the morning.  Millicent and William of Go Africa were there at the airport to receive me. William , a Masai , was  to be my driver and game guide for three days at Mara and then to drop me at Isebania immigration post  for crossing over to Tanzania.

Millicent gave me a small briefing of what to expect at Masai Mara.  She told me that reverse migration, from Masai Mara to Northern Serengeti ,   has taken place a bit early this year due to scant rains in Kenya.  Migration is totally dependent on rains but I was not to worry . Masai Mara  has  lots of wildlife to explore during my sojourn there. And  October being dry season there , visibility will be good with less number of tourists.  William , decked up in his traditional Masai attire , gave me a thumbs up with a broad smile. He spoke English.

Nairobi-Mara drive by  4x4 safari Land Cruiser took more than 8 hours including 2 midway stops at Rift Valley and Narok. The distance was only about 230kms but most of Kenya roads are dusty macadams which by modern standards are primitive . Therefore long drives are very uncomfortable.  Modern tar paved roads are few but maximum 50kmph rule is fallowed on them very strictly despite of scant road traffic. In a way it's good. Over speeding needs to be controlled.

My stay in Mara was at Mara Crossings luxury camp. This is the only permanent tented camp in Masai Mara right on river Mara. You can sit in the camp's lounge and watch Hippos and Crocodiles right below in the river. From  evening  six  to morning six , Masai guards escort you when you need to go anywhere in the premises . Its a safety protocol as the Camp is located in the forest.  Hyena and Hippo calls may disturb your sleep in the night..

                                                                                   

     Masai Mara is beautifully scenic. Miles and miles of green rolling plains mesmerize you. Lone           acacia trees standing in the middle add further to the scenic beauty. However photography from the Land Cruiser safari vehicle is a bit odd. One has to stand up in the seat and place the camera on the rails of the open roof of the safari vehicle . There is total loss of eye level unless one is happen to click large animals like Elephants or Giraffe. The side open safari vehicles , which are ideal for photography, are run only by Conservancies for their guests. Since they don't provide airport pickup , one has to either take a bush flight or taxi to reach them.

African wildlife parks allow game drives from morning six to evening six. But the morning and evening hours are the only good times for photography. The mid day hours are not suitable due to strong sunlight and atmospheric haze and dust. 

I was lucky to get a Lioness sitting on an earthen mound watching a group of Cape Buffalos across the road . My vehicle was in the middle so I could get shots of both by moving from one side to other.

                                                                              

The next day morning drive was beautiful. It had rained in the night which had a cleaning effect upon the entire area but with a light blue haze . However as the Sun rose , the haze was gone and it became picture perfect . I met a lone Tusker and a pair of Ostriches resting in the ground after having taken their dust bath.

I found  whole day game drives a bit tiring and moreover the best time for photography were  mornings and evenings . Therefore I decided to come back to Camp by 11.00 - 11.30 and then again go for drives in the evening around 4.00 p.m. And these drives proved to be best for photography as the animal movement was most during these hours. A Giraffe and a beautiful African Leopard were clicked.

Masai Mara is the place for appreciating natural beauty and enjoying the  abundance of its fantastic wildlife visually . One need to give his camera a rest for sometime and capture visuals from the eyes. It's equally enjoying. The sunsets are so beautiful that you get completely  mesmerized with the nature. It happened with me. I was lost enjoying a sunset and it was William who reminded me to pick up the camera and click it. Thanks to William . But for his remind I would have lost the shot.

Serengeti and Ngoro Goran in the next the blog which I will try to post soon.  Thanks in the meantime. And do put in your comments.