Good Times in the Mara

Ready to roll out
Safari action in the Mara
  The entire experience of the Masai Mara has been an immersive, multi-sensory overload. The sights and sounds of the wildlife with the lessons and insight of our guides make it so much more than watching an African wildlife documentary on TV. There are just some things that you have to come to Africa to believe. And you will need to bring your adventurous spirit with you as well. Luckily this group has that in droves and here are some pictures to prove it.
Lunch in the savanna
John, Naturalist
  While we were here we had lunch out on the plains, under a thorny umbrella tree with cheetah watching from a distance. We had game drives that lasted well into the night because we just couldn't bear to leave the wildlife encounters early. We really did soak up every minute.

Bush Lunch, Masai style
  Jackson and Massek took us all over the park with smiles on their faces, clearly enjoying what they do. John and Erin became the spotters of the group. And just about every day someone would be humming the Safari welcome song, "Jambo, jambo bwana...."

Christmas Card?
 
Not an episode of the bachelor
Maasai greeting
  And on our last night we had a secret bush dinner set up that really surprised everyone. I think everyone was expecting another picnic meal like our lunch under the tree, but when we drove around the corner to a literal feast with lanterns, candles, a raging fire, bbq's and most of the andBeyond staff, I could see the group was pretty shocked. Add a mid dinner visit by several spotted hyena some traditional Maasai dancing and you have a pretty special experience.

John, Naturalist
Jambo, jambo bwana
  The folks at Bateleur Camp Masai Mara have set the bar pretty high for this trip. Everyone is wondering what could possibly follow this. I'm thinking, 'just wait until they see what's waiting for them in the Serengeti!'


Jack and Massek
The entire group
 www.daimartamarack.com


Location: Mara Triangle - Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya

Comments

Post a Comment

Leaving a comment is a great way to provide feedback, ask further questions, and inspire more answers...so go for it.

Popular posts from this blog

Secret Maui Waterfall

Image
  No matter how quick a trip to Maui might be there will be hidden gems found and great times had. After a little snafu with my flight I made it standby to Maui, picked up my rental car, and rushed off to meet my friends on the road to Hana. We met at Frog Pond, one of our favorite swimming holes near the beginning of the road to Hana. After some rock hopping and cliff jumping here we decided to check out the hidden waterfalls at mile 11. I'm not sure what the name of these falls are but there are two of them, each with their own swimming holes. It is just off the highway but separated by lush jungle. A rope swing beckons the adventurous and rocks warmed by the sun give you more than enough reason to while away the afternoon.
Read more

Hidden Ulupalakua Lava Tube, Maui

Image
  High above the crowded beaches of South Maui lies a hidden secret adventure that only those in the know will ever experience. Hidden only a thousand yards or so off a well traveled road around 4,000ft in elevation sits a massive cave which angles slowly down the side of Haleakala volcano. The amazing formations inside and the cave itself were formed by lava, creating an underground tube to transport the lava farther down the slope of the volcano. The same thing can be seen actively happening on the Big Island currently. Luckily this lava tube is all dried up making it much safer to explore. However the loose rocks and obvious cave ins leave some cause for concern.   Part of this adventure is just finding the entrance. This included a dirt road, a jeep trail, jumping an old stone wall, then bushwhacking through dense brush for about tweny-five minutes before finding the lava tube entrance. It was surrounded by ferns, just like the famous Thurston Lava Tube in Volcanoes National
Read more

Search for Chameleons, Maui

Image
  You never know what might be hiding in your backyard. Here on Maui there have always been tales of people finding Jackson's chameleons in their bushes. The trick is to travel a few thousand feet up Haleakala volcano to Makawao, Pukalani and Kula towns where the temperature is a little cooler and it is a bit wetter, perfect conditions for chameleons.   There are no native reptiles on Hawaii. These beautiful chameleons were released or escaped from the pet trade. Luckily they have not become invasive like many other introduced species, however they have increased in population and seem to be doing quite well in the higher elevation areas. Heidi and I went on a search the other day at our friend's house in Kula and were shocked to find a dozen different chameleons in her side yard hedge. They were mostly at eye level, and were curled up asleep for the night. We found them easily enough with flashlights since they seem to sleep near the outer edge of the hedge at night.   W
Read more